Early English Hero Tales

olden doors, the more do we realize that we cannot say that this palace was built by English hands alone. No, the men who built it were not only English, they were, as you know alrea

ilt by those who were Welsh, Irish, and Scotch, a

f English stock,[Pg 58] so to speak, and they neither changed the language nor altered things in the life of boys and girls and men and women. After all it was much the same life after they came as it was before.

er have been the same without the Norman or French influence. If we pick up a handful of so-called English words, we shall see that some of these words are English, others are French, and still others Latin in their origin. But the Norman spoke French only for a while in Engl

avelok is found. But the one which is[Pg 59] written

e and leave his little girl fatherless! So he called to him the wisest and mightiest of his earls. The name of this Earl was Godrich. And the King made the Ear

have to give up the kingdom to her before long, he was angry, and took her from Winchester to Dove

d that he had to die. So he called to him his wisest Earl, a man by the name of Godard, and charged him to care for his children until Hav

thought him he would have somebody else do this terrible deed. Th

will make thee rich if thou wilt take this

rim carried the sack into his cottage, Dame Leve, his wife, was so frightened that she dropped

o drown Havelok in the sea. Leve was just bringing Grim some clothes that he might pu

t?" cried Dame Lev

e mouth came rays of light like sunbeams. It was as if many candles were burning in that tiny fisherman's hu

and kept him from all harm. But Grim and his wife became frightened, for fear that Godard would discover that they had not drowned the child and would hang them. Thereupon Grim sold all that he had, sheep, cow, ho

lled[Pg 62] Grimsby to this day. Then Grim set himself to his old occupation of fishing, and he caught sturgeon, whale, turbot, sal

e and did naught. And when Havelok stopped to think ab

," said the King'

did he sell and brought back the money, keeping not a farthing for himself. Alas! there came

t I fear for thee. Thou knowest how to get to Lincoln, and there they will give thee

. On the third day he heard some one crying, "Bearing-men, bearing-men, come here!" Havelok leaped forward to the [Pg 63

said: "Wilt thou work for m

, "and I will make thy fire

tory says that all who saw him loved him, for he was meek and strong and fair. But still he had nothing but the wretched coat to wear. So the cook took pity on him and bought him span-new clothes and gave him stockings and shoes. And when he had put them on he looked the King's son he was. At the Lin

d fulfil his[Pg 64] promise and get rid of Goldborough, the King's daughter, by giving her to Havelok, whom he thought to be just a cook's boy. Now Havelok did not wish to marry any mor

imsby, and royal was their welcom

ir knees and said: "Welcome, dear

t which came from the mouth of Havelok, that he was a King's son. And it was not long after this they all set sail

hat sixty strong thieves, clad in wide sleeves and closed capes, attacked

d at him, "We will go in

, yet the thieves had wounded him in many places, when Grim's sons came upon the scene to defend their lord and saw the thieves treating Havelok

heard the story of Havelok's bravery and of the terrible wounds he h

ded Ubbe. "If he can be healed,

ds of Havelok he told Ubb

to Havelok, "thou and Goldbo

tower where Havelok was sleeping. He peered through a crack and he saw that the "sunny gleam" came from Havelok's

er[Pg 66] in Denmark was brother so like to b

common men, and all swore fealty to Havelok. With a bright sword Ubbe dubbed Havelok knight and made him King. And the three sons of Grim were also made knights. Thereat we

eance on the wicked Earl Godard. There was a hard fight, but at last they caught and bound Earl Go

his army together and there was a great battle. And the battle was going against Havelok, when the wicked hand of Godrich was struck off. After that Havelok and his men were victorio

e of the King and Queen for each other that all marveled at it. Neither was happy away from the