Now these matters, and other strayings and misdoings of the youngling,
befel before the time whereof I now tell, when he was, as aforesaid,
passed of twelve years; and it was in latter autumn, when the nights
are lengthening. At this time there was a hired man dwelling with
them, whose work it was to drive the sheep afield, either up on to the
eastern bents or away off down to the water, so as they might not eat
the grass of the kine from them. But Osberne, both of his own will and
at the bidding of the goodman, went off afield with this man John and
helped him to keep the sheep from straying over-far. Now one day at
evening, somewhat later than he was wont, when, as it chanced, Osberne
had not fared with him, back comes John from the bents, and he looked
scared and pale, and he tells the tale that as the light began to fail
up there, three huge wolves fell upon the sheep, and slew sundry of
them, and it was easy to be seen of him that he had held no very close
battle with the wolves, but had stood aloof till they had done their
supper, and then gathered what he could of the sheep without going
over-near the field of deed. The goodman berated him for his
cowardice, and seemed to begrudge him his victuals somewhat that
night, whereas, what with them who the wolves had slain, and them who
had perchance fled away, the flock was seventeen wethers short. John
excused himself what he might, and said that he had no weapon, nought
save his shepherd's staff, and that the wolves had slain his dog in
the first stour: but while he spake, Osberne, who sat by, deemed him
somewhat stark and tall to be so little-hearted.
However, the next day the goodman and John must needs go up to the
bent to see if they might find aught alive of the sheep that were
missing, and each of them bore a shield and short spear, that they
might make head against the wolves if that host should fall on them in
the middle of the [day]. Meantime Osberne, by the goodman's bidding,
drives the flock down toward the water, nothing loth, for ever the
wondrous stream seemed to draw the lad to it. And a fair day he had of
it, wandering amidst the sheep and being friendly with them, whiles
drawing out his knife to look thereon, as oft he did when he was
alone; and forsooth it was a goodly weapon, carven with quaintnesses
about the heft, the blade inlaid with runes done in gold, and the
sheath of silver. Whiles also he stood on the river's lip and looked
across the water which was there in most places as big as the Thames
is at Reading, but sometimes narrower. But there was nought stirring
within eyeshot on the further bank that day, save the fowl, and a bull
that came running along and lowing as he went on some errand, whatever
it might be, for he was not followed of any men. So he came back with
the flock before dark all safe; neither had he gone far from the
stead, for so he was bidden of by his grandsire.
A little after comes in the goodman with John, neither of them in very
sweet temper; they had seen nought of the sheep save the hide and
bones of a half score, but the wolves they had not failed to see; they
had come to the same place as the last night, and seemed by no means
afraid of the man-host with its spears and shields, wherefore these
last had turned their backs and run from them stoutly, and now sat
together glowering on each other, and casting now and again a gibe
each at each. But they were at one in this, that the wolves were huge
and fierce beyond measure, and such as any man might fear. But at last
John spake and said: "Well, master, it is as they say down the Dale,
that this no lucky house; meseems ye are beset with no common wolves,
but with skin-changers who have taken the shape of wolves, whether
they be Land-wights or Dwarfs, or ride-a-nights of the outlaws."
At that word waxed the master wood-wrath, as was his wont if any spake
of the luck of Wethermel; and he forgot his fear in his anger, and
said: "Hearken the fool-talk of him! Thou hadst not the heart for all
thine inches to go forward before thy master, and a man on the
downward side of years; and now thou must needs make up fairy tales to
cover they cowardice." Said John, grinning, "Keep thy head, master;
for sooth it is that thou wert the first to run, and wert the first
through the door."
"Thou liest," said the goodman; "but this I tell thee, that whosoever
was afraid then, thou shalt be afraid now." And he rose up and smote
his man upon the face so that he fell to the ground, and John leapt up
and would have smitten his master again; but even therewith comes in
the goodwife, and Bridget with her, bearing in the supper smoking hot,
and something seemed to hold John back from his blow, and he sat down,
surly enough but silent. Then said the goodwife: "What is to do here?
Hast thou run against the settle-end, John, that thy cheek is red and
blue?"
Laughed the youngling thereat, and a word came into his mouth, and he
sang:
All grey on the bent
There the sheep-greedy went:
The big spear and shield
Met the foes of the field,
But nought the white teeth
In the warriors gat sheath,
For master and man
Full meetly they ran.
But now in this hall
The fear off doth fall
From one of the twain,
And his hand getteth gain,
But the other sits there,
And new groweth his fear
Both of man and of grey.
So the meat on board lay,
Thou on whom gold doth ride,
Meat-goddess grey-eyed,
Let the loaf-warden eat,
And the man whom he beat,
And the lad that doth lie
In wall-nook hereby,
And thou Gold-tree the fair,
And the milk-mother dear,
Lest the meat wax a-cold
Both for bold and unbold.
Hereat all laughed, but the two men somewhat from one side of their
mouths. And the goodman said: "See thou to it, kinsman, lest stripes
be thy song-pay." But Osberne laughed from a fair and merry face and
sang again:
O lord of the land,
To the staff lay no hand
Till the grey ones thou face
In the wind-weary place.
And therewith he fell to his meat and ate stoutly, and to the women it
seemed that their little kinsman had the makings of a champion in him,
and his staves they loved dearly in their hearts, and they smiled upon
him kindly; and he looked from one to the other and quoth he:
Three mothers had I,
And one is gone by,
But two are left here,
Leal, buxom, and dear.
As for the goodman, now that the meat was getting into him, the wrath
was running off, and he thought within himself that presently he
should have good avail of his grandson.