Alan Garner - Alan Garner Classic Collection

CLASSIC COLLECTION (7 BOOKS)

THE WEIRDSTONE OF BRISINGAMEN

THE MOON OF GOMRATH

THE OWL SERVICE

ELIDOR

RED SHIFT

LAD OF THE GAD

A BAG OF MOONSHINE

This ebook bundle edition published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2015

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The Weirdstone of Brisingamen Text © Alan Garner 1960

The Moon of Gomrath Text © Alan Garner 1963

Elidor Text © Alan Garner 1965

Why You’ll Love This Book © Jonathan Stroud 2008

Illustrations © Charles Keeping 1965

The Owl Service © Alan Garner 1967

Decorations from the original plates by Griselda Greaves

The author acknowledges with thanks the use of the following copyright material:

The Bread of Truth by R. S. Thomas (Rupert Hart-Davis); The Mabinogion: translated by Gwyn Jones and Thomas Jones (J. M. Dent & Sons); The Radio Times, The British Broadcasting Corporation.

Red Shift Text © Alan Garner 1973

Lad of the Gad Text © Alan Garner 1980

A Bag of Moonshine Text © Alan Garner 1986

Illustrations © Patrick James Lynch 1986

Cover design © HarperCollins Publishers , 2015

The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of the work.

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HarperCollins Publishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication.

Source ISBNs:

The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen : 9780007539062 The Moon Of Gomrath : 9780007539048 Elidor : 9780007388769 The Owl Service : 9780007539055 Red Shift : 9780007539031 Lad Of The Gad : 9780007539109 A Bag Of Moonshine : 9780007385430

Ebook edition © SEPTEMBER 2015 ISBN: 9780008164379

Version: 2015-09-02

Cover

Title Page ALAN GARNER CLASSIC COLLECTION (7 BOOKS) THE WEIRDSTONE OF BRISINGAMEN THE MOON OF GOMRATH THE OWL SERVICE ELIDOR RED SHIFT LAD OF THE GAD A BAG OF MOONSHINE

Copyright

The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen

The Moon of Gomrath

The Owl Service

Elidor

Red Shift

The Lad of the Gad

A Bag of Moonshine

Books by Alan Garner

About the Publisher

Cover

Title Page

Map

Epigraph

The Legend of Alderley

PART ONE

1. Highmost Redmanhey

2. The Edge

3. Maggot-breed of Ymir

4. The Fundindelve

5. Miching Mallecho

6. A Ring of Stones

7. Fenodyree

PART TWO

8. Mist over Llyn-dhu

9. St Mary’s Clyffe

10. Plankshaft

11. Prince of the Huldrafolk

12. In the Cave of the Svartmoot

13. “Where No Svart Will Ever Tread”

14. The Earldelving

15. A Stromkarl Sings

16. The Wood of Radnor

17. Mara

18. Angharad Goldenhand

19. Gaberlunzie

20. Shuttlingslow

21. The Headless Cross

In every prayer I offer up, Alderley, and all belonging to it, will be ever a living thought in my heart.

REV. EDWARD STANLEY: 1837

At dawn one still October day in the long ago of the world, across the hill of Alderley, a farmer from Mobberley was riding to Macclesfield fair.

The morning was dull, but mild; light mists bedimmed his way; the woods were hushed; the day promised fine. The farmer was in good spirits, and he let his horse, a milk-white mare, set her own pace, for he wanted her to arrive fresh for the market. A rich man would walk back to Mobberley that night.

So, his mind in the town while he was yet on the hill, the farmer drew near to the place known as Thieves’ Hole. And there the horse stood still and would answer to neither spur nor rein. The spur and rein she understood, and her master’s stern command, but the eyes that held her were stronger than all of these.

In the middle of the path, where surely there had been no one, was an old man, tall, with long hair and beard. “You go to sell this mare,” he said. “I come here to buy. What is your price?”

But the farmer wished to sell only at the market, where he would have a choice of many offers, so he rudely bade the stranger quit the path and let him through, for if he stayed longer he would be late to the fair.

“Then go your way,” said the old man. “None will buy. And I shall await you here at sunset.”

The next moment he was gone, and the farmer could not tell how or where.

The day was warm, and the tavern cool, and all who saw the mare agreed that she was a splendid animal, the pride of Cheshire, a queen among horses; and everyone said that there was no finer beast in the town. But no one offered to buy. A sour-eyed farmer rode out of Macclesfield at the end of the day.

At Thieves’ Hole the mare stopped: the stranger was there.

Thinking any price was now better than none, the farmer agreed to sell. “How much will you give?” he said.

“Enough. Now come with me.”

By Seven Firs and Goldenstone they went, to Stormy Point and Saddlebole. And they halted before a great rock embedded in the hillside. The old man lifted his staff and lightly touched the rock, and it split with the noise of thunder.

At this, the farmer toppled from his plunging horse and, on his knees, begged the other to have mercy on him and let him go his way unharmed. The horse should stay; he did not want her. Only spare his life, that was enough.

The wizard, for such he was, commanded the farmer to rise. “I promise you safe conduct,” he said. “Do not be afraid; for living wonders you shall see here.”

Beyond the rock stood a pair of iron gates. These the wizard opened, and took the farmer and his horse down a narrow tunnel deep into the hill. A light, subdued but beautiful, marked their way. The passage ended, and they stepped into a cave, and there a wondrous sight met the farmer’s eyes – a hundred and forty knights in silver armour, and by the side of all but one a milk-white mare.