5 h 32 minAudiobook5 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 5 h 32 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A kingdom can be lost. What do birth, loyalty, and honor demand of those who would fight for it?
In Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair, William Morris opens a world of nobles, ladies, and kingdoms. Christopher is a young man of noble rank: that is what “Child” means here. Lost royalty, captive queens, and the fight for a kingdom give this medieval romance its sweep and its stakes.
This is a long tale in prose, shaped by the old traditions of chivalric romance. Birth, loyalty, and honor drive its conflicts. Morris gives the telling a steady, rolling rhythm, using plain, strong English that borrows from older speech. The pleasure lies in slowing down and letting the story carry you.
What you’ll discover
- A kingdom at stake Enter a world where royal power can be lost and must be fought for.
- The claims of honor Follow a romance whose conflicts turn on birth, loyalty, and the demands of honor.
- An old word unlocked Meet Christopher with the title’s meaning clear: a young man of noble rank.
- Prose with a pulse Let steady sentences and older turns of speech draw you into the tale’s rhythm.
- The pleasure of lingering Read slowly, or aloud, and savor a story that rewards an unhurried pace.
Who will love it
For readers who enjoy medieval adventure, outlaw bands in green woods, brave young heroes, castle plots and a love story that begins beside a pool in the greenwood.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A dying king trusts the wrong man
- A princess is sent to a prison
- The Marshal sends a squire with a knife
- Among outlaws a hunter finds a family
- A bargain turns into a wedding
- Guardians, clothes and the freedom of the forest
Who’s who
- ChristopherA strong, cheerful young hunter raised in the wild wood who knows nothing of his birth.
- GoldilindThe young queen of Meadham, kept a prisoner at Greenharbour, who longs for freedom and the world beyond its walls.
- Rolf the MarshalThe earl who rules Oakenrealm for the infant king and wishes to keep his power secure.
- Earl GeoffreyThe regent of Meadham, a clever and cold ruler who holds the girl's realm and seeks to keep it.
- Jack of the ToftsThe outlaw chief of a woodland hall, kind to his friends, fierce to his foes and wise in counsel.
- David the RedYoungest son of Jack, red-haired and loyal, who swears brotherhood to Christopher and wants to share every adventure.
- Dame ElinorGoldilind's guardian and jailer at Greenharbour, who rules the castle with spite and cruelty.
- Squire SimonRolf's loyal servant, who follows orders without question and rides with Christopher on a deadly errand.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
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- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 5 h 32 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 5 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Read and hear El niño Christopher y Goldilind la Bella in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
El niño Christopher y Goldilind la Bella
by William Morris · 1895
A hunted prince and a captive queen meet by a woodland pool, and a band of outlaws holds the key to two kingdoms.
Medium level5–10 hours to read25 languages
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In short
Two royal children are sent to the edge of their kingdoms by guardians who would rather keep the crown's power for themselves. That is the heart of Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair, a prose romance by William Morris.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A dying king trusts the wrong man
In Oakenrealm, a land thick with oak woods, a warrior king is fatally wounded after winning a great battle. Dying, he names his cousin Rolf, the Marshal, to guard his unborn child and rule until the child is grown. Rolf swears on the sword before the lords.
The queen dies giving birth to a son, Christopher. Rolf governs as earl and keeps the peace, and the people do not truly mind. Only the name of king is missing from his power.
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What is Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair about?
It is a medieval-style romance about a prince raised in a far border house and a princess held captive by her regent. Their meeting in the forest leads to love, a wedding, and a struggle for two kingdoms.
Who is Jack of the Tofts?
Jack of the Tofts is the outlaw leader of a woodland hall called the Tofts. He has seven sons, rescues Christopher after an attack, takes him in as a foster-son, and becomes his wise counselor.
Is Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair a true story?
No. It is an invented tale by William Morris, who died in 1896. He wrote it in the style of medieval romances, set in imaginary lands called Oakenrealm and Meadham.
The author
William Morris
1834–1896 · English poet and designer
William Morris (1834–1896) was an English writer, textile designer, artist, and printer. He was born in Walthamstow and died in London. His books include The House of the Wolfings (1889), News from Nowhere (1890), and The Well at the World's End (1896). He founded the Kelmscott Press in 1891.
More by William Morris
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