The Well at the Worlds End | Page 4

went at once a-foot all four in company, laughing and talking together
merrily.
It must be told that this Want-way aforesaid was but four furlongs from
the House, which lay in an ingle of the river called Upmeads Water
amongst very fair meadows at the end of the upland tillage; and the
land sloped gently up toward the hill-country and the unseen mountains
on the north; but to the south was a low ridge which ran along the water,
as it wound along from west to east. Beyond the said ridge, at a place
whence you could see the higher hills to the south, that stretched
mainly east and west also, there was presently an end of the Kingdom
of Upmeads, though the neighbours on that side were peaceable and
friendly, and were wont to send gifts to King Peter. But toward the
north beyond the Want-way King Peter was lord over a good stretch of
land, and that of the best; yet was he never a rich man, for he had no
freedom to tax and tail his folk, nor forsooth would he have used it if he
had; for he was no ill man, but kindly and of measure. On these

northern marches there was war at whiles, whereas they ended in a
great forest well furnished of trees; and this wood was debateable, and
King Peter and his sons rode therein at their peril: but great plenty was
therein of all wild deer, as hart, and buck, and roe, and swine, and bears
and wolves withal. The lord on the other side thereof was a mightier
man than King Pete, albeit he was a bishop, and a baron of Holy
Church. To say sooth he was a close-fist and a manslayer; though he
did his manslaying through his vicars, the knights and men-at-arms
who held their manors of him, or whom he waged.
In that forest had King Peter's father died in battle, and his eldest son
also; therefore, being a man of peace, he rode therein but seldom,
though his sons, the three eldest of them, had both ridden therein and
ran therefrom valiantly. As for Ralph the youngest, his father would not
have him ride the Wood Debateable as yet.
So came those young men to the Want-ways, and found their father
sitting there on a heap of stones, and over against him eight horses, four
destriers, and four hackneys, and four squires withal. So they came and
stood before their father, waiting for his word, and wondering what it
would be.
Now spake King Peter: "Fair sons, ye would go on all adventure to seek
a wider land, and a more stirring life than ye may get of me at home: so
be it! But I have bethought me, that, since I am growing old and past
the age of getting children, one of you, my sons, must abide at home to
cherish me and your mother, and to lead our carles in war if trouble
falleth upon us. Now I know not how to choose by mine own wit which
of you shall ride and which abide. For so it is that ye are diverse of
your conditions; but the evil conditions which one of you lacks the
other hath, and the valiancy which one hath, the other lacks. Blaise is
wise and prudent, but no great man of his hands. Hugh is a stout rider
and lifter, but headstrong and foolhardy, and over bounteous a skinker;
and Gregory is courteous and many worded, but sluggish in deed;
though I will not call him a dastard. As for Ralph, he is fair to look on,
and peradventure he may be as wise as Blaise, as valiant as Hugh, and
as smooth-tongued as Gregory; but of all this we know little or nothing,

whereas he is but young and untried. Yet may he do better than you
others, and I deem that he will do so. All things considered, then, I say,
I know not how to choose between you, my sons; so let luck choose for
me, and ye shall draw cuts for your roads; and he that draweth longest
shall go north, and the next longest shall go east, and the third straw
shall send the drawer west; but as to him who draweth the shortest cut,
he shall go no whither but back again to my house, there to abide with
me the chances and changes of life; and it is most like that this one
shall sit in my chair when I am gone, and be called King of Upmeads.
"Now, my sons, doth this ordinance please you? For if so be it doth not,
then may ye all abide at home, and eat of my meat, and drink of my cup,