![Detail of illustration from the Well at the World's End [1896] (Public Domain Image)](img/wwe.jpg)
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The Well at the World's Endby William Morris[1896] |
The Well at World's End was one of William Morris' fantasy novels. Set in a medival fantasy setting, the hero, Ralph of Upmeads, a minor son of a minor king, sets out in search of the Well at World's End. This well grants near-immortality and a heightened sense of destiny. Ralph meets a mysterious woman who has found the well, however, she is killed. A second woman named Ursula helps Ralph find the well. The book is a classic journey 'there and back again' which will keep lovers of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis happy.
Title Page
Contents
Book One: The Road Unto Love
Chapter 1: The Sundering of the WaysChapter 2: Ralph Goeth Back Home to the High House
Chapter 3: Ralph Cometh to the Cheaping-Town
Chapter 4: Ralph Rideth the Downs
Chapter 5: Ralph Cometh to Higham-on-the-Way
Chapter 6: Ralph Goeth His Ways From the Abbey of St. Mary at Higham
Chapter 7: The Maiden of Bourton Abbas
Chapter 8: Ralph Cometh to the Wood Perilous. An Adventure Therein
Chapter 9: Another Adventure in the Wood Perilous
Chapter 10: A Meeting and a Parting in the Wood Perilous
Chapter 11: Now Must Ralph Ride For It
Chapter 12: Ralph Entereth Into the Burg of the Four Friths
Chapter 13: The Streets of the Burg of the Four Friths
Chapter 14: What Ralph Heard of the Matters of the Burg of the Four Friths
Chapter 15: How Ralph Departed From the Burg of the Four Friths
Chapter 16: Ralph Rideth the Wood Perilous Again
Chapter 17: Ralph Cometh to the House of Abundance
Chapter 18: Of Ralph in the Castle of Abundance
Chapter 19: Ralph Readeth in a Book Concerning the Well at the World's End
Chapter 20: Ralph Meeteth a Man in the Wood
Chapter 21: Ralph Weareth Away Three Days Uneasily
Chapter 22: An Adventure in the Wood
Chapter 23: The Leechcraft of the Lady
Chapter 24: Supper and Slumber in the Woodland Hall
Book Two: The Road Unto Trouble
Chapter 1: Ralph Meets With Love in the WildernessChapter 2: They Break Their Fast in the Wildwood
Chapter 3: The Lady Telleth Ralph of the Past Days of Her Life
Chapter 4: The Lady Tells of Her Deliverance
Chapter 5: Yet More of the Lady's Story
Chapter 6: The Lady Tells Somewhat of Her Doings After She Left the Wilderness
Chapter 7: The Lady Tells of the Strife and Trouble That Befell After Her Coming to the Country of the King's Son
Chapter 8: The Lady Maketh an End of Her Tale
Chapter 9: They Go On Their Way Once More
Chapter 10: Of the Desert-House and the Chamber of Love in the Wilderness
Chapter 11: Ralph Cometh Out of the Wilderness
Chapter 12: Ralph Falleth in With Friends and Rideth to Whitwall
Chapter 13: Richard Talketh With Ralph Concerning the Well at the World's End. Concerning Swevenham
Chapter 14: Ralph Falleth in With Another Old Friend
Chapter 15: Ralph Dreams a Dream Or Sees a Vision
Chapter 16: Of the Tales of Swevenham
Chapter 17: Richard Bringeth Tidings of Departing
Chapter 18: Ralph Departeth From Whitwall With the Fellowship of Clement Chapman
Chapter 19: Master Clement Tells Ralph Concerning the Lands Whereunto They Were Riding
Chapter 20: They Come to the Mid-Mountain Guest-House
Chapter 21: A Battle in the Mountains
Chapter 22: Ralph Talks With Bull Shockhead
Chapter 23: Of the Town of Cheaping Knowe
Chapter 24: Ralph Heareth More Tidings of the Damsel
Chapter 25: The Fellowship Comes to Whiteness
Chapter 26: They Ride the Mountains Toward Goldburg
Chapter 27: Clement Tells of Goldburg
Chapter 28: Now They Come to Goldburg
Chapter 29: Of Goldburg and the Queen Thereof
Chapter 30: Ralph Hath Hope of Tidings Concerning the Well at the World's End
Chapter 31: The Beginning of the Road to Utterbol
Chapter 32: Ralph Happens on Evil Days
Chapter 33: Ralph is Brought on the Road Towards Utterbol
Chapter 34: The Lord of Utterbol Will Wot of Ralph's Might and Minstrelsy
Chapter 35: Ralph Cometh To the Vale of the Tower
Chapter 36: The Talk of Two Women Concerning Ralph
Chapter 37: How Ralph Justed With the Aliens
Chapter 38: A Friend Gives Ralph Warning
Chapter 39: The Lord of Utterbol Makes Ralph a Free Man
Chapter 40: They Ride Toward Utterness From Out of Vale Turris
Chapter 41: Redhead Keeps Tryst
Book Three: The Road To The Well At World's End
Chapter 1: An Adventure in the Wood Under the MountainsChapter 2: Ralph Rides the Wood Under the Mountains
Chapter 3: Ralph Meeteth With Another Adventure in the Wood Under the Mountain
Chapter 4: They Ride the Wood Under the Mountains
Chapter 5: They Come on the Sage of Swevenham
Chapter 6: Those Two Are Learned Lore by the Sage of Swevenham
Chapter 7: An Adventure by the Way
Chapter 8: They Come to the Sea of Molten Rocks
Chapter 9: They Come Forth From the Rock-Sea
Chapter 10: They Come to the Gate of the Mountains
Chapter 11: They Come to the Vale of Sweet Chestnuts
Chapter 12: Winter Amidst of the Mountains
Chapter 13: Of Ursula and the Bear
Chapter 14: Now Come the Messengers of the Innocent Folk
Chapter 15: They Come to the Land of the Innocent Folk
Chapter 16: They Come to the House of the Sorceress
Chapter 17: They Come Through the Woodland to the Thirsty Desert
Chapter 18: They Come to the Dry Tree
Chapter 19: They Come Out of the Thirsty Desert
Chapter 20: They Come to the Ocean Sea
Chapter 21: Now They Drink of the Well at the World's End
Chapter 22: Now They Have Drunk and Are Glad
Book Four: The Road Home
Chapter 1: Ralph and Ursula Come Back Again Through the Great MountainsChapter 2: They Hear New Tidings of Utterbol
Chapter 3: They Winter With the Sage; and Thereafter Come Again to Vale Turris
Chapter 4: A Feast in the Red Pavilion
Chapter 5: Bull Telleth of His Winning of the Lordship of Utterbol
Chapter 6: They Ride From Vale Turris. Redhead Tells of Agatha
Chapter 7: Of Their Riding the Waste, and of a Battle Thereon
Chapter 8: Of Goldburg Again, and the Queen Thereof
Chapter 9: They Come to Cheaping Knowe Once More. Of the King Thereof
Chapter 10: An Adventure on the Way to the Mountains
Chapter 11: They Come Through the Mountains Into the Plain
Chapter 12: The Roads Sunder Again
Chapter 13: They Come to Whitwall Again
Chapter 14: They Ride Away From Whitwall
Chapter 15: A Strange Meeting in the Wilderness
Chapter 16: They Come to the Castle of Abundance Once More
Chapter 17: They Fall in With That Hermit
Chapter 18: A Change of Days in the Burg of the Four Friths
Chapter 19: Ralph Sees Hampton and the Scaur
Chapter 20: They Come to the Gate of Higham By the Way
Chapter 21: Talk Between Those Two Brethren
Chapter 22: An Old Acquaintance Comes From the Down Country to See Ralph
Chapter 23: They Ride to Bear Castle
Chapter 24: The Folkmote of the Shepherds
Chapter 25: They Come to Wulstead
Chapter 26: Ralph Sees His Father and Mother Again
Chapter 27: Ralph Holds Converse With Katherine His Gossip
Chapter 28: Dame Katherine Tells of the Pair of Beads, and Whence She Had Them
Chapter 29: They Go Down to Battle in Upmeads
Chapter 30: Ralph Brings His Father and Mother to Upmeads
Chapter 31: Ralph Brings Ursula Home to the High House
Chapter 32: Yet a Few Words Concerning Ralph of Upmeads