This delightful cel from Walt Disney’s The Sword in the Stone (1963) captures Merlin instructing Wart after magically transforming the young boy into a bird. Wearing his flowing blue robe and towering, bent hat, Merlin holds the tiny, yellow-feathered Wart against his long white beard while raising his free hand in an authoritative teaching gesture. Wart’s wide-eyed expression gives the scene an appealing sense of curiosity and anticipation. Presented against the cluttered interior of Merlin’s quarters, the image beautifully conveys the relationship between the enthusiastic young pupil and his knowledgeable, occasionally overbearing teacher.
The cel comes from the flying lesson, when Wart’s eagerness to try his new wings runs ahead of Merlin’s determination to explain how they work. Grabbing him in one hand, Merlin cautions, “Hold it, boy! Not so fast, not so fast. First, I’d better explain the mechanics of a bird’s wing.” Turning to Archimedes, he grabs the owl’s wing and runs a finger along its feathers, explaining, “Now, these large feathers are called the primaries, and—” Archimedes interrupts, “And since when do you know all about birds’ wings?” Merlin replies, “I have made an extensive study of birds in flight, and—” only for the indignant owl to counter, “And if you don’t mind, I happen to be a bird!” Their exchange perfectly captures the humor of Merlin’s academic confidence meeting Archimedes’ firsthand experience.
Merlin befriends the young orphan Arthur, affectionately known as Wart, and undertakes his education long before the boy discovers his destiny as king. First encountered in his forest cottage with his outspoken owl companion, Merlin champions “brain over brawn,” teaching that intelligence, judgment, and imagination can overcome physical strength. His extraordinary powers—including transformation and knowledge of the future—allow him to turn ordinary instruction into remarkable adventures. Changing Wart into small animals gives the boy opportunities to experience the world from unfamiliar perspectives, making this flying lesson an entertaining expression of the film’s central philosophy.
Released by Buena Vista Distribution on December 25, 1963, The Sword in the Stone was Disney’s eighteenth full-length animated feature. The film adapted T. H. White’s novel of the same name, first published in 1938 and later revised and incorporated as the opening book of his 1958 Arthurian tetralogy, The Once and Future King. It was the final Disney animated feature released during Walt Disney’s lifetime, before his death on December 15, 1966. Its songs were written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, whose subsequent Disney work included Mary Poppins (1964), The Jungle Book (1967), and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). Their playful songwriting complements the film’s blend of medieval adventure, modern humor, and magical instruction.
Merlin’s animation brought together the talents of Milt Kahl, Frank Thomas, and Ollie Johnston, while Thomas and Johnston also contributed to Wart’s performances. Merlin was voiced by Karl Swenson, an American actor whose career encompassed theater, radio, film, and television. His vocal performance gives the wizard an engaging mixture of intelligence, impatience, warmth, and absentmindedness. Wart’s voice was supplied by Rickie Sorensen and director Wolfgang Reitherman’s sons, Richard and Robert. Sorensen’s voice changed during the lengthy production, prompting the use of the additional actors and resulting in audible differences between scenes. Wart’s distinctly American delivery also stands out against the film’s English setting and the British-inflected performances of many surrounding characters.
With Merlin’s expressive hand gesture, Wart’s diminutive bird form, and the strong contrast between golden feathers and the wizard’s pale beard, this cel offers a particularly charming portrayal of their partnership. It preserves a moment in which magic serves education, while the characters’ competing personalities supply the comedy—an enduring part of The Sword in the Stone’s appeal.
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