# πŸ§’ Child Roland Live Reading Junior Classics Library #kids #books #publicdomain #traditional An episode of [Toddle Poddle](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1710389589), 9 Mar 2026, 18 min. Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/70522963/englishfairytales_31_steel_128kb.mp3 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/toddle-poddle--5908781/support. πŸ‘‡πŸΌFREE KINDLE BOOKSπŸ‘‡πŸΌ https://amzn.to/474y2KX As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Apple Podcasts 🦊 🐞 πŸ‘Ά 🌈 πŸ¦‹ πŸ¦† 🐭 🐯 🦧 🍟 Rat Gang Crew Paperback Kids' Kindle Kids' Blog YOU TUBE 🦊 🐞 πŸ‘Ά 🌈 πŸ¦‹ πŸ¦† 🐭 🐯 🦧 🍟 ## Transcript [0:00] Speaker 1: Chapter thirty one of English Fairy Tales. This is a [0:04] Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. [0:08] Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. [0:14] Speaker 1: Recording by Philip Hoffman. English Fairy Tales by Flora Annie Steel, [0:21] Speaker 1: Chapter thirty one, Child Rowland. Child Rowland and his brothers [0:27] Speaker 1: twain were playing at the ball their sister bird Helen. [0:31] Speaker 1: She played in the midst among them all for bird [0:34] Speaker 1: Helen loved her brothers, and they loved her exceedingly at play. [0:39] Speaker 1: She was ever their companion, and they cared for her [0:41] Speaker 1: as brothers should. And one day, when they were at [0:44] Speaker 1: ball close to the churchyard, Child Rowland kicked it with [0:48] Speaker 1: his foot and caught it on his knee. At last [0:51] Speaker 1: he plunged among them all or the church. He made [0:53] Speaker 1: it flea. Now, Child Rowland was bird Helen's youngest, dearest brother, [0:59] Speaker 1: and there was ever a loving rivalry between them as [1:01] Speaker 1: to which should win. So with a laugh, Bird Helen [1:05] Speaker 1: round about the aisle to seek the ball is gone. [1:08] Speaker 1: Now the ball had trundled to the right of the church, [1:11] Speaker 1: so as bird Helen ran the nearest way to get it, [1:14] Speaker 1: she ran contrary to the sun's course, and the light [1:17] Speaker 1: shining full on her face, sent her shadow behind her. [1:21] Speaker 1: Thus that happened, which will happen at times when folk [1:24] Speaker 1: forget and run wittershins, that is against the light, so [1:28] Speaker 1: that their shadows are out of sight and cannot be [1:31] Speaker 1: taken care of properly. Now what happened you will learn [1:35] Speaker 1: by and by Meanwhile, Bird Helen's three brothers waited for [1:40] Speaker 1: her return. But long they waited, and longer still, and [1:45] Speaker 1: she came not back again. Then they grew alarmed, and [1:49] Speaker 1: they sought her east, they sought her west. They sought [1:52] Speaker 1: her up and down, And woe were the hearts of [1:55] Speaker 1: her brethren, since she was not to be found, not [1:59] Speaker 1: to be found anywhere. She had disappeared like dew on [2:03] Speaker 1: a May morning. So at last her eldest brother went [2:07] Speaker 1: to Great Merlin, the magician who could tell and foretell, [2:11] Speaker 1: see and foresee all things under the sun and beyond it, [2:15] Speaker 1: and asked him where Bird Helen could have gone. Fair [2:19] Speaker 1: bird Helen said the magician must have been carried off [2:22] Speaker 1: with her shadow by the fairies when she was running [2:25] Speaker 1: round the church witershins. Fair bird Helen said, the magician [2:29] Speaker 1: must have been carried off with her shadow by the [2:31] Speaker 1: fairies when she was running round the church. Widershins for [2:34] Speaker 1: fairies of power when folk go against the light. She [2:38] Speaker 1: will now be in the dark tower of the King [2:40] Speaker 1: of Elfland, and none but the boldest knight in Christendom [2:44] Speaker 1: will be able to bring her back. If it be [2:47] Speaker 1: possible to bring her back, said the eldest brother, I [2:50] Speaker 1: will do it, or perish in the attempt possible, it is, [2:55] Speaker 1: quoth Merlin the magician gravely. But woe be to the [3:00] Speaker 1: man or mother's son who attempts the task, if he [3:02] Speaker 1: be not well taught beforehand what he is to do. Now, [3:06] Speaker 1: the eldest brother of fair bird Helen was brave, indeed, [3:10] Speaker 1: danger did not dismay him. So he begged the magician [3:13] Speaker 1: to tell him exactly what he should do and what [3:16] Speaker 1: he should not do, as he was determined to go [3:19] Speaker 1: and seek his sister. And the great Magician told him [3:23] Speaker 1: and schooled him. And after he had learnt his lesson [3:26] Speaker 1: right well, he girt on his sword, said goodbye to [3:29] Speaker 1: his brothers and his mother, and set out for the [3:32] Speaker 1: dark Tower of Elfland to bring bird Helen back. But [3:37] Speaker 1: long they waited, and longer still with doubt and muckle. [3:41] Speaker 2: Pain. [3:42] Speaker 1: But woe were the hearts of his brethren, for he [3:44] Speaker 1: came not back again. So after a time, bird Helen's [3:49] Speaker 1: second brother went to Merlin the Magician, and said, school [3:53] Speaker 1: me also, for I go to find my brother and [3:56] Speaker 1: sister in the dark Tower of the King of Elfland [3:59] Speaker 1: and bring them back. For he was also brave, Indeed [4:03] Speaker 1: danger did not dismay him. Then, when he had been [4:06] Speaker 1: well schooled and had learnt his lesson, he said good [4:09] Speaker 1: bye to child Rowland, his brother, and to his mother, [4:13] Speaker 1: the Good Queen, girt on his sword, and set out [4:16] Speaker 1: for the dark Tower of Elfland to bring back bird [4:18] Speaker 1: Helen and her brother. But long they waited, and longer [4:23] Speaker 1: still with muckle, doubt and pain. And woe were his [4:27] Speaker 1: mother's and brother's hearts, for he came not back again. Now, [4:33] Speaker 1: when they had waited and waited a long long time, [4:37] Speaker 1: and none had come back from the dark Tower of Elfland, [4:40] Speaker 1: Child Rowland, the youngest, the best beloved of bird Helen's brothers, [4:45] Speaker 1: besought his mother to let him also go on the quest, [4:48] Speaker 1: for he was the bravest of them all. And neither [4:51] Speaker 1: death nor danger could dismay him. But at first his mother, [4:55] Speaker 1: the Queen, said, not so, you are the last of [4:59] Speaker 1: my children. If you are lost, all is lost, indeed. [5:03] Speaker 1: But he begged so hard that at length the good [5:06] Speaker 1: Queen his mother bade him God's speed and gird about [5:09] Speaker 1: his waist his father's sword, the brand that never struck [5:13] Speaker 1: in Vain. And as she girded on, she chanted the [5:16] Speaker 1: spell that gives victory. So child Rowland bade her good [5:20] Speaker 1: bye and went to the cave of the great magician Merlin. [5:25] Speaker 1: Yet once more, master, said the youth. And but once more, [5:29] Speaker 1: tell how man or mother's son may find fair bird [5:32] Speaker 1: Helen and her brothers twain in the dark tower of Elfland. [5:37] Speaker 1: My son replied the wizard Merlin. There be things twain simple, [5:43] Speaker 1: they seem to say, But hard are they to perform. [5:46] Speaker 1: One thing is to do, and one thing is not [5:49] Speaker 1: to do. Now, the first thing you have to do [5:52] Speaker 1: is this, after you have once entered the land of Fairy. [5:56] Speaker 1: Whoever speaks to you, you must out with your father's [6:00] Speaker 1: brand and cut off their head. In this you must [6:04] Speaker 1: not fail. And the second thing you have not to [6:07] Speaker 1: do is this, after you have entered the land of fairy, [6:11] Speaker 1: bite no bit, sup no drop, For if in Elfland [6:16] Speaker 1: you sup one drop or bite one bit, never again [6:19] Speaker 1: will you see Middle Earth. Then Child Rowland said these [6:24] Speaker 1: two lessons over and over until he knew them by heart. [6:29] Speaker 1: So well schooled, he thanked the Great Master and went [6:32] Speaker 1: on his way to seek the dark Tower of Elfland. [6:36] Speaker 1: And he journeyed far, and he journeyed fast, until at last, [6:39] Speaker 1: on a wide moorland, he came upon a horse herd [6:42] Speaker 1: feeding his horses, And the horses were wild, and their [6:46] Speaker 1: eyes were like coals of fire. Then he knew they [6:51] Speaker 1: must be the horses of the King of Elfland, and [6:54] Speaker 1: that at last he must be in the land of Fairy. [6:57] Speaker 1: So Child Rowland said to the horseherd, tell me where [7:00] Speaker 1: lies the dark tower of the Elfland King. And the [7:04] Speaker 1: horseherd answered. [7:05] Speaker 2: Nay, that is beyond my ken. But go a little farther, [7:10] Speaker 2: and thou wilt come to a cowherd who may help [7:12] Speaker 2: can tell thee Then at once Child Rowland drew his [7:16] Speaker 2: father's sword that never struck in vain, and smote off [7:19] Speaker 2: the horseherd's head, so that it rolled on the wide [7:22] Speaker 2: moorland and frightened the King of Elfland's horses. And he [7:25] Speaker 2: journeyed further till he came to a wide pasture where [7:28] Speaker 2: a cowherd was herding cows, and the cows looked at [7:31] Speaker 2: him with fierce eyes. So he knew that they must [7:34] Speaker 2: be the King of Elfland's cows, and that he was [7:37] Speaker 2: still in the land of Fairy. Then he said to [7:40] Speaker 2: the cowherd, canst tell me where lies the dark tower [7:43] Speaker 2: of the Elfland King? And the cow herd answered, nay, [7:48] Speaker 2: that is beyond my can. But go a little farther, [7:52] Speaker 2: and thou wilt come to a hen wife, whom mayhe [7:54] Speaker 2: can tell thee. So at once child Rowland, remembering his lesson, [7:58] Speaker 2: out with his father's good sword that never struck in vain, [8:01] Speaker 2: and off went the cow herd's head, spinning amongst the [8:04] Speaker 2: grasses and frightening the King of Elfland's cows. Then he [8:08] Speaker 2: journeyed further till he came to an orchard where an [8:10] Speaker 2: old woman in a great cloak was feeding fowl, And [8:13] Speaker 2: the fowl's little eyes were like little coals of fire. [8:17] Speaker 2: So he knew that they were the King of Elfland's fowls, [8:20] Speaker 2: and that he was still in the land of fairy, [8:22] Speaker 2: and he said to the henwife, canst tell me where [8:25] Speaker 2: lies the dark tower of the King of Elfland. Now [8:28] Speaker 2: the hen wife looked at him and smiled, Well, surely [8:32] Speaker 2: I can tell you, said she. Go on a little [8:34] Speaker 2: farther there you will find a low green hill, green [8:39] Speaker 2: and low against the sky. And the hill will have [8:42] Speaker 2: three terrace rings upon it from bottom to top. Go [8:45] Speaker 2: round the first terrace, saying open from within, let me in, [8:50] Speaker 2: Let me in. Then go round the second terrace and [8:53] Speaker 2: say open wide, open wide, let me inside. Then go [8:58] Speaker 2: round the third terrace and say, oh, open fast, open fast, [9:01] Speaker 2: let me in. At last, then a. [9:04] Speaker 1: Door will open and lead you in to the dark [9:06] Speaker 1: Tower of the King of Elfland. Only remember to go [9:10] Speaker 1: round whitershins. If you go round with the sun, the [9:13] Speaker 1: door will not open. So good luck to you. Now. [9:17] Speaker 1: The hen wife spoke so fair and smiled so frankly [9:20] Speaker 1: that child Rowland forgot for a moment what he had [9:23] Speaker 1: to do. Therefore he thanked the old woman for her courtesy, [9:26] Speaker 1: and was just going on, when all of a sudden [9:30] Speaker 1: he remembered his lesson, and he out with his father's [9:33] Speaker 1: sword that never yet struck in vain and smote off [9:36] Speaker 1: the hen wife's head, so that it rolled among the [9:38] Speaker 1: corn and frightened the fiery eyed fowls of the King [9:42] Speaker 1: of Elfland. After that he went on and on till [9:46] Speaker 1: against the blue sky he saw a round green hill [9:49] Speaker 1: set with three terraces from top to bottom. Then he [9:52] Speaker 1: did as the hen wife had told him, not forgetting [9:54] Speaker 1: to go round whittershins, so that the sun was always [9:57] Speaker 1: on his face. Now, when he had gone round the [10:00] Speaker 1: third terrace, saying, open, fast, open fast, let me in [10:04] Speaker 1: at last, what should happen but that he should see [10:08] Speaker 1: a door in the hillside, And it opened and led [10:11] Speaker 1: him in. Then it closed behind him with a click, [10:15] Speaker 1: and child Rowland was left in the dark, for he [10:17] Speaker 1: had gotten at last to the dark tower of the [10:20] Speaker 1: King of Elfland. It was very dark at first, perhaps [10:25] Speaker 1: because the sun had part blinded his eyes. For after [10:29] Speaker 1: a while it became twilight. Though where the sun came [10:32] Speaker 1: from none could tell unless through the walls and the roof, [10:36] Speaker 1: for there were neither windows nor candles. But in the [10:39] Speaker 1: gloaming light he could see a long passage of rough [10:41] Speaker 1: arches made of stone that was transparent and all encrusted [10:46] Speaker 1: with sheep silver, rock, spar and many bright stones, and [10:50] Speaker 1: the air was warm, as it ever is in Elfland. [10:53] Speaker 1: So he went on and on in the twilight that [10:55] Speaker 1: came from nowhere, till he found himself before two wide doors, [10:59] Speaker 1: all barred with iron, but they flew open at his touch, [11:03] Speaker 1: and he saw a wonderful, large and spacious hall that [11:08] Speaker 1: seemed to him to be as long and as broad [11:10] Speaker 1: as the green hill itself. The roof was supported by pillars, [11:14] Speaker 1: wide and lofty beyond the pillars of the cathedral, and [11:17] Speaker 1: they were of gold and silver, and between and around [11:20] Speaker 1: them were woven wreaths of flowers, and the flowers were [11:25] Speaker 1: of diamonds and rubdees and topaths, and the leaves of emerald, [11:30] Speaker 1: and the arches met in the middle of the roof [11:32] Speaker 1: were hung by a golden chain an immense lamp made [11:36] Speaker 1: of a hollowed pearl, white and translucent, And in the [11:40] Speaker 1: middle of this lamp was a mighty carbuncle blood red, [11:45] Speaker 1: that kept spinning round and round, shedding its light to [11:48] Speaker 1: the very ends of the huge hall, which thus seemed [11:52] Speaker 1: to be filled with the shining of the setting sun. [11:55] Speaker 1: Now at one end of the hall was a marvelous wondrous, [11:59] Speaker 1: glorious couch of velvet and silk and gold, and on [12:03] Speaker 1: its sate fair bird Helen, combing her beautiful hair with [12:07] Speaker 1: a golden comb. But her face was all set and wain, [12:11] Speaker 1: as if it were made of stone. And when she [12:14] Speaker 1: saw Child Roland, she never moved, and her voice came [12:18] Speaker 1: like the voice of the dead, as she said, God, [12:22] Speaker 1: pity you, poor luckless fool, what have you here to [12:27] Speaker 1: do now? At first, child Roland felt he must clasp [12:31] Speaker 1: the semblance of his dear sister in his arms, but [12:34] Speaker 1: he remembered the lesson which the great magician Merlin had [12:37] Speaker 1: taught him, and, drawing his father's brand, which had never [12:41] Speaker 1: yet been drawn in vain, and turning his eyes away [12:44] Speaker 1: from the horrid sight, he struck with all his force [12:48] Speaker 1: at the enchanted form of fair bird Helen, and lo, [12:54] Speaker 1: when he turned to look, in fear and trembling, there [12:58] Speaker 1: she was her own self, her joy fighting with her fears. [13:02] Speaker 1: And she clasped him in her arms and cried, oh, [13:05] Speaker 1: hear you this, my youngest brother. Why didn't you bite [13:08] Speaker 1: at home? Had you a hundred thousand lives, ye couldn't [13:12] Speaker 1: spare never a one, but sit ye down, my dearest dear, [13:16] Speaker 1: Oh woe that you were born for come the king [13:20] Speaker 1: of Elfland. In your fortune is forlorn. So with tears [13:24] Speaker 1: and smiles, she seated him beside her on the wondrous couch, [13:28] Speaker 1: and they told each other what they each had suffered [13:30] Speaker 1: and done. He told her how he had come to Elfland, [13:34] Speaker 1: and she told him how she had been carried off [13:36] Speaker 1: shadow and all because she ran round a church Wittershen's, [13:40] Speaker 1: and how her brothers had been enchanted and lay entombed [13:44] Speaker 1: as if dead as she had been, because they had [13:47] Speaker 1: not had the courage to obey the great Magician's lesson [13:50] Speaker 1: to the letter and cut off her head. Now, after [13:53] Speaker 1: a time, child Rowland, who had traveled far and traveled fast, [13:57] Speaker 1: became very hungry, and forgetting all about the second lesson [14:01] Speaker 1: of the magician, Merlin asked his sister for some food, [14:05] Speaker 1: and she, being still under the spell of Elfland, could [14:08] Speaker 1: not warn him of his danger. She could only look [14:11] Speaker 1: at him sadly as she rose up and brought him [14:13] Speaker 1: a golden basin full of bread and milk. Now, in [14:18] Speaker 1: those days it was manner before taking food from anyone [14:21] Speaker 1: to say thank you with your eyes, and so Just [14:24] Speaker 1: as Child Roland was about to put the golden bowl [14:26] Speaker 1: to his lips, he raised his eyes to his sisters, [14:30] Speaker 1: and in an instant he remembered what the great magician [14:33] Speaker 1: had said, Bite no bit, sup no drop, For if [14:37] Speaker 1: in Elfland you sup one drop or bite one bit, [14:41] Speaker 1: never again will you see Middle Earth. So he dashed [14:45] Speaker 1: the bowl to the ground, and, standing square and fair, [14:49] Speaker 1: lithe and young and strong, he cried like a challenge, [14:53] Speaker 1: not a sup will I swallow? [14:55] Speaker 2: Not a bit? [14:55] Speaker 1: Will I bite till fair bird Helen is set free. [14:59] Speaker 1: Then in immediately there was a loud noise like thunder, [15:03] Speaker 1: and a voice was heard saying, fee fie foe fum, [15:08] Speaker 1: I smell the blood of a Christian man, be he [15:11] Speaker 1: alive or dead. My brand shall dash his brains from [15:15] Speaker 1: his brain pan. Then the folding doors of the vast [15:19] Speaker 1: hall burst open, and the King of Elfland entered like [15:22] Speaker 1: a storm of wind. What he was really like, Child [15:25] Speaker 1: Rowland had not time to see, for with a bold cry, [15:29] Speaker 1: strike bogel thy hardest, if thou darest, he rushed to [15:33] Speaker 1: meet the foe. His good sword that never yet did [15:35] Speaker 1: fail in his hand, and Child Rowland in the King [15:38] Speaker 1: of Elfland fought and fought and fought, while bird Helen, [15:43] Speaker 1: with her hands clasped, watched them in fear and hope. [15:47] Speaker 1: So they fought and fought and fought, until at last [15:51] Speaker 1: Child Rowland beat the King of Elfland to his knees, [15:55] Speaker 1: whereupon he cried, I yield me, thou hast beaten me [15:59] Speaker 1: in fair fight. Then Child Rowland said, I grant thee [16:04] Speaker 1: mercy if thou wilt release my sister and my brothers [16:07] Speaker 1: from all spells and enchantments, and let us go back [16:10] Speaker 1: to Middle Earth. So that was agreed, and the elfin [16:15] Speaker 1: King went to a golden chest, whence he took a [16:17] Speaker 1: vial that was filled with a blood red liquor, and [16:20] Speaker 1: with this liquor he anointed the ears and the eyelids, [16:23] Speaker 1: the nostrils, the lips, and the finger tips of the [16:26] Speaker 1: bodies of bird Helen's two brothers that lay as dead [16:30] Speaker 1: in two golden coffers, And immediately they sprang to life [16:34] Speaker 1: and declared that their souls only had been away, but [16:37] Speaker 1: had now returned. After this, the elfin King set a [16:41] Speaker 1: charm which took away the very last bit of enchantment, [16:44] Speaker 1: and adown the huge hall that showed as if it [16:46] Speaker 1: were lit by the setting sun. And through the long [16:50] Speaker 1: passage of rough arches made of stone that was transparent [16:53] Speaker 1: and all encrusted with sheep, silver, rock, spar, and many [16:57] Speaker 1: bright stones, where twilight reigned, the three brothers and their [17:01] Speaker 1: sister passed. Then the door opened. [17:03] Speaker 2: In the green hill. [17:05] Speaker 1: It clicked behind them, and they left the dark tower [17:08] Speaker 1: of the King of Elfland, never to return. For no [17:12] Speaker 1: sooner were they in the light of day than they [17:14] Speaker 1: found themselves at home. But fair bird Helen took care [17:21] Speaker 1: never to go Wittershens round a church again. End of [17:28] Speaker 1: chapter thirty one. Recording by Philip Hoffmann Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.