THE LOCKED CROWNS

The author of Bootjack Hill (1962, p. 326, J-102), a story of early America, now catapults back in time to the 6th century to recreate the legend of Havelock the Dane. Doomed to death by his jealous guardian, Havelock, the rightful King of Denmark, flees to England. Meanwhile on that side of the water, Godborough, the rightful Queen of England, has been allotted a life to which she is unaccustomed by a power-hungry noble. The two ousted, should-be rulers, miraculously marry. The nearly parallel situations of the legend constitute a tedious plot, having been reworked here in realistic rather than folk or legend-like tones. Recasting of legends is a delicate business-- in this instance it was not successful.