The King's Fifth

The King's Fifth is a 1966 American, young adult, historical fiction novel by Scott O'Dell. Jean Chalopin used the story as both source material and inspiration for The Mysterious Cities of Gold. The name comes from a policy of tribute for exploration and subsequent riches: one would pay his king 20% (one "fifth") of his findings.

This story's Estéban insists he found no treasure and thus put on trial for supposedly blatantly refusing to give King Charles V his tax of one-fifth of the gold. He is promptly imprisoned from age 17 to age 20. The story tells of his imprisonment/trial and his recounting his adventures in looking for a legendary treasure.

The King's Fifth shares many similarities with O'Dell's later Seven Serpents trilogy, including the young protagonist, Julian Escobar—a variation on Estéban de Sandoval.

Publishing History
The hardback was published by Houghton Mifflin in 1966. Dell Yearling published the paperback.

Awards
• 1967, Newbery Honor Book

• 1970, Federal Republic of Germany's Jugendbuchpreis

Historicity
Both stories show their characters running into historical figures and traveling through real lands known for their connection and importance in the Spanish conquest of the New World. Season 1, Episode 25's "The Lake of Gold" contains the gold-dust-covered, bathing/purification ritual (as well as in an early post-show, live-action educational promo) also found in the book.

Storytelling
Page 34 of The King's Fifth refers to the water they travel on as a "burnished shield"—possibly inspiration for the Olmec's mountain base, "The Burning Shield."

Characters
Likewise, there are a number of shared characters between the two titles. In every case, though, the names are never quite identical.

Thematic and Storytelling Differences
Chalopin's tale diverges from The King's Fifth by adding lots of fantasy (i.e. Esteban unwittingly controlling the sun) and science fiction (Tao's people's, the Hiva/Mu, technology; fantastic traveling machines, comparable to modern transportation).

The King's Fifth tone is much darker: no one blatantly dies in The Mysterious Cities of Gold (at most, accidental or collateral), but characters in The King's Fifth will not hesitate to kill indigenous peoples when it comes between them and their gold (contrast this with The Mysterious Cities of Gold 's Pizarro who only imprisoned Incas and used them as slave labor).

Almost half the story takes place as a courtroom drama.

Contextual Differences
Estéban crosses paths with Francisco Coronado (conquistador of Mexico) instead of Francisco Pizarro (conquistador of the Incans). Julian Escobar (Estéban's equivalent) does cross paths with Pizarro in Seven Serpents.

The King's Fifth takes place approximately a decade later than The Mysterious Cities of Gold.

The Esperanza, MCoG's main sailing vessel, is the San Pedro in The King's Fifth.

The King's Fifth 's major setting is in New Spain (present-day Southwestern-Central Unites States/Mexico/some Central America), primarily in what is modern-day California, Arizona and New Mexico (including the Grand Canyon).

In The Mysterious Cities of Gold, Mendoza, Sancho and Pedro destroy a dam in efforts to flood a village in order to save the children. In The King's Fifth, Mendoza, Roa, and Estéban also destroy a dam, but only in efforts to steal the gold at the bottom of the lake.

Character Differences
La Route de l'or