child, a little maiden. And as to thy one day, it shall be a long
while coming; for long and long shall it be for any one to encompass
the Sundering Flood, save the Winter of Fear come upon us, and all the
land be overlaid with ice, and the waters of the Flood be stayed;
which may God and Allhallows forfend."

The lad said nought for a while; and then he said: "Goodman, I would
we had gone down to riverbank from out our own door, and gone all
along the Flood-side to the Mote; for it were pleasant to have looked
across the Flood, thinking of all there is on the other side, and
wondering if we shall ever get there. Why did we not this, for on the
very bank the going is better?" Said the carle: "We have come the
shortest way this bitter morning; that is all."

Herein he lied; for they had gone that slant-way to give the go-by to
a certain place of the Flood-bank which the Dale-dwellers deemed
perilous; but thereof he would not tell the little carle, now that he
was become so masterful, deeming that if he heard of any peril toward
he would be all agog to try the adventure thereof, as forsooth was
true. Of this place, which lay now but just behind them, shall more be
told hereafter.

Now they come to the Mote in good time when the sun was but just
arisen, and there was already a throng; and at their coming the folk
on the western side raised a shout, as the folk on either side were
wont to welcome newcomers; but the very first man they hit upon was
Surly John; and the goodwife, a soft, kind woman, hailed him friendly,
and was fain to have some one whom she knew unto whom to tell her tale
of the champion and the wolves. For indeed it needs must out to the
very first comer, and out it came now, many worded, and folk, both men
and women, gathered about the twain to hearken; for the goodwife told
it all well and without hitch.

Surly John must needs abide the telling of it, but when it was done he
said: "Well, dame, so it is that I always deemed the lad kenspeckle;
and it has moreover turned out as I warned you, that you have got a
new master over you." And therewith he turned away; but of those
others who heard the tale there were more than one or two who praised
it much, and deemed it marvellous as might well be that a child should
have faced and slain those three monsters who had put two stout men to
flight. And one man made up this stave, which was presently sung all
about the Eastern Mote, and went over the water with