# Of Wethermel and the Child Osberne explained — The Sundering Flood > Chapter companion for The Sundering Flood by William Morris. ## What happens This chapter introduces the lonely stead of Wethermel, its history of ill-luck, and the young boy Osberne who lives there with his grandparents and the old carline Bridget. Despite warnings and dangers—the Sundering Flood, wolves, and the Dwarf-kin—Osberne's bold spirit leads him into perilous adventures, including a night spent with a Dwarf who prophesies his future as a champion and gives him a magical knife. ## Themes in this chapter ### Separation and Longing Osberne's lonely life at Wethermel, with few companions and a longing for adventure, sets the stage for his future separations and quests. ### Heroism and Growth The Dwarf's prophecy that Osberne 'shalt verily be a champion' marks the beginning of his heroic journey from a bold child to a future warrior. ### Nature and the Supernatural The chapter is steeped in supernatural elements: the Dwarf-kin, the Land-wights, the magical knife, and the protective parchment, all intertwined with the natural landscape of the Dale. ## Character check-ins ### Osberne Wulfgrimsson The twelve-year-old protagonist, strong and bold, who lives at Wethermel and has a fateful encounter with a Dwarf. ### The Carline Bridget, the old kinswoman and foster-mother, who protects Osberne with a parchment charm against evil. ### Bridget The carline who hangs a protective parchment around Osberne's neck and prays for his safety. ### Goodman Osberne's grandfather, a hale man of fifty winters, who scolds and threatens to beat Osberne for his dangerous wanderings. ## Key lines > Draw we nigher now to the heart of our tale, and tell how on the east side of the Sundering Flood was erewhile a stead hight Wethermel: a stead more lonely than most even in that Dale, the last house but one, and that was but a cot, toward the mountains at the head of the Dale. We now approach the main story, describing a remote farm called Wethermel on the east side of the Sundering Flood, one of the loneliest places in the valley, with only one small cottage beyond it near the mountains. _Opening description establishing the setting and isolation of Wethermel._ > He took a stone and stroked it, and mumbled, and it turned into a mouse, and played with us nought afraid a while; but presently it grew much bigger, till it was bigger than a hare; and great game meseemed that was, till on a sudden it stood on its hind-legs, and lo it was become a little child, and O, but so much littler than I; and then it ran away from us into the dark, squealing the while like a mouse behind the panel, only louder. The Dwarf transformed a stone into a mouse, then into a larger creature, and finally into a tiny child that ran away squeaking, showing his magical powers. _Osberne recounts the Dwarf's magical play, illustrating the supernatural nature of his encounter._ > I tell thee that one day thou shalt have a sword of my father's father's fashioning, and that will be an old one, for they both were long-lived. The Dwarf prophesies that Osberne will one day possess a sword forged by the Dwarf's grandfather, an ancient and powerful weapon. _The prophecy foreshadows Osberne's future as a hero and his connection to the Dwarf-kin._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_sundering_flood_se/chapters/ii-of-wethermel-and-the-child-osberne - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_sundering_flood_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_sundering_flood_se/chapters