The musical Camelot is based on White’s version of Arthur’s story, and once I saw an interview with Richard Harris, who played Arthur in the film version, in which he said that he played him as someone who has greatness thrust upon him, but Richard Burton, who played Arthur on stage, played him as someone born to greatness. He’s also thoughtful, merciful, humble, and kind. Kay goes home, but the Wart stays all night alone in the forest to keep an eye on the hawk so they don’t lose it. It’s not that he’s brave because bravery is a good trait in itself, but in doing the right thing he has to exercise bravery, such as when he and Kay take their father’s prize hawk into the woods to hunt rabbits, and Kay mishandles the hawk, resulting in its flying into a tree and not coming back to them. The word that seems to stand out to me to describe the Wart as a boy is decent. But he does send them off on a trail in the forest which leads them to Robin Hood’s camp and an expedition to save prisoners from the fairy queen, Morgan la Fey. The Wart feels bad that Kay doesn’t get any adventures and wants Merlin to turn him into something, but Merlin insists he can’t use that magic for Kay. He is an able tutor, but he gives more time to the Wart, telling him it’s best to learn from experience and therefore turning him into various creatures, like a fish, a snake, an ant, a bird, and a badger, and sending him into each creatures environment to interact with others. Merlin is a magician who is moving through time backwards, which often confuses him as to whether something is about to happen or has already happened. When Sir Ector decides the boys need a tutor, the Wart happens upon Merlin. Kay’s destiny is to become a knight: the best that The Wart can hope for is to become Kay’s squire. Sir Ector’s son, Kay, is about the Wart’s age, and they take lessons together in everything from History to jousting and hawking. Arthur is known then as “The Wart” and knows he is not a “proper son,” but we’re not told yet where he came from and how he got there. He’s growing up in the family of Sir Ector in his castle near the Sauvage Forest in England. He has no idea he is descended from royal blood. White tells the story of the boyhood of King Arthur.

The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White