est, and next day took
it out heaped with fish, and sold them well, bringing home silver
money for them. After that he never stopped at home idle. But soon
there arose a great dearth, and corn grew so dear that they could not
take fish enough to buy bread for all. Then Havelok, since he needed
so much to eat, determined that he would no longer be a burden to
the fisherman. So Grim made him a coat of a piece of an old sail, and
Havelok set off to Lincoln barefoot to seek for work.

It so befell that Earl Godrich's cook, Bertram, wanted a scullion, and
took Havelok into his service. There was plenty to eat and plenty to
do. Havelok drew water and chopped wood, and brought twigs to make
fires, and carried heavy tubs and dishes, but was always merry and
blythe. Little children loved to play with him; and grown knights and
nobles would stop to talk and laugh with him, although he wore nothing
but rags of old sail-cloth which scarcely covered his great limbs, and
all admired how fair and strong a man God had made him. The cook liked
Havelok so much that he bought him new clothes, with shoes and hose;
and when Havelok put them on, no man in the kingdom seemed his peer
for strength and beauty. He was the tallest man in Lincoln, and the
strongest in England.

Earl Godrich assembled a Parliament in Lincoln, and afterward held
games. Strong men and youths came to try for mastery at the game of
putting the stone. It was a mighty stone, the weight of an heifer. He
was a stalwart man who could lift it to his knee, and few could stir
it from the ground. So they strove together, and he who put the stone
an inch farther than the rest was to be made champion. But Havelok,
though he had never seen the like before, took up the heavy stone, and
put it twelve feet beyond the rest, and after that none would contend
with him. Now this matter being greatly talked about, it came to the
ears of Earl Godrich, who bethought him--"Did not Athelwold bid me
marry his daughter to the strongest man alive? In truth, I will marry
her to this cook's scullion. That will abase her pride; and when she
is wedded to a bondsman she will be powerless to injure me. That will
be better than shutting her up; better than killing her." So he sent
and brought Goldborough to Lincoln, and set the bells ringing, and
pretended great joy, for he said, "Goldborough, I am going to marry
thee to the fairest and stalwartest man living." But Goldborough
answered she would neve