# VII: Of Birdalone, How She Told the Champions All Her Tale explained — The Water of the Wondrous Isles > Chapter companion for The Water of the Wondrous Isles by William Morris. ## What happens Birdalone spends eight days with the three Champions while her raiment is made, and at their urging she tells them the full story of her life, omitting only the wood-mother. The Champions react with love and pity: Baudoin is solemn, Hugh is effusive and tearful, and Arthur is silent but later confesses his pain at the thought of leaving her, which fills Birdalone with a strange joy. ## Themes in this chapter ### Female Agency and Autonomy Birdalone chooses to tell her story fully, asserting her own voice and experience before the Champions. ### Love and Desire Arthur's confession and Birdalone's joyful response highlight the growing romantic tension and desire between them. ## Character check-ins ### Birdalone Tells her full tale to the Champions, omitting only the wood-mother; feels troubled by Arthur's demeanor but later feels joy at his confession. ### Sir Baudoin The Golden Knight; sober and older in demeanor; lays his hand on Birdalone's head and speaks of her suffering. ### Hugh the Green Knight Praises Birdalone's beauty, wearies her with kisses, but is heart-whole and true to Viridis; weeps at her tale. ### Arthur the Black Squire Enforces good cheer but is moody; never touches her; later confesses his pain at leaving her, causing Birdalone joy. ## Key lines > It was a matter of eight days, the making of all Birdalone’s raiment, and meanwhile she was ever with the three Champions, either all three together, or one or other of them. It took eight days to make Birdalone's clothes, and during that time she was always with the three Champions, either all together or individually. _Sets the timeframe and Birdalone's constant companionship with the Champions._ > The Green Knight was forever praising Birdalone’s beauty to her face, and seemed to find it no easy matter to keep his eyes off her, and somewhat he wearied her with kisses and caresses; but a gay and sportive lad he was; and when she rebuked him for his overmuch fondness, as now and again she did, he would laugh at himself along with her; and in sooth she deemed him heart-whole, and of all truth to Viridis. Hugh constantly complimented Birdalone and couldn't stop looking at her, often kissing and caressing her until she grew tired of it, but he was cheerful and playful, and when she scolded him he laughed with her; she believed he was genuinely faithful to Viridis. _Describes Hugh's behavior and Birdalone's perception of his true loyalty._ > As for the Black Squire, hight Arthur, Birdalone was troubled for him, and he made her somewhat sad. True it is that he came not before her again so moody and downcast as when he was giving her the token; yet she deemed that he enforced himself to seem of good cheer. Birdalone was worried about Arthur, who seemed to force himself to appear cheerful, though he was less gloomy than when he gave her the token. _Highlights Birdalone's concern for Arthur's emotional state._ > On the third day of her sojourn in the Castle of the Quest, Birdalone took heart at the much egging of her friends, as they sat all together in the meadow without the castle, to tell them all the story of her; she hid none, save concerning the wood-mother, for she deemed that her sweet friend would love her the better if she babbled not of her. On the third day, encouraged by her friends, Birdalone told them her entire story in the meadow outside the castle, omitting only the wood-mother because she thought her friend would prefer her silence. _Explains Birdalone's decision to share her tale and her deliberate omission._ > After what thou hast told us today, I seem to know thee what thou art; and I tell thee that it is a pain and grief to me to leave thee, yea to leave thee were it but for a minute. O I pray thee pity me for the sundering. After hearing your story, I feel I truly know you, and it causes me great pain to leave you, even for a moment; please have pity on me for our separation. _Arthur's emotional confession to Birdalone about his distress at parting from her._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_water_of_the_wondrous_isles_se/chapters/vii-of-birdalone-how-she-told-the-champions-all-her-tale - 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