16 h 45 minAudiobook15 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 16 h 45 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Beyond the witch’s house lies an enchanted lake, and freedom means crossing waters where welcome may hide danger.
Birdalone grows up at the House under the Wood, held by the witch who stole her as a child. Hard work and harsh treatment shape her days. In the woods, the mysterious Habundia offers kindness without demanding obedience, giving Birdalone a friendship beyond her captor’s control.
When Birdalone escapes across the lake, strange islands turn her flight into a wider quest. Aurea, Viridis, and Atra, three women held under enchantment, help her onward and entrust her with a task involving their absent lovers. In William Morris’s fantasy romance, freedom brings new bonds, uncertain welcomes, and responsibilities she must choose for herself.
What you’ll discover
- A heroine choosing freedom Follow Birdalone as she weighs her own desires against friendship, love, and responsibility.
- Kindness beyond captivity Meet Habundia, whose woodland friendship offers help without the witch’s demand for obedience.
- Islands of uncertain welcome Cross an enchanted lake where each strange island asks Birdalone to judge hospitality and danger.
- Love across the water Discover how three enchanted women draw Birdalone into a quest tied to their absent lovers.
- An intimate fairy-tale journey Explore richly described landscapes where dangerous magic and close friendships give adventure its personal stakes.
Who will love it
You will love this if you enjoy old-style fantasy, witches and enchanted islands, a brave young heroine, tales of quests and faithful friendship, and a voice like a story told beside a fire.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A witch buys a child with gold
- A girl grows up as a witch's servant
- A wood spirit who looks just like her
- The Sending Boat and its price
- She walks out in daylight and sails away
- Three ladies who share their clothes
- Four wonder isles and one empty one
- Champions, waiting and the Black Valley
- Freedom, loyalty and what people owe each other
- How the tale is told
Who’s who
- BirdaloneA stolen child raised as a witch's servant, strong with a bow and a swimmer, who wants to escape and find her own place in the world.
- The witch of the House under the WoodA sorceress who changes her skin and kidnaps a child to train her as bait, and who fears losing her captive.
- HabundiaA wood spirit who looks exactly like Birdalone, teaches her the lore of the earth and helps her escape.
- AtraThe wisest of three captive ladies on the Isle of Increase Unsought, dressed in black, who plans Birdalone's release and asks a promise.
- Aurea and ViridisTwo of the ladies, in gold and in green, who lend Birdalone their garments and long to return to their lovers.
- Arthur the Black SquireOne of three Champions of the Quest who seeks his lost love, and a young man of careful, troubled tenderness.
- Sir Hugh and Sir BaudoinThe Green Knight and the Golden Knight, fellow Champions who swear to rescue their ladies and honor Birdalone.
- Leonard the chaplainA priest at the Castle of the Quest who teaches Birdalone to read and write and loves her without hope.
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El agua de las Islas Maravillosas
by William Morris · 1897
A stolen child learns a witch's boat spell and sails a lake of enchanted islands to find love.
Medium level5–10 hours to readEspañol
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In short
A tall woman leads a gray donkey through the market of Utterhay, and she watches the children more closely than the goods. She finds a starving widow with a crawling girl of about two, pays her in gold, and sends her off to buy a feast.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A witch buys a child with gold
Utterhay is a walled market town on the edge of a forest called Evilshaw. People fear the wood and almost no one goes in. They say devils and restless dead haunt it, yet the town does well.
One market day a tall, dark woman with a hooked nose and hawk-like eyes leads a gray donkey through the crowd. She watches the children more closely than anything else. At the edge of the square she finds a thin young mother on a stone, with a girl of about two crawling toward her.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 15 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1897
- Language
- Español
- Reading time
- 10 h 55 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Morris, William. The Water of the Wondrous Isles. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-water-of-the-wondrous-isles.
Morris, W. (2026). The water of the Wondrous Isles. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-water-of-the-wondrous-isles (Original work published 1897)
Morris, William. The Water of the Wondrous Isles. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-water-of-the-wondrous-isles.
@book{morris2026water,
author = {Morris, William},
title = {The Water of the Wondrous Isles},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-water-of-the-wondrous-isles},
note = {First published 1897}
}
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What is The Water of the Wondrous Isles about?
It follows Birdalone, a girl stolen by a witch and raised in a house by a lake. She escapes in a magic boat, visits enchanted islands, helps three captive ladies and seeks the man she loves.
Who is Habundia in the story?
Habundia is a wood spirit who is not of human kind. She looks exactly like Birdalone, teaches her the lore of the earth, gives her a ring and a lock of her hair, and helps her at every turn.
What is the Sending Boat?
It is the witch's magic ferry, a gray boat with no oars or sail. It wakes when blood is smeared on bow and stern and a short spell is sung. It carries Birdalone across the Great Water.
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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