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“ I will spare you , ” said Arthur , “ and I will give you back your lands . But nobody may break the peace of my kingdom . Send me your two older sons as a promise of your loyalty . ” That night the two kings stayed in the castle as friends . As they rode home , Merlin asked , “ Which do you like better , the sword or its scabbard ? ” “ The sword , ten thousand times , ” said Arthur . “ You are wrong , ” said Merlin . “ Excalibur can cut a feather or a bar of iron . But whoever wears its scabbard cannot lose a drop of blood . That is why you were not hurt in your fight . ” Arthur was not pleased . “ Then my victory was not honest ! ” he said . “ A knight should fight with his own strength , not with magic . I will throw this sword back into the lake . ” “ You are right about knights , ” said Merlin . “ But you are a king , and your life belongs to your people . You must keep it safe for them . ” Arthur thought for a long time . “ Then for my people’s sake I will keep them both , ” he said . “ But I will only use Excalibur in real battle , never for sport . ” V . The Gardener’s Boy One day a messenger came to Arthur’s court . “ I come from King Leodegrance of Cameliard , ” he said . “ King Ryence of North Wales wants a large part of his lands . He also wants the Lady Guinevere as a wife for his cousin , Duke Mordaunt of North Umber . The Duke is a great fighter , but he is ugly and violent . My master has few knights now , and he asks for your help . ” Arthur’s face went red with anger , and he left the hall . He was thinking of the lady who stood by his bed like an angel . The idea of the Duke marrying her made him wild . He told Sir Ulfius and Sir Kay to bring an army to his castle of Tintagalon , near Cameliard . Then he went there himself with Merlin and four young knights . They were his nephews Sir Gawaine and Sir Ewaine , and Sir Pellias and Sir Geraint . “ Merlin , ” he said one morning , “ I think of the Lady Guinevere all day and dream of her at night . Please disguise me , so that I can live near her and see her every day . ” So Merlin gave him a little cap . When Arthur put it on , he looked like a rough farm boy . He covered his fine clothes and his golden collar with a rough jacket . Then he walked alone to Cameliard . There the head gardener of the castle saw that he was tall and strong . He gave him work in the Lady Guinevere’s garden . So the King of Britain became a gardener’s boy . One hot morning Mellicene , one of Guinevere’s maids , looked out of a window early . In a quiet corner of the rose garden there was a marble fountain . A strange young knight was kneeling there and washing his face . His hair and beard shone like gold in the sun , and a golden collar hung round his neck . Mellicene ran down to the fountain . But Arthur heard her coming and put his cap back on . She found only the gardener’s boy . “ Where is the knight who was here ? ” she asked .
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