Draw we nigher now to the heart of our tale, and tell how on the east
side of the Sundering Flood was erewhile a stead hight Wethermel: a
stead more lonely than most even in that Dale, the last house but one,
and that was but a cot, toward the mountains at the head of the Dale.
It was not ill set down, for its houses stood beneath a low spreading
knoll, the broader side whereof was turned to the south-west, and
where by consequence was good increase of corn year by year. The said
knoll of Wethermel was amidst of the plain of the Dale a mile from the
waterside, and all round about it the pasture was good for kine and
horses and sheep all to the water's lip on the west and half way up
the bent on the east; while towards the crown of the bent was a wood
of bushes good for firewood and charcoal, and even beyond the crown of
the bent was good sheep-land a long way.
Nevertheless, though its land was fruitful as for that country, yet
had Wethermel no great name for luck, and folk who had the choice
would liever dwell otherwhere, so that it was hard for the goodman to
get men to work there for hire. Many folk deemed that this ill-luck
came because the knoll had been of old time a dwelling of the Dwarfs
or the Land-wights, and that they grudged it that the children of Adam
had supplanted them, and that corn grew on the very roof of their
ancient house. But however that might be, there was little thriving
there for the most part: and at least it was noted by some, that if
there were any good hap, it ever missed one generation, and went not
from father to son, but from grandsire to grandson: and even so it was
now at the beginning of this tale.
For he who had been master of Wethermel had died a young man, and his
wife followed him in a month or two, and there was left in the house
but the father and mother of these twain, hale and stout folk, he of
fifty winters, she of forty-five; an old woman of seventy, a kinswoman
of the house who had fostered the late goodman; and a little lad who
had to name Osberne, now twelve winters old, a child strong and bold,
tall, bright and beauteous. These four were all the folk of Wethermel,
save now and then a hired man who was hard pressed for livelihood
would be got to abide there some six months or so. It must be told
further that there was no house within ten miles either up or down the
water on that side, save the little cot abovesaid nigher to the
mountains, and that was four miles up-stream; it hight Burcot, and was
somewhat kenspeckle. Withal as to those Cloven Motes, as they were
called, which were between the folk on either side, they were holden
at a stead seven miles below Wethermel. So that in all wise was it a
lonely and scantly-manned abode: and because of this every man on the
stead must work somewhat hard and long day by day, and even Osberne
the little lad must do his share; and up to this time we tell of, his
work was chiefly about the houses, or else it was on the knoll, or
round about it, scaring fowl from the corn; weeding the acre-ground,
or tending the old horses that fed near the garth; or goose-herding at
whiles. Forsooth, the two elders, who loved and treasured the little
carle exceedingly, were loth to trust him far out of sight because of
his bold heart and wilful spirit; and there were perils in the Dale,
and in special at that rough and wild end of thereof, though they came
not from weaponed reivers for the more part, though now and again some
desperate outcast from the thicker peopled lands had strayed into it;
and there was talk from time to time of outlaws who lay out over the
mountain-necks, and might not always do to lack a sheep or a neat or a
horse. Other perils more of every-day there were for a young child, as
the deep and hurrying stream of the Sundering Flood, and the wolves
which haunted the bent and the foothills of the mountains; and ever
moreover there was the peril from creatures seldom seen, Dwarfs and
Land-wights to wit, who, as all tales told, might be well pleased to
have away into their realm so fair a child of the sons of Adam as was
this Osberne.
Forsooth for the most part the lad kept within bounds, for love's sake
rather than fear, though he wotted well that beating abode
bound-breaking; but ye may well wot that this quietness might not
always be. And one while amongst others he was missing for long, and
when his grandsire sought him he found him at last half way between
grass and water above the fierce swirling stream of the river; for he
had clomb down the sheer rock of the bank, which all along the water
is fashioned into staves, as it were organ-pipes, but here and there
broken by I wot not what mighty power. There then was my lad in an
ingle-nook of the rock, and not able either to go down or come up,
till the goodman let a rope down to him and hauled him on to the
grass.
Belike he was a little cowed by the peril, and the beating he got for
putting his folk in such fear; but though he was somewhat moved by his
grandam's tears and lamentations over him, and no less by the old
carline's bewailing for his days that he would so surely shorten, yet
this was not by a many the last time he strayed from the stead away
into peril. On a time he was missing again nightlong, but in the
morning came into the house blithe and merry, but exceeding hungry,
and when the good man asked him where he had been and bade him
whipping-cheer, he said that he cared little if beaten were he, so
merry a time he had had; for he had gone a long way up the Dale, and
about twilight (this was in mid-May) had fallen in with a merry lad
somewhat bigger than himself, who had shown him many merry plays, and
at last had brought him to his house, "which is not builded of stone
and turf, like to ours," saith he, "but is in a hole in the rock; and
there we wore away the night, and there was no one there but we two,
and again he showed me more strange plays, which were wondrous; but
some did frighten me."
Then his grandsire asked him what like those plays were. Said Osberne:
"He took a stone and stroked it, and mumbled, and it turned into a
mouse, and played with us nought afraid a while; but presently it grew
much bigger, till it was bigger than a hare; and great game meseemed
that was, till on a sudden it stood on its hind-legs, and lo it was
become a little child, and O, but so much littler than I; and then it
ran away from us into the dark, squealing the while like a mouse
behind the panel, only louder. Well, thereafter, my playmate took a
big knife, and said: 'Now, drudgling, I shall show thee a good game
indeed.' And so he did, for he set the edge of the said knife against
his neck, and off came his head; but there came no blood, nor did he
tumble down, but took up his head and stuck it on again, and then he
stood crowing like our big red cock. Then he said: 'Poultry, cockerel,
now I will do the like by thee.' And he came to me with the knife; but
I was afraid, and gat hold of his hand and had the knife from him; and
then I wrestled with him and gave him a fall; but I must needs let him
get up again presently, whereas he grew stronger under my hand; then
he thrust me from him and laughed exceeding much, and said: 'Here is a
champion come into my house forsooth! Well, I will leave thine head on
thy shoulders, for belike I might not be able to stick it on again,
which were a pity of thee, for a champion shalt thou verily be in the
days to come.' After this all his play with me was to sit down and bid
me hearken; and then he took out a little pipe, and put it to his
mouth, and made music out of it, which was both sweet and merry. And
then he left that, and fell to telling me tales about the woods where
big trees grow, and how his kindred had used to dwell therein, and
fashioned most fair things in smith's work of gold and silver and
iron; and all this liked me well; and he said: 'I tell thee that one
day thou shalt have a sword of my father's father's fashioning, and
that will be an old one, for they both were long-lived.' And as he
spake I deemed that he was not like a child any more, but a little,
little old man, white-haired and wrinkle-faced, but without a beard,
and his hair shone like glass. And then--I went to sleep, and when I
woke up again it was morning, and I looked around and there was no one
with me. So I arose and came home to you, and I am safe and sound if
thou beat me not, kinsman."
Now ye may judge if his fore-elders were not scared by the lad's tale,
for they knew that he had fallen in with one of the Dwarf-kin, and his
grandam caught him up and hugged him and kissed him well favouredly;
and the carline, whose name was Bridget, followed on the like road;
and then she said: "See you, kinsmen, if it be not my doing that the
blessed bairn has come back to us. Tell us, sweetheart, what thou hast
round thy neck under thy shirt." Osberne laughed. Said he: "Thou didst
hang on me a morsel of parchment with signs drawn thereon, and it is
done in a silk bag. Fear not, foster-mother, but that I will wear it
yet, since thou makest such to-do over it."
"Ah! the kind lad thou art, my dear," said the carline. "I will tell
you, kinsmen, that I had that said parchment from our priest, and it
is strong neckguard against all evil things, for on it is scored the
Holy Rood, and thereon are the names of the three Holy Kings, and
other writing withal which I may not read, for it is clerks' Latin."
And again the two women made much of the little lad, while the goodman
stood by grumbling and grunting; but this time did Osberne escape his
beating, though he was promised a drubbing which should give him much
to think on if he went that way again; and the women prayed and
besought him to be obedient to the goodman herein.
But one thing he had not told his kinsfolk, to wit, that the Dwarf had
given him for a gift that same knife wherewith he had played the game
of heads-off, and a fair sheath went with it, and he had done him to
wit that most like luck would go with it. Wherefore little Osberne had
the said knife hidden under his raiment, along with the parchment
whereon was scored the Holy Rood and the good words of wisdom written.