The Junior Classics, Volume 4: Heroes and heroines of chivalry
General
The Junior Classics, Volume 4: Heroes and heroines of chivalry
Children's literature
In the meantime Goldborough was kept at Winchester, and brought up as
befitted a king's daughter. Every day she seemed to grow in wisdom and
fairness, till when she was twenty years old there was none like her
in the land. But Godrich, when he saw how good and how fair she was,
grew jealous of her. "Shall she be queen over me?" he thought. "Must I
give up my kingdom and my power to her? She has waxed all too proud; I
have treated her with too great gentleness. She shall not be queen. I
will rule, and after me my son shall be king."
As that treason crept into his mind, he forgot his oath to Athelwold,
caring not a straw for it. Without more ado he sent for Goldborough
from Winchester and took her to Dover. There he set her in a strong
castle, and clad her meanly, and guarded her so strictly that no man
could see her or come at her without his leave.
Now it chanced that about this time the same thing came to pass in
Denmark as in England. Birkabeyn, King of Denmark, died, and at his
death gave to one Earl Godard the charge of his kingdom and of his son
Havelok and his two daughters, Swanborough and Elfled. Godard stood by
his oath no better than Godrich, but cast all three children into
prison, and well-nigh starved them to death. But when they had lain in
prison for a little time, and were nearly dead of hunger, he went to
see them.
"How do you fare?" he asked, for Havelok ran to him, and crept upon
his knees when he sat down, and looked up joyfully into his face. "I
hear that you moan and cry: why is this?"
"We hunger sore," answered Havelok. "We have nought to eat, and no man
has brought us meat or drink. We are nigh dead of hunger."
Godard heard his words, but felt no pity; he cared not a straw for
their misery. He took Swanborough and Elfled by the hand, and slew
them then and there. Then he turned to Havelok and would have slain
him also. But the boy in terror cried for mercy. "Have pity," he said.
"Spare me and I will give you all Denmark, and will vow never to take
up arms against you. Let me live, and I will flee from Denmark this
very day, and never more come back; I will take oath that Birkabeyn
was not my father."
At that some touch of doubt came into Godard's mind. He put up his
knife, and looked at Havelok. "If I let him go alive," he thought,
"he might work me much woe. He shall die, but not now; I will cast him
in the sea and drown him."
He went thence, and sent for a fisherman named Grim. "Grim," he said,
"you are my thrall; do my will and to-morrow I will give you your
freedom. Take the boy Havelok at night to the sea and cast him
therein."
Grim took the boy, and bound him with strong cords, and bore him on
his back to his cottage, and showed him to his wife Leve. "You see
this boy, wife," said he. "I am to drown him in the sea; when I have
done it, I shall be made a free man, and much gold will be ours; so
has our Lord Godard promised."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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