by Alan Garner
“Well,” said the valet to them, “I want this castle to be moved from this place far and far across the sea.”
“All right,” said the little red men to him, “do you wish to go with it?”
“Yes,” said he.
“Well, get up,” said they to him; and away they went, far and far over the great sea.
Now the grand hunting party comes back, and the castle upon the twelve golden pillars disappeared, to the great disappointment of those gentlemen as did not see it before. That poor silly Jack is threatened by taking his beautiful young wife from him, for taking them in the way he did. But the gentlemen is going to make an agreement with him, and he is to have a twelvemonths and a day to look for the castle; and off he goes with a good horse and money in his pocket.
Now poor Jack goes in search of his missing castle, over hills, dales, valleys, and mountains, through woolly woods and sheepwalks, further than I can tell you tonight or ever intend to tell you. Until at last he comes to the place where lives the king of all the little mice in the world.
There was one of the little mice on sentry at the front gate going up to the palace, and did try to stop Jack from going in. He asked the little mouse, “Where does the king live? I should like to see him.”
This one sent another with him to show him the place; and when the king saw him, he called him in. And the king questioned him, and asked him where he was going that way. Well, Jack told him all the truth, that he had lost the great castle, and was going to look for it, and he had a whole twelvemonths and a day to find it out. And Jack asked him whether he knew anything about it; and the king said, “No, but I am the king of all the little mice in the world, and I will call them all up in the morning, and maybe they have seen something of it.”
Then Jack got a good meal and bed, and in the morning he and the king went on to the fields; and the king called all the mice together, and asked them whether they had seen the great beautiful castle standing on golden pillars. And all the mice said, No, there was none of them had seen it. The old king said to Jack that he had two other brothers: “One is the king of all the frogs; and my other brother, who is the oldest, he is the king of all the birds in the world. And if you go there, maybe they know something about it.” The king said to him, “Leave your horse here with me till you come back, and take one of my best horses under you, and give this cake to my brother; he will know then who you got it from. Mind and tell him I am well, and should like dearly to see him.”
And then the king and Jack shook hands together. And when Jack was going through the gates, the little mouse asked him should he go with him; and Jack said to him, “No, I shall get myself into trouble with the king.”
And the little thing told him, “It will be better for you to have me go with you; maybe I shall do some good to you sometime without you knowing it.”
“Jump up, then.”
And the little mouse ran up the horse’s leg, and made it dance; and Jack put the mouse in his pocket.
Now Jack, after wishing good morning to the king, and pocketing the little mouse that was on sentry, trudged on his way. And such a long way he had to go, and this was his first day.
At last he found the place; and there was one of the frogs on sentry, and did try to hinder Jack not to go in. And when Jack said to him that he wanted to see the king, he allowed him to pass; and Jack made up to the door. The king came out, and asked him his business; and Jack told him all from beginning to ending.
“Well, well, come in.”
He gets good entertainment that night; and in the morning the king made a curious sound, and collected all the frogs in the world. And he asked them, did they know or see anything of a castle that stood upon twelve golden pillars. And they all said, “Kro-kro, kro-kro,” and said “No.”
Jack had to take another horse, and a cake to his brother which is the king of all the fowls of the air. And as Jack was going through the gates, the little frog that was on sentry asked Jack should he go with him. Jack refused him for a bit; but at last he told him to jump up, and Jack put him in his other waistcoat pocket. And away he went again on his great long journey; it was three times as long this time as it was the first day; however, he found the place, and there was a fine bird on sentry. And Jack passed him, and he never said a word to him. And he talked with the king, and told him everything, all about the castle.
“Well,” said the king to him, “you shall know in the morning from my birds whether they know anything or not.”
Jack put up his horse in the stable, and then went to bed, after having something to eat. And when he got up in the morning, the king and he went on to some fields, and there the king made some funny noise, and there came all the fowls that were in all the world. And the king asked them, did they see the fine castle. And all the birds answered, “No.”
“Well,” said the king, “where is the great bird?”
They had to wait, then, for a long time for the eagle to make his appearance, when at last he came all in a perspiration, after sending two little birds high up in the sky to whistle on him to make all the haste he possibly could. The king asked the great bird, did he see the great castle.
And the bird said, “Yes, I came from there where it is now.”
“Well,” says the king, “this young gentleman has lost it, and you must go with him back to it. But stop till you get a bit of something to eat first.”
They killed a thief, and sent the best part of it to feed the eagle on his journey over the seas, and had to carry Jack on his back.
Now, when they came in sight of the castle, they did not know what to do to get the little golden box. Well, the little mouse said to them, “Leave me down, and I will get the little box for you.” So the mouse stole himself in the castle, and had a hold of the box; and when he was coming down the stairs, fell it down, and was very near being caught. He came running out with it, laughing his best.
“Have you got it?” Jack said to him.
He said, “Yes;” and off they went back again, and left the castle behind.
As they were all of them (Jack, mouse, frog and eagle) passing over the great sea, they fell to quarrelling about it which it was that got the little box, till down it slipped into the water. (It was by them looking at it, and handing it from one hand to the other, that they dropped the little box in the bottom of the sea.)
“Well, well,” said the frog, “I knew as I would have to do something, so you had better let me go down in the water.”
And they let him go, and he was down for three days and three nights; and up he comes, and shows his nose and little mouth out of the water. And all of them asked him, did he get it. And he told them, “No.”
“Well, what are you doing there, then?”
“Nothing at all,” he said; “only I want my full breath.” And the little frog went down the second time, and he was down for a day and a night, and up he brings it.
And away they did go, after being there four days and nights; and, after a long tug over seas and mountains, arrive at the old king’s palace, who is the master of all the birds in the world. And the king is very proud to see them, and has a hearty welcome and a long conversation.
Jack opens the box, and tells the little men to go back and to bring the castle here to them. “And all of you make as much haste back again as you possibly can.”
The three little men went off; and when they came near the castle, they were afraid to go to it, till the gentleman and lady and all the servants were gone out to some dance. And there was no one left behind there, only the cook and another maid with her. And it happened to be that a poor Gypsy woman, knowing that the family was going from home, made her way to the castle to try to tell the cook’s fortune for a bit of victuals, was there at the time. And the little red men asked her which she would rather – go or stop behind?
And she said, “I will go with you.”
And they told her to run upstairs quick. She was no sooner up and in one of the drawing-ro
oms than there comes just in sight the gentleman and lady and all the servants. But it was too late. Off they went at full speed, and the Gypsy woman laughing at them through the window, making motions for them to stop, but all to no purpose.
They were nine days on their journey, and they come again to Jack and the king. The king was quite struck with the sight of the castle; and going up the golden stairs, wishing to see the inside, when the first one that attracted his attention was the poor Gypsy woman. And he said to her, “How are you, sister?”
She said to him, “I am very well. How are you?”
“Quite well,” said he to her. “Come into my place, to have a talk with you, and see who you are, and who your people are.”
The old Gypsy woman told him that some of her people were some of them from the Lovells, Stanleys, Lees, and I don’t know all their names. The king and Jack was very much pleased with the Gypsy woman’s conversation, but poor Jack’s time was drawing to a close of a twelvemonths and a day. And he, wishing to go home to his young wife, gave orders to the three little men to get ready by the next morning at eight o’clock to be off to the next brother, and to stop there for one night; also to proceed from there to the last or the youngest brother, the master of all the mice in the world, in such place where the castle shall be left under his care until it’s sent for.
Jack takes a farewell of the king, and thanks him very much for his hospitality, and tells him not to be surprised when he shall meet him again in some other country.
Away went Jack and his castle again, and stopped one night in that place; and away they went again to the third place, and there left the castle under his care. As Jack had to leave the castle behind, he had to take to his own horse, which he left there when he first started. The king liked the Gypsy woman well, and told her that he would like if she would stay there with him; and the Gypsy woman did stay with him until she was sent for by Jack.
Now poor Jack leaves his castle behind and faces towards home; and after having so much merriment with the three brothers every night, Jack became sleepy on horseback, and would have lost the road if it was not for the little men a-guiding him.
At last he arrives, weary and tired, and they did not seem to receive him with any kindness whatever, because he did not find the stolen castle. And to make it worse, he was disappointed in not seeing his young and beautiful wife to come and meet him, through being hindered by her parents.
But that did not stop long. Jack put full power on. Jack despatched the little men off to bring the castle from there, and they soon got there; and the first one they seen outside gather sticks to put on the fire was the poor Gypsy woman. And they did whistle to her, when she turned around smartly and said to them, “Dordi! Dordi! How are you, mates? Where do you come from, and where are you going?”
“Well, to tell the truth, we are sent to take this castle from here. Do you wish to stop here or to come with us?”
“I would like better to go with you than to stay here.”
“Well, come on, my poor sister.”
Jack shook hands with the king, and returned many thanks for his kingly kindness. When, all of a sudden, the king, seeing the Gypsy woman, which he fell in so much fancy with, and whom he so much liked, was going to detain the castle until such time he could get her out. But Jack, perceiving his intentions, and wanting the Gypsy woman himself for a nurse, instructed the little men to spur up and put speed on. And off they went, and were not long before they reached their journey’s end, when out comes the young wife to meet him with a fine lump of a young son.
Now, to make my long story short, Jack, after completing what he did, and to make a finish for the poor broken-hearted Gypsy woman, he has the loan of one of his father-in-law’s largest man-of-wars, which is lying by anchor, and sends the three little men in search of her kinsfolk, so as they may be found, and to bring them to her. After long searching they are found and brought back, to the great joy of the woman and delight of his wife’s people-in-law, for after a bit they became very fond of each other.
When they came on land, Jack’s people allowed them to camp on their ground near a beautiful river; and the gentlemen and ladies used to go and see for them every day.
Jack and his wife had many children, and had some of the Gypsy girls for nurses; and the little children were almost half Gypsies, for the girls continually learning them the language. And the gentleman and the lady were delighted with them. And the last time I was there, I played my harp for them, and got to go again.
Black-luggie, hammer-head,
Rowan-tree, and red thread
Put the warlocks to their speed.
Anon
rthur kept Christmas at Carlisle, and with him Guenever, the queen, and the knights of the Table, Sir Launcelot and Sir Kay were there, and Sir Banier and Sir Bore, Sir Gareth and Sir Tristram the Gentle, and Arthur’s nephew, Sir Gawaine White Hawk.
Yet the court was listless, for such was the might of Arthur that no evil was done in the land. Armour rusted, muscles slackened, the patience of the king grew thin. Arthur took no quests upon himself. His fame lay in the power of his knights. His work was as a peace-bringer, but in peace he found no ease.
He spilt the wine across the board. “The year is almost gone,” he shouted, “and no perils! What will the world have of us if we sit at home like women? My mind rots in idleness!”
“Patience,” said the doorward. “Here comes your adventure.”
A fair woman stood in the hall. Her gown was torn and stained with grass and blood, her hair unpinned and tangled with leaves.
“A boon,” she said. “A boon, King Arthur, I seek of you.”
“Whatever it may be, you shall have it,” said the king.
“A boon, in your Christmas of mirth and honour,” said the woman. “Kill me a man.”
“What man?” said the king. “And for what ill?”
“A carl knight,” she said, “who has shorn my love and me.”
“How was it?” said Arthur.
“My love was a courteous knight,” she said, “and we were betrothed. Yet as we rode near Tarn Wethelan my love was taken by a dark baron, a giant he seemed in the valley, twice the size of a normal man, in black armour, and he fought with a mace. He bade my love leave me, and when he would not, but tried to save me, the carl struck him down. I think there is some spell of magic there, for my love could not lay a blow upon the man, and though I cried for mercy I was ill-used. And when he set me free, this giant said: “Go to Arthur in Carlisle, and beg for vengeance. And tell that love-spent king to meet me if he dare.”
Up leapt Arthur then, and no one spoke in the hush of that insult. “I swear by dale and hill,” said Arthur, “that I shall not quit this rough baron until I see his blood. Let no one go with me, nor in my stead. He has injured this fair lady, but he has done worse to me.”
Arthur mounted his horse and rode to Tarn Wethelan, beneath snow crests and ice-clad rocks, through the winter world of Cumberland until he reached the lake. Beside it was a castle, many towered and bright with flying pennants.
Arthur drew his sword. The note of his horn rang in the frozen air. The drawbridge opened; the portcullis slid upwards; and the knight came, black in armour and trappings and horse and mace.
His mace lay on his shoulder, and his other hand was on his hip. He spoke no word, but came on for Arthur, slowly, unguarded, disdainful.
“Dress your shield!” cried Arthur. But the shield bounced behind the man’s neck.
“Defend yourself, or yield!”
But the black figure did neither.
“Then die a coward!” said Arthur, and lifted his sword. His sword stuck in the air as if in a log. He could not move it.
The giant rode up.
“What shall I do with you, Arthur the king?” he said. “There are many knights and princes at work for me. Would you be a scullion? Or a stable lad? Would you scour a privy? What would you be?”
The king hung from his sword. His han
d was fast to it.
“I am Arthur,” he said, “no soldier taken in fight to be your slave.”
“Then yield without fight,” said the giant, “and accept my terms.”
“That is no less a shame to me,” said Arthur.
“You do not know my terms,” said the giant. “If I take you now, you shall be my serving man. But if you accept my terms, you shall have one chance to win.”
“Then that is my choice,” said Arthur, “and it is no choice, but the game of a wretched knight with a captive.”
“It may be,” said the giant. “My terms are that if I let you free now, you shall return here on New Year’s Day, with the answer to my question, or I take your land and throne.”
“And the question?” said Arthur.
“Bring me word what thing it is that women most desire.”
So Arthur gave his promise to return on New Year’s Day, and he rode from Tarn Wethelan like a dead man. And he would have been dead before he reached Carlisle, either from shame at the tale he would have to tell, or from his own sword, rather than live the life of a slave, but he remembered that he had given his promise to the knight, and he could not break it even for death. Yet still he could not face his court. He turned from the path, and set off into the wilderness to ask what women most desired.
Some people told him riches, pomp, or state; mirth; or flattery; clothing bright and fine; some a vigorous knight. And all this Arthur wrote down on parchment and sealed with his ring. But no answer was enough in itself. He found as many as he cared to write and all were different.
On New Year’s Eve, heavy with doubt, he retraced his journey to Tarn Wethelan. And as he rode over a high moor he saw a woman sitting between an oak and a green holly, and she was clad in red scarlet.
