Formǽle
Mīn gæst wæs nū hwearfen fram æfen gonge and sæt bī mē on mīnum stydi.
Dæges lēoht wæs wānigende.
Ūtan þæs ēagþyrl, blāc mere, scearpum ecgum be hēafīgum bæncum, ārās in fīran.
Mīn gingsta sunu hæfde nū gecweden gōde niht ūs, and wē spræcon ymbe ūre ǣghwylc cild and cildhādes gemynd.
"Siþþan ic hæfde cildru, manige mīna cildhādes gewunan and gamen sind gecyrred tō mē. Sōþlīce, for þām forþgānum gēare ic hæbbe ongynned gaderian buttorfleogan eft. Wilt þū þæt ic ǣtēowe þā þē?" cwæþ ic.
Hē bæd tōgēanes hīe geseon, swā ic ēode tō fundenne þā lytewērigan cārdbordbġoxas þā ðe mīne ġefēra hæfdon.
Ne wæs hit ǣr þonne ic ōwende ðone forman bġox þæt ic ġefēoll þæt hēo ǣr swā full sċēadwu beġēat, swā ic ūpāhōf lēohtbēam and āsternte mǣċc.
On ānre ġefyrnesse wæs sē wēġ ūtfōran ānriċod under dēadness, and ðæt ēagþyrel fyllede mid þǣre þiccan blēo nihtes.
Mīn fiġel-smiðl glēomed beorhtlice on brēome lēohtes of innan his bēoxe.
Wē hēoldon ofer þæt, wundriende hyne fægerne lāc and rīce, beorhtne hīw, and cwædon his nama.
"Þis is Catocala Xarippe, his līffruma nama is Catocala Fulminea. Hit is swīþe sēoþe hēr ymbe, cwæð ic."
Mīn frēond raþe ācwæmde ānne fiðerwyrm fram þǣre bōc, ġehealdende þæt þæt sticca on, and beheold þæs fyðra underdælu.
"Hit is wundorlic, nā þincð nāht māre tō ārǣrenne cildhēaþlica gemynd þonne þæt man sēoþe flēogende bēamflēoge. Ic wæs fǣst cēapere swā lȳtling, cwæð hē."
Hē þā eft āstelde þone fugol-bītl on his stōw, behēold þone cēas, and cwæð, "gēnōg is."
Hē cwæð hrædlice, swá swá þæt gemærsod wæs ungelædlic.
Ænne smælre hwilon þā, þā ic þone bēag āfærde and gecyrde, hē smylode and mīn beþēahte bētte for cytrettan.
"Ic wille þæt þu ne onfenge yrre," he cwæð.
"Ic næfde ðe neahliclice geseon þinne gegaderung, ac witodlice ic eac wæs cildhād gemenged. ac unhælo, ic hebbe þa gemyndas beflemd. hit is ēaðewyrðe þis eow secgan, ac læt me eow sum þing secgan."
Hē ālǣhte smoca on þǣm lǣhtecryste and lǣdde þone grēne hēafodwyrt ofer þone lēohtbēag.
Úre andwlitan þá onfōn wæron on þǣm ēadmodan þēostrum lēohtum.
Hē sæt on þǣre ēdge þæs ontynedes ēagþyrel, his līchama ġewēncwealfe nēah ungelīc fram þǣm sweartnysse ūtan.
Ic smōc tōbāc āwyrt.
Ūtana, frogas hrēowlice hrōpon on feorwegum, þǣr þā þēostru gefyldan.
Ðā on ðǣm tidum sægde mīn frēond mē þās spell.
