“Shall we be afraid of a dream-reader?” quoth King Lot in scorn.

With that Merlin vanished away and came to King Arthur.

Then Arthur said to Merlin, “I have need now of a sword that shall chastise these rebels terribly.”

“Come then with me,” said Merlin, “for hard by there is a sword that I can gain for thee.”

So they rode out that night till they came to a fair and broad lake, and in the midst of it King Arthur saw an arm thrust up, clothed in white samite, and holding a great sword in the hand.

“Lo! yonder is the sword I spoke of,” said Merlin.

Then saw they a damsel floating on the lake in the Moonlight. “What damsel is that?” said the king.

[“The lady of the lake,”] said Merlin; “for upon this lake there is a rock, and on the rock a noble palace, where she abideth, and she will come towards thee presently, thou shalt ask her courteously for the sword.”