Summary
Summary of The Story of King Arthur and His Knights
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights at a glance
Summary: 8 min to read
- Reading time
- About 6 h 30 min5 h 10 min fast, 7 h 45 min slow
- Length
- 92,900 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1903by Howard Pyle
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
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Key ideas
Key idea 1
Service leads Arthur to the sword
Britain has no king, and a sword fixed in an anvil waits for the person entitled to rule. Arthur knows nothing of his true birth. He is simply Kay's squire, trying to help his brother when a sword breaks during the tournament.
When Arthur pulls the waiting blade free, he thinks only of replacing Kay's weapon. Kay's startled reaction reveals that this ordinary errand means far more. Arthur's first step toward kingship begins not with a hunger for power, but with service.
Key idea 2
A king needs more than courage
When Griflet returns wounded from a fight with the Sable Knight, Arthur goes to face the knight himself.
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Key idea 3
Pride bends before humble service
Guinevere needs defenders against Duke Mordaunt, but the knights bound to serve her do not readily obey.
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Key idea 4
Shared vows give fellowship its meaning
At Arthur and Guinevere's marriage, the Round Table becomes the visible centre of a fellowship.
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Key idea 5
Wisdom cannot prevent misplaced trust
Morgana wants to harm Arthur, but Merlin's protection stands in her way.
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Key idea 6
False peace conceals a dangerous betrayal
Morgana returns with an appearance of humility, and Arthur allows her to borrow Excalibur and its sheath.
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Key idea 7
Borrowed beauty cannot secure real love
Pellias helps an old woman cross a river, not knowing that she is Nymue, the Lady of the Lake, testing his knighthood.
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Key idea 8
Courtesy is tested by wounded pride
Gawaine's quick tongue and temper repeatedly put his courtesy at risk.
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Key idea 9
Chivalry lives in what people do
Arthur's court brings together courage, loyalty, mercy and the promise of fellowship.
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Who it’s for
This book is for readers who love knights, tournaments and enchantments, and for anyone drawn to Merlin, Excalibur, Guinevere and the Round Table.
What this book is
What happens when a squire runs to fetch a spare sword for his brother and comes back holding the one weapon no king in Britain can move? Howard Pyle, the American author and illustrator, began The Story of King Arthur and His Knights in 1902 as the first volume of his Arthur books.
He retells the old legends in a warm storytelling voice, in two parts. The Book of King Arthur follows the young king from the anvil to the Round Table. The Book of Three Worthies gives the tales of Merlin, Sir Pellias and Sir Gawaine.
In this summary
- 1A broken sword sends Arthur to the anvilFree
- 2Arthur learns who he is and is crowned
- 3A wounded king wins Excalibur from the lake
- 4The king courts Guinevere as a gardener's boy
- 5Four proud knights learn to serve a gardener
- 6The Round Table gathers the best knights
- 7Merlin trusts a girl and loses everything
- 8Morgana turns Excalibur against the king
- 9Sir Pellias is bewitched by a borrowed necklace
- 10Gawaine's temper tests his courtesy
- 11Pyle tells it with joy and plain morals
Key point 1 of 11
A broken sword sends Arthur to the anvil
Britain has had no king for nearly eighteen years since Uther-Pendragon died. Merlin sets a marble block before the cathedral in London. In its anvil a bright sword is driven halfway to the blade, and gold letters name whoever draws it the rightful king.
Sir Ector comes with his two sons. Kay is a young knight eager for fame. Arthur, a lad of eighteen, serves as Kay's squire and does not know his true birth. At the Archbishop's tournament, Kay's sword snaps at the hilt, and he sends Arthur running to fetch another.
He remembers the sword in the anvil, and with every guard gone, he pulls it out with wonderful ease. He carries it back, thinking only of his brother's need. Kay knows the blade at once, and his face goes white as wax.
Greatness starts with a plain act of service.
That’s 1 of 11 key points.
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Check yourself
Why does Arthur first draw the sword from the anvil?
Right. “He carries it back, thinking only of his brother's need.”Not quite. “He carries it back, thinking only of his brother's need.”
What gives the Round Table fellowship its purpose?
Right. “The knights swear on the cross of their sword hilts to be gentle to the weak, brave against the strong, and merciful to all.”Not quite. “The knights swear on the cross of their sword hilts to be gentle to the weak, brave against the strong, and merciful to all.”
What does Merlin's story reveal about wisdom?
Right. “Merlin shows how wisdom can be undone by love and misplaced trust.”Not quite. “Merlin shows how wisdom can be undone by love and misplaced trust.”
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Who’s who
- Arthur
- A squire raised by Sir Ector who draws the sword from the anvil and learns that he is Uther-Pendragon's son and Britain's rightful king.
- Merlin
- The wise enchanter who guards Arthur from infancy, builds the sword test and the Round Table, and is trapped by enchantments he teaches Vivien.
- Guinevere
- The beautiful princess of Cameliard, quick-witted and proud, who sees through Arthur's gardener's disguise and becomes his queen.
- Sir Gawaine
- Arthur's nephew, proud and sharp-tongued, who struggles to turn his hot temper into true courtesy and loyalty to his king.
- Sir Pellias
- The Gentle Knight, generous and brave, who wins a magic collar from the Lady of the Lake and falls under Lady Ettard's spell.
- Morgana le Fay
- Arthur's half-sister and a skilled enchantress, who nurses a grudge against him and plots to ruin him through Merlin and Excalibur.
- Vivien
- A young, cold and clever damsel who learns Merlin's magic by pretending to love him, then turns it against him.
- Nymue
- The foremost Lady of the Lake, a fairy who gives Arthur Excalibur and tests the knights of his court.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 92,900 words
- Reading timeAbout 6 h 30 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 14 other languages
Questions about The Story of King Arthur and His Knights
What is The Story of King Arthur and His Knights about?
It follows Arthur from the sword in the anvil to his crowning, marriage to Guinevere and the founding of the Round Table, then gives stories of Merlin, Sir Pellias and Sir Gawaine, all told in a warm voice.
Who are the three worthies in the second book?
They are Merlin the enchanter, Sir Pellias the Gentle Knight, and Sir Gawaine, Arthur's nephew. Each gets a story of his own about wisdom, love, loyalty and courtesy, with Arthur and Guinevere near at hand.
Is this a true story, and when was it written?
No, it is a retelling of medieval legends, not history. Howard Pyle began writing it in 1902, drawing on old stories of Arthur and gathering them into his own clear, warm narrative.
What is the Seat Perilous in the book?
It is a special seat at the Round Table that only one perfect knight can sit in safely. Anyone else who sits there meets sudden death or misfortune. Merlin says that the one destined for it has not yet been born.
Is this book easy to follow?
Yes, in a good way, since each chapter is a self-contained adventure with a clear title, a vivid setting and a simple lesson. Pyle speaks directly to the reader, so it is pleasant to hear aloud.
Cite this edition
Pyle, Howard. The Story of King Arthur and His Knights. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-story-of-king-arthur-and-his-knights.
Pyle, H. (2026). The story of King Arthur and his knights. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-story-of-king-arthur-and-his-knights (Original work published 1903)
Pyle, Howard. The Story of King Arthur and His Knights. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-story-of-king-arthur-and-his-knights.
@book{pyle2026story,
author = {Pyle, Howard},
title = {The Story of King Arthur and His Knights},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-story-of-king-arthur-and-his-knights},
note = {First published 1903}
}
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