The Well at the World’s End

Ralph of Upmeads is the youngest of four sons, too restless to sit at home while his brothers ride out to make their names. Against his father’s wishes he slips away from the little kingdom and follows rumor toward a legendary spring whose waters are said to grant long life and good fortune. William Morris published this quest romance in 1896, writing in a deliberately old, ballad-like English that gives the whole journey the feel of a tale told by firelight. Along the road Ralph finds love, betrayal, and loss, and the maiden Ursula becomes his companion in the search. Widely counted among the first modern fantasies set in a wholly invented world, it left a clear mark on Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Free to read as a PDF and EPUB edition.