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The cover page is adapted from The Island of Life, a painting completed in 1888 by Arnold Böcklin. The cover and title pages feature the League Spartan and Sorts Mill Goudy typefaces created in 2014 and 2009 by The League of Moveable Type. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_B%C3%B6cklinwww.theleagueofmoveabletype.com/

The Water of the Wondrous Isles

de William Morris

Chapitres (109)
  1. The First Part: Of the House of Captivity: I: Catch at Utterhay 0:00
  2. II: Now Shall Be Told of the House by the Waterside 11:30
  3. III: Of Skin-Changing 15:14
  4. IV: Of the Waxing of the Stolen Child 17:42
  5. V: Of Birdalone, and How She Is Grown Into Maidenhood 21:38
  6. VI: Herein Is Told of Birdalone’s Raiment 27:02
  7. VII: Birdalone Hath an Adventure in the Wood 34:02
  8. VIII: Of Birdalone and the Witch-Wife 49:20
  9. IX: Of Birdalone’s Swimming 54:50
  10. X: Birdalone Comes on New Tidings 1:00:16
  11. XI: Of Birdalone’s Guilt and the Chastisement Thereof 1:05:20
  12. XII: The Words of the Witch-Wife to Birdalone 1:12:32
  13. XIII: Birdalone Meeteth the Wood-Woman Again 1:18:11
  14. XIV: Of Birdalone’s Fishing 1:26:39
  15. XV: Birdalone Weareth Her Serpent-Ring 1:31:22
  16. XVI: Birdalone Meeteth Habundia Again; and Learneth Her First Wisdom of Her 1:38:31
  17. XVII: The Passing of the Year Into Winter 1:43:57
  18. XVIII: Of Spring-Tide and the Mind of Birdalone 1:48:19
  19. XIX: They Bid Farewell, Birdalone and the Wood-Mother 1:53:42
  20. XX: Of Birdalone and the Sending Boat 1:56:29
  21. The Second Part: Of the Wondrous Isles: I: The First Isle 2:04:42
  22. II: Birdalone Falleth in with New Friends 2:07:51
  23. III: Birdalone Is Brought Before the Witch-Wife’s Sister 2:16:50
  24. IV: Of the Witch’s Prison in the Wailing-Tower 2:21:59
  25. V: They Feast in the Witch’s Prison 2:29:30
  26. VI: Atra Tells of How They Three Came Unto the Isle of Increase Unsought 2:43:12
  27. VII: The Three Damsels Take Birdalone Out of the Witch’s Prison 3:04:16
  28. VIII: In What Wise Birdalone Was Clad, and How She Went Her Ways from the Isle of Increase Unsought 3:08:56
  29. IX: How Birdalone Came to the Isle of the Young and the Old 3:16:20
  30. X: Birdalone Comes to the Isle of the Queens 3:40:22
  31. XI: And Now She Comes to the Isle of the Kings 3:48:09
  32. XII: Of Birdalone, How She Came Unto the Isle of Nothing 3:56:26
  33. The Third Part: Of the Castle of the Quest: I: Birdalone Comes to the Castle of the Quest 4:05:39
  34. II: Of Birdalone, and How She Rested the Night Through in a Bower Without the Castle of the Quest 4:15:28
  35. III: How Birdalone Dight Her for Meeting the Champions of the Quest 4:23:45
  36. IV: And Now She Meets the Champions 4:28:44
  37. V: Birdalone Has True Tokens from the Champions of the Quest 4:41:25
  38. VI: How the Champions Would Do Birdalone to Be Clad Anew in the Castle of the Quest 4:57:59
  39. VII: Of Birdalone, How She Told the Champions All Her Tale 5:04:15
  40. VIII: In the Meanwhile of the Departing of the Champions, They Would Pleasure Birdalone with Feats of Arms and Games of Prowess 5:10:44
  41. IX: Birdalone Cometh Before the Champions in Her New Array 5:13:27
  42. X: The Champions Go Their Ways in the Sending Boat 5:19:17
  43. The Fourth Part: Of the Days of Abiding: I: Of Birdalone’s Grief; and of Leonard the Chaplain 5:25:09
  44. II: Birdalone Learneth Lore of the Priest. Ten Days of Waiting Wear 5:29:30
  45. III: Now Would Birdalone Ride Abroad 5:35:00
  46. IV: Of Birdalone’s Faring Abroad 5:42:16
  47. V: Sir Aymeris Showeth Birdalone the Mountains Afar Off 5:46:57
  48. VI: Birdalone Heareth Tell Tales of the Black Valley of the Greywethers 5:55:46
  49. VII: Birdalone Beguileth the Priest to Help Her to Outgoing 6:00:03
  50. VIII: Birdalone Fares on Her Adventure 6:06:40
  51. IX: Birdalone Comes to the Black Valley 6:13:03
  52. X: How Birdalone Fell in with a Man in the Black Valley of the Greywethers 6:18:33
  53. XI: Birdalone Is Led Up the Black Valley 6:25:32
  54. XII: How Those Twain Get Them from Out of the Black Valley of the Greywethers 6:31:36
  55. XIII: Now They Rest for the Night in the Strait Pass 6:44:56
  56. XIV: The Black Knight Tells the Truth of Himself 6:47:05
  57. XV: The Black Knight Brings Birdalone to the Bower in the Dale 6:55:59
  58. XVI: Yet a Day and a Night They Tarry in the Dale 7:04:21
  59. The Fifth Part: The Tale of the Quest’s Ending: I: Of Sir Leonard’s Trouble and the Coming of the Quest 7:18:36
  60. II: Now Ask They of Birdalone, and Sir Leonard Speaks 7:25:32
  61. III: How They Follow the Slot of Birdalone and the Black Knight 7:29:47
  62. IV: Of the Slaying of Friend and Foe 7:37:59
  63. V: They Come Home to the Castle of the Quest 7:49:57
  64. VI: Of the Talk Betwixt Birdalone and Viridis 7:53:11
  65. VII: Birdalone Telleth the Tale of Her Wandering Up the Valley of the Greywethers 8:00:09
  66. VIII: Atra and Birdalone Talk Together While the Lords Sit at the Murder-Council 8:29:34
  67. IX: Hugh Tells the Story of the Quest’s Ending 8:36:36
  68. X: How It Fared with the Three Ladies After the Escape of Birdalone 9:32:50
  69. XI: Birdalone and the Black Squire Talk Together in the Hall of the Castle 9:50:26
  70. XII: The Knights and Their Fellows Betake Them to the Assaulting of the Red Hold 10:00:08
  71. XIII: Birdalone Bethinks Her to Fulfil the Promise Made Unto Atra 10:04:03
  72. XIV: Birdalone Leaves the Castle of the Quest 10:15:02
  73. The Sixth Part: The Days of Absence: I: Birdalone Rides to Greenford and There Takes Leave of Arnold and His Men 10:18:00
  74. II: Of Birdalone and Her Fellowship, Their Faring Over the Downland 10:28:36
  75. III: They Come to the City of the Five Crafts, and Birdalone Meets with the Poor-Wife 10:32:23
  76. IV: Of the Love of Gerard’s Sons and of Jacobus for Birdalone 10:52:30
  77. V: Of the Death of Audrey, Mother to Birdalone. She Is Warned in a Dream to Seek the Black Squire, and Is Minded to Depart the City of the Five Crafts, and Seek Again the Castle of the Quest 11:00:12
  78. VI: Of the Sundering of Birdalone from Gerard and His Sons 11:12:41
  79. VII: Birdalone Cometh to Greenford, and Hears of the Wasting of the Castle of the Quest 11:20:43
  80. VIII: Birdalone Cometh to the Castle of the Quest, Heareth the Tale Thereof from Leonard, and Departeth Thence by the Sending Boat 11:28:49
  81. IX: Birdalone Findeth the Isle of Nothing Greatly Bettered, and Is Kindly Entreated There 11:41:28
  82. X: Of Birdalone’s Flitting from the Isle of Nothing 11:52:15
  83. XI: Coming to the Isle of Kings Birdalone Findeth There a Score and Two of Fair Damsels Who Would Fain Have Her Company 11:54:31
  84. XII: Birdalone Cometh Again to the Isle of Queens, and Findeth a Perilous Adventure Therein 12:02:33
  85. XIII: Coming to the Isle of the Young and the Old, Birdalone Findeth It Peopled with Children 12:21:59
  86. XIV: The Sending Boat Disappeareth from the Isle of Increase Unsought, and Birdalone Seeketh to Escape Thence by Swimming 12:27:36
  87. XV: Birdalone Lacketh Little of Drowning, but Cometh Latterly to the Green Eyot 12:34:54
  88. XVI: Birdalone Findeth Her Witch-Mistress Dead 12:40:17
  89. XVII: Birdalone Layeth to Earth the Body of the Witch, and Findeth the Sending Boat Broken Up 12:47:55
  90. XVIII: The Wood-Mother Cometh to Birdalone and Heareth Her Story 12:54:05
  91. XIX: Habundia Hideth Birdalone’s Nakedness with Faery Raiment 13:03:32
  92. XX: Birdalone Telleth Habundia of Her Love for Arthur, and Getteth from Her Promise of Help Therein 13:06:38
  93. XXI: How the Wood-Wife Entered the Cot, and a Wonder That Befell Thereon 13:10:44
  94. XXII: Birdalone Wendeth the Wildwood in Fellowship with Habundia 13:17:22
  95. XXIII: The Wood-Wife Bringeth Birdalone to the Sight of Arthur in the Wildwood 13:22:00
  96. XXIV: The Wood-Mother Changeth Her Form to That of a Woman Stricken in Years 13:39:00
  97. XXV: The Wood-Wife Healeth and Tendeth the Black Squire 13:45:49
  98. XXVI: The Black Squire Telleth the Wood-Wife of His Doings Since Birdalone Went from the Castle of the Quest 13:52:16
  99. XXVII: Sir Arthur Cometh to the House Under the Wood 14:05:17
  100. XXVIII: Fair Days in the House of Love 14:10:26
  101. XXIX: Those Twain Will Seek the Wisdom of the Wood-Wife 14:13:37
  102. XXX: They Have Speech with Habundia Concerning the Green Knight and His Fellows 14:19:27
  103. XXXI: Habundia Cometh with Tidings of Those Dear Friends 14:24:12
  104. XXXII: Of the Fight in the Forest and the Rescue of Those Friends from the Men of the Red Company 14:34:46
  105. XXXIII: Viridis Telleth the Tale of Their Seeking 14:47:26
  106. The Seventh Part: The Days of Returning: I: Sir Hugh Asketh Birdalone Where She Would Have the Abode of Their Fellowship to Be 15:00:40
  107. II: Birdalone Taketh Counsel with Her Wood-Mother Concerning the Matter of Sir Hugh 15:07:10
  108. III: Of the Journeying Through the Forest of Evilshaw Unto the Town of Utterhay 15:13:18
  109. IV: Of the Abiding in Utterhay in Love and Contentment 15:27:45
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The Water of the Wondrous Isles is a landmark in fantasy fiction. First published a year after Morris’s death in 1897 by Kelmscott Press—Morris’s own printing company—the novel follows Birdalone, a young girl who is stolen as a baby by a witch who takes her to serve in the woods of Evilshaw.

After she encounters a wood fairy that helps her escape the witch’s clutches, Birdalone embarks on a series of adventures across the titular Wondrous Isles. These isles are used by Morris both as parables for contemporary Britain and as vehicles for investigating his radical socialist beliefs. As Birdalone travels through the isles she slowly evolves into the embodiment of the Victorian “new woman,” embracing hard physical labor, healthy exercise, higher education, socialist values, and financial freedom, while rejecting sexual exploitation, physical abuse of both women and children, and the restrictive sexual mores of the era. This makes her unique in the fantasy fiction of the era as one of the genre’s first examples of a strong female hero.

This socialist-feminist allegory is presented in an Arthurian-style fantasy world complete with magic, witches, fairies, knights both chivalrous and evil, and castles (indeed, anyone doubting the allegorical nature of the work only needs to look at the name of the tale’s main redoubt: “The Castle of the Quest”). The language is purposefully archaic, reveling in vocabulary drawn from the language’s Anglo roots; and the prose is lent a hypnotic quality by its lack of quotation marks to offset dialog, and its short chapters characterized by a fairy-tale-narrative voice.

Narrateur
Qwen3-TTS Aiden
Durée
15 h 33 min
Langue
English
Ajouté
18 septembre 2026
Ebook source
Standard Ebooks
Couverture de The Water of the Wondrous Isles par William Morris