He is his closest adviser, they say. All of the land knows of the myth that centers about the king and the wise man who speaks to him.
They say he lives by his ear, whispering secrets and truths to him, commenting on the world around him as a hidden onlooker.
Many have tried to spot him but they say that he is so small that he cannot be noticed unless one is face to face with the great king; and no one but his most trusted friends are granted to stand so near.
Some say his name is Merlin. Others say it is Emrys. Another may call him Myrddin or Ambrosius or Wyllt. But most call him Tom Thumb. They all know that it is not his true name, but they call him so anyway. It is his name in the telltales and fairy stories that the children love. It is an easy name to remember and was his known title around the world, perfectly describing him for he is, as they say, tall as a thumb.
He sits upon the king's shoulder and tells him things; great things and small things. Thing he sees and things he scrys. He leaves his perch sometimes, they say, and aids the monarch in quests by tricking the towering thieves and assassins by throwing his voice about and watching them scramble.
But he always returns to his king and his perch upon his shoulder. He is always there and the king is always listening. Such a small voice can hold such big words.