University of Virginia Library

Hit bi-fel in þat forest þere fast by-side,
þer woned a wel old cherl þat was a couherde,
þat fele winterres in þat forest fayre had kepud
Mennes ken of þe cuntre as a comen herde;
& þus it bitide þat time as tellen oure bokes,
þis cowherd comes on a time to kepen is bestes
Fast by-side þe borwȝ þere þe barn was inne.
þe herd had wiþ him an hound his hert to liȝt,
forto bayte on his bestes wanne þai to brode went.
þe herd sat þan wiþ hound aȝene þe hote sunne,
Nouȝt fully a furlong fro þat fayre child,
clouȝtand kyndely his schon as to here craft falles.
þat while was þe werwolf went a-boute his praye,
what behoued to þe barn to bring as he miȝt.
þe child þan darked in his den dernly him one,
& was a big bold barn & breme of his age,
For spakly speke it couþe tho & spedeliche to-wawe.
Louely lay it a-long in his lonely denne,
& buskede him out of þe buschys þat were blowed grene,
& leued ful louely þat lent grete schade,
& briddes ful bremely on þe bowes singe.
what for melodye þat þei made in þe mey sesoun,
þat litel child listely lorked out of his caue,
Faire floures forto fecche þat he bi-fore him seye,
& to gadere of þe grases þat grene were & fayre.
& whan it was out went so wel hit him liked,
þe sauor of þe swete sesoun & song of þe briddes,
þat [he] ferde fast a-boute floures to gadere,
& layked him long while to lesten þat merþe.
þe couherdes hound þat time as happe by-tidde,
feld foute of þe child and fast þider fulwes;
& sone as he it seiȝ soþe forto telle,
he gan to berke on þat barn and to baie it hold,
þat it wax neiȝ of his witt wod for sere,
and comsed þan to crye so kenly and schille,
& wepte so wonder fast wite þou for sothe,
þat þe son of þe cry com to þe cowherde euene,
þat he wist witerly it was þe voys of a childe.
þan ros he vp radely & ran þider swiþe,
& drow him toward þe den bi his dogges noyce.
bi þat time was þe barn for bere of þat hounde,
drawe him in to his den & darked þer stille,
& wept euere as it wolde a-wede for fere;
& euere þe dogge at þe hole held it at a-baye
& whan þe kouherd com þid[er]e he koured lowe
to bi-hold in at þe hole whi his hound berkyd.
þanne of-saw he ful sone þat semliche child,
þat so loueliche lay & wep in þat loþli caue,
cloþed ful komly for ani kud kinges sone,
In gode cloþes of gold a-greþed ful riche,
wiþ perrey & pellure pertelyche to þe riȝttes.
þe cherl wondred of þat chaunce & chastised his dogge,
bad him blinne of his berking & to þe barn talked,
acoyed it to come to him & clepud hit oft,
& foded it wiþ floures & wiþ faire by-hest,
& hiȝt it hastely to haue what it wold ȝerne,
appeles & alle þinges þat childern after wilnen.
so, forto seiȝ al þe soþe so faire þe cherl glosed,
þat þe child com of þe caue & his criynge stint.
þe cherl ful cherli þat child tok in his armes,
& kest hit & clipped and oft crist þonkes,
þat hade him sent þo sonde swiche prey to finde.
wiȝtliche wiþ þe child he went to his house,
and bi-tok it to his wif tiȝtly to kepe.
a gladere wommon vnder god no miȝt go on erþe,
þan was þe wif wiþ þe child witow for soþe.
sche kolled it ful kindly and askes is name,
& it answered ful sone & seide, “william y hiȝt.”
þan was þe godwif glad and gan it faire kepe,
þat it wanted nouȝt þat it wold haue,
þat þei ne fond him as faire as for here state longed,
& þe beter, be ye sure for barn ne had þei none
brouȝt forþ of here bodies; here bale was þe more.
but soþly þai seide þe child schuld weld al here godis,
Londes & ludes as eyer after here lif dawes.
but from þe cherl & þe child nov chaunge we oure tale,
For i wol of þe werwolf a wile nov speke.