“Be not afraid, Sir Launfal; over all the world you have searched in vain for one thing to do for me, while here, at your own gate, are the sick and the poor whom you could love and help.”
Then Sir Launfal awoke, and found that all this had been a dream, and that he had never ridden forth from his castle at all. But he felt sure that the dream had been sent to teach him not to be proud and selfish. He called to his servants and said:
“Hang up my armor, for I am not going to travel. Instead, I shall hereafter be kind to all the poor who come to my gates.” Then he found the great service he longed to do for the Master.
HOW ARTHUR BECAME KING
Only the wise and God fearing should be chosen as rulers of the people.
A long time ago the king and queen of England had a little son. When the boy was a baby a great enchanter came to the king and said: “You must have some one to take care of your child.” So the king gave the baby to Merlin who took it off with him and gave it into the care of a good man named Sir Ector who christened the baby with the name of Arthur. Arthur grew up strong and good and became a man brave and powerful.
At last the old king died and all the lords of the kingdom tried to take his place. They did not think of Arthur who was the king’s son, and who now ought to be king in his father’s place. So Merlin went to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and told him to summon all the lords to London on Christmas, and that some miracle would be performed to show who should be king.
So the archbishop did as Merlin advised, and on Christmas all the lords came to London. They went into the church and said their prayers, and then they beheld in the churchyard a great stone in which a sword had been stuck hard and fast, and on the stone were the words: “Whoso pulleth out the sword from the stone is king of all England.” One by one they tried to pull out the sword, but not one of them could move it.