Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair | Page 3

WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU
DON'T HAVE TO?

The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, scanning
machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty free copyright
licenses, and every other sort of contribution you can think of. Money
should be paid to "Project Gutenberg Association / Illinois Benedictine
College".
This "Small Print!" by Charles B. Kramer, Attorney Internet
([email protected]); TEL: (212-254-5093) *END*THE
SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN
ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END*

Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair by William Morris 1895

CHAPTER I.
OF THE KING OF OAKENREALM, AND HIS WIFE AND HIS
CHILD.
Of old there was a land which was so much a woodland, that a minstrel
thereof said it that a squirrel might go from end to end, and all about,
from tree to tree, and never touch the earth: therefore was that land
called Oakenrealm.
The lord and king thereof was a stark man, and so great a warrior that
in his youth he took no delight in aught else save battle and tourneys.
But when he was hard on forty years old, he came across a daughter of
a certain lord, whom he had vanquished, and his eyes bewrayed him
into longing, so that he gave back to the said lord the havings he had
conquered of him that he might lay the maiden in his kingly bed. So he
brought her home with him to Oakenrealm and wedded her.
Tells the tale that he rued not his bargain, but loved her so dearly that
for a year round he wore no armour, save when she bade him play in
the tilt-yard for her desport and pride.
So wore the days till she went with child and was near her time, and

then it betid that three kings who marched on Oakenrealm banded them
together against him, and his lords and thanes cried out on him to lead
them to battle, and it behoved him to do as they would.
So he sent out the tokens and bade an hosting at his chief city, and
when all was ready he said farewell to his wife and her babe unborn,
and went his ways to battle once more: but fierce was his heart against
the foemen, that they had dragged him away from his love and his joy.
Even amidst of his land he joined battle with the host of the ravagers,
and the tale of them is short to tell, for they were as the wheat before
the hook. But as he followed up the chase, a mere thrall of the fleers
turned on him and cast his spear, and it reached him whereas his
hawberk was broken, and stood deep in, so that he fell to earth
unmighty: and when his lords and chieftains drew about him, and
cunning men strove to heal him, it was of no avail, and he knew that his
soul was departing. Then he sent for a priest, and for the Marshal of the
host, who was a great lord, and the son of his father's brother, and in
few words bade him look to the babe whom his wife bore about, and if
it were a man, to cherish him and do him to learn all that a king ought
to know; and if it were a maiden, that he should look to her wedding
well and worthily: and he let swear him on his sword, on the edges and
the hilts, that he would do even so, and be true unto his child if child
there were: and he bade him have rule, if so be the lords would, and all
the people, till the child were of age to be king: and the Marshal swore,
and all the lords who stood around bare witness to his swearing.
Thereafter the priest houselled the King, and he received his Creator,
and a little while after his soul departed.
But the Marshal followed up the fleeing foe, and two battles more he
fought before he beat them flat to earth; and then they craved for peace,
and he went back to the city in mickle honour.
But in the King's city of Oakenham he found but little joy; for both the
King was bemoaned, whereas he had been no hard man to his folk; and
also, when the tidings and the King's corpse came back to Oakenrealm,
his Lady and Queen took sick for sorrow and fear, and fell into labour
of her child, and in childing of a man-bairn she died, but the lad lived,

and was like to do well.
So there was one funeral for the slain King and for her whom his
slaying had slain: and when that was done, the little king was borne to
the font, and at his christening he gat