In the beginning, The Lady of the Lake comes on horseback. She asks King Arthur for the gift that he promised her when she mended his sword. She has to remind him of Excalibur, and he says that she can have whatever she wants. The Lady of the Lake asks King Arthur to bring her the head of the person who won the sword, because he killed her brother, or of the woman who brought it, because she was the cause of her father’s death. King Arthur says that he cannot grant either of these wishes, and that she will have to ask something else of him, but will not ask anything else.

Just before he was about to leave, Balin saw the Lady of the Lake, whom he had been looking for for three years because she had something to do with the death of his mother, and when she asked King Arthur for his head, he confronted her. He said that because she wanted his head, she shouldn’t have hers, and he cut her head off with Excalibur. Arthur told Balin that he was a shame to the court, and he would never forgive Balin for what he had done. Balin told Arthur that she was the cause of many deaths of knights and his mother, but Arthur decided that Balin could no longer be in his court.

Balin took the head of the Lady of the Lake. He told is squire to go to town and tell all his friends that he had killed his greatest enemy. He said also to tell everyone he was out of prison and the great adventure he had taken to get Excalibur. His squire said that Balin was the reason for King Arthur’s unhappiness, but Balin said that he would meet with King Rience and either defeat him, or be defeated to please King Arthur. The squire and Balin decided to meet at King Arthur’s court, and after, King Arthur buried the Lady of the Lake.

By: Hannah Krajewski, Class of 2010