And thou Gold-tree the fair,
And the milk-mother dear,
Lest the meat wax a-cold
Both for bold and unbold.
Hereat all laughed, but the two men somewhat from one side of their mouths. And the goodman said: See thou to it, kinsman, lest stripes be thy song-pay. But Osberne laughed from a fair and merry face and sang again:
O lord of the land.
To the staff lay no hand
Till the grey ones thou face
In the wind-weary place.
And therewith he fell to his meat and ate stoutly, and to the women it seemed that their little kinsman had the making of a champion in him, and his staves they loved dearly in their hearts, and they smiled upon him kindly; and he looked from one to the other, and quoth he:
Three mothers had I,
And one is gone by,
But two are left here,
Leal, buxom, and dear.
As for the goodman, now the meat was getting into him the wrath was running off, and he thought within himself that presently he should have great avail of his grandson.
