THE WATER OF THE
WONDROUS ISLES
BY WILLIAM MORRIS
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.
LONDON, NEW YORK, AND BOMBAY
MDCCCXCVII
Copyright, 1897, by Longmans, Green, and Co.
CONTENTS
| [The First Part: Of the House of Captivity] |
| [Chapter I. Catch at Utterhay] |
| [Chapter II. Now shall be told of the House by the Waterside] |
| [Chapter III. Of Skin-changing] |
| [Chapter IV. Of the Waxing of the Stolen Child] |
| [Chapter V. Of Birdalone, and how she is grown into Maidenhood] |
| [Chapter VI. Herein is told of Birdalone’s Raiment] |
| [Chapter VII. Birdalone hath an Adventure in the Wood] |
| [Chapter VIII. Of Birdalone and the Witch-wife] |
| [Chapter IX. Of Birdalone’s Swimming] |
| [Chapter X. Birdalone comes on New Tidings] |
| [Chapter XI. Of Birdalone’s Guilt and the Chastisement thereof] |
| [Chapter XII. The Words of the Witch-wife to Birdalone] |
| [Chapter XIII. Birdalone meeteth the Wood-woman again] |
| [Chapter XIV. Of Birdalone’s Fishing] |
| [Chapter XV. Birdalone weareth her Serpent-ring] |
| [Chapter XVI. Birdalone meeteth Habundia again; and learneth her First Wisdom of her] |
| [Chapter XVII. The Passing of the Year into Winter] |
| [Chapter XVIII. Of Springtide and the Mind of Birdalone] |
| [Chapter XIX. They bid Farewell, Birdalone and the Wood-mother] |
[Chapter XX. Of Birdalone and the Sending Boat]
|
| [The Second Part: Of the Wondrous Isles] |
| [Chapter I. The First Isle] |
| [Chapter II. Birdalone falleth in with New Friends] |
| [Chapter III. Birdalone is brought before the Witch-wife’s Sister] |
| [Chapter IV. Of the Witch’s Prison in the Wailing-tower] |
| [Chapter V. They feast in the Witch’s Prison] |
| [Chapter VI. Atra tells of how they three came unto the Isle of Increase Unsought] |
| [Chapter VII. The three Damsels take Birdalone out of the Witch’s Prison] |
| [Chapter VIII. In what Wise Birdalone was clad, and how she went her Ways from the Isle of Increase Unsought] |
| [Chapter IX. How Birdalone came to the Isle of the Young and the Old] |
| [Chapter X. Birdalone comes to the Isle of the Queens] |
| [Chapter XI. And now she comes to the Isle of the Kings] |
[Chapter XII. Of Birdalone, how she came unto the Isle of Nothing]
|
| [The Third Part: Of the Castle of the Quest] |
| [Chapter I. Birdalone comes to the Castle of the Quest] |
| [Chapter II. Of Birdalone, and how she rested the Night through in a Bower without the Castle of the Quest] |
| [Chapter III. How Birdalone dight her for meeting the Champions of the Quest] |
| [Chapter IV. And now she meets the Champions] |
| [Chapter V. Birdalone has True Tokens from the Champions of the Quest] |
| [Chapter VI. How the Champions would do Birdalone to be clad anew in the Castle of the Quest] |
| [Chapter VII. Of Birdalone, how she told the Champions all her Tale] |
| [Chapter VIII. In the Meanwhile of the Departing of the Champions, they would pleasure Birdalone with Feats of Arms and Games of Prowess] |
| [Chapter IX. Birdalone cometh before the Champions in her New Array] |
[Chapter X. The Champions go their Ways in the Sending Boat]
|
| [The Fourth Part: Of the Days of Abiding] |
| [Chapter I. Of Birdalone’s Grief; and of Leonard the Chaplain] |
| [Chapter II. Birdalone learneth Lore of the Priest. Ten Days of Waiting wear] |
| [Chapter III. Now would Birdalone ride abroad] |
| [Chapter IV. Of Birdalone’s Faring abroad] |
| [Chapter V. Sir Aymeris showeth Birdalone the Mountains afar off] |
| [Chapter VI. Birdalone heareth tell Tales of the Black Valley of the Greywethers] |
| [Chapter VII. Birdalone beguileth the Priest to help her to Outgoing] |
| [Chapter VIII. Birdalone fares on her Adventure] |
| [Chapter IX. Birdalone comes to the Black Valley] |
| [Chapter X. How Birdalone fell in with a Man in the Black Valley of the Greywethers] |
| [Chapter XI. Birdalone is led up the Black Valley] |
| [Chapter XII. How those Twain get them from out of the Black Valley of the Greywethers] |
| [Chapter XIII. Now they rest for the Night in the Strait Pass] |
| [Chapter XIV. The Black Knight tells the Truth of Himself] |
| [Chapter XV. The Black Knight brings Birdalone to the Bower in the Dale] |
[Chapter XVI. Yet a Day and a Night they tarry in the Dale]
|
| [The Fifth Part: The Tale of the Quest’s Ending] |
| [Chapter I. Of Sir Leonard’s trouble and the Coming of the Quest] |
| [Chapter II. Now ask they of Birdalone, and Sir Leonard speaks] |
| [Chapter III. How they follow the Slot of Birdalone and the Black Knight] |
| [Chapter IV. Of the Slaying of Friend and Foe] |
| [Chapter V. They come home to the Castle of the Quest] |
| [Chapter VI. Of the Talk betwixt Birdalone and Viridis] |
| [Chapter VII. Birdalone telleth the Tale of her Wandering up the Valley of the Greywethers] |
| [Chapter VIII. Atra and Birdalone talk together while the Lords sit at the Murder-council] |
| [Chapter IX. Hugh tells the Story of the Quest’s Ending] |
| [Chapter X. How it fared with the Three Ladies after the Escape of Birdalone] |
| [Chapter XI. Birdalone and the Black Squire talk together in the Hall of the Castle] |
| [Chapter XII. The Knights and their Fellows betake them to the Assaulting of the Red Hold] |
| [Chapter XIII. Birdalone bethinks her to fulfil the Promise made unto Atra] |
[Chapter XIV. Birdalone leaves the Castle of the Quest]
|
| [The Sixth Part: The Days of Absence] |
| [Chapter I. Birdalone rides to Greenford and there takes Leave of Arnold and his Men] |
| [Chapter II. Of Birdalone and her Fellowship, their Faring over the Downland] |
| [Chapter III. They come to the City of the Five Crafts, and Birdalone meets with the Poor-wife] |
| [Chapter IV. Of the Love of Gerard’s Sons and of Jacobus for Birdalone] |
| [Chapter V. Of the death of Audrey, Mother to Birdalone. She is warned in a Dream to seek the Black Squire, and is minded to depart the City of the Five Crafts, and seek again the Castle of the Quest] |
| [Chapter VI. Of the Sundering of Birdalone from Gerard and his Sons] |
| [Chapter VII. Birdalone cometh to Greenford, and hears of the Wasting of the Castle of the Quest] |
| [Chapter VIII. Birdalone cometh to the Castle of the Quest, heareth the Tale thereof from Leonard, and departeth thence by the Sending Boat] |
| [Chapter IX. Birdalone findeth the Isle of Nothing greatly bettered, and is kindly entreated there] |
| [Chapter X. Of Birdalone’s Flitting from the Isle of Nothing] |
| [Chapter XI. Coming to the Isle of Kings Birdalone findeth there a Score and Two of Fair Damsels who would fain have her Company] |
| [Chapter XII. Birdalone cometh again to the Isle of Queens, and findeth a Perilous Adventure therein] |
| [Chapter XIII. Coming to the Isle of the Young and the Old, Birdalone findeth it peopled with Children] |
| [Chapter XIV. The Sending Boat disappeareth from the Isle of Increase Unsought, and Birdalone seeketh to escape thence by Swimming] |
| [Chapter XV. Birdalone lacketh little of Drowning, but cometh latterly to the Green Eyot] |
| [Chapter XVI. Birdalone findeth her Witch-mistress dead] |
| [Chapter XVII. Birdalone layeth to Earth the Body of the Witch, and findeth the Sending Boat broken up] |
| [Chapter XVIII. The Wood-mother cometh to Birdalone and heareth her Story] |
| [Chapter XIX. Habundia hideth Birdalone’s Nakedness with Faery Raiment] |
| [Chapter XX. Birdalone telleth Habundia of her Love for Arthur, and getteth from her Promise of Help therein] |
| [Chapter XXI. How the Wood-wife entered the Cot, and a Wonder that befell thereon] |
| [Chapter XXII. Birdalone wendeth the Wildwood in Fellowship with Habundia] |
| [Chapter XXIII. The Wood-wife bringeth Birdalone to the Sight of Arthur in the Wildwood] |
| [Chapter XXIV. The Wood-mother changeth her Form to that of a Woman stricken in Years] |
| [Chapter XXV. The Wood-wife healeth and tendeth the Black Squire] |
| [Chapter XXVI. The Black Squire telleth the Wood-wife of his Doings since Birdalone went from the Castle of the Quest] |
| [Chapter XXVII. Sir Arthur cometh to the House under the Wood] |
| [Chapter XXVIII. Fair Days in the House of Love] |
| [Chapter XXIX. Those Twain will seek the Wisdom of the Wood-wife] |
| [Chapter XXX. They have Speech with Habundia concerning the Green Knight and his Fellows] |
| [Chapter XXXI. Habundia cometh with Tidings of those Dear Friends] |
| [Chapter XXXII. Of the Fight in the Forest and the Rescue of those Friends from the Men of the Red Company] |
[Chapter XXXIII. Viridis telleth the Tale of their Seeking]
|
| [The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning] |
| [Chapter I. Sir Hugh asketh Birdalone where she would have the Abode of their Fellowship to be] |
| [Chapter II. Birdalone taketh Counsel with her Wood-mother concerning the Matter of Sir Hugh] |
| [Chapter III. Of the Journeying through the Forest of Evilshaw unto the Town of Utterhay] |
| [Chapter IV. Of the Abiding in Utterhay in Love and Contentment] |
THE FIRST PART:
OF THE HOUSE OF CAPTIVITY.
CHAPTER 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.