The Maid of Sker · Chapter
VIII: Children Will Be Children explained
Davy observes Bardie's playful and affectionate nature as she interacts with Bunny and Watkin, teaching them to dance and play.
What happens
Davy observes Bardie's playful and affectionate nature as she interacts with Bunny and Watkin, teaching them to dance and play. He learns from Watkin that Bardie was found in his bed that morning, likely placed there by Moxy due to Evan's illness. Bardie speaks a mix of English and French, leading Davy to suspect she is a foreigner of high birth, though he worries she may be a beggar. He resolves to take her home and restore her to her family for a reward.
Themes in this chapter
Family and Orphanhood
Bardie's separation from her family and her longing for her parents, contrasted with Davy's paternal concern and the Thomas family's makeshift care.
Social Class and Identity
Davy speculates on Bardie's high birth based on her dress and speech, and considers the potential reward for restoring her, reflecting class distinctions.
Characters to notice
- Davy Llewellyn
Observes Bardie's playfulness, learns of her arrival at Sker, and decides to take her home for safekeeping.
- Bardie
Shows good nature by sharing with Bunny, dances and plays with Watkin, speaks a mix of English and French, and expresses longing for her parents.
- Bunny
Jealous of Bardie at first but is led by Bardie to Davy; shows eagerness to play with Bardie.
- Watkin Thomas
The youngest boy of Sker, about twelve, plays the jew's-harp for Bardie and tells Davy about her arrival and behavior.
- Evan Thomas
Mentioned as being ill and feverish, lying in bed, and calling for ale.
- Moxy Thomas
Implied to have placed Bardie in Watkin's bed due to her husband's illness.
Key passages
“she made such jumps as to go up like a feather.”
She jumped so lightly that she seemed to float upward like a feather.
Describes Bardie's graceful and buoyant dancing.
“But man sees single, God sees double, as our saying is, and her bits of French made me afraid that she might after all be a beggar.”
But human perception is limited, while divine understanding is complete; her French phrases made me worry she might actually be a beggar.
Davy reflects on his uncertainty about Bardie's social status.
“She must be a foreigner, said I to myself: no British child could dance like that, and talk so; and no British child ever shows gratitude.”
I thought to myself that she must be foreign, because no British child could dance or speak that way, and British children never show gratitude.
Davy's stereotypical view of national character leads him to conclude Bardie is not British.