Welcome to the magical legend of King Arthur! It is a very old story from Britain, full of knights, castles, and a mysterious sword. In this A2 elementary version, you will meet young Arthur, a boy who does not know he is meant to be a great king.
The story begins when a strange sword appears in a stone. Only the true king of England can pull it out. Many strong men try, but they all fail. Then one day, young Arthur comes to the churchyard and takes the sword without any trouble. Suddenly, his life changes forever.
This free graded reader helps you enjoy a classic tale while learning English. As you read, you can click on difficult words for instant help, listen to the story audio to improve your pronunciation, and check the lesson notes for useful vocabulary and grammar. Dive into the adventure and see why Arthur becomes one of the most famous kings in history!
A long time ago, in a land called Britain, there was no king. The land was full of and , but there was no one to . In the middle of a quiet field, there was a big, grey stone. And in that stone, there was a shiny silver sword.
The sword was special. On the stone were these words: 'Whoever this sword from the stone is the true King of Britain.' Many came and tried to pull it. They pulled and pulled, but the sword did not . It was .
A young boy named Arthur lived nearby. He was not a knight. He was kind and helpful, with bright blue eyes and a warm smile. Arthur worked for his big brother, Sir Kay, who was a knight. One day, Sir Kay wanted to go to a big in London. Arthur went too.
When they arrived, Sir Kay was upset. 'Oh no!' he cried. 'I left my sword at home! How can I fight without it?' Arthur said, 'Do not worry, brother. I will find a sword for you.' He the town, looking everywhere. But all the sword shops were .
Then Arthur saw the stone in the quiet field. He did not see the words. He just saw the shiny sword. 'This will do!' he thought. He took the with both hands and pulled. The sword came out , like a warm knife through butter. Arthur was .
He ran back to Sir Kay. 'Here is a sword, brother!' Sir Kay's mouth fell open. He saw the words on the sword. 'Arthur! This is the sword from the stone! You pulled it out! You are the true king!' Sir Kay . Arthur's eyes grew wide. 'I am?' he whispered.
The knights and lords did not believe it at first. They made Arthur put the sword back in the stone. One by one, the strong men tried again. They , but the sword stayed still. Then Arthur walked up. He looked at the sword, took a deep breath, and pulled. It came out with a .
Everyone cheered. 'The sword has chosen its king!' they shouted. They placed a golden on Arthur's head. Arthur promised to be a good and fair king. He became one of the bravest and kindest kings that Britain ever knew. And the magic sword? It was called , and it helped Arthur do many great things.
Long ago, Britain had no king. There was magic and brave knights. In a quiet field stood a big grey stone with a shiny silver sword in it.
The sword was special. Words on the stone said: 'Whoever pulls this sword out is the true King of Britain.' Many knights tried but could not move it.
A kind young boy named Arthur lived nearby. He was not a knight. He helped his brother Sir Kay. One day they went to a tournament in London.
Sir Kay forgot his sword. Arthur said he would find one. He searched the town but all sword shops were closed.
Arthur saw the sword in the stone. He didn't read the words. He just pulled the handle and the sword came out easily.
Arthur gave the sword to Sir Kay. Sir Kay saw the words and knew Arthur had pulled the sword from the stone. He knelt and said Arthur was the true king.
The knights didn't believe him. They made Arthur put the sword back. Everyone tried again and failed. Then Arthur pulled it out easily.
Everyone cheered and crowned Arthur. He promised to be a good king. He became a brave and kind ruler. The magic sword was called Excalibur.
Here are some useful words from the legend. Each one helps you picture the story clearly.
- sword: a long, sharp weapon made of metal (Arthur pulled the sword from the stone.)
- knight: a soldier on a horse who wears armour (Sir Kay was a knight.)
- tournament: a big event where knights fight to show their skill (Sir Kay wanted to go to a tournament.)
- pulled: the past form of 'pull', to move something towards you (He pulled the sword, and it came out.)
The story uses the past simple to talk about finished actions. Notice the ending -ed for regular verbs, and special forms for irregular ones.
Regular: play → played, pull → pulled, shout → shouted. Irregular: go → went, see → saw, run → ran.
- The knights tried and tried, but the sword did not move. (try → tried)
- Arthur saw the sword in the stone and pulled it out. (see → saw, pull → pulled)
- Everyone cheered loudly. (cheer → cheered)
Now it's your chance to use the language. Think about the story and answer a question or two. You can write a few sentences, or just say them out loud.
- What happened first? What happened next? Try retelling the story in your own words.
- Why do you think the sword chose Arthur? Talk about a time someone was kind to you.
- Look around you. Can you describe three things you see using the past simple? ('I saw a...')
King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone comes from the British / Arthurian legend tradition and is best known as a legend. This Yak Yacker article is an original learner retelling based on Arthurian legends/public-domain sources, so the wording here is simplified for modern learners rather than copied from one old edition.
Older printings, translations, and retellings of this story can vary quite a bit. The original audience was usually kids/general, but this version is adapted for A2 Elementary learners studying English. Avoid T. H. White 20th-century version; use Malory/traditional.
If you want to look into the source tradition, start with Project Gutenberg.
If you want to keep going, browse more in our English section and review the A2 English Vocabulary List. After that, try English Question Words for another useful next step.
