And his friend took it, and went away over the rocks till he came to the edge of the lake, and then he took the sword out of its case and swung it above his head that he might throw it far into the water; but as he lifted it up the precious stones in the handle shone so splendidly in the moonlight that he could not make up his mind to throw it into the water, it seemed such a pity.

So he hid it away among the rushes by the water side, and went back to the king.

And the king said, 'What did you see by the lake ?' "And the knight said, 'I saw nothing except the water, and the mountains, and the rushes.' "And the king said, 'Oh, unkind friend! Why will you not do as I ask you, now that I am dying and can do nothing for myself?
Go back and throw the sword into the lake, as I told you.' "And the knight went back, and once more he lifted the sword to throw it into the water but it looked so beautiful that he _could_ not throw it away.

There would be nothing left, he thought, to remember the king by when he was dead if he threw away the sword; so again he hid it among the rushes, and then he went back to the king.

And again the king asked, 'What did you see by the lake ?' and again the knight answered, 'I saw nothing except the water and the mountains.' "'Oh, unkind, false friend!' cried the king, 'you are crueller to me than those who gave me this wound.