“Wherefore I?” said Arthur.

“For God will have it so,” said Ector; “never man should have drawn out this sword but he that shall be rightwise king of this land.  Now let me see whether ye can put the sword as it was in the stone, and pull it out again.”

Straightway Arthur put the sword back.

Then Sir Ector tried to pull it out, and after him Sir Kay; but neither could stir it.  Then Arthur pulled it out.  Thereupon, Sir Ector and Sir Kay kneeled upon the ground before him.

“Alas,” said Arthur, “mine own dear father and brother, why kneel ye to me?”

Sir Ector told him, then, all about his royal birth, and how he had been taken privily away by Merlin.  But when Arthur found Sir Ector was not truly his father, he was so sad at heart that he cared not greatly to be king.  And he begged his father and brother to love him still.  Sir Ector asked that Sir Kay might be seneschal when Arthur was king.  Arthur promised with all his heart.

Then they went to the archbishop and told him that the sword had found its master.  The archbishop appointed a day for the trial to be made in the sight of all men, and on that day the princes and knights came together, and each tried to draw out the sword, as before.  But as before, none could so much as stir it.

Then came Arthur, and pulled it easily from its place.

The knights and kings were terribly angry that a boy from nowhere in particular had beaten them, and they refused to acknowledge him king.  They appointed another day, for another great trial.

Three times they did this, and every time the same thing happened.

At last, at the feast of Pentecost, Arthur again pulled out the sword before all the knights and the commons.  And then the commons rose up and cried that he should be king, and that they would slay any who denied him.

So Arthur became king of Britain, and all gave him allegiance.

TARPEIA

There was once a girl named Tarpeia, whose father was guard of the outer gate of the citadel of Rome.  It was a time of war,—­the Sabines were besieging the city.  Their camp was close outside the city wall.

Tarpeia used to see the Sabine soldiers when she went to draw water from the public well, for that was outside the gate.  And sometimes she stayed about and let the strange men talk with her, because she liked to look at their bright silver ornaments.  The Sabine soldiers wore heavy silver rings and bracelets on their left arms,—­some wore as many as four or five.

The soldiers knew she was the daughter of the keeper of the citadel, and they saw that she had greedy eyes for their ornaments.  So day by day they talked with her, and showed her their silver rings, and tempted her.  And at last Tarpeia made a bargain, to betray her city to them.  She said she would unlock the great gate and let them in, if they would give her what they wore on their left arms.