The Once and Future King

1. The Once and Future King Book 1 Chapters 5-8 By: Kristen Koch, Erica Howell and Stephanie Rondeau

2. Chapter 5 • The opening of chapter 5 begins by describing Sir Ector’s castle as more of a village than any one persons home. • The character Dog Boy is introduced. • Merlyn begins to educate Kay and the Wart and believes, “Education is experience and the essence of experience is self reliance.” • Merlyn turns the Wart into a perch fish and accompanies him as a wise tench. • Merlyn attempts to teach the Wart the dangers of Monarchy by bringing him to see the giant Pike, who believes the most important things in life are power and might. • Merlyn also comes to the rescue and helps a lower class roach family of fish when the mother falls ill.

3. Chapter 6 • The Wart and Kay have archery lessons and Merlyn falls asleep. • Kay continues to miss the target and becomes very frustrated. He convinces the Wart to play Rover with him. • Kay finally hits a rabbit. • In order to properly finish the expedition, the Wart traditionally shoots an arrow up in the air and accidentally hits crow. He becomes furious for loosing an arrow.

4. Chapter 7 • One day while Kay is receiving jousting lesson, Wart makes a gloomy comment to Merlyn about how one day he would like to be a knight, though he knows it is impossible because that will be Kay’s position. • Merlyn seems to know this prediction is innacurate. • Merlyn grants the Warts request to see real knights joust. (Knight Pellinore and Sir Grummore) • The jousting begins with a traditional dialogue. • When Sir Grummore advances on Pellinore, Pellinore admits defeat when he calls out, “Pax”. • Once Sir Grummore lets down his guard, Pellinore attacks again, cheating. • The battle ends with the pair running into trees and knocking themselves out. • Merlyn and the Wart return after Merlyn reassures the Wart that the knights are okay and eventually become close friends.

5. Chapter 8 • The Wart is in a bad mood because of the rainy day and lack of activities. • He finally convinces Merlyn to change him into a Merlin hawk for educational purposes and is put in the Mews at night. • The Wart is forced to prove himself to the other hunting birds by answering traditional questions and finally perching with Cully, a killer hawk. • The Wart is brave and completes the task, impressing all of the birds. • One of the birds, Balan, says, “We shall have a regular King in that young candidate.”