Teaching Wart

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Teaching Wart

Six years pass and little changes. Merlyn continues to teach the Wart by turning him into every animal under the sun. Kay becomes more difficult; both he and the Wart grow taller. It will soon be time for Kay to be knighted and for the Wart to become his squire. The Wart is resigned to his fate, but he wishes he were a knight nonetheless.

As the day of the knighting ceremony draws near, the Wart sulks more and more. Sir Ector sends him to Merlyn to be cheered up. Merlyn tells him that the best thing for sadness is to learn something. He turns the Wart into a badger and tells him that this is the last time he will be able to turn him into an animal. The Wart finds himself in front of the entrance to the badger's home, but he is in a foul mood and decides to be contrary. He walks away from the entrance and comes across a hedgehog. The Wart is in a desperate mood, and he threatens to eat the hedgehog, which has rolled itself into a tight, spiky ball. The hedgehog begs him not to eat him and the Wart relents, but the hedgehog does not trust him enough to uncurl. The Wart returns to the badger's home and talks to the badger, who tells him a story about how man got dominion over the animals: In the beginning, all animals looked like shapeless embryos. God offered to alter each of them in three ways. The animals choose things like claws for digging, large teeth for cutting, etc. Man was the last embryo to choose, and he chose to stay just as God had made him. God therefore gave him dominion over the animals and the ability to use any tool he wanted.

When King Pellinore arrives for the weekend of Kay's knighting, he brings important news. King Uther Pendragon has died without an heir. A sword has appeared in an anvil and stone in front of a church in London; on the sword are inscribed the words, "Whoso Pulleth Out This Sword of this Stone and Anvil, is Rightwise King Born of All England." No one has yet been able to pull out the sword. A tournament has been proclaimed for New Year's Day so that men from all over England can come to try to pull out the sword.

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