The Junior Classics, Volume 4: Heroes and heroines of chivalry
General
The Junior Classics, Volume 4: Heroes and heroines of chivalry
Children's literature
When Dame Leve heard that, she started up, and threw Havelok down so
roughly that he hurt his head on a great stone that lay on the ground.
"Alas that ever I was a king's son!" he moaned in his pain; and he lay
there where he fell till night-time.
When night fell Grim made ready for his task. "Rise up, wife, blow
the fire," said he. "Light a candle. I must keep my word to my lord."
Leve rose to tend the fire. Her eyes fell on Havelok, who still lay on
the ground. Round him, she marvelled to see, shone a bright light, and
out of his mouth proceeded light as it were a sunbeam.
"What is that light?" quoth Dame Leve. "Grim, look what it means;
what is this light?"
Grim went to Havelok, and unbound him. He rolled back the shirt from
the boy's shoulder. There he saw, bright and clear, a king's
birthmark.
"Heaven help us," said Grim, "this is the heir to Denmark, who should
be king and lord of us all. He will work Godard great harm." Then he
fell on his knees before Havelok. "Lord king," he said, "have mercy on
me and on Leve here. We are both yours, lord, both your servants. We
will keep you and nurture you till you can ride and bear shield and
spear; Godard shall know nought of it. Some day I will take my freedom
at your hands, not at his."
Then was Havelok blithe and glad. He sat up and asked for bread. "I am
well-nigh dead," he said, "with hunger and hardship."
They fed him and cared for him, and lastly put him to bed; and he
slept soundly. On the morrow Grim went to the traitor Godard. "I have
done your will on the boy, lord," he said. "He is drowned in the
sea. Now I pray you give me gold for a reward, and grant me my
freedom, as you vowed."
Godard looked at him, fierce and cruel of mien. "Will you not rather
be made an earl, proud knave?" he asked. "Go home, fool; go, and be
evermore a thrall and churl, [Footnote: An Ignorant laborer of the
lowest rank.] as you have ever been; no other reward shall be
yours. For very little I would lead you to the gallows for your wicked
deed."
Grim went away. "What shall I do?" he thought as he hurried home. "He
will assuredly hang me on the gallows-tree. It were better to flee out
of the land altogether."
He came home and told Leve all; and they took counsel together. Soon
Grim sold all his possessions. Only his boat he kept; and that he
made ready for a voyage, till there was not so much as a nail wanting
to make it better. Then he took on board his wife and his three sons,
Robert the Red, William Wendat, and Hugh Raven, and his two fair
daughters, Gunnild and Levive, and Havelok; and they set sail.
The wind blew fair behind them, and drove them out to sea. Long did
they sail, and came at last to England, to Lindsey at the mouth of the
Humber. They landed safely; and before long Grim began to make a
little house of clay and turf for them to dwell in. He named the place
after himself, Grimsby; and so men call it now, and shall call it
forever, from now even to doomsday.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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