The Sword in the Stone - T. H White

'The Wart lay awake, waiting to be turned into an owl. "This", he thought to himself, "is where I break my neck."' The Wart, foster son of Sir Ector, plays all day - until Merlyn the magician becomes his tutor. Then he learns about the important things in life: what it is like to be a bird, or a fish, or a badger. Then the king dies without an heir, and it is said that whoever can pull the magic sword out of the stone will be the king of all England. But the last person anyone thinks of is the Wart. A classic fantasy about the young King Arthur.