The Water of the Wondrous Isles - William Morris (book club suggestions .txt) 📗

Findeth the Isle of Nothing Greatly Bettered, and Is Kindly Entreated There X: Of Birdalone’s Flitting from the Isle of Nothing XI: Coming to the Isle of Kings Birdalone Findeth There a Score and Two of Fair Damsels Who Would Fain Have Her Company XII: Birdalone Cometh Again to the Isle of Queens, and Findeth a Perilous Adventure Therein XIII: Coming to the Isle of the Young and the Old, Birdalone Findeth It Peopled with Children XIV: The Sending Boat Disappeareth from the Isle of Increase Unsought, and Birdalone Seeketh to Escape Thence by Swimming XV: Birdalone Lacketh Little of Drowning, but Cometh Latterly to the Green Eyot XVI: Birdalone Findeth Her Witch-Mistress Dead XVII: Birdalone Layeth to Earth the Body of the Witch, and Findeth the Sending Boat Broken Up XVIII: The Wood-Mother Cometh to Birdalone and Heareth Her Story XIX: Habundia Hideth Birdalone’s Nakedness with Faery Raiment XX: Birdalone Telleth Habundia of Her Love for Arthur, and Getteth from Her Promise of Help Therein XXI: How the Wood-Wife Entered the Cot, and a Wonder That Befell Thereon XXII: Birdalone Wendeth the Wildwood in Fellowship with Habundia XXIII: The Wood-Wife Bringeth Birdalone to the Sight of Arthur in the Wildwood XXIV: The Wood-Mother Changeth Her Form to That of a Woman Stricken in Years XXV: The Wood-Wife Healeth and Tendeth the Black Squire XXVI: The Black Squire Telleth the Wood-Wife of His Doings Since Birdalone Went from the Castle of the Quest XXVII: Sir Arthur Cometh to the House Under the Wood XXVIII: Fair Days in the House of Love XXIX: Those Twain Will Seek the Wisdom of the Wood-Wife XXX: They Have Speech with Habundia Concerning the Green Knight and His Fellows XXXI: Habundia Cometh with Tidings of Those Dear Friends XXXII: Of the Fight in the Forest and the Rescue of Those Friends from the Men of the Red Company XXXIII: Viridis Telleth the Tale of Their Seeking The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning I: Sir Hugh Asketh Birdalone Where She Would Have the Abode of Their Fellowship to Be II: Birdalone Taketh Counsel with Her Wood-Mother Concerning the Matter of Sir Hugh III: Of the Journeying Through the Forest of Evilshaw Unto the Town of Utterhay IV: Of the Abiding in Utterhay in Love and Contentment Colophon Uncopyright Imprint

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The First Part Of the House of Captivity I Catch at Utterhay

Whilom, as tells the tale, was a walled cheaping-town hight Utterhay, which was builded in a bight of the land a little off the great highway which went from over the mountains to the sea.

The said town was hard on the borders of a wood, which men held to be mighty great, or maybe measureless; though few indeed had entered it, and they that had, brought back tales wild and confused thereof.

Therein was neither highway nor byway, nor wood-reeve nor way-warden; never came chapman thence into Utterhay; no man of Utterhay was so poor or so bold that he durst raise the hunt therein; no outlaw durst flee thereto; no man of God had such trust in the saints that he durst build him a cell in that wood.

For all men deemed it more than perilous; and some said that there walked the worst of the dead; othersome that the Goddesses of the Gentiles haunted there; others again that it was the faery rather, but they full of malice and guile. But most commonly it was deemed that the devils swarmed amidst of its thickets, and that wheresoever a man sought to, who was once environed by it, ever it was the Gate of Hell whereto he came. And the said wood was called Evilshaw.

Nevertheless the cheaping-town throve not ill; for whatso evil things haunted Evilshaw, never came they into Utterhay in such guise that men knew them, neither wotted they of any hurt that they had of the Devils of Evilshaw.

Now in the said cheaping-town, on a day, it was market and high noon, and in the marketplace was much people thronging; and amidst of them went a woman, tall, and strong of aspect, of some thirty winters by seeming, black-haired, hook-nosed and hawk-eyed, not so fair to look on as masterful and proud. She led a great grey ass betwixt two panniers, wherein she laded her marketings. But now she had done her chaffer, and was looking about her as if to note the folk for her disport; but when she came across a child, whether it were borne in arms or led by its kinswomen, or were going alone, as were some, she seemed more heedful of it, and eyed it more closely than aught else.

So she strolled about till she was come to the outskirts of the throng, and there she happened on a babe of some two winters, which was crawling about on its hands and knees, with scarce a rag upon its little