Then Arthur remembered his dream. Beyond 



"Father and King," he said, "when I am the Blue 

 King after you I shall make a new order of 

 knights, who shall be strong and pure as the 

 Immortal Ones, and be tender as women, and 

 simple as little children. But first I ask of 

 you seven flawless virgin knights to be of my 

 chosen company. To-morrow let the wood- 

 wrights make for me a round dais or table 

 such as that where we eat our roasted meats 

 and drink from the ale-horns, but round and of 

 a size whereat I and my chosen knights may 

 sit at ease." 



The King listened, and all there. 



" So be it," said the King. 



Then Arthur chose the seven flawless virgin 

 knights, and called them to him. 



"Ye are now Children of the Great Bear," 

 he said, "and comrades and liegemen to me, 

 Arthur, who shall be King of the West. 

 And ye shall be known as the Knights of the 

 Round Table. But no man shall make a mock 

 of that name and live : and in the end that 

 name shall be so great in the mouths and 

 minds of men that they shall consider no glory 

 of the world to be so great as to be the 

 youngest and frailest of that knighthood." 



And that is how Arthur, the son of Pen- 

 3 2 3 



