# IV: Of the Waxing of the Stolen Child explained — The Water of the Wondrous Isles

> Chapter companion for The Water of the Wondrous Isles by William Morris.

## What happens

Birdalone grows up in isolation between water and wood, cared for but seldom spoken to by the witch-wife. She learns the ways of nature, befriends wild creatures, and becomes strong and merry. At twelve winters old, her mistress begins to teach her hard labor through punishment, but Birdalone grows stubborn and distrustful. She gains knowledge of the wider world from the witch's tales and her own intuition, and finds solace in the wood, which the witch never enters.

## Themes in this chapter

### Nature and the Wild

Birdalone's deep connection with the wood and its creatures is central; nature is her friend and refuge from the witch.

### Female Agency and Autonomy

Despite her captivity, Birdalone develops her own will, resists the witch's malice, and chooses the wood as her sanctuary.

### Identity and Transformation

Birdalone's growth from a stolen child to a self-aware maiden, learning about the world and her own strength.

## Character check-ins

### Birdalone

The stolen child, now growing into a strong and clever maiden, learning from nature and enduring the witch's harsh lessons.

### The Witch Wife

The witch who keeps Birdalone isolated, feeding her well but rarely speaking, and later teaching her through punishment.

## Key lines

> She learned of the ways and the wont of all the creatures round about her, and the very grass and flowers were friends to her, and she made tales of them in her mind; and the wild things feared her in no wise, and the fowl would come to her hand, and play with her and love her.

She became intimately familiar with the habits of every creature nearby, treating grass and flowers as companions and inventing stories about them; wild animals were unafraid and birds would perch on her hand affectionately.

_Illustrates Birdalone's harmonious relationship with nature._

> But now her mistress would learn her swinking, and hard was the lesson, for with twiggen rods and switches was she learned, and was somewhat stubborn with this woman, who she deemed loved her not;

Now her mistress began to teach her hard labor, using switches and rods as punishment, but Birdalone was stubborn with the woman she felt did not love her.

_Shows the beginning of Birdalone's resistance to the witch's authority._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_water_of_the_wondrous_isles_se/chapters/iv-of-the-waxing-of-the-stolen-child
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_water_of_the_wondrous_isles_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_water_of_the_wondrous_isles_se/chapters