5 h 32 minAudiobook9 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 by 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 and wants only good company and honest living.
- 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 9 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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Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair
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
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.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
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.
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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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