Summary
Summary of Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair
Key ideas
Key idea 1
A kingdom puts honor at stake
Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair brings you into a world where birth, loyalty and honor shape people's fortunes. A kingdom can be lost and fought for, and the claims people make on one another carry real weight. This is the world of chivalric romance.
William Morris wrote this prose tale near the end of a life spent reviving medieval art and story. Its plain, strong English connects the telling to that purpose: making an older world feel living and near.
Key idea 2
Making and storytelling belong together
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Key idea 3
Noble names carry danger and loyalty
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Key idea 4
Plain prose gives the world shape
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Key idea 5
Fellowship gives honor its warmth
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Key idea 6
An older world brought near
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The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
Read the rest freeWho it’s for
For readers who enjoy medieval adventure, outlaw bands in green woods, brave young heroes, castle plots and a love story that begins by a pool in the greenwood.
What this book is
Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair is a prose romance by William Morris, who died in 1896. It tells of a boy born to a king killed in battle and a girl born to a king who dies while she is still a child. Both are sent to the far edge of their kingdoms by guardians who would rather keep the power for themselves. Morris writes in the manner of the old tales, with deep forests, outlaw bands, feasts and sudden fights.
You meet two lands, Oakenrealm and Meadham, and a company of woodland outlaws led by Jack of the Tofts, whose hall is a house of friendship and good cheer. You follow a captive girl who steals a horse and a young hunter who does not know his royal birth. Between them grows a love that begins beside a woodland pool. The book gives you adventure, warmth and a quiet argument about what rulers owe the people who trust them. It begins in Oakenrealm, where a dying king makes one fateful choice.
In this summary
- 1A dying king trusts the wrong manFree
- 2A princess is sent to a prison
- 3The Marshal sends a squire with a knife
- 4Among outlaws a hunter finds a family
- 5A bargain turns into a wedding
- 6Guardians, clothes and the freedom of the forest
Key point 1 of 6
A dying king trusts the wrong man
The story opens in Oakenrealm, a land so thick with oak woods that a squirrel could cross it without touching the ground. Its king is a stern warrior who marries for love late in life and lays aside his armor for a whole year. Then three rival kings march against him, and he must ride out while his wife is close to giving birth.
He wins the battle, but a fleeing servant throws a spear and wounds him fatally. Dying, he names his cousin Rolf, the Marshal of the army, to guard the unborn child and to rule until the child is grown. Rolf swears on the sword in front of the lords. When the news reaches the queen, she falls ill and dies giving birth to a son, who is christened Christopher.
The people pay homage to the baby, and the great assembly agrees that Rolf shall govern as earl. He rules firmly and keeps the peace, so the common folk grumble about taxes but are not truly unhappy. He lacks only the name of king. The infant is soon sent away for his health to the care of an aging knight, Lord Richard the Lean.
Richard moves with the boy to a house on the border between Oakenrealm and Meadham. There Christopher grows up among villagers and servants, treated as no one special, yet loved by many. Rolf first asks for yearly news of him, then news every three years, and finally none at all. By the time Christopher is twelve, the man who holds the power has decided he does not care whether the boy lives.
That’s 1 of 6 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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What did the Middle Ages represent for Morris?
Right. “For him they were a time when ordinary people made beautiful things by hand, and when stories of courage and fellowship were common property.”Not quite. “For him they were a time when ordinary people made beautiful things by hand, and when stories of courage and fellowship were common property.”
What gives Morris's prose its characteristic strength?
Right. “He disliked fussy language, and he thought a good story needed clear pictures more than clever phrases.”Not quite. “He disliked fussy language, and he thought a good story needed clear pictures more than clever phrases.”
Which values run through the romance?
Right. “These include loyalty between friends, the worth of honest labor and courage, the pull of home and rightful place, and the idea that a just order is worth defending.”Not quite. “These include loyalty between friends, the worth of honest labor and courage, the pull of home and rightful place, and the idea that a just order is worth defending.”
Questions about Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair
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.
Is Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair easy to read?
Its chapters are short, its plot moves briskly, and its language is clear and lively. Songs, jokes, and vivid forest scenes make it pleasant to read and especially to hear aloud.
What is the main message of the book?
Power held in trust should be used for the good of others. Morris shows that loyalty, friendship and kindness outweigh rank and gold, and that true worth lies in a person, not in clothes or titles.
