94 pp., b/w illustrations. Serraillier's verse rendering is reset in an inexpensive paperback format for school distribution, with new art by Pesce replacing that by Severin. A list of words from the text for students to look up in the dictionary is appended. From Pins's preface "A Word to the Reader": "You are about to read a translation of Beowulf, one of the world's most exciting epic poems and the only one written in Old English … Because Beowulf is an English epic, the British spellings used by Mr. Serraillier have been retained in this American edition" (6). The preface concludes with the following summary of the plot:

The story opens with Beowulf, a youthful prince of the Geats (a tribe in Sweden), sailing to Denmark to rid the land of two monsters who are destrying the morale of the country. In Part I his successful bout with the monster Grendel in the King's hall establishes him as a hero. In Part II, where the scene changes to a dismal underwater lair, Beowulf again emerges triumphant after killing Grendel's mother. Part III takes Beowulf back to Sweden, where, after reigning as an ideal king for fifty years, he is mortally wounded, but performs a final act of bravery in slaying a fire dragon who has been ravaging his land. (7)

The verse retelling begins:

Hrothgar, King of the Danes, glorious in battle,
Built him a huge hall—its gleaming roof
Towering high to heaven—strong to withstand
The buffet of war. He called it Heorot
And lived there with his Queen. At time of feasting
He gave to his followers rings and ornaments
And bracelets of bright gold, cunningly wrought,
Graved with runes and deeds of dead heroes.
Here they enjoyed feasts and high fellowship,
Story and song and the pride of armed peace.
But away in the treacherous fens, beyond the moor,
A hideous monster lurked, fiend from hell,
Misbegotten son of a foul mother,
Grendel his name, hating the sound of the harp,
The minstrel's song, the bold merriment of men
In whose distorted likeness he was shaped
Twice six feet tall, with arms of hairy gorilla
And red ferocious eyes and ravening jaws. (11)

And concludes:

In the morning a huge mound they heaped upon his ashes,
As Beowulf had bidden—a peak upon the Whale's Headland,
Wide and lofty, that brave seafarers driving
Over the dark ocean might behold it from afar
And cry, 'Look yonder! the Mound of Beowulf, the hero!'
And, remembering, marvel at his deeds. Ten days they laboured
To build it and raised about the rim a rampart of boulders,
Burying the treasure beneath—jewelled flagons,
Gold rings and goblets, all that wonder of wealth—
For there was a curse upon it; no man dare keep it.
Then twelve warriors, proud heirs of noblemen, rode
Their horses about the Mound, loudly praising their lord
For his valiant deeds. O, it is fitting that a man
Should praise his dead master and lock him in his heart!
So did these warriors. Of all the kings in the world
Beowulf they named the mightiest in valour, in his ways
The mildest, most kind to his people, and keenest for praise. (91-92)

This reillustrated version of Serraillier's text not in MO1, GR, or MO2.

BAM.