Summary

Hrothgar’s orphaned nephew Hrothulf comes to live with his aunt and uncle. He is fourteen years old, yet he despises how Hrothgar runs his nation. Hrothulf sees the injustice and poverty, and he hates knowing there is such a large divide between the rich class and the lower class. He compares a tree to his uncle: A tree gives life to the birds and animals which inhabit it, yet its shade kills any plants that try to grow on the ground. He becomes friends with an older man named Red Horse and talks about an impending revolution. Red Horse tries to mentor Hrothulf on how best to stage a revolution, but he says all revolutions are alike. They take one government and replace it with another that is just as bad.

At dinner one night, Hrothgar is looking at the people surrounding him. He knows...