‘I will try to take the sword,’ said the boy-knight, ‘and place it in my sheath, for it is empty,’ and he pointed to his side. Then he laid his hand on the wonderful sword, and easily drew it out of the stone, and placed it in his sheath.
‘God has sent you the sword, now He will send you a shield as well,’ said King Arthur.
Then the King proclaimed that the next day there would be a tournament in the meadows of Camelot. For before his knights went out to new adventures, he would see Sir Galahad proved.
And in the morning the meadows lay bright in the sunshine. And the boy-knight rode bravely to his first combat, and overthrew many men; but Sir Lancelot and Sir Percivale he could not overthrow.
When the tournament was over the King and his knights went home to supper, and each sat in his own seat at the Round Table.
All at once there was a loud crashing noise, a noise that was louder than any peal of thunder. Was the King’s wonderful palace falling to pieces?
But while the noise still sounded a marvellous light stole into the room, a light brighter than any sunbeam.
As the knights looked at one another, each seemed to the other to have a new glory and a new beauty in his face.
And down the sunbeam glided the Holy Grail. It was the Sacred Cup they had all longed to see. But no one saw it, for it was invisible to all but the pure-hearted Sir Galahad.
As the strange light faded away, King Arthur heard his knights vowing that they would go in search of the Holy Grail, and never give up the quest till they had found it.