Childe Ranild

The King he has a daughter fair,
And young and shrewd is she,
Knows all that in the world is wrought,
And all that e'er shall be.
"Were I as wise!" childe Ranild said.

The troopers joust in castle yard,
All clad in coat of mail;
Ranild strikes in, and hits them hard;
Not apt is he to quail.
"Not very apt," childe Ranild said.

Up to her bower Childe Ranild went,
And pray'd his mother dear;
"O mother, give me better clothes,
"At mine the troopers jeer.
"Which vexes me," childe Ranild said,,

She found a cloth of coarse blue yarn,
And gave hi in more or less;
"Take that, and beg the royal maid
"To cut thee out a dress."
"That will I do," childe Ranild said.

He took the piece of coarse blue yarn,
And threw it on her knee;
"Fair maid, will you such kindness show,
"And garments cut for me?
"And cut them well,' childe Ranild said.

Long silent sat the maid so sage,
Sat musing in her mind;
"Childe Ranild, little weenest thou,
"To what thou art design'd."
"Some good, I trust," childe Ranild said.

She took a piece of velvet cloth,
His clothes of it to make;
"Go, enter thou my father's court,
"And service in it take."
"That will I do," childe Ranild said.

With joy they bare to the ocean strand
Anchor and slender oars;
So glad was all the royal troop
To sail to foreign shores.
And joyous too childe Ranild was.

Childe Ranild, looking out afar,
Stood forward on the prow;
"Here comes a man in iron clad,
"And well his boat can row.
"Hither he comes," childe Ranild said.

"Thou sailest like a gallant man,"
He thus to the steersman spake,
"Here roars in faith a boisterous sea,
"Might make a coward quake;
"Quite at thine ease/' childe Ranild said.

Childe Ranild drew and swung his sword,
As on the prow he stood;
He struck down fifteen champions dead,
And toss'd them on the flood.
"And there you lie/' childe Ranild said.

Then up and spake the youthful kemp
In shirt of ringed mail;
"Childe Ranild, stay, that I the blood
"From out the hold may bale."
"So bale it out," childe Ranild said.

"And once an uncle too I had,
"King Saxe the name he bare,
"And gallant men were his three sons,
"Their fate I fain would hear."
"Thou 'st found them then," childe Ranild said.

"The eldest son was Adam hight,
"The second one was Korc,
"The third son he Childe Ranild hight,
"Like steel the heart he bore."
"And such have I," childe Ranild said.

"And art thou then my uncle's son?
"And true what thou hast told?
"Then come with me to yonder isle,
"To Thrude's robber hold."
"Come thou with me," childe Ranild said.

"He took my treasured gold from me,
"The horse from out my stall;
"He took my good and faithful sword,
"My greatest grief of all."
"Why hold not fast?" childe Ranild said.

"Took he thy treasur'd gold from thee,
"Thy horse from out the stall?
"Took he thy good and faithful sword,
"Thy greatest grief of all?
"Had I that sword!" childe Ranild said.

"And art thou then my uncle's son?
"I'll stand thee in good stead;
"Follow thou me to yonder land,
"Or else I strike thee dead."
"Then come with me," childe Ranild said.

Thrude he stands on Happy isle,
And looks around so wide,
And sees so many a ship of war
Over the billows stride.
"'Tis even he, childe Ranild, comes."

Thrude he stood on Happy isle,
And wroth of mood he grew;
Up by its roots an oak he tore,
And 'fore the vessel threw.
"How to get in?" childe Ranild said.

Childe Ranild he with anger fill'd
So fiercely steer'd his boat,
In pieces seven he burst the trunk,
And sent them all afloat.
"I'll get in yet," childe Ranild said.

Into the cavern Ranild went
On floor so brightly gilt,
And finding there that famous sword
With both hands grasp'd the hilt.
"I've got thee now/ I childe Ranild said.

Thrude, the king of Happy isle,
His bar of iron hent;
And fearful sight it was to see,
How he at Ranild went.
"I bide thy blow," childe Ranild said.

As Thrude smote, so Ranild hew'd,
Nor one from th' other shrunk;
He hack'd from Thrude hand and foot,
And then he fell'd the trunk.
"There liest thou," childe Ranild said.

He took the dripping gory head,
And cast it in the sound;
And, after it the body threw
To join it on the ground.
"They'll meet again," childe Ranild said.

Childe Ranild went, this battle done,
To walk along the strand,
But gone were all the ships of war,
That lay before at land.
"How to get off!" childe Ranild said.

His gilded horn childe Ranild took,
And blew a blast so loud,
A crack was heard from shore to shore,
For snapp'd was every shroud.
"Come ye not back?" childe Ranild said.

That good and faithful gilded ship,
So well his blast she knew,
Asunder sailed her cables nine,
And back to Ranild flew.
"Right welcome thou!" childe Ranild said.

The heap of treasured gold he seized,
And on his war-ship stored,
And thankful reach'd his port and home
With all he had on board.
"Here sails the wealthy Ranild in."

The King on castle turret stands,
The Queen upon the wall;
"These heaps of gold, that Ranild brings,
"Where shall we store them all?
"Touch not what's mine," child Ranild said.