longer puny, but a stout babe enough: so he was borne
amongst the serving men and thralls to the castle of the
Outer March; and he was in no wise treated as a great man's
son; but there was more than one woman who was kind to him,
and as he waxed in strength and beauty month by month, both
carle and quean fell to noting him, and, for as little as he
was, he began to be well-beloved.

As to the stead where he was nourished, though it were far
away amongst the woods, it was no such lonely or savage
place: besides the castle and the houses of it, there was a
merry thorpe in the clearing, the houses whereof were set
down by the side of a clear and pleasant little stream.
Moreover the goodmen and swains of the said township were no
ill folk, but bold of heart, free of speech, and goodly of
favour; and the women of them fair, kind, and trusty.
Whiles came folk journeying in to Oakenrealm or out to
Meadham, and of these some were minstrels, who had with them
tidings of what was astir whereas folk were thicker in the
world, and some chapmen, who chaffered with the
thorpe-dwellers, and took of them the woodland spoil for
such outland goods as those woodmen needed.

So wore the years, and in Oakenham King Christopher was well
nigh forgotten, and in the wild-wood had never been known
clearly for King's son. At first, by command of Rolf the
Marshal, a messenger came every year from Lord Richard with
a letter that told of how the lad Christopher did. But when
five years were worn, the Marshal bade send him tidings
thereof every three years; and by then it was come to the