The Magical Sword Appears

That night, Merlin went to London's market square. He stood in the middle of the square,

holding both arms high and pointing his wand to the stars. The next morning,

people discovered a marble block with a large stone upon it. Embedded in the

stone was a golden sword. Etched on the blade were these words: "Whoever pulls out

this sword from this stone is the true king of England." Men flocked to give the sword a yank,

but it stuck fast. The Duke of Cornwall called for a great tournament to draw the strongest champions.

"The winner," he declared, "is sure to be strong enough to pull the sword from the stone."