Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

Rewards and Fairies
‘The Knights of the Joyous Venture,’ and ‘Old Men at moved off quietly, Puck at his bridle, the children on either
Pevensey,’ in that book.] ‘What play do you make?’he asked. side between the close-trimmed beech stuff.
‘Nothing, Sir. We’re looking for old Hobden,’Dan ‘What did you do to them?’ said Dan, as they repassed
replied.’He promised to get us a sleeper.’
Ridley’s terrible tree.
‘Sleeper? A Dormeuse, do you say?’
‘That!’ Sir Richard jerked his head toward the dangling owls.
‘Yes, a dormouse, Sir.’ ‘I understand. I passed a woodman ‘Not he!’ said Puck. ‘There was never enough brute Norman
on the low grounds. Come!’ He wheeled up the ride again, in you to hang a man for taking a buck.’
and pointed through an opening to the patch of beech-stubs, ‘I—I cannot abide to hear their widows screech. But why
chestnut, hazel, and birch that old Hobden would turn into am I on horseback while you are afoot?’ He dismounted
firewood, hop-poles, pea-boughs, and house-faggots before lightly, tapped Swallow on the chest, so that the wise thing
spring. The old man was as busy as a beaver.
backed instead of turning in the narrow ride, and put himself
Something laughed beneath a thorn, and Puck stole out, at the head of the little procession. He walked as though all
his finger on his lip.
the woods belonged to him. ‘I have often told my friends,’
‘Look!’ he whispered. ‘Along between the spindle-trees. Rid- he went on, ‘that Red William the King was not the only
ley has been there this half-hour.’
Norman found dead in a forest while he hunted.’
The children followed his point, and saw Ridley the keeper ‘D’you mean William Rufus?’said Dan.
in an old dry ditch, watching Hobden as a cat watches a mouse. ‘Yes,’ said Puck, kicking a clump of red toad-stools off a
‘Huhh!’ cried Una. ‘Hobden always ‘tends to his wires be- dead log.
fore breakfast. He puts his rabbits into the faggots he’s al- ‘For example, there was a knight new from Normandy,’ Sir
lowed to take home. He’ll tell us about ‘em tomorrow.’ Richard went on, ‘to whom Henry our King granted a manor
‘We had the same breed in my day,’ Sir Richard replied, and in Kent near by. He chose to hang his forester’s son the day
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