Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-10-24
HAVELOK THE DANE.

Amy Seville Wolff
HAVELOK THE DANE.
On the eastern coast of England is
town called Grimsby, and they who live
therein-or such of them at least who
have knowledge of the deeds done by the
folk of old-tell this story to the stranger
who happens into their dwellings:
Many years ago, say the folk of Grims-
by, when in the place of this dear town of
ours there was but a sea marsh, with the
waters of the broad mouth of the river
Humber tapping it, there dwelt in the far
off country of Denmark simple fisherman
whose name was Grimms. The lord to
whom he was in thrall ruled over the whole
fair land of Denmark, yet did not rule OF
right, but of might. For when the true
king of Denmark. whose name was Birka-
been, lay a-dying he called unto him his
friend the knight Goddard, and spoke to
him in this wise:
"Sir Goddard, in many battle have we
fought side by side, and at many feast
have we drunk out of the same horn, and
so had we thought to do for many year
to come. But to each one of us Death
cometh at his own bidding, and SO is it
with me this dsy. Nor would l sorrow
overmuch at Deaths coming; for well l
know that he will take me to my true love
and good wife, Helfeld, who died year
agone, were it not for my little son Have
sok and his sister Swanboion. Now, there
fore swear to me, good Goddard, that my
children will be to thee as thy children,
and that thou wilt cherish this fair land of
mine until Havelok shall have grown to
be man and worthy to receive it at thy
hand" And Goddard sware it, and the
good king died in peace. Yet no sooner
was he dead than the crafty Goddard took
the kinship for his own and cruelty treated
the children Of his dead friend and master.
The maiden indeed he killed, and likewise
would he have done to the boy but that he
feared, seeing the youth was kingly SEEM
ing. though but in his fifth year. SO the
evil Goddard sent for his thran Grimne,
the fisherman, and said to him:
''Take this boy, tie to him great weight
and cast him into the sea. So shall l re-
ward thee with gold and with thy freedom;
and thy sin shall be my sin, and on my
head and not on thine it shall lie"
And Grimme took the lad and bound
him, and wrapped him in a cloth, and car
ried him on his back to his hut by the sea,
and threw him upon the ground the while
his wife Left cooked for him his supper.
And as he eat he told Left what the king
flor so all men now called Goddard) was to
do for them, and what riches awaited them
when that the boy should be thrown into
the sea; and so he lay down to await the
morning, when he should do as he had
been bid. But in the night Dame Left
awoke, and thought it was already morn
ing; for, behold. the hut was bright with
a great light, the which. when her eyes
were used to it, she saw came from where
the child lay Out of his mouth streamed
a ray as if from the sun at monday. Then
Left was troubled and awoke her husband,
who in his turn trembled sorely and was
afraid; and asking what this could mean
he got up and unbound Havelok, finding
as be did so royal cross on his shoulder.
Then quoth Grimme, SCOT wot, we have
here in our hut the king of Denmark"
And he fell at his feet and swore fealty;
but the boy laughed merrily and said:
Though be king, yet am l an hungry
one and a thirsty withal" So the fisher
man and his dame brought bread and
cheese and milk and set them before the
kings son, and when this one had eaten
and drunken he lay down and slept as
though he should never awaken.
In the morning while the son yet slept,
Grimme hied himself to Goddard and
spoke in this wise: II have done thy bid
ding and cast the child into the sea with
an anchor of stone tied to his neck. Now
give me the reward" But Goddard an
swered: "Thou naughty varlet, what
know of any child. If this is murder
thou hast done I shall surely punish thee"
And so Grimme departed from the castle,
marveling at the wickedness and falseness
of men.
When he came to his hut he gathered
his goods together and slowed them in his
boat, and putting into it also Havelok and
Left and her three sons and two daughters
he raised the sail to the masthead and
sailed across the sea toward the west. He
had sailed thus for a day and night when
a great wind rose and blew the boat on to
the shore of England, and the place where
they landed was at the mouth of the river
Humber
Then Grimme built for himself hut of
earth, and seeing that he was clever fish
erman, neither he nor his family nor Have
lok wanted for bread. for the fish that he
caught he and his sons carried in baskets
to the towns and hamlets hard by and
sold them. Thus lived they for twelve win
tiers, and young Havelok grew until he had
the stature and strength of one who num-
bered twice his years. But it grieved him
that he should be idle, and should have to
look to his foster father Grimme for his
food and for his raiment, though of the
last named it was but little that young
Havelok had. Indeed, when the time came
that he went to Grimme and said, II will
lie idle no longer, but will 90 to the south
country and there work for my own bread
seeing that you have naught whereunto
can put my hand,' it fell out that he had
no coat wherewith to cover himself when
he should come among the southern folk.
So Grimme took off his sailcloth enough
to make coat. and cut it, and the good
wife Left sewed it, so that Havelok had
coat. And Grimme, who was now old,
blessed him, and SO he departed.
Now, he who ruled over England in those
days was no rightful king. His name was
Goodrich, and he was called the Earl of Corn
wall. To him the good King Athelwold,
when he lay a-dying, had trusted his daugh-
ter Goldborough, making him swear that
he would use her rightly and would marry
her when she was of a fitting age TO the
noblest of the land. But Goodrich was false
to his vows, and did none of these things
In their stead he took for himself the king
dom and shut the young queen up in the
castle by the sea, which men call Dover,
and she had but small clothing and less to
eat and drink. Now the remembrance of
his oath began to vex the wicked earl, and
he looked around for way by which he
could break it and yet not imperil his soul.
While he was debating this his steward,
one Bertram, came to him and said: Earl.
there is in my service youth named
Havelok, who is lusty and strong beyond
his fellows, and beyond any man l wot of,
although he is but a cooks yarlet. He
came to me year agone and asked me
food, in return for which he hewed the
wood and carried the water for the house
hold Seeing that he was clothed in a sim