Sustained Silent Reading (Notes): The End of Arthur

This story is from King Arthur: Tales of the Round Table by Andrew Lang and illustrated by H. J. Ford (1902).

“The Death of King Arthur” by James Archer. Found on Wikimedia. 

King Arthur killed Mordred in battle and was wounded by him during the fight. His knight, Sir Bedivere, is tending to him on the field. Arthur asks Bedivere (B) to take his sword over to the water near the battle field and throw it in. He knows he is going to die soon and Excalibur needs to be protected. B goes to do what was asked of him, but hides the sword instead of throwing it, because he thinks that losing the sword and Arthur would be to great a loss and no good would come from sending it away. He comes back and claims he did as he was asked to, but Arthur catches him in his lie by asking what he saw when he drew it in. He replied that he saw the waves and the wind and Arthur knew he was lying. Arthur send him to complete the task again. He fakes it again. And is caught again by the same means. Arthur calls him a traitor and threatens to kill B if he does not do as his king has ordered. B did as he was told and threw it in the lake, and a hand reached out and caught it but the hilt before it hit the water. It waved the sword three times before taking it underwater. B goes back to his king and tells him what he saw. B follows Arthur's next instructions to bring him over to the water. A barge floats up with a Queen and ladies of the court all dressed in black with hoods. They started crying when they saw Arthur, but they took him aboard their barge. He tells B not to despair, that he is going to be healed in Avalon and never return. The barge goes out beyond sight and B goes back to Camelot, stopping at a hermitage along the way.