The Once and Future King Book Notes Summary

Sir Ector's castle and surrounding land are called The Castle of the Forest Sauvage. The castle is beautiful, and a very exciting place for a young boy. One day Wart is playing with his dog, Cavall, when Merlyn comes in and begins to speak to him, never talking down to him, just speaking naturally. Suddenly Wart thinks he would like to be a fish.

Merlyn seems to expect this, and changes him into one, coming with him (just this once, he says.) Merlyn teaches him to swim, and then takes him to the King of the Moat they swim in--a pike, named Black Peter. The King tells Wart that Might is Right---the only real thing in life is power, and everything else is illusion. He tells him, "There is nothing except the power which you pretend to seek." Book 1, Chapter 5, pg. 47 He uses a lot of big words in his long speech, so that Wart doesn't even realize, at first, that he is about to eat him! He and Merlyn quickly swim away, and reappear on the banks of the moat as frightened humans.

Topic Tracking: Might Makes Right 1