Riddley Walker

Hart of the Wood

There is the Hart of the Wud in the Eusa Story[1] that wer a stag every 1 knows that. There is the hart of the wood meaning the veryes deap of it thats a nother thing. There is the hart of the wood where they bern the chard coal thats a nother thing agen innit. Thats a nother thing. Berning the chard coal in the hart of the wood. Thats what they call the stack of wood you see. The stack of wood in the shape they do it for chard coal berning. Why do they call it the hart tho? Thats what this here story tels of.

Every 1 knows about Bad Time and what come after. Bad Time 1st and bad times after. Not many come thru it a live.

There come a man and a woman and a chyld out of a berning town they sheltert in the woodlings and foraging the bes they cud. Starveling wer what they wer doing. Dint have no weapons nor dint know how to make a snare nor nothing. Snow on the groun and a grey sky overing and the black trees rubbing ther branches in the wind. Crows calling 1 to a nother waiting for the 3 of them to drop. The man the woman and the chyld digging thru the snow they wer eating maws and dead leaves which they vomitit them up agen. Freazing col they wer nor dint have nothing to make a fire with to get warm. Starveling they wer and near come to the end of ther strenth.

The chyld said, “O Im so col Im afeart Im going to dy. If only we had a littl fire to get warm at.”

The man dint have no way of making a fire he dint have no flint and steal nor nothing. Wood all roun them only there wernt no way he knowit of getting warm from it.

The 3 of them ready for Aunty they wer ready to total and done when there come thru the woodlings a clevver looking bloak and singing a littl song to his self:

My roadings ben so hungry
Ive groan so very thin
Ive got a littl cook pot
But nothing to put in

The man and the woman said to the clevver looking bloak, “Do you know how to make fire?”

The clevver looking bloak said, “O yes if I know any thing I know that right a nuff. Fires my middl name you myt say.”

The man and the woman said, “Wud you make a littl fire then weare freazing of the col.”

The clevver looking bloak said, “That for you and what for me?”

The man and the woman said, “What do we have for whatfers?” They lookit 1 to the other and boath at the chyld.

The clevver looking bloak said, “Iwl tel you what Iwl do Iwl share you my fire and my cook pot if youwl share me what to put in the pot.” He wer looking at the chyld.

The man and the woman thot: 2 out of 3 a live is bettern 3 dead. They said, “Done.”

“They kilt the chyld and drunk its blood and cut up the meat for cooking.”

The clevver looking bloak said, “Iwl show you how to make fire plus Iwl give you flint and steal and makings nor you dont have to share me nothing of the meat only the hart.”

Which he made the fire then and give them flint and steal and makings then he cookt the hart of the chyld and et it.

The clevver looking bloak said, “Clevverness is gone now but littl by littl itwl come back. The iron wil come back agen 1 day and when the iron comes back they wil bern chard coal in the hart of the wood. And when they bern the chard coal ther stack wil be the shape of the hart of the chyld.” Off he gone then singing:

Seed of the littl
Seed of the wyld
Seed of the berning is
Hart of the chyld