可以搜索公号【璐璐的英文小酒馆】或者添加【luluxjg2】咨询课程or加入社群，查看文稿和其他精彩内容哦~

Hello everyone, and welcome to bedtime stories with 安澜. In this segment, I'm going to be telling you some famous stories from Britain and many other countries. So get comfortable and let me take you on a journey far away, The Sword in the Stone.



Long ago in England, a wise and good king ruled the land. His name was King Uther. Times were good and the people lived well. King Uther wanted a magician in his court. And so he chose the famous Merlin, Merlin the Magician. Merlin could see into the future. And he knew those good days were not going to last.



King Uther and the Queen Guinevere had a child, a baby son.



At a party in the castle for the royal birth, Merlin the Magician whispered into the King’s ear.



He said, “Your Majesty, there is something you must know. Soon there will be lots of disasters in the country. Your child is in great danger. Let me take the baby far away. I will be sure he stays safe.”



“Merlin!” said the King in surprise. “You are a great magician. And you are my friend. But there is no way we would let you take our child away!”



Sadly, soon after the child’s birth the Queen died. Not long after, King Uther was killed in battle. That very night, Merlin came into the castle and took the child.



The next morning, the royal nurse went into the nursery but all she found was an empty crib! The terrified nurse, the nervous nobles and servants looked everywhere. But the baby was gone!



For years, there was no king on the throne. No king to decide the laws. Men of high rank fought each other to be king. Darkness fell over the land. Robbers and murderers ruled the streets of London. Evil men broke into houses and took what they wanted. Travelers on the roads were attacked and robbed. The people of England lived in fear.



Yet far away, there was a quiet place. A good knight, Sir Ector, lived peacefully with his two sons. His first son was named Kay. His younger son Arthur had been adopted as a baby.



Years before, a stranger had come to Sir Ector with a baby. He asked if Sir Ector would raise the child. The old knight took the baby in his arms. He was glad for a second child, which he named Arthur.



Sir Ector raised the child as his own.



When Arthur was ten years old, the same stranger returned to Sir Ector’s home. He could read and write, and so Sir Ector hired him to teach his two sons. Kay could not sit still for lessons and he stopped coming. But Arthur listened with wide eyes. He learned everything. That stranger was none other than Merlin the Magician!



At the end of each day when Arthur finished his chores, that was time for the lessons. Merlin would sit with Arthur for hours and teach him about the world. Arthur was a thin lad, not strong like his big brother Kay. Merlin said not to worry about that. He said what mattered most was to have a heart that was big and strong.



Merlin saw how the birds, foxes and deer followed Arthur. He could see that the boy had a very big and strong heart.



By the time Arthur was 16, his brother Kay had become a knight. He was now called Sir Kay. Arthur became his brother’s squire, looking after his weapons and serving Sir Kay when he needed to. He kept great care of his brother’s clothes and helmet, his spears and lances.



One day at lesson time, Merlin looked away. He stood up.