As he and Merlin continued their journey, the king said, “I am weak from loss of blood, and my sword is broken. When shall I get another?”
“Fear not,” said Merlin, “you shall lose no more blood and you shall get another sword as good as the one you broke.” And they rode on in silence for a long while. At last they came to a large lake, very quiet and beautiful, with trees around the edges, and of color like turquoise.
While Arthur was gazing out into the lake he became aware of three women standing by his side. “Who are you?” asked Arthur. To which they replied, “We are queens who have come to help you. Look out into the lake again.”
Arthur looked out upon the lake, and saw in the distance a cloud upon the water like a mist. It moved toward him, and when it came near he saw in the cloud the figure of a woman. Her robe seemed made of the waves of the lake, and her hair was like the morning mist. She was so wonderful that Arthur exclaimed, “Who is she?”
Then Merlin said, “She is The Lady of the Lake. She lives in the rock in the midst of the water, and has come to help you.”
Arthur looked at the figure of the woman. She smiled at him, and pointed at the lake. Then Arthur saw an arm rising out of the water, clothed in pure white. The arm held a sword with a crosslike hilt, and the sword shone so bright that Arthur’s eyes were dazzled.
Then Arthur spoke up and said, “Fair Lady, I would that yonder sword were mine, for I have lost one in combat, and am now without one.”
The lady smiled and said, “Step into yonder boat, and row to the arm, and take the sword, together with the scabbard.” And so Arthur untied the boat, took the oars, and rowed out into the lake. Coming to the arm he took the sword and scabbard, and rowed back to the shore. When he landed he found that the three queens and the Lady of the Lake and the arm had vanished.
As Arthur was gazing at the sword, Merlin said to him: “My lord, which pleases you more, the sword or the scabbard?”
To which Arthur replied, “The sword pleases me more.”