While The Sword in the Stone was originally published in 1938, White made some subsequent edits to the version of the text that appeared in the 1958 edition of The Once and Future King, the complete tetralogy of books in the series. These changes resulted in the inclusion of some additional material that tied into the saga as a whole. While the standalone editions of the book do not include these episodes, they add helpful context to some of the book's central themes.
The first of these instances involves Wart being turned into an ant. After being sick in bed for several days, Wart is offered some assistance from Merlyn. He asks to be transformed into an ant, as he has been watching one for the past few days. With some trepidation, Merlyn grants his wish. Wart travels to a colony and discovers a sign above its entryway that reads: "everything not forbidden is compulsory." He comes upon an ant moving dead ants around. In talking to this ant, Wart discovers that they don't communicate with words that indicate feelings or impressions, but exist only in a binary state of "done" or "not done." Wart is then instructed to join a workgroup that digests food for storage. The ants discuss executions and the rise of a rival ant colony, called Colony B. He also learns that everyone is told what to do by a female Leader ant and that the asking of questions is forbidden. A violent conflagration erupts between Colony A and B, with disturbing propaganda being shared on the radio. Merlyn rescues Wart in the nick of time, saving him from being caught in this crossfire.
In another later instance, following his conversations with Archimedes, Wart is transformed into a goose. Over the course of one evening, he travels with a goose named Lyo-Iyok. She tells him that geese have no hierarchy or borders in their society, and only place emphasis on the sanctity of individual nests. She also tells him about how their leaders are chosen and shares some of the songs they sing when they fly. They fly for a long time, stopping at a few islands before finally reaching their migration destination. When Wart wakes up, Kay makes fun of him for snoring like a goose.
Both of these episodes echo other themes in the novel. The ant story shows how conformity and groupthink can be dangerous to society. Without being able to ask questions, the ants fall into terrible, thoughtless violence. In contrast, the geese have a fiercely independent way of life that remains unfettered by petty concerns. They are able to migrate together without imposing stringent rules or penalties on their group. In these edited scenes, White is able to add deeper resonance to the ideas established in the first version of the novel.
