The Sword in the Stone tells the tale of young Arthur (voiced rather noticeably by three different actors: Rickie Sorenson, Richard Reitherman and Robert Reitherman), a twelve-year-old orphan who doesn't realize he's the son of the late king, Uther Pendragon, whose death left the throne empty and thrust England into the throes of the Dark Ages. All that changes after a seemingly chance encounter with the wizard Merlin (Karl Swenson), a wily old sorcerer who takes it upon himself to guide Arthur to the Sword in the Stone; a sword of legend that can only be claimed by the next king. But first, Merlin, with the help of his trusty owl Archimedes (Junius Matthews), decides to whip the lad into shape, teaching Arthur about the world, science, magic and, above all, destiny. Unfortunately, the boy's cantankerous guardian, Sir Ector (Sebastian Cabot), and brutish bully of an older brother, Kay (Norman Alden), don't take kindly to Merlin or the attention he gives Arthur, and dismiss any potential the orphan may have. Now, if Merlin can defeat the evil sorceress Madame Mim (Martha Wentworth) and convince Arthur to pull the sword from the stone, the future of the land will be bright. If the wizard fails, the future will be dark indeed.