Summary
Six years pass and Kay prepares to become a knight while Wart feels disappointed about his future as a squire as well as the end of his time with Merlyn. Merlyn extols the benefits of a good education. He turns Wart into a badger in an effort to give him one final lesson. Wart comes across a sleeping hedgehog and nearly eats him. The hedgehog implores him to show mercy and sings him a song. Recognizing the tune, Wart realizes that this hedgehog once belonged to Merlyn. Wart spares him and he goes back to sleep.
Wart then goes into the badger's den and speaks with him. He welcomes Wart inside and describes the book he is writing about the embryos of different animals and their various biological features. He says that badgers asked for “kins for shields, our mouths for weapons, and... arms for garden forks. ” He says other animals made similar choices, seeking the best physical advantage for protection and hunting. He says that humans were the only ones who chose nothing, as they could invent anything that they might need to do any kind of work.
In the following chapter, Pellinore arrives to say that King Pendragon has died. He then adds that there is a sword in a stone outside a church in London bearing a strange inscription. He tells them that it says whoever can remove it from the stone will become the next king of England. They all decide to travel to London, as Kay says their family should at least put in the effort of appearing worthy of making the attempt. Merlyn also informs them that he will be departing, as he no longer has anything to teach them.
Kay is knighted very quickly, in an effort to expedite their journey to London. The city is crowded with people competing and attempting to wrest the sword out of the anvil it is buried in. Realizing he forgot his sword, Kay sends Wart to retrieve it from the inn. Wart is unable to locate it and grows increasingly distraught, as he is concerned about returning to Kay empty-handed.
Wart accidentally discovers the sword in the stone and, without realizing its significance, attempts to pull it out of the anvil. He struggles with it initially, but then asks for help and hears the voices of all of the friends he has encountered on his journeys. With their guidance and support in his ears, he pulls the sword free. He goes to a stunned Kay and tries to give him the sword.
Kay then goes to Sir Ector, claiming to have pulled the sword out himself. However, after being asked about it again, he admits that it was actually Wart. Ector then asks Wart to put the sword back in the stone so that he and Kay can try to take it out. He very kindly obliges but the result is still the same and he is the only one who can remove it. Realizing that Wart is fated to be king, Ector begs him to give Kay some small title which Wart tearfully agrees to do.
The novel ends with Wart becoming king. After some initial deliberation, Wart is given the throne. There is a lavish coronation and Wart receives many generous gifts. Merlyn congratulates him and tells him that he has secretly been King Pendragon's son all along and that Merlyn was assigned to keep watch over him and make sure he learned all the lessons necessary to being a good and just ruler. Likewise, he says he knows all of the things that will happen to him in the future. He addresses him as King Arthur, and is the first individual to do so.
Analysis
In the section about the hedgehog, Wart once again sees the value of mercy and kindness. While initially he wants to eat the hedgehog, by waiting he learns that the small creature once belonged to Merlyn and feels sympathy for him. He is, in turn, thanked for not rushing to enact violence. As in many other scenes, this seemingly minor choice shows how both patience and compassion can prevent wrongdoing and harm.
This section also deals with the nature of Wart's true inheritance. He is the only one able to pull the sword from the stone, which is what determines his right to be king. The ridiculous behavior of the noblemen in the novel is mocked, as they haughtily ask him to put it back so that they might try to remove it themselves, but they repeatedly find he is the only one able to do it. His uniqueness in this matter shows how he could never be denied his fated role as King Arthur. His ability to remove the sword solidifies the idea that he is bound to his destiny and, despite the posturing of various dukes and lords, cannot be denied it.
Wisdom is another theme that is emphasized in this concluding section of the novel. In the history book that the badger is writing, he depicts the embryos of different animal species. He then describes the origin stories of various animals, stating that the badger asked for a series of bodily utilities. He adds that while every animal asked for some kind of physical advantage, humans asked for none, as they knew they could build any tool they needed. The badger's story aligns with Merlyn's earlier comments about the importance of learning and education, as it suggests that the greatest advantage humans possess is their ability to think through problems. Where other animals have physical strengths to fall back on, humans have their intellect.
In the climactic moment of the narrative, Wart is able to remove the sword from the stone. While he struggles initially, he tries again and hears the voices of the many friends he's made over the course of his adventures. Feeling the encouragement of all of these figures, he manages to pull it free. This scene speaks to the key role that friendship has within Wart's story as he finds strength in the words of his companions. This moment also suggests that he will be a good king, as he has carefully considered the advice of all of the individuals he has crossed paths with throughout the story.
Wart pulling the sword out of the stone also represents the completion of his education. In the moment in which he hears the multitude of voices, he recalls all the pieces of wisdom he received in each of his encounters. He uses each of them to wrest the sword free. It is the sum total of all of these moments that allows him to finally fulfill his destiny and become king. This climatic moment suggests that while all of these quests may have appeared to be somewhat disparate, they were really unified all along, as they shaped Wart into the man who could take up the mantle of King Arthur.
