6-59. King Arthur and Excalibur

King Arthur followed Merlin the magician into the shadows of the forest. It was tranquil and beautiful.
     "Where are we going?" Arthur asked.
     "To the lake, my king," answered Merlin.
     "Will I find my sword there?" asked the king.
     Merlin did not answer. He stopped when they reached the lake. The king stood and looked at the calm waters. Arthur had never seen such a beautiful lake in his life.
     "This is an enchanted lake, my lord," explained Merlin.
     Suddenly the waters began to move. Then from the center of the lake appeared a woman's arm. She was holding a magnificent and grand sword. The sword shone brightly in the sun.
     "Behold Excalibur, my lord. That is the name of the sword." Merlin pointed.
     "Excalibur," repeated Arthur with awe. He stood up and walked toward the lake.
     "Wait, my lord, it is not as easy as that," Merlin warned. "The lady of the lake holds Excalibur in her hand. She will only give the sword to its rightful owner. Many brave knights have tried to claim Excalibur for themselves. All of them have failed. They failed because Excalibur was not their sword."
     "But I will not fail, for my heart tells me I am the owner of that great sword." Arthur knew Excalibur belonged to him. As he reached out and touched the handle, the lady let go of Excalibur. Then her arm disappeared beneath the waves.
     "In my hand I hold the most beautiful sword in the world, Excalibur! Excalibur will make England the mightiest country in history! It will make me the greatest king in the world!" Arthur proclaimed.
     King Arthur won many battles with Excalibur. As he had promised, England became the most powerful country in the world. King Arthur continued to fight and conquer all of England's enemies.
     However, there was trouble in Camelot. While Arthur was away fighting with Excalibur, Queen Guinevere fell in love with Arthur's best friend Lancelot. When Arthur found out, he became very angry. Lancelot was forced into hiding, and Guinevere was thrown into prison by Arthur's guards.
     Problems also arose among the knights of King Arthur's Round Table. The knights began to have disagreements. Some of them became enemies, and the society of the Round Table came to an end.
     Soon after, England began to lose its battles. Many soldiers were killed or taken as captives. England needed its king, but Arthur was away on a different battle. He was searching for Lancelot in order to kill him.
     King Arthur had a son named Mordred, but Mordred did not like his father and had an evil heart. He wanted to become the king of England. Mordred knew his father had become weak, so Mordred set off to capture and kill his father. After many days, Mordred found his father.
     "What brings you here, my son?" Arthur asked.
     "I have come to claim the throne as king of England," answered Mordred.
     "But I am still the king," said Arthur.
     "Not for long," said Mordred.
     Back in Camelot, Merlin the magician sensed that something terrible was going to happen. England was losing its battles. Now the king and his son were fighting against each other. Merlin thought about Excalibur. He knew Excalibur was a special sword, but he also knew Excalibur had caused much pain and death. "Excalibur should never have left the lake. That is where it belongs," Merlin said to himself.
      After his battle with his son, King Arthur rode back to the forest. He did not want to fight anymore. He had lost all his friends, his wife, and now even his son was dead. He looked at Excalibur with dismay.
     Arthur threw Excalibur high into the air above the lake. As it fell toward the surface, suddenly the lady's arm appeared from the water. She caught Excalibur in her hand and held it for a moment shining brightly and beautifully in the sun. Then it disappeared into the lake forever.
     No one knows what happened to King Arthur after that. Some believe King Arthur will return when England needs him again. Whatever may happen, the legend of King Arthur lives on.