Latest / Classic Non-Fiction Library / Fifty Famous Stories Retold - James Baldwin
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: A laconic answer. Many miles beyond Rome there was a
- 0:05Speaker 1: famous country, which we called Greece. The people of Greece
- 0:09Speaker 1: were not united like the Romans, but instead there were
- 0:12Speaker 1: several states, each of which had its own rulers. Some
- 0:16Speaker 1: of the people in the southern part of the country
- 0:18Speaker 1: were called Spartans, and they were noted for their simple
- 0:22Speaker 1: habits and their bravery. The name of their land was
- 0:25Speaker 1: called Laconia, and so they were sometimes called Lacons. One
- 0:30Speaker 1: of the strange rules which the Spartans had was that
- 0:32Speaker 1: they should speak briefly and never use more words than
- 0:36Speaker 1: were needed, and so a short answer is often spoken
- 0:39Speaker 1: of as being laconic, that is, as being such an
- 0:43Speaker 1: answer that a Lacan would be likely to give. There
- 0:47Speaker 1: was in the northern part of Greece a land called Macedon,
- 0:51Speaker 1: and this land was at one time ruled over by
- 0:54Speaker 1: a warlike king named Philip. Philip of Macedon wanted to
- 0:58Speaker 1: become the master of all Old Greece, so he raised
- 1:01Speaker 1: a great army and made war upon the other states,
- 1:05Speaker 1: until nearly all of them were forced to call him
- 1:07Speaker 1: their king. Then he sent a letter to the Spartans
- 1:11Speaker 1: in Laconia and said, if I go down into your country,
- 1:14Speaker 1: I will level your great city to the ground in
- 1:18Speaker 1: a few days. An answer was brought back to him.
- 1:21Speaker 1: When he opened the letter, he found only one word
- 1:24Speaker 1: written there. That word was if. It was as much
- 1:30Speaker 1: as to say, we are not afraid of you, so
- 1:32Speaker 1: long as the little word if stands in your way.
- 1:37Speaker 1: A story of Robin Hood. In the rude days of
- 1:41Speaker 1: King Richard and King John, there were many great woods
- 1:43Speaker 1: in England. The most famous of these was Sherwood Forest,
- 1:47Speaker 1: where the King often went to hunt deer. In this
- 1:50Speaker 1: forest there lived a band of daring men called Outlaws.
- 1:54Speaker 1: They had done something that was against the laws of
- 1:57Speaker 1: the land and had been forced to hide themselves in
- 1:59Speaker 1: the world woods to save their lives. There they spent
- 2:02Speaker 1: their time in roaming about among the trees, in hunting
- 2:05Speaker 1: the King's deer, and in robbing rich travelers that came
- 2:09Speaker 1: that way. There were nearly a hundred of these outlaws,
- 2:13Speaker 1: and their leader was a bold fellow called Robin Hood.
- 2:16Speaker 1: They were dressed in suits of green and armed with
- 2:19Speaker 1: bows and arrows, and sometimes they carried long wooden lances
- 2:23Speaker 1: and broad swords, which they knew how to handle well.
- 2:27Speaker 1: Whenever they had taken anything, it was brought and laid
- 2:30Speaker 1: at the feet of robin Hood, whom they called their king.
- 2:33Speaker 1: He then divided it fairly among them, giving to each
- 2:37Speaker 1: man his just share. Robin Hood never allowed his men
- 2:41Speaker 1: to harm anybody but the rich men, who lived in
- 2:43Speaker 1: great houses and did no work. He was always kind
- 2:47Speaker 1: to the poor, and he often sent help to them.
- 2:50Speaker 1: And for that reason the common people looked upon him
- 2:53Speaker 1: as their friend. Long after he was dead, men liked
- 2:56Speaker 1: to talk about his deeds. Some praised him, and his
- 3:00Speaker 1: son blamed him. He was indeed a rude, lawless fellow,
- 3:05Speaker 1: but at that time people did not think of right
- 3:08Speaker 1: and wrong as they do now. A great many songs
- 3:11Speaker 1: were made up about robin Hood, and these songs were
- 3:14Speaker 1: sung in the cottages and huts all over the land
- 3:16Speaker 1: for hundreds of years afterward. Here is a little story
- 3:20Speaker 1: that is told in one of these songs. Robin Hood
- 3:24Speaker 1: was standing one day under a green tree by the roadside.
- 3:27Speaker 1: While he was listening to the birds among the leaves,
- 3:30Speaker 1: he saw a young man passing by. This young man
- 3:33Speaker 1: was dressed in a fine suit of bright red cloth,
- 3:36Speaker 1: and as he tripped gaily along the road. He seemed
- 3:39Speaker 1: to be as happy as the day. I will not
- 3:42Speaker 1: trouble him, said Robin Hood, for I think he is
- 3:45Speaker 1: on his way to his wedding. The next day, Robin
- 3:48Speaker 1: stood in the same place. He had not been there
- 3:51Speaker 1: long when he saw the same young man coming down
- 3:54Speaker 1: the road. But he did not seem to be so happy.
- 3:57Speaker 1: This time. He had left his scarlet coat at home,
- 4:00Speaker 1: and at every step he sighed and groaned. Ah, the
- 4:05Speaker 1: sad day, the sad day, he kept saying to himself.
- 4:10Speaker 1: Then Robin Hood stepped out from under the tree and said,
- 4:13Speaker 1: I say, young man, have you any money to spare
- 4:16Speaker 1: for my merry men and me. I have nothing at all,
- 4:20Speaker 1: said the young man, but five shillings and a ring,
- 4:23Speaker 1: A gold ring, asked Robin. Yes, said the young man.
- 4:28Speaker 1: It is a gold ring. Here it is ah, I see,
- 4:32Speaker 1: said Robin. It is a wedding ring. I have kept
- 4:36Speaker 1: it these seven years, said the young man. I have
- 4:39Speaker 1: kept it to give to my bride on our wedding day.
- 4:42Speaker 1: We were going to be married yesterday, but her father
- 4:46Speaker 1: has promised her to a rich old man whom she
- 4:48Speaker 1: never saw. And now my heart is broken. What is
- 4:53Speaker 1: your name? Asked Robin. My name is Allan Adele, said
- 4:57Speaker 1: the young man. What will you give me in gold
- 5:01Speaker 1: or fee? Said Robin, if I will help you when
- 5:03Speaker 1: you're bride again. In spite of the rich old man
- 5:06Speaker 1: to whom she has been promised, I have no money,
- 5:10Speaker 1: said Allan, but I will promise to be your servant.
- 5:14Speaker 1: How many miles is it to the place where the
- 5:16Speaker 1: maiden lives, asked Robin. It is not far, said Allan,
- 5:21Speaker 1: but she is to be married this very day, and
- 5:23Speaker 1: the church is five miles away. Then Robin made haste
- 5:27Speaker 1: to dress himself as a harper, and in the afternoon
- 5:30Speaker 1: he stood in the door of the church. Who are you,
- 5:34Speaker 1: said the bishop, And what are you doing here? I
- 5:37Speaker 1: am a bold harper, said Robin, the best in the
- 5:40Speaker 1: north country. I am glad to have you come, said
- 5:44Speaker 1: the bishop kindly. There is no music that I like
- 5:47Speaker 1: so well as that of the harp. Come in and
- 5:49Speaker 1: play for us. I will go in, said Robin. Hood,
- 5:54Speaker 1: but I will not give you any music until I
- 5:56Speaker 1: see the bride and bridegroom. Just then an old man
- 6:00Speaker 1: came in. He was dressed in rich clothing, but was
- 6:03Speaker 1: bent with age and was feeble and gray. By his
- 6:07Speaker 1: side walked a fair young girl. Her cheeks were very pale,
- 6:11Speaker 1: and her eyes were full of tears. This is no match,
- 6:16Speaker 1: said Robin. Let the bride choose for herself. Then he
- 6:20Speaker 1: put his horn to his lips and blew three times.
- 6:24Speaker 1: The very next minute, four and twenty men, all dressed
- 6:27Speaker 1: in green and carrying long bows in their hands, came
- 6:31Speaker 1: running across the fields. And as they marched into the church,
- 6:35Speaker 1: all in a row. The foremost among them was allan Adele.
- 6:39Speaker 1: Now whom do you choose, said Robin to the maiden.
- 6:43Speaker 1: I choose allan Adele. She said, blushing, And allan Adele
- 6:47Speaker 1: you shall have, said Robin. And he that takes you
- 6:50Speaker 1: from allan Adele shall find that he has robin Hood
- 6:53Speaker 1: to deal with. And so the fair maiden and allan
- 6:56Speaker 1: Adele were married then and there, and the rich old
- 7:00Speaker 1: man went home in a great rage. And thus having
- 7:04Speaker 1: ended this merry wedding, the bride looked like a queen.
- 7:08Speaker 1: And so they returned to the merry greenwood. Amongst the
- 7:11Speaker 1: leaves so green. Alexander and Bucephalus. One day King Philip
- 7:18Speaker 1: bought a fine horse called Bucephalus. He was a noble animal,
- 7:21Speaker 1: and the king paid a very high price for him.
- 7:24Speaker 1: But he was wild and savage, and no man could
- 7:27Speaker 1: mount him or do anything at all with him. They
- 7:31Speaker 1: tried to whip him, but that only made him worse.
- 7:34Speaker 1: At last the king bade his servants take him away.
- 7:38Speaker 1: It is a pity to ruin so fine a horse
- 7:41Speaker 1: as that, said Alexander, the King's young son. Those men
- 7:45Speaker 1: do not know how to treat him. Perhaps you can
- 7:49Speaker 1: do better than they, said his father scornfully. I know,
- 7:53Speaker 1: said Alexander that if you would only give me leave
- 7:56Speaker 1: to try, I could manage this horse better than any
- 7:59Speaker 1: one else. And if you fail to do so, what,
- 8:03Speaker 1: then asked Philip, I will pay you the price of
- 8:07Speaker 1: the horse, said the lad. While everybody was laughing, Alexander
- 8:12Speaker 1: ran up to Bucephalus and turned his head toward the sun.
- 8:15Speaker 1: He had noticed that the horse was afraid of his
- 8:18Speaker 1: own shadow. He then spoke gently to the horse and
- 8:22Speaker 1: patted him with his hand. When he had quieted him
- 8:25Speaker 1: a little, he made a quick spring and leaped upon
- 8:27Speaker 1: the horse's back. Everybody expected to see the boy killed outright,
- 8:32Speaker 1: but he kept his place and let the horse run
- 8:35Speaker 1: as fast as he would by and bye. When Bucephalus
- 8:39Speaker 1: had become tired, Alexander reined him in and rode back
- 8:43Speaker 1: to the place where his father was standing. All the
- 8:46Speaker 1: men who were there shouted when they saw that the
- 8:48Speaker 1: boy had proved himself to be the master of the horse.
- 8:52Speaker 1: He leaped to the ground, and his father ran and
- 8:54Speaker 1: kissed him. My son said, the king Macedon is too
- 8:59Speaker 1: small a place for you. You must seek a larger
- 9:02Speaker 1: kingdom that will be worthy of you. After that, Alexander
- 9:06Speaker 1: and Bucephalus were the best of friends. They were said
- 9:09Speaker 1: to be always together, for when one of them was seen,
- 9:13Speaker 1: the other was sure not to be far away. But
- 9:16Speaker 1: the horse would never allow anyone to mount him. But
- 9:19Speaker 1: his master, Alexander became the most famous king and warrior
- 9:24Speaker 1: that was ever known, and for that reason he is
- 9:27Speaker 1: always called Alexander the Great. Beaucephalus carried him through many
- 9:32Speaker 1: countries and in many fierce battles, and more than once
- 9:36Speaker 1: did he save his master's life. Androclus and the Lion.
- 9:42Speaker 1: In Rome, there was once a poor slave whose name
- 9:44Speaker 1: was Androclus. His master was a cruel man, and so
- 9:48Speaker 1: unkind to him that at last Androclus ran away. He
- 9:52Speaker 1: hid himself in a wild wood for many days, but
- 9:55Speaker 1: there was no food to be found, and he grew
- 9:57Speaker 1: so weak and sick that he thought he should die.
- 10:01Speaker 1: So one day he crept into a cave and lay down,
- 10:04Speaker 1: and soon he was fast asleep. After a while, a
- 10:08Speaker 1: great noise woke him up. A lion had come into
- 10:11Speaker 1: the cave and was roaring loudly. Andre Kluse was very
- 10:16Speaker 1: much afraid, for he felt sure that the beast would
- 10:19Speaker 1: kill him soon. However, he saw that the lion was
- 10:22Speaker 1: not angry, but that he limped as though his foot
- 10:25Speaker 1: hurt him. Then andre Kluse grew so bold that he
- 10:29Speaker 1: took hold of the lion's lame paul to see what
- 10:31Speaker 1: was the matter. The lion stood quite still and rubbed
- 10:35Speaker 1: his head against the man's shoulder. He seemed to say,
- 10:39Speaker 1: I know that you will help me. Andre Kluse lifted
- 10:42Speaker 1: the paw from the ground and saw that it was
- 10:45Speaker 1: a long, sharp thorn, which hurt the lion so much.
- 10:48Speaker 1: He took the end of the thorn in his fingers.
- 10:51Speaker 1: Then he gave a strong, quick pull, and out it came.
- 10:55Speaker 1: The lion was full of joy. He jumped about like
- 10:58Speaker 1: a dog and licked the hands and feet of his
- 11:00Speaker 1: new friend. Androclus was not at all afraid after this,
- 11:05Speaker 1: and when night came, he and the lion lay down
- 11:07Speaker 1: and slept side by side for a long time. The
- 11:11Speaker 1: lion brought Foo to Andracluse every day, and the two
- 11:14Speaker 1: became such good friends that Androcluse found his new life
- 11:17Speaker 1: a very happy one. One day, some soldiers who were
- 11:21Speaker 1: passing through the wood found Androcluse in the cave. They
- 11:25Speaker 1: knew who he was, and so took him back to Rome.
- 11:29Speaker 1: It was the law at that time that every slave
- 11:31Speaker 1: who ran away from his master should be made to
- 11:33Speaker 1: fight a hungry lion. So a fierce lion was shut
- 11:37Speaker 1: up for a while without food, and a time was
- 11:40Speaker 1: set for the fight. When the day came, thousands of
- 11:44Speaker 1: people crowded to see the sport. They went to such
- 11:47Speaker 1: places at that time, very much as people nowadays go
- 11:50Speaker 1: to see a circus show or a game of baseball.
- 11:54Speaker 1: The door opened and poor Andrekluse was brought in. He
- 11:58Speaker 1: was almost dead with fear, for the roars of the
- 12:01Speaker 1: lion could already be heard. He looked up and saw
- 12:06Speaker 1: that there was no pity in the thousands of faces
- 12:08Speaker 1: around him. Then the hungry lion rushed in with a
- 12:13Speaker 1: single bound. He reached the poor slave. Androclus gave a
- 12:17Speaker 1: great cry, not of fear, but of gladness. It was
- 12:21Speaker 1: his old friend, the lion of the cave. The people
- 12:25Speaker 1: who had expected to see the man killed by the
- 12:27Speaker 1: lion were filled with wonder. They saw Androcluse put his
- 12:32Speaker 1: arms around the lion's neck. They saw the lion lie
- 12:35Speaker 1: down at his feet and lick him lovingly. They saw
- 12:39Speaker 1: the great beast rub his head against the slave's face,
- 12:42Speaker 1: as though he wanted to be petted. They could not
- 12:45Speaker 1: understand what it all meant. After a while, they asked
- 12:49Speaker 1: Andrakluse to tell them about it. So he stood up
- 12:52Speaker 1: before them, and, with his arms around the lion's neck,
- 12:55Speaker 1: told how he and the beast had lived together in
- 12:57Speaker 1: the cave. I am a man, he said, but no
- 13:01Speaker 1: man has ever befriended me. This poor lion alone has
- 13:05Speaker 1: been kind to me, and we love each other as brothers.
- 13:09Speaker 1: The people were not so bad that they could be
- 13:11Speaker 1: cruel to the poor slave. Now live and be free,
- 13:15Speaker 1: they cried, live and be free. Others cried, let the
- 13:20Speaker 1: lion go free too. Give both of them their liberty,
- 13:25Speaker 1: and so Androcluse was set free, and the lion was
- 13:28Speaker 1: given to him for his own, and they lived together
- 13:31Speaker 1: in roam for many years. Antonio Canova, a good many
- 13:38Speaker 1: years ago there lived in Italy a little boy whose
- 13:40Speaker 1: name was Antonio Canova. He lived with his grandfather, for
- 13:44Speaker 1: his own father was dead. His grandfather was a stone cutter,
- 13:48Speaker 1: and he was very poor. Antonio was a puny lad
- 13:52Speaker 1: and not strong enough to work. He did not care
- 13:54Speaker 1: to play with the other boys of the town, but
- 13:57Speaker 1: he liked to go with his grandfather to the stone yard.
- 14:00Speaker 1: While the old man was busy cutting and trimming the
- 14:03Speaker 1: great blocks of stone, the lad would play among the chips.
- 14:07Speaker 1: Sometimes he would make a little statue of soft clay.
- 14:10Speaker 1: Sometimes he would take hammer and chisel and try to
- 14:12Speaker 1: cut a statue from a piece of rock. He showed
- 14:16Speaker 1: so much skill that his grandfather was delighted. The boy
- 14:20Speaker 1: will be a sculptor some day, he said. Then, when
- 14:24Speaker 1: they went home in the evening, the grandmother would say,
- 14:26Speaker 1: what have you been doing to day, my little sculptor,
- 14:29Speaker 1: And she would take him upon her lap and sing
- 14:32Speaker 1: to him or tell him stories that filled his mind
- 14:34Speaker 1: with pictures of wonderful and beautiful things, and the next day,
- 14:38Speaker 1: when he went back to the stone yard, he would
- 14:40Speaker 1: try to make some of those pictures in stone or clay.
- 14:44Speaker 1: There lived in the same town a rich man who
- 14:47Speaker 1: was called the Count. Sometimes the Count would have a
- 14:49Speaker 1: grand dinner, and his rich friends from other towns would
- 14:52Speaker 1: come to visit him. Then Antonio's grandfather would go up
- 14:56Speaker 1: to the count's house to help with the work in
- 14:58Speaker 1: the kitchen, for he was a fine cook as well
- 15:01Speaker 1: as a good stone cutter. It happened one day that
- 15:04Speaker 1: Antonio went with his grandfather to the count's great house.
- 15:07Speaker 1: Some people from the city were coming, and there was
- 15:10Speaker 1: to be a grand feast. The boy could not cook,
- 15:13Speaker 1: and he was not old enough to wait on the table,
- 15:15Speaker 1: but he could wash the pans and kettles, and as
- 15:18Speaker 1: he was smart and quick, he could help him many
- 15:20Speaker 1: other ways. All went well until it was time to
- 15:23Speaker 1: spread the table for dinner. Then there was a crash
- 15:26Speaker 1: in the dining room, and a man rushed into the
- 15:29Speaker 1: kitchen with some pieces of marble in his hands. He
- 15:32Speaker 1: was pale and trembling with fright. What shall I do?
- 15:36Speaker 1: What shall I do? He cried? I have broken the
- 15:39Speaker 1: statue that was to stand at the center of the table.
- 15:42Speaker 1: I cannot make the table look pretty without the statue.
- 15:45Speaker 1: What will the count say? And now all the other
- 15:49Speaker 1: servants were in trouble. Was the dinner to be a
- 15:52Speaker 1: failure after all? For everything depended on having the table
- 15:55Speaker 1: nicely arranged? The Count would be very angry. Ah, what
- 16:01Speaker 1: shall we do? They all asked. Then little Antonio Canova
- 16:05Speaker 1: left his pans and kettles and went up to the
- 16:07Speaker 1: man who had caused the trouble. If you had another statue,
- 16:11Speaker 1: could you arrange the table? He asked? Certainly, said the man,
- 16:16Speaker 1: that is, if the statue were of the right length
- 16:18Speaker 1: in height. Will you let me try to make one?
- 16:21Speaker 1: Asked Antonio. Perhaps I can make something that will do.
- 16:25Speaker 1: The man laughed. Nonsense, he cried, Who are you that
- 16:29Speaker 1: you talk of making statues on an hour's notice? I
- 16:33Speaker 1: am Antonio Canova, said the lad. Let the boy try
- 16:37Speaker 1: what he can do, said the servants who knew him.
- 16:40Speaker 1: And so, since nothing else could be done, the man
- 16:43Speaker 1: allowed him to try. On the kitchen table there was
- 16:46Speaker 1: a large square lump of yellow butter. Two hundred pounds
- 16:49Speaker 1: of the lump weighed, and it had just come in,
- 16:52Speaker 1: fresh and clean from the dairy on the mountain. With
- 16:55Speaker 1: a kitchen knife in his hand, Antonio began to cut
- 16:58Speaker 1: and carve this butter. In a few minutes he had
- 17:01Speaker 1: molded it into the shape of a crouching lion, and
- 17:04Speaker 1: all the servants crowded around to see it. How beautiful,
- 17:08Speaker 1: they cried. It is a great deal prettier than the
- 17:12Speaker 1: statue that was broken. When it was finished, the man
- 17:15Speaker 1: carried it to its place. The table would be handsomer
- 17:20Speaker 1: by half than I ever hoped to make it, he said.
- 17:23Speaker 1: When the Count and his friends came in to dinner,
- 17:26Speaker 1: the first thing they saw was the yellow lion. What
- 17:29Speaker 1: a beautiful work of art, they cried. None but a
- 17:33Speaker 1: very great artist could ever carve such a figure, and
- 17:36Speaker 1: how odd that he should choose to make it of butter.
- 17:39Speaker 1: And then they asked the Count to tell them the
- 17:41Speaker 1: name of the artist. Truly, my friends, he said, this
- 17:45Speaker 1: is much of a surprise to me as to you.
- 17:48Speaker 1: And then he called to his head servant and asked
- 17:50Speaker 1: him where he had found so wonderful a statue. It
- 17:54Speaker 1: was carved only an hour ago by a little boy
- 17:56Speaker 1: in the kitchen, said the servant. This made the count's
- 18:00Speaker 1: friends wonder still more, and the Count bade the servant
- 18:03Speaker 1: call the boy into the room. My lad, he said,
- 18:07Speaker 1: you have done a piece of work of which the
- 18:09Speaker 1: greatest artist would be proud. What is your name and
- 18:12Speaker 1: who is your teacher? My name is Antonio Canova, said
- 18:16Speaker 1: the boy, and I have had no teacher but my grandfather,
- 18:20Speaker 1: the stone cutter. By this time all the guests had
- 18:23Speaker 1: crowded around Antonio. There were famous artists among them, and
- 18:27Speaker 1: they knew that the lad was a genius. They could
- 18:30Speaker 1: not say enough in praise of his work, And when
- 18:33Speaker 1: at last they sat down at the table, nothing would
- 18:35Speaker 1: please them but that Antonio should have a seat with them,
- 18:38Speaker 1: and the dinner was made of feast in his honor.
- 18:42Speaker 1: The very next day, the Count sent for Antonio to
- 18:44Speaker 1: come and live with him. The best artists in the
- 18:47Speaker 1: land were employed to teach him the art in which
- 18:49Speaker 1: he had shown so much skill. But now instead of
- 18:53Speaker 1: carving butter, he chiseled marble. In a few years, Antonio
- 18:57Speaker 1: Canova became known as one of the greatest sculptors in
- 19:00Speaker 1: the world. Arnold Winkle read a great army was marching
- 19:06Speaker 1: into Switzerland. If it should go much farther, there would
- 19:10Speaker 1: be no driving it out again. The soldiers would burn
- 19:13Speaker 1: the towns, They would rob the farmers of their grain
- 19:16Speaker 1: and sheep. They would make slaves of the people. The
- 19:20Speaker 1: men of Switzerland knew all this. They knew that they
- 19:23Speaker 1: must fight for their homes and their lives, and so
- 19:26Speaker 1: they came from the mountains and valleys to try what
- 19:28Speaker 1: they could do to save their land. Some came with
- 19:32Speaker 1: bows and arrows, some with scythes and pitchforks, and some
- 19:36Speaker 1: with only sticks and clubs. But their foes kept in
- 19:39Speaker 1: line as they marched along the road. Every soldier was
- 19:43Speaker 1: fully armed. As they moved and kept close together, nothing
- 19:47Speaker 1: could be seen of them but their spears and shields
- 19:50Speaker 1: and shining armor. What could the poor country people do
- 19:53Speaker 1: against such foes as these. We must break their lines,
- 19:58Speaker 1: cried their leader, for we cannot harm them while they
- 20:00Speaker 1: keep together. The bowmen shot their arrows, but they glanced
- 20:05Speaker 1: off from the soldier's shields. Others tried clubs and stones,
- 20:09Speaker 1: but with no better luck. The lines were still unbroken.
- 20:13Speaker 1: The soldiers moved steadily onward. Their shields leaped over one another.
- 20:18Speaker 1: Their thousand spears looked like so many long bristles in
- 20:21Speaker 1: the sunlight. What cared they for sticks and stones and
- 20:24Speaker 1: huntsmen's arrows. If we cannot break their lines, said the Swiss,
- 20:30Speaker 1: we have no chance for fight, and our country will
- 20:33Speaker 1: be lost. Then a poor man whose name was Arnold Winklerid,
- 20:38Speaker 1: stepped out on the side of Yonder Mountain, said he,
- 20:42Speaker 1: I have a happy home there. My wife and children
- 20:45Speaker 1: wait for my return, but they will not see me again.
- 20:49Speaker 1: For this day I will give my life for my country.
- 20:53Speaker 1: And do you, my friends, do your duty, and Switzerland
- 20:57Speaker 1: shall be free. With these words, he ran forward. Follow me,
- 21:03Speaker 1: he cried to his friends. I will break the lines
- 21:06Speaker 1: and let every man fight as bravely as he can.
- 21:10Speaker 1: He had nothing in his hands, neither club, nor stone,
- 21:14Speaker 1: nor other weapon, but he ran straight onward to the
- 21:17Speaker 1: place where the spears were the thickest. Make way for liberty,
- 21:22Speaker 1: he cried as he dashed right into the lines. A
- 21:26Speaker 1: hundred spears were turned to catch him upon their points.
- 21:30Speaker 1: The soldiers forgot to stay in their places. The lines
- 21:33Speaker 1: were broken, Arnold's friends rushed bravely after him. They fought
- 21:38Speaker 1: with whatever they had in hand. They snatched spears and
- 21:41Speaker 1: shields from their foes. They had no thought of fear.
- 21:45Speaker 1: They only thought of their homes and their dear native land,
- 21:49Speaker 1: and they won at last such a battle no one
- 21:53Speaker 1: ever knew before. But Switzerland was saved, and Arnold Winklerid
- 21:58Speaker 1: did not die in vain Bruce and the Spider. There
- 22:03Speaker 1: was once a king of Scotland whose name was Robert Bruce.
- 22:07Speaker 1: He had need to be both brave and wise, for
- 22:09Speaker 1: the times in which he lived were wild and rude.
- 22:13Speaker 1: The King of England was at war with him, and
- 22:15Speaker 1: had led a great army into Scotland to drive him
- 22:18Speaker 1: out of the land. Battle after battle had been fought.
- 22:22Speaker 1: Six times had Bruce led his brave little army against
- 22:25Speaker 1: his foes, and six times had his men been beaten
- 22:29Speaker 1: and driven into flight. At last his army was scattered,
- 22:33Speaker 1: and he was forced to hide himself in the woods
- 22:36Speaker 1: and in lonely places among the mountains. One rainy day,
- 22:40Speaker 1: Bruce lay on the ground under a rude shed, listening
- 22:44Speaker 1: to the patter of the drops on the roof above him.
- 22:47Speaker 1: He was tired and sick at heart, and ready to
- 22:49Speaker 1: give up all hope. It seemed to him that there
- 22:52Speaker 1: was no use for him to try to do anything more.
- 22:56Speaker 1: As he lay thinking, he saw a spider over his head,
- 22:59Speaker 1: making ready to weave her web. He watched her as
- 23:03Speaker 1: she toiled slowly and with great care. Six times she
- 23:07Speaker 1: tried to throw her frail thread from one beam to another,
- 23:10Speaker 1: and six times it fell short. Poor thing, said Bruce,
- 23:16Speaker 1: you too know what it is to fail. But the
- 23:19Speaker 1: spider did not lose hope with the sixth failure. With
- 23:22Speaker 1: still more care, she made ready to try for the
- 23:25Speaker 1: seventh time. Bruce almost forgot his own troubles as he
- 23:29Speaker 1: watched her swing herself out upon the slender line. Would
- 23:33Speaker 1: she fail again? No? The thread was carried safely to
- 23:37Speaker 1: the beam and fastened there. I too will try a
- 23:42Speaker 1: seventh time, cried Bruce. He arose and called his men together.
- 23:47Speaker 1: He told them of his plans, and sent them out
- 23:50Speaker 1: with messages of cheer to his disheartened people. Soon there
- 23:54Speaker 1: was an army of brave scotchmen around him. Another battles fought,
- 23:59Speaker 1: and the King of een England was glad to go
- 24:01Speaker 1: back into his own country. I have heard it said
- 24:05Speaker 1: that after that day, no one by the name of
- 24:08Speaker 1: Bruce would ever hurt a spider. The lesson which the
- 24:12Speaker 1: little creature had taught the king was never forgotten Kasabianca.
- 24:19Speaker 1: There was once a great battle at sea. One could
- 24:21Speaker 1: hear nothing but the roar of the big guns. The
- 24:24Speaker 1: air was filled with black smoke. The water was strewn
- 24:27Speaker 1: with broken masts and pieces of timber which the cannon
- 24:30Speaker 1: balls had knocked from the ships. Many men had been killed,
- 24:34Speaker 1: and many more had been wounded. The flagship had taken fire.
- 24:39Speaker 1: The flames were breaking out from below. The deck was
- 24:42Speaker 1: all ablaze. The men who were left alive made haste
- 24:45Speaker 1: to launch a small boat. They leaped into it and
- 24:49Speaker 1: rowed swiftly away. Any other place was safer now than
- 24:52Speaker 1: on board of that burning ship. There was powder in
- 24:55Speaker 1: the hold, But the captain's sung. Young Kasabianca still stood
- 25:00Speaker 1: upon the deck. The flames were almost all around him now,
- 25:05Speaker 1: and he would not stir from his post. His father
- 25:08Speaker 1: had bidden him stand there, and he had been taught
- 25:10Speaker 1: always to obey. He trusted in his father's word, and
- 25:15Speaker 1: believed that when the right time came, he would tell
- 25:17Speaker 1: him to go. He saw the men leap into the boat,
- 25:21Speaker 1: he heard them call to him to come. He shook
- 25:24Speaker 1: his head. When father bids me, I will go, he said.
- 25:29Speaker 1: And now the flames were leaping up the masts. The
- 25:32Speaker 1: sails were all ablaze. The fire blew hot upon his cheek,
- 25:36Speaker 1: It scorched his hair. It was before him, behind him,
- 25:40Speaker 1: all around him. O, father, he cried, May I not
- 25:44Speaker 1: go now? The men have all left the ship. Is
- 25:48Speaker 1: it not time that we two should leave it? He
- 25:51Speaker 1: did not know that his father was lying in the
- 25:53Speaker 1: burning cabin below, that a cannon ball had struck him
- 25:57Speaker 1: dead at the very beginning of the fight. He listen
- 26:00Speaker 1: to hear the answer, speak louder, father, he cried, I
- 26:05Speaker 1: cannot hear what you say above the roaring of the flames,
- 26:09Speaker 1: above the crashing of the falling spars, above the booming
- 26:12Speaker 1: of the gulls. He fancied that his father's voice came
- 26:15Speaker 1: faintly to him through the scorching air. I am here, Father,
- 26:20Speaker 1: speak once again, he gasped. But what is that? A
- 26:25Speaker 1: great flash of light fills the air. Clouds of smoke
- 26:28Speaker 1: shoot quickly upward to the sky, and boom, Oh, what
- 26:35Speaker 1: a terrific sound. Louder than thunder, louder than the roar
- 26:39Speaker 1: of all the guns. The air quivers, the sea itself trembles,
- 26:43Speaker 1: The sky is black, the blazing ship is seen no more,
- 26:49Speaker 1: there was powder in the hold. A long time ago,
- 26:53Speaker 1: a lady whose name was missus Hemans wrote a poem
- 26:57Speaker 1: about this brave boy, Casabianca. It is not a very
- 27:01Speaker 1: well written poem, and yet everybody has read it, and
- 27:04Speaker 1: thousands of people have learned it by heart. I doubt
- 27:07Speaker 1: not but that some day you too will read it.
- 27:11Speaker 1: It begins in this way. The boy stood on the
- 27:15Speaker 1: burning deck, whence all but him had fled. The flame
- 27:19Speaker 1: that lit the battle's wreck shone round him o'er the dead.
- 27:23Speaker 1: Yet beautiful and bright he stood, as born to rule
- 27:27Speaker 1: the storm, a creature of heroic blood, a proud though
- 27:31Speaker 1: childlike form Cornelia's jewels. It was a bright morning in
- 27:38Speaker 1: the old city of Rome, many hundred years ago, in
- 27:41Speaker 1: a vine covered summer house in a beautiful garden, two
- 27:44Speaker 1: boys were standing. They were looking at their mother and
- 27:48Speaker 1: her friend, who were talking among the flowers in trees.
- 27:52Speaker 1: Did you ever see so handsome a lady as our
- 27:54Speaker 1: mother's friend asked the younger boy, holding his tall brother's hand.
- 27:59Speaker 1: She looks like a queen. Yet she is not so
- 28:02Speaker 1: beautiful as our mother, said the older boy. She has
- 28:06Speaker 1: a fine dress, it is true, but her face is
- 28:09Speaker 1: not noble and kind. It is our mother who is
- 28:12Speaker 1: like a queen, that is true, said the other. There
- 28:17Speaker 1: is no woman in Rome so much like a queen
- 28:19Speaker 1: as our own dear mother. Soon, Cornelia, their mother, came
- 28:24Speaker 1: down the walk to speak with them. She was simply
- 28:27Speaker 1: dressed in a plain white robe. Her arms and feet
- 28:30Speaker 1: were bare, as was the custom in those days, and
- 28:34Speaker 1: no rings nor chains glittered about her hands and neck
- 28:38Speaker 1: for her only crown. Long braids of soft brown hair
- 28:42Speaker 1: were coiled about her head, and a tender smile lit
- 28:46Speaker 1: up her noble face. As she looked into her son's
- 28:49Speaker 1: proud eyes. Boys, she said, I have something to tell you.
- 28:55Speaker 1: They bowed before her, as Roman lads were taught to do,
- 28:58Speaker 1: and said, what is it. Mother? You are to dine
- 29:02Speaker 1: with us today here in the garden, and then our
- 29:05Speaker 1: friend is going to show us that wonderful casket of
- 29:08Speaker 1: jewels of which you have heard so much. The brothers
- 29:11Speaker 1: looked shyly at their mother's friend. Was it possible that
- 29:15Speaker 1: she had still other rings besides those on her fingers?
- 29:19Speaker 1: Could she have other gems besides those which sparkled in
- 29:22Speaker 1: the chains about her neck? When the simple outdoor meal
- 29:26Speaker 1: was over, a servant brought the casket from the house.
- 29:30Speaker 1: The lady opened it. Ah, how those jewels dazzled the
- 29:34Speaker 1: eyes of the wondering boys. There were ropes of pearls
- 29:38Speaker 1: white as milk and smooth as satin, heaps of shining
- 29:41Speaker 1: rubies red as the glowing coals, sapphires as blue as
- 29:46Speaker 1: the sky that summer day, and diamonds that flashed and
- 29:50Speaker 1: sparkled like the sunlight. The brothers looked long at the gems. Ah,
- 29:55Speaker 1: whispered the younger, if our mother could only have such
- 29:59Speaker 1: beautiful things. At last, however, the casket was closed and
- 30:05Speaker 1: carried carefully away. Is it true, Cornelia, that you have
- 30:10Speaker 1: no jewels, asked her friend. Is it true, as I
- 30:14Speaker 1: have heard it whispered, that you are poor? No I
- 30:17Speaker 1: am not poor, answered Cornelia, And as she spoke, she
- 30:21Speaker 1: drew her two boys to her side. For here are
- 30:25Speaker 1: my jewels. They are worth more than all your gems.
- 30:29Speaker 1: I am sure that the boys never forgot their mother's
- 30:32Speaker 1: pride and love and care. And in after years, when
- 30:36Speaker 1: they had become great men in Rome, they often thought
- 30:39Speaker 1: of this scene in the garden, And the world still
- 30:42Speaker 1: likes to hear the story of Cornelia's jewels, Damon and Pythius.
- 30:49Speaker 1: A young man whose name was Pytheus had done something
- 30:52Speaker 1: which the tyrant Dionysius did not like. For this offense,
- 30:56Speaker 1: he was dragged to prison, and a day was set
- 30:59Speaker 1: when he should be put to death. His home was
- 31:02Speaker 1: far away, and he wanted very much to see his
- 31:04Speaker 1: father and mother and friends before he died. Only give
- 31:09Speaker 1: me leave to go home and say good bye to
- 31:11Speaker 1: those whom I love, he said, and then I will
- 31:14Speaker 1: come back and give up my life. The tyrant laughed
- 31:17Speaker 1: at him. How can I know that you will keep
- 31:20Speaker 1: your promise, he said, you only want to cheat me
- 31:23Speaker 1: and save yourself. Then a young man whose name was
- 31:27Speaker 1: Damon spoke and said, O, King put me in prison
- 31:31Speaker 1: in place of my friend Pytheus, and let him go
- 31:34Speaker 1: to his own country to put his affairs in order
- 31:37Speaker 1: and to bid his friends farewell. I know that he
- 31:40Speaker 1: will come back as he promised, for he is a
- 31:43Speaker 1: man who has never broken his word. But if he
- 31:46Speaker 1: is not here on the day which you have set,
- 31:48Speaker 1: then I will die in his stead. The tyrant was
- 31:52Speaker 1: surprised that anybody should make such an offer. At last,
- 31:56Speaker 1: he agreed to let Pytheus go and gave orders that
- 31:59Speaker 1: the young man and should be shut up in prison.
- 32:02Speaker 1: Time passed and by and bye. The day drew near,
- 32:05Speaker 1: which had been set for Pytheas to die, and he
- 32:08Speaker 1: had not come back. The tyrant ordered the jailer to
- 32:11Speaker 1: keep close watch upon Damon and not let him escape,
- 32:15Speaker 1: but Damon did not try to escape. He still had
- 32:18Speaker 1: faith in the truth and honor of his friend. He said,
- 32:22Speaker 1: if Pytheus does not come back in time, it will
- 32:26Speaker 1: not be his fault. It will be because he is
- 32:28Speaker 1: hindered against his will. At last, the day came, and
- 32:33Speaker 1: then the very hour Damon was ready to die. His
- 32:38Speaker 1: trust in his friend was as firm as ever, and
- 32:41Speaker 1: he said that he did not grieve at having to
- 32:43Speaker 1: suffer for one whom he loved so much. Then the
- 32:46Speaker 1: jailer came and led him to his death. But at
- 32:49Speaker 1: the same moment Pytheus stood in the door. He had
- 32:53Speaker 1: been delayed by storms and shipwreck, and he had feared
- 32:56Speaker 1: that he was too late. He greeted Damon kindly and
- 33:00Speaker 1: then gave himself into the hands of the jailer. He
- 33:03Speaker 1: was happy because he thought that he had come in time,
- 33:06Speaker 1: even though it was at the last moment. The tyrant
- 33:10Speaker 1: was not so bad, but that he could see good
- 33:12Speaker 1: in others. He felt that men who loved and trusted
- 33:16Speaker 1: each other, as did Damon and Pytheus, ought not to
- 33:19Speaker 1: suffer unjustly, and so he set them both free. I
- 33:24Speaker 1: would give all my wealth to have one such friend,
- 33:28Speaker 1: he said Diogenes, the wise Man. At Corinth, in Greece,
- 33:35Speaker 1: there lived a very wise man whose name was Diogenes.
- 33:38Speaker 1: Men came from all parts of the land to see
- 33:41Speaker 1: him and hear him talk. But wise as he was,
- 33:44Speaker 1: he had some very queer ways. He did not believe
- 33:47Speaker 1: that any man ought to have more things than he
- 33:49Speaker 1: really needed, and he said that no man needed much.
- 33:53Speaker 1: And so he did not live in a house, but
- 33:55Speaker 1: slept in a tub or barrel, which he rolled about
- 33:58Speaker 1: from place to place. He spent his days sitting in
- 34:02Speaker 1: the sun and saying wise things to those who are
- 34:05Speaker 1: around him. At noon, one day, Diogenes was seen walking
- 34:09Speaker 1: through the streets with a lighted lantern and looking all
- 34:12Speaker 1: around as if in search of something. Why do you
- 34:16Speaker 1: carry a lantern when the sun is shining, some one said,
- 34:20Speaker 1: I am looking for an honest man, answered Diogenes. When
- 34:24Speaker 1: Alexander the Great went to Corinth, all the foremost men
- 34:28Speaker 1: in the city came out to see him and to
- 34:29Speaker 1: praise him. But Diogenes did not come, and he was
- 34:33Speaker 1: the only man for whose opinions Alexander cared. And so
- 34:38Speaker 1: since the wise man would not come to see the king,
- 34:41Speaker 1: the king went to see the wise man. He found
- 34:44Speaker 1: Diogenes in an out of the way place, lying on
- 34:47Speaker 1: the ground by his tub. He was enjoying the heat
- 34:50Speaker 1: and the light of the sun. When he saw the
- 34:53Speaker 1: king and a great many people coming, He sat up
- 34:55Speaker 1: and looked at Alexander. Alexander greeted him and said, Diogenes,
- 35:01Speaker 1: I have heard a great deal about your wisdom. Is
- 35:04Speaker 1: there anything that I can do for you? Yes, said Diogenes.
- 35:08Speaker 1: You can stand a little on one side, so as
- 35:11Speaker 1: not to keep the sunshine from me. This answer was
- 35:14Speaker 1: so different from what he expected that the King was
- 35:17Speaker 1: much surprised, but it did not make him angry. It
- 35:20Speaker 1: only made him admire the strange man all the more.
- 35:24Speaker 1: When he turned to ride back, he said to his officers,
- 35:27Speaker 1: say what you will. If I were not Alexander, I
- 35:31Speaker 1: would like to be Diogenes doctor Goldsmith. There was once
- 35:37Speaker 1: a kind man whose name was Oliver Goldsmith. He wrote
- 35:40Speaker 1: many delightful books, some of which you will read when
- 35:43Speaker 1: you are older. He had a gentle heart. He was
- 35:46Speaker 1: always ready to help others and to share with them
- 35:49Speaker 1: anything that he had. He gave away so much to
- 35:52Speaker 1: the poor that he was always poor himself. He was
- 35:55Speaker 1: sometimes called doctor Goldsmith, for he had studied to be
- 35:59Speaker 1: a physician. One day, a poor woman asked doctor Goldsmith
- 36:03Speaker 1: to go and see her husband, who was sick and
- 36:06Speaker 1: could not eat. Goldsmith did so. He found that the
- 36:10Speaker 1: family was in great need. The man had not had
- 36:12Speaker 1: work for a long time. He was not sick, but
- 36:16Speaker 1: in distress. And as for eating, there was no food
- 36:19Speaker 1: in the house. Call in my room this evening, said
- 36:22Speaker 1: Goldsmith to the woman, and I will give you some
- 36:25Speaker 1: medicine for your husband. In the evening the woman called
- 36:29Speaker 1: Goldsmith gave her a little paper box that was very heavy.
- 36:34Speaker 1: Here is the medicine, he said, Use it faithfully, and
- 36:37Speaker 1: I think it will do your husband a great deal
- 36:39Speaker 1: of good. But don't open the box until you reach home.
- 36:43Speaker 1: What are the directions for taking it, asked the woman.
- 36:47Speaker 1: You will find them inside of the box, he answered.
- 36:50Speaker 1: When the woman reached her home, she sat down by
- 36:52Speaker 1: her husband's side, and they opened the box. What do
- 36:56Speaker 1: you think they found in it? It was full of
- 36:59Speaker 1: pieces of money, and on the top were the directions
- 37:03Speaker 1: to be taken as often as necessity requires. Goldsmith had
- 37:08Speaker 1: given them all the ready money that he had. George
- 37:13Speaker 1: Washington and his hatchet. When George Washington was quite a
- 37:17Speaker 1: little boy, his father gave him a hatchet. It was
- 37:21Speaker 1: bright and new, and George took great delight in going
- 37:24Speaker 1: about and chopping things with it. He ran into the garden,
- 37:28Speaker 1: and there he saw a tree which seemed to say
- 37:30Speaker 1: to him, come and cut me down. George had often
- 37:34Speaker 1: seen his father's men chop down the great trees in
- 37:37Speaker 1: the forest, and he thought that it would be fine
- 37:39Speaker 1: sport to see this tree fall with a crash to
- 37:41Speaker 1: the ground. So he set to work with his little hatchet,
- 37:45Speaker 1: and as the tree was a very small one, it
- 37:48Speaker 1: did not take long to lay it low. Soon after
- 37:51Speaker 1: that his father came home. Who has been cutting my
- 37:55Speaker 1: fine young cherry tree? He cried. It was the only
- 37:59Speaker 1: tree of its kind in this country, and it cost
- 38:02Speaker 1: me a great deal of money. He was very angry
- 38:06Speaker 1: when he came into the house. If I only knew
- 38:09Speaker 1: who killed that cherry tree, he cried, I would, Yes,
- 38:14Speaker 1: I would. Father cried little George, I will tell you
- 38:19Speaker 1: the truth about it. I chopped the tree down with
- 38:22Speaker 1: my hatchet. His father forgot his anger, George, he said,
- 38:29Speaker 1: and he took the little fellow in his arms. George,
- 38:32Speaker 1: I am glad that you told me about it. I
- 38:35Speaker 1: would rather lose a dozen cherry trees than that you
- 38:38Speaker 1: should tell one falsehood. Grace Darling. It was a dark
- 38:44Speaker 1: September morning. There was a storm at sea. A ship
- 38:48Speaker 1: had been driven on low rock off the shores of
- 38:51Speaker 1: the Farn Islands. It had been broken in two by
- 38:54Speaker 1: the waves, and half of it had been washed away.
- 38:57Speaker 1: The other half lay yet on the rock, and those
- 39:00Speaker 1: of the crew who were still alive were clinging to it.
- 39:03Speaker 1: But the waves were dashing over it, and in a
- 39:06Speaker 1: little while it too would be carried to the bottom.
- 39:10Speaker 1: Could any one save the poor half drowned men who
- 39:13Speaker 1: were there. On one of the islands was a lighthouse,
- 39:17Speaker 1: and there all through that stormy night, Grace Darling had
- 39:21Speaker 1: listened to the storm. Grace was the daughter of the
- 39:24Speaker 1: lighthouse keeper and she had lived by the sea as
- 39:27Speaker 1: long as she could remember. In the darkness of the night,
- 39:31Speaker 1: above the noise of the winds and waves, she heard
- 39:34Speaker 1: the screams and wild cries. When daylight came, she could
- 39:38Speaker 1: see the wreck a mile away, with the angry waters
- 39:42Speaker 1: all around it. She could see the men clinging to
- 39:45Speaker 1: the masts. We must try to save them, she cried.
- 39:50Speaker 1: Let us go out in the boat at once. It
- 39:53Speaker 1: is of no use, Grace, said her father. We cannot
- 39:56Speaker 1: reach them. He was an old man and he knew
- 40:00Speaker 1: the force of the mighty waves. We cannot stay here
- 40:04Speaker 1: and see them die, said Grace. We must at least
- 40:07Speaker 1: try to save them. Her father could not say no.
- 40:11Speaker 1: In a few minutes they were ready. They set off
- 40:14Speaker 1: in the heavy lighthouse boat. Grace pulled one oar and
- 40:18Speaker 1: her father the other, and they made straight toward the wreck.
- 40:22Speaker 1: But it was hard rowing against such a sea, and
- 40:24Speaker 1: it seemed as though they would never reach the place.
- 40:27Speaker 1: At last they were close to the rock, and now
- 40:30Speaker 1: they were in greater danger than before. The fierce waves
- 40:34Speaker 1: broke against the boat, and it would have been dashed
- 40:36Speaker 1: in pieces had it not been for the strength and
- 40:39Speaker 1: skill of the brave girl. But after many trials, Grace's
- 40:44Speaker 1: father climbed upon the wreck, while Grace herself held the boat.
- 40:48Speaker 1: Then one by one the worn out crew were helped
- 40:51Speaker 1: on board. It was all that the girl could do
- 40:53Speaker 1: to keep the frail boat from being drifted away or
- 40:56Speaker 1: broken upon the sharp edges of the rock. Then her
- 41:00Speaker 1: father clambered back into his place. Strong hands grasped the oars,
- 41:05Speaker 1: and by and by all were safe in the lighthouse.
- 41:09Speaker 1: There Grace proved to be no less tender as a
- 41:12Speaker 1: nurse than she had been brave as a sailor. She
- 41:15Speaker 1: cared most kindly for the shipwrecked men until the storm
- 41:19Speaker 1: had died away and they were strong enough to go
- 41:21Speaker 1: to their own homes. All this happened a long time ago,
- 41:26Speaker 1: but the name of Grace Darling will never be forgotten.
- 41:30Speaker 1: She lies buried now in a little churchyard by the sea,
- 41:34Speaker 1: not far from her old home. Every year many people
- 41:37Speaker 1: go there to see her grave, and there a monument
- 41:41Speaker 1: has been placed in the honor of the brave girl.
- 41:44Speaker 1: It is not a large monument, but it is one
- 41:46Speaker 1: that speaks of the noble deed which made Grace Darling famous.
- 41:51Speaker 1: It is a figure carved in the stone of a
- 41:53Speaker 1: woman lying at rest with a boat's oar held fast
- 41:57Speaker 1: in her right hand, spacious at the bridge. Once there
- 42:03Speaker 1: was a war between the Roman people and the Etruscans
- 42:05Speaker 1: who lived in the towns on the other side of
- 42:07Speaker 1: the Tiber River. Porcina, the king of the Etruscans, raised
- 42:12Speaker 1: a great army and marched toward Rome. The city had
- 42:16Speaker 1: never been in so great danger. The Romans did not
- 42:19Speaker 1: have very many fighting men at that time, and they
- 42:22Speaker 1: knew that they were not strong enough to meet the
- 42:24Speaker 1: Etruscans in open battle, so they kept themselves in sight
- 42:28Speaker 1: of their walls and set guards to watch the roads.
- 42:32Speaker 1: One morning, the army of Porcina was seen coming over
- 42:34Speaker 1: the hills from the north. There were thousands of horsemen
- 42:38Speaker 1: and footmen, and they were marching straight toward the wooden
- 42:40Speaker 1: bridge which spanned the river at Rome. What shall we do,
- 42:45Speaker 1: said the white haired fathers who made the laws for
- 42:48Speaker 1: the Roman people. If they once get the bridge, we
- 42:52Speaker 1: cannot hinder them from crossing, and then what hope will
- 42:55Speaker 1: there be for the town. Now among the guards of
- 42:58Speaker 1: the bridge there was a brave man named Horatius. He
- 43:02Speaker 1: was on the farther side of the river, and when
- 43:04Speaker 1: he saw that the Etruscans were so near, he called
- 43:07Speaker 1: out the Romans who were behind him. Hew down the
- 43:11Speaker 1: bridge with all the speed that you can, he cried, Ay,
- 43:15Speaker 1: with the two men who stand by me, will keep
- 43:17Speaker 1: the foe at bay. Then, with their shields before them
- 43:21Speaker 1: and their long spears in their hands, the three brave
- 43:24Speaker 1: men stood in the road and kept back the horsemen
- 43:27Speaker 1: whom Porcina had sent to take the bridge. On the bridge,
- 43:31Speaker 1: the Romans hewed away at the beams impost. Their axes rang,
- 43:35Speaker 1: the chips flew fast, and soon it trembled and was
- 43:39Speaker 1: ready to fall. Come back, Come back and save your lives,
- 43:44Speaker 1: they cried to Horatius and the two who were with him.
- 43:48Speaker 1: But just then Porcina's horsemen dashed toward them again. Run
- 43:52Speaker 1: for your lives, said Horatius to his friends, I will
- 43:56Speaker 1: keep the road. They turned and ran back across the bridge.
- 44:01Speaker 1: They had hardly reached the other side when there was
- 44:03Speaker 1: a crashing of beams and timbers. The bridge toppled over
- 44:07Speaker 1: to one side and then fell with a great splash
- 44:10Speaker 1: into the water. When Horatius heard the sound, he knew
- 44:15Speaker 1: that the city was safe. With his face still toward
- 44:18Speaker 1: Prosina's men, he moved slowly backward till he stood on
- 44:22Speaker 1: the river's bank. A dart thrown by one of Porcina's
- 44:26Speaker 1: soldiers put out his left eye, but he did not falter.
- 44:30Speaker 1: He cast his spear at the foremost horseman, and then
- 44:33Speaker 1: he turned quickly around. He saw the white porch of
- 44:37Speaker 1: his own home among the trees on the other side
- 44:39Speaker 1: of the stream, and he spake to the noble river
- 44:42Speaker 1: that rolls by the walls of Rome, Old Tiber, Father Tiber,
- 44:47Speaker 1: to whom the Romans prey, a Roman's life, a Roman's arms,
- 44:52Speaker 1: Take thou in charge today. He leaped into the deep,
- 44:56Speaker 1: swift stream. He still had his heavy armor on, and
- 45:00Speaker 1: when he sank out of sight, no one thought he
- 45:02Speaker 1: would ever be seen again. But he was a strong
- 45:06Speaker 1: man and the best swimmer in Rome. The next minute
- 45:09Speaker 1: he rose, he was half way across the river, and
- 45:12Speaker 1: save from the spears and darts which Porcina's soldiers hurled
- 45:15Speaker 1: after him, soon he reached the farther side, where his
- 45:20Speaker 1: friends stood ready to help him. Shout after shout greeted
- 45:24Speaker 1: him as he climbed upon the bank. Then Porcina's men
- 45:27Speaker 1: shouted also, for they had never seen a man so
- 45:30Speaker 1: brave and strong as Horatious. He had kept them out
- 45:34Speaker 1: of Rome, but he had done a deed which they
- 45:36Speaker 1: could not help but praise. As for the Romans, they
- 45:41Speaker 1: were very grateful to Horatious for having saved their city.
- 45:44Speaker 1: They called him Horatious Cocles, which meant the one eyed Horatious,
- 45:50Speaker 1: because he had lost an eye in defending the bridge.
- 45:54Speaker 1: They caused a fine statue of brass to be made
- 45:56Speaker 1: in his honor, and they gave him as much land
- 45:59Speaker 1: as he could play around in a day. And for
- 46:02Speaker 1: thousands of years afterwards, with weeping and with laughter, still
- 46:08Speaker 1: was the story told, how well Horatius kept the bridge,
- 46:11Speaker 1: and the brave days of old, how Napoleon crossed the Alps.
- 46:18Speaker 1: About a hundred years ago there lived a great general
- 46:21Speaker 1: whose name was Napoleon Bonaparte. He was the leader of
- 46:24Speaker 1: the French army, and France was at war with nearly
- 46:27Speaker 1: all the countries around. He wanted very much to take
- 46:31Speaker 1: his soldiers to Italy. But between France and Italy there
- 46:34Speaker 1: were high mountains called the Alps, the tops of which
- 46:37Speaker 1: are covered with snow. Is it possible to cross the Alps,
- 46:42Speaker 1: said Napoleon. The men who had just been sent out
- 46:45Speaker 1: to look at the passes over the mountains shook their heads.
- 46:49Speaker 1: Then one of them said, it may be possible, but
- 46:54Speaker 1: let me hear no more, said Napoleon forward to Italy
- 47:00Speaker 1: at the thought of an army of sixty thousand men
- 47:02Speaker 1: crossing the Alps where there was no road. But Napoleon
- 47:06Speaker 1: waited only to see that everything was in good order,
- 47:09Speaker 1: and then he gave the order to march. The long
- 47:12Speaker 1: line of soldiers and horses and cannons stretched for twenty miles.
- 47:17Speaker 1: When they came to a steep place where there seemed
- 47:19Speaker 1: to be no way to go farther, the trumpet sounded charge.
- 47:24Speaker 1: Then every man did his best, and the whole army
- 47:27Speaker 1: moved right onward. Soon they were safe over the Alps.
- 47:30Speaker 1: In four days they were marching on the plains of Italy.
- 47:34Speaker 1: The man who has made up his mind to win,
- 47:37Speaker 1: said Napoleon, will never say impossible. Julius Caesar. Nearly two
- 47:45Speaker 1: thousand years ago there lived in Rome a man whose
- 47:48Speaker 1: name was Julius Caesar. He was the greatest of all
- 47:51Speaker 1: the Romans. Why was he so great? He was a
- 47:55Speaker 1: brave warrior and had conquered many countries for Rome. He
- 47:59Speaker 1: was eyes in planning and in doing. He knew how
- 48:03Speaker 1: to make men both love and fear him. At last,
- 48:06Speaker 1: he made himself the ruler of Rome. Some said that
- 48:10Speaker 1: he wished to become its king, but the Romans at
- 48:12Speaker 1: that time did not believe in kings. Once, when Caesar
- 48:17Speaker 1: was passing through a little country village, all the men,
- 48:20Speaker 1: women and children of the place came out to see him.
- 48:23Speaker 1: There were not more than fifty of them altogether, and
- 48:26Speaker 1: they were led by their mayor, who told each one
- 48:29Speaker 1: what to do. These simple people stood by the roadside
- 48:33Speaker 1: and watched Caesar pass. The mayor looked very proud and happy,
- 48:37Speaker 1: for was he not the ruler of this village. He
- 48:40Speaker 1: felt that he was almost as great a man as
- 48:42Speaker 1: Caesar himself. Some of the fine officers who were with
- 48:47Speaker 1: Caesar laughed. They said, see how that fellow struts at
- 48:51Speaker 1: the head of his little flock. Laugh as you will,
- 48:55Speaker 1: said Caesar, he has reason to be proud. I would
- 48:59Speaker 1: rather be the head man of a village than the
- 49:01Speaker 1: second man in Rome. At another time, Caesar was crossing
- 49:06Speaker 1: a narrow sea in a boat, Before he was half
- 49:08Speaker 1: way to the farther shore, a storm overtook him. The
- 49:12Speaker 1: wind blew hard, the waves clashed high, the lightning flashed,
- 49:17Speaker 1: the thunder rolled. It seemed every minute as though the
- 49:20Speaker 1: boat would sink. The captain was in great fright. He
- 49:25Speaker 1: had crossed the sea many times, but never in such
- 49:28Speaker 1: a storm as this. He trembled with fear. He could
- 49:31Speaker 1: not guide the boat. He fell down upon his knees.
- 49:35Speaker 1: He moaned, all is lost, all is lost. But Caesar
- 49:41Speaker 1: was not afraid. He bade the man get up and
- 49:44Speaker 1: take his oars again. Why should you be afraid, he said,
- 49:48Speaker 1: The boat will not be lost, for you have Caesar
- 49:51Speaker 1: on board. King Alfred and the beggar. At one time
- 49:56Speaker 1: the Danes drove King Alfred from his kingdom, and he
- 49:59Speaker 1: had to lie hidden for a long time on a
- 50:02Speaker 1: little island in a river. One day, all who were
- 50:06Speaker 1: on the island except the king and queen and one servant,
- 50:10Speaker 1: went out to fish. It was a very lonely place,
- 50:13Speaker 1: and no one could get to it except by boat.
- 50:16Speaker 1: About noon, a ragged beggar came to the king's door
- 50:20Speaker 1: and asked for food. The king called the servant and
- 50:23Speaker 1: asked how much food have we in the house, my lord,
- 50:28Speaker 1: said the servant, We have only one loaf and a
- 50:30Speaker 1: little wine. Then the King gave thanks to God and said,
- 50:35Speaker 1: give half of the loaf and half of the wine
- 50:37Speaker 1: to this poor man. The servant did as he was bidden.
- 50:42Speaker 1: The beggar thanked the king for his kindness and went
- 50:45Speaker 1: on his way. In the afternoon, the men who had
- 50:48Speaker 1: gone out to fish came back. They had three boats
- 50:51Speaker 1: full of fish, and they said, we have caught more
- 50:55Speaker 1: fish to day than in all the other days that
- 50:58Speaker 1: we have been on this island. The king was glad,
- 51:01Speaker 1: and he and his people were more hopeful than they
- 51:04Speaker 1: had ever been before. When night came, the king lay
- 51:08Speaker 1: awake for a long time and thought about the things
- 51:11Speaker 1: that had happened that day. At last he fancied that
- 51:14Speaker 1: he saw a great light like the sun, and in
- 51:17Speaker 1: the midst of the light there stood an old man
- 51:20Speaker 1: with black care, holding an open book in his hand.
- 51:24Speaker 1: It may all have been a dream, and yet to
- 51:27Speaker 1: the king it seemed very real. Indeed, he looked and wondered,
- 51:33Speaker 1: but was not afraid. Who are you, he asked of
- 51:37Speaker 1: the old man, Alfred, my son be brave, said the man,
- 51:43Speaker 1: for I am the one to whom you gave this
- 51:46Speaker 1: day the half of all the food that you had.
- 51:49Speaker 1: Be strong and joyful of heart, and listen to what
- 51:52Speaker 1: I say. Rise up early in the morning, and blow
- 51:56Speaker 1: your horn three times, so loudly that the Danes may
- 51:59Speaker 1: hear it. By nine o'clock five hundred men will be
- 52:03Speaker 1: around you, ready to be led into battle. Go forth bravely,
- 52:08Speaker 1: and within seven days your enemies shall be beaten, and
- 52:12Speaker 1: you shall go back to your kingdom to reign in peace.
- 52:16Speaker 1: Then the light went out, and the man was seen
- 52:19Speaker 1: no more. In the morning, the king arose early and
- 52:24Speaker 1: crossed over to the mainland. Then he blew his horn
- 52:27Speaker 1: three times, very loudly, and when his friends heard it,
- 52:31Speaker 1: they were glad, but the Danes were filled with fear.
- 52:36Speaker 1: At nine o'clock, five hundred of his bravest soldiers stood
- 52:40Speaker 1: around him, ready for battle. He spoke and told them
- 52:43Speaker 1: what he had seen and heard in his dream, And
- 52:46Speaker 1: when he had finished, they all cheered loudly and said
- 52:50Speaker 1: that they would follow him and fight for him so
- 52:53Speaker 1: long as they had strength. So they went out bravely
- 52:57Speaker 1: to battle, and they beat the Danes and drove them
- 53:00Speaker 1: back to their own place, and King Alfred ruled wisely
- 53:04Speaker 1: and well over all his people for the rest of
- 53:07Speaker 1: his days. King Alfred and the Cakes, many years ago
- 53:14Speaker 1: there lived in England a wife and good king whose
- 53:17Speaker 1: name was Alfred. No other man ever did so much
- 53:20Speaker 1: for his country as he, and people now all over
- 53:24Speaker 1: the world speak of him as Alfred the Great. In
- 53:28Speaker 1: those days, the king did not have a very easy life.
- 53:31Speaker 1: There was war almost all the time, and no one
- 53:34Speaker 1: else could lead his army into battles so well as he,
- 53:38Speaker 1: and so between ruling and fighting he had a busy
- 53:41Speaker 1: time of it. Indeed, a fierce, rude people called the
- 53:46Speaker 1: Danes had come from over the sea and were fighting
- 53:49Speaker 1: the English. There were so many of them, and they
- 53:52Speaker 1: were so bold and strong that for a time they
- 53:55Speaker 1: gained every battle. If they kept on, they would soon
- 53:59Speaker 1: be the masters of the whole country. At last, after
- 54:03Speaker 1: a great battle, the English army was broken up and scattered.
- 54:07Speaker 1: Every man had to save himself in the best way
- 54:10Speaker 1: he could. King Alfred fled alone in great haste through
- 54:14Speaker 1: the woods and swamps. Late in the day, the king
- 54:18Speaker 1: came to the hut of a woodcutter. He was very
- 54:21Speaker 1: tired and hungry, and he begged the woodcutter's wife to
- 54:24Speaker 1: give him something to eat and a place to sleep
- 54:26Speaker 1: in her hut. The woman was baking some cakes upon
- 54:30Speaker 1: the hearth, and she looked with pity upon the poor,
- 54:33Speaker 1: ragged fellow who seemed so hungry. She had no thought
- 54:37Speaker 1: that he was the king. Yes, she said, I will
- 54:41Speaker 1: give you some supper if you will watch these cakes.
- 54:44Speaker 1: I want to go out and milk the cow, and
- 54:46Speaker 1: you must see that they do not burn while I
- 54:48Speaker 1: am gone. King Alfred was very willing to watch the cakes,
- 54:53Speaker 1: but he had far greater things to think about. How
- 54:57Speaker 1: was he going to get his army together again? How
- 55:00Speaker 1: was he going to drive the fierce Danes out of
- 55:02Speaker 1: the land. He forgot his hunger, he forgot the cakes.
- 55:08Speaker 1: He forgot that he was in the woodcutter's hut. His
- 55:11Speaker 1: mind was busy making plans for tomorrow. In a little
- 55:16Speaker 1: while the woman came back. The cakes were smoking on
- 55:20Speaker 1: the hearth. They were burned to a crisp. Ah. How
- 55:25Speaker 1: angry she was, you lazy fellow, she cried, see what
- 55:31Speaker 1: you have done. You want something to eat, but you
- 55:35Speaker 1: do not want to work. I have been told that
- 55:38Speaker 1: she even struck the king with a stick, but I
- 55:42Speaker 1: can hardly believe that she was so ill natured. The
- 55:46Speaker 1: King must have laughed to himself at the thought of
- 55:48Speaker 1: being scolded in this way, and he was so hungry
- 55:51Speaker 1: that he did not mind the woman's angry words half
- 55:54Speaker 1: so much as the loss of the cakes. I do
- 55:58Speaker 1: not know whether he had anything to eat that night,
- 56:01Speaker 1: or whether he had to go to bed without his supper.
- 56:04Speaker 1: But it was not many days until he had gathered
- 56:06Speaker 1: his men together again and had beaten the Danes in
- 56:10Speaker 1: a great battle. King Canut on the sea shore. A
- 56:15Speaker 1: hundred years or more after the time of Alfred the Great,
- 56:18Speaker 1: there was a king of England named Canut. King Canute
- 56:21Speaker 1: was a Dane. But the Danes were not so fierce
- 56:24Speaker 1: and cruel then as they had been when they were
- 56:26Speaker 1: at war with King Alfred. The great men and officers
- 56:30Speaker 1: who were around King Canoot were always praising him. You
- 56:34Speaker 1: are the greatest man that ever lived, one would say,
- 56:38Speaker 1: Then another would say, O King, there can never be
- 56:42Speaker 1: another man so mighty as you, and another would say,
- 56:46Speaker 1: Great Canut, there is nothing in the world that dares
- 56:50Speaker 1: to disobey you. The king was a man of sense,
- 56:54Speaker 1: and he grew very tired of hearing such foolish speeches.
- 56:59Speaker 1: One day he was by the sea shore and his
- 57:01Speaker 1: officers were with him. They were praising him, as they
- 57:04Speaker 1: were in the habit of doing. He thought that now
- 57:07Speaker 1: he would teach them a lesson, and so he bade
- 57:10Speaker 1: them set his chair on the beach, close to the
- 57:13Speaker 1: edge of the water. Am I the greatest man in
- 57:16Speaker 1: the world, he asked, O King, They cried, there is
- 57:21Speaker 1: no one so mighty as you do. All things obey me,
- 57:26Speaker 1: he asked. There is nothing that dares to disobey you,
- 57:30Speaker 1: O King, They said, The world bows down before you
- 57:34Speaker 1: and gives you honor. Will the sea obey me? He asked,
- 57:39Speaker 1: and he looked down at the little waves which were
- 57:41Speaker 1: lapping the sand at his feet. The foolish officers were puzzled,
- 57:46Speaker 1: but they did not dare to say. No, command it,
- 57:50Speaker 1: O King, and it will obey said one see, cried,
- 57:55Speaker 1: canoot I command you to come no farther? Waves, Stop
- 58:00Speaker 1: your rolling, and do not dare to touch my feet.
- 58:04Speaker 1: But the tide came in, just as it always did.
- 58:08Speaker 1: The water rose higher and higher. It came up around
- 58:11Speaker 1: the king's chair and wet, not only his feet, but
- 58:14Speaker 1: also his robe. His officer stood about him, alarmed and
- 58:19Speaker 1: wondering whether he was not mad. Then Canoot took off
- 58:23Speaker 1: his crown and threw it down upon the sand. I
- 58:27Speaker 1: shall never wear it again, he said. And do you,
- 58:31Speaker 1: my men, learn a lesson from what you have seen.
- 58:34Speaker 1: There is only one king who is all powerful, and
- 58:38Speaker 1: it is he who rules the sea and holds the
- 58:41Speaker 1: ocean in the hollow of his hand. It is he
- 58:44Speaker 1: whom you ought to praise and serve above all others.
- 58:50Speaker 1: King John and the Abbot, Part one the Three Questions.
- 58:55Speaker 1: There was once a king of England whose name was John.
- 58:59Speaker 1: He was a bad king king, for he was harsh
- 59:01Speaker 1: and cruel to his people, and so long as he
- 59:04Speaker 1: could have his own way, he did not care what
- 59:06Speaker 1: became of other folks. He was the worst king that
- 59:10Speaker 1: England ever had. Now there was in the town of
- 59:14Speaker 1: Canterbury a rich old abbot who lived in grand style
- 59:17Speaker 1: in a great house called the Abbey. Every day a
- 59:20Speaker 1: hundred noble men sat down with him to dine, and
- 59:24Speaker 1: fifty brave knights in fine velvet coats and gold chains
- 59:28Speaker 1: waited upon him at his table. When King John heard
- 59:31Speaker 1: of the way in which the abbot lived. He made
- 59:34Speaker 1: up his mind to put a stop to it, so
- 59:36Speaker 1: he sent for the old man to come and see him.
- 59:40Speaker 1: How now, my good abbot, he said, I hear that
- 59:44Speaker 1: you keep a far better house than I. How dare
- 59:47Speaker 1: you do such a thing. Don't you know that no
- 59:50Speaker 1: man in the land ought to live better than the king?
- 59:53Speaker 1: And I tell you that no man shall o king,
- 59:57Speaker 1: said the abbot. I beg to say that I am
- 1:00:00Speaker 1: spending nothing but what is my own. I hope that
- 1:00:03Speaker 1: you will not think ill of me for making things
- 1:00:05Speaker 1: pleasant for my friends and the brave knights who are
- 1:00:08Speaker 1: with me. Think ill of you? Said the king. How
- 1:00:12Speaker 1: can I help but think ill of you. All that
- 1:00:15Speaker 1: there is in this broad land is mine by right?
- 1:00:18Speaker 1: And how do you dare to put me to shame
- 1:00:20Speaker 1: by living in grander style than I. One would think
- 1:00:24Speaker 1: that you were trying to be king in my place. Oh,
- 1:00:27Speaker 1: do not say so, said the abbot, For I not
- 1:00:31Speaker 1: another word, cried the King. Your fault is plain, and
- 1:00:35Speaker 1: unless you can answer me three questions, your heads shall
- 1:00:38Speaker 1: be cut off and all your riches shall be mine.
- 1:00:42Speaker 1: I will try to answer them, o King, said the abbot. Well,
- 1:00:46Speaker 1: then said the King. As I sit here with my
- 1:00:49Speaker 1: crown of gold on my head, you must tell me
- 1:00:51Speaker 1: to within a day just how long I shall live. Secondly,
- 1:00:56Speaker 1: you must tell me how soon I shall ride round
- 1:00:58Speaker 1: the whole world. And lastly you shall tell me what
- 1:01:02Speaker 1: I think, O King, said the abbot. These are deep,
- 1:01:07Speaker 1: hard questions, and I cannot answer them just now. But
- 1:01:12Speaker 1: if you will give me two weeks to think about them,
- 1:01:14Speaker 1: I will do the best that I can. Two weeks
- 1:01:18Speaker 1: you shall have, said the king. But if then you
- 1:01:20Speaker 1: fail to answer me, you shall lose your head, and
- 1:01:24Speaker 1: all your lands shall be mine. The abbot went away
- 1:01:28Speaker 1: very sad and in great fear. He first rode to Oxford,
- 1:01:33Speaker 1: here was a great school called a university, and he
- 1:01:36Speaker 1: wanted to see if any of the wise professors could
- 1:01:38Speaker 1: help him. But they shook their heads and said that
- 1:01:41Speaker 1: there was nothing about King John in any of their books.
- 1:01:45Speaker 1: Then the abbot rode down to Cambridge, where there was
- 1:01:48Speaker 1: another university, but not one of the teachers in that
- 1:01:51Speaker 1: great school could help him. At last, sad and sorrowful,
- 1:01:56Speaker 1: he rode toward home to bid his friends and his
- 1:01:59Speaker 1: brave knights could by. For now he had not a
- 1:02:02Speaker 1: week to live, Part two The Three Answers. As the
- 1:02:08Speaker 1: abbot was riding up the lane which led to his
- 1:02:10Speaker 1: grand house, he met his shepherd going to the fields.
- 1:02:14Speaker 1: Welcome home, good master, cried the shepherd. What news do
- 1:02:18Speaker 1: you bring us from Great King John? Sad news. Sad news,
- 1:02:23Speaker 1: said the abbot, and then he told him all that
- 1:02:26Speaker 1: had happened. Cheer up, cheer up, good Master, said the shepherd.
- 1:02:31Speaker 1: Have you never yet heard that a fool may teach
- 1:02:33Speaker 1: a wise man? Wit? I think I can help you
- 1:02:36Speaker 1: out of your trouble. You help me, cried the abbot.
- 1:02:40Speaker 1: How how well, answered the shepherd. You know that everybody
- 1:02:45Speaker 1: says that I look just like you, and that I
- 1:02:48Speaker 1: have sometimes been mistaken for you. So lend me your
- 1:02:51Speaker 1: servants and your horse and your gown, and I will
- 1:02:54Speaker 1: go up to London and see the King. If nothing
- 1:02:57Speaker 1: else can be done, I can at least die in
- 1:03:01Speaker 1: your place. My good shepherd, said the abbot. You are
- 1:03:05Speaker 1: very very kind, and I have a mind to let
- 1:03:08Speaker 1: you try your plan. But if the worst comes to
- 1:03:11Speaker 1: the worst, you shall not die for me. I will
- 1:03:14Speaker 1: die for myself. So the shepherd got ready to go.
- 1:03:18Speaker 1: At once he dressed himself with great care over the
- 1:03:22Speaker 1: shepherd's coat. He threw the abbot's long gown, and he
- 1:03:25Speaker 1: borrowed the abbot's cap and golden staff. When all was ready,
- 1:03:30Speaker 1: no one in the world would have thought that he
- 1:03:31Speaker 1: was not the great man himself. Then he mounted his horse,
- 1:03:35Speaker 1: and with a great train of servants, set out for London.
- 1:03:39Speaker 1: Of course, the king did not know him. Welcome, sir Abbot,
- 1:03:43Speaker 1: he said. It is a good thing that you have
- 1:03:46Speaker 1: come back. But prompt as you are, if you fail
- 1:03:49Speaker 1: to answer my three questions, you shall lose your head.
- 1:03:54Speaker 1: I am ready to answer them, o king, said the shepherd. Indeed, indeed,
- 1:03:59Speaker 1: said the king, and he laughed to himself. Well, then
- 1:04:03Speaker 1: answer my first question. How long shall I live? Come?
- 1:04:07Speaker 1: You must tell me to the very day you shall live,
- 1:04:11Speaker 1: said the shepherd, until the day that you die, and
- 1:04:14Speaker 1: not one day longer. And you shall die when you
- 1:04:17Speaker 1: take your last breath, and not one moment before. The
- 1:04:21Speaker 1: king laughed. You are witty, I see, he said, But
- 1:04:26Speaker 1: we will let that pass and say that your answer
- 1:04:28Speaker 1: is right. And now tell me how soon I may
- 1:04:31Speaker 1: ride round the world. You must rise with the sun,
- 1:04:35Speaker 1: said the shepherd, And you must ride with the sun
- 1:04:38Speaker 1: until it rises again the next morning. As soon as
- 1:04:41Speaker 1: you do that, you will find that you have ridden
- 1:04:43Speaker 1: round the world in twenty four hours. The king laughed again. Indeed,
- 1:04:49Speaker 1: he said, I did not think that it could be
- 1:04:51Speaker 1: done so soon. You are not only witty, but you
- 1:04:54Speaker 1: are wise. And we will let this answer pass. And
- 1:04:58Speaker 1: now comes my third and last. What do I think?
- 1:05:03Speaker 1: That is an easy question? Said the shepherd. You think
- 1:05:06Speaker 1: that I am the abbot of Canterbury, But to tell
- 1:05:09Speaker 1: you the truth, I am only his poor shepherd, and
- 1:05:12Speaker 1: I have come to beg your pardon for him and
- 1:05:14Speaker 1: for me. And with that he threw off his long gown.
- 1:05:19Speaker 1: The King laughed loud and long. A merry fellow you are,
- 1:05:23Speaker 1: said he, and you shall be the abbot of Canterbury
- 1:05:26Speaker 1: in your master's place. O King, that cannot be, said
- 1:05:31Speaker 1: the shepherd, for I can neither read nor write very well. Then,
- 1:05:36Speaker 1: said the King, I will give you something else to
- 1:05:39Speaker 1: pay you for this merry joke. I will give you
- 1:05:41Speaker 1: four pieces of silver every week as long as you live,
- 1:05:45Speaker 1: and when you get home you may tell the old
- 1:05:48Speaker 1: abbot that you have brought him a free pardon from
- 1:05:50Speaker 1: King John Maximilian and the goose Boy. One summer day,
- 1:05:57Speaker 1: King Maximilian of Bavaria was walking in the country. The
- 1:06:01Speaker 1: sun shone hot, and he stopped under a tree to rest.
- 1:06:05Speaker 1: It was very pleasant in the cool shade. The king
- 1:06:08Speaker 1: lay down on the soft grass and looked up at
- 1:06:10Speaker 1: the white cloud sailing across the sky. Then he took
- 1:06:14Speaker 1: a little book from his pocket and tried to read.
- 1:06:17Speaker 1: But the king could not keep his mind on his book.
- 1:06:20Speaker 1: Soon his eyes closed and he was fast asleep. It
- 1:06:24Speaker 1: was past noon when he awoke. He got up from
- 1:06:27Speaker 1: his grassy bed and looked around. Then he took his
- 1:06:30Speaker 1: cane in his hand and started for home. When he
- 1:06:34Speaker 1: had walked a mile or more, he happened to think
- 1:06:36Speaker 1: of his book. He felt for it in his pocket.
- 1:06:39Speaker 1: It was not there. He had left it under the tree.
- 1:06:44Speaker 1: The king was already quite tired, and he did not
- 1:06:47Speaker 1: like to walk back so far, But he did not
- 1:06:50Speaker 1: wish to lose the book. What should he do if
- 1:06:53Speaker 1: there was only some one to send for it. While
- 1:06:57Speaker 1: he was thinking, he happened to see a little barefooted
- 1:06:59Speaker 1: boy in the open field near the road. He was
- 1:07:02Speaker 1: tending a large flock of geese that were picking the
- 1:07:05Speaker 1: short grass and waiting in a shallow brook. The king
- 1:07:08Speaker 1: went toward the boy. He held a gold piece in
- 1:07:11Speaker 1: his hand. My boy, he said, how would you like
- 1:07:14Speaker 1: to have this piece of money? I would like it,
- 1:07:17Speaker 1: said the boy, but I never hope to have so much.
- 1:07:21Speaker 1: You shall have it if you will run back to
- 1:07:23Speaker 1: the oak tree at the second turning of the road
- 1:07:25Speaker 1: and fetch me the book that I left there. The
- 1:07:28Speaker 1: king thought that the boy would be pleased, but not so.
- 1:07:32Speaker 1: He turned away and said, I am not so silly
- 1:07:35Speaker 1: as you think. What do you mean, said the king,
- 1:07:39Speaker 1: who says that you are silly? Well, said the boy.
- 1:07:43Speaker 1: You think that I am silly enough to believe that
- 1:07:45Speaker 1: you will give me that gold piece for running a
- 1:07:47Speaker 1: mile and fetching you a book. You can't catch me.
- 1:07:52Speaker 1: But if I give it to you now, perhaps you
- 1:07:54Speaker 1: will believe me, said the king, and he put the
- 1:07:57Speaker 1: gold piece in the little fellow's hand. The boy's eyes sparkled,
- 1:08:01Speaker 1: but he did not move. What is the matter now,
- 1:08:05Speaker 1: said the king. Won't you go? The boy said, I
- 1:08:09Speaker 1: would like to go, but I can't leave the geese.
- 1:08:12Speaker 1: They will stray away, and then I shall be blamed
- 1:08:14Speaker 1: for it. Oh, I will tend to them while you
- 1:08:17Speaker 1: are away, said the king. The boy laughed, I should
- 1:08:21Speaker 1: like to see you tending them, he said, why they
- 1:08:24Speaker 1: would run away from you in a minute. Only Let
- 1:08:27Speaker 1: me try, said the king. At last, the boy gave
- 1:08:30Speaker 1: the king his whip and started off. He had gone
- 1:08:33Speaker 1: but a little way when he turned and came back.
- 1:08:36Speaker 1: What is the matter now, said Maximilian. Crack the whip.
- 1:08:41Speaker 1: The king tried to do as he was bidden, but
- 1:08:44Speaker 1: he could not make a sound. I thought as much,
- 1:08:47Speaker 1: said the boy. You don't know how to do anything.
- 1:08:51Speaker 1: Then he took the whip and gave the king lessons
- 1:08:53Speaker 1: in whip cracking. Now you see how it is done,
- 1:08:57Speaker 1: he said, as he handed it back. If the geese
- 1:09:00Speaker 1: try to run away, crack it loud. The king laughed.
- 1:09:04Speaker 1: He did his best to learn his lesson, and soon
- 1:09:06Speaker 1: the boy again started off on his errand Maximilion sat
- 1:09:11Speaker 1: down on a stone and laughed at the thought of
- 1:09:13Speaker 1: being a gooseherd. But the geese missed their master at
- 1:09:16Speaker 1: once with a great cackling and hissing, they went half flying,
- 1:09:20Speaker 1: half running across the meadow. The king ran after them,
- 1:09:25Speaker 1: but he could not run fast. He tried to crack
- 1:09:27Speaker 1: the whip, but it was of no use. The geese
- 1:09:30Speaker 1: were soon far away. What was worse, they had gotten
- 1:09:34Speaker 1: into a garden and were feeding on the tender vegetables.
- 1:09:38Speaker 1: A few minutes afterward, the goose boy came back with
- 1:09:41Speaker 1: the book. Just as I thought, he said, I have
- 1:09:45Speaker 1: found the book, and you have lost the geese. Never mind,
- 1:09:49Speaker 1: said the king, I will help you get them again. Well,
- 1:09:53Speaker 1: then run around that way and stand by the brook
- 1:09:55Speaker 1: while I drive them out of the garden. The king
- 1:09:58Speaker 1: did as he was told. The boy ran forward with
- 1:10:01Speaker 1: his whip, and after a great deal of shouting and scolding,
- 1:10:04Speaker 1: the geese were driven back into the meadow. I hope
- 1:10:07Speaker 1: you will pardon me for not being a better goose herd,
- 1:10:10Speaker 1: said Maximilian. But as I am a king, I am
- 1:10:14Speaker 1: not used to such work a king. Indeed, said the boy.
- 1:10:18Speaker 1: I was very silly to leave the geese with you,
- 1:10:21Speaker 1: but I am not so silly as to believe that
- 1:10:23Speaker 1: you are a king. Very well, said Maximilian with a smile.
- 1:10:27Speaker 1: Here is another gold piece, and now let us be friends.
- 1:10:31Speaker 1: The boy took the gold and thanked the giver. He
- 1:10:34Speaker 1: looked up into the King's face and said you are
- 1:10:37Speaker 1: a very kind man, and I think you might be
- 1:10:40Speaker 1: a good king. But if you were to try all
- 1:10:42Speaker 1: your life, you would never be a good goose herd minion.
- 1:10:48Speaker 1: Here is the story of Minon, as I remember having
- 1:10:51Speaker 1: read it in a famous old book. A young man
- 1:10:54Speaker 1: named Willem was staying at an inn in the city.
- 1:10:58Speaker 1: One day. As he was going upstairs, he had a
- 1:11:00Speaker 1: little girl coming down. He would have taken her for
- 1:11:03Speaker 1: a boy if it had not been for the long
- 1:11:05Speaker 1: curls of black hair wound about her head. As she
- 1:11:09Speaker 1: ran by, he caught her in his arms and asked
- 1:11:11Speaker 1: her to whom she belonged. He felt sure that she
- 1:11:14Speaker 1: must be one of the rope dancers who had just
- 1:11:17Speaker 1: come to the inn. She gave him a sharp, dark look,
- 1:11:20Speaker 1: slipped out of his arms, and ran away without speaking.
- 1:11:24Speaker 1: The next time he saw her, Wilhelm spoke to her again.
- 1:11:28Speaker 1: Do not be afraid of me, little one, he said, kindly,
- 1:11:31Speaker 1: What is your name? They call me Minyon, said the child.
- 1:11:36Speaker 1: How old are you, he asked, No one has counted,
- 1:11:39Speaker 1: the child answered. Willim went on, but he could not
- 1:11:44Speaker 1: help wondering about the child and thinking of her dark
- 1:11:46Speaker 1: eyes and strange ways. One day. Not long after that,
- 1:11:50Speaker 1: there was a great outcry among the crowd that was
- 1:11:53Speaker 1: watching the rope dancers. Willim went down to find out
- 1:11:56Speaker 1: what was the matter. He saw that the master of
- 1:11:59Speaker 1: the dancers was bus eating little Minion with a stick.
- 1:12:02Speaker 1: He ran and held the man by the collar. Let
- 1:12:05Speaker 1: the child alone, he cried, if you touch her again,
- 1:12:08Speaker 1: one of us shall never leave this spot. The man
- 1:12:12Speaker 1: tried to get loose, but Willem held him fast. The
- 1:12:15Speaker 1: child crept away and hid herself in the crowd. Pay
- 1:12:20Speaker 1: me what her clothes cost, cried the rope dancer. At last,
- 1:12:23Speaker 1: and you may take her. As soon as all was quiet.
- 1:12:26Speaker 1: William went to look for Minnon, for she now belonged
- 1:12:29Speaker 1: to him, But he could not find her, and it
- 1:12:32Speaker 1: was not until the rope dancers had left the town
- 1:12:35Speaker 1: that she came to him. Where have you been, asked
- 1:12:38Speaker 1: Willem in his kindest tones, But the child did not speak.
- 1:12:42Speaker 1: You are to live with me now, and you must
- 1:12:44Speaker 1: be a good child, he said. I will try, said
- 1:12:48Speaker 1: Minyon gently. From that time she tried to do all
- 1:12:52Speaker 1: that she could for Willem and his friends. She would
- 1:12:55Speaker 1: let no one wait on him but herself. She was
- 1:12:57Speaker 1: often seen going to a basin of water to wash
- 1:13:00Speaker 1: from her face the paint with which the rope dancers
- 1:13:02Speaker 1: had reddened her cheeks. Indeed, she nearly rubbed off the skin,
- 1:13:07Speaker 1: and trying to wash away its fine brown tint, which
- 1:13:10Speaker 1: she thought was some deep dye. Minyon grew more lovely
- 1:13:14Speaker 1: every day. She never walked up and down the stairs,
- 1:13:17Speaker 1: but jumped. She would spring along by the railing, and
- 1:13:20Speaker 1: before you knew it would be sitting quietly above on
- 1:13:23Speaker 1: the landing. To each one she would speak in a
- 1:13:27Speaker 1: different way. To Willim, it was with her arms crossed
- 1:13:30Speaker 1: upon her breast. Often for a whole day she would
- 1:13:33Speaker 1: not say one word. And yet in waiting upon Willem,
- 1:13:36Speaker 1: she never tired. One night, he came home very weary,
- 1:13:40Speaker 1: and sad Minyon was waiting for him. She carried the
- 1:13:44Speaker 1: light before him upstairs. She set the light down upon
- 1:13:47Speaker 1: the table, and in a little while she asked him
- 1:13:50Speaker 1: if she might dance. It might ease your heart a little,
- 1:13:54Speaker 1: she said. Willem, to please her, told her that she might.
- 1:13:59Speaker 1: Then she she brought a little carpet and spread it
- 1:14:01Speaker 1: upon the floor. At each corner she placed a candle,
- 1:14:05Speaker 1: and on the carpet, she put a number of eggs.
- 1:14:07Speaker 1: She arranged the eggs in the form of certain figures.
- 1:14:11Speaker 1: When this was done, she called to a man who
- 1:14:13Speaker 1: was waiting with a violin. She tied a band about
- 1:14:16Speaker 1: her eyes, and then the dancing began. How lightly, quickly, nimbly,
- 1:14:22Speaker 1: wonderfully she moved, She skipped so fast among the eggs.
- 1:14:26Speaker 1: She trod so closely beside them that you would have
- 1:14:29Speaker 1: thought she must crush them all. But not one of
- 1:14:32Speaker 1: them did she touch. With all kinds of steps she
- 1:14:35Speaker 1: passed among them, not one of them was moved from
- 1:14:38Speaker 1: its place. William forgot all his cares. He watched every
- 1:14:43Speaker 1: motion of the child. He almost forgot who and where
- 1:14:47Speaker 1: he was. When the dance was ended, Minion rolled the
- 1:14:50Speaker 1: eggs together with her foot into a little heap. Not
- 1:14:53Speaker 1: one was left behind, not one was harmed. Then she
- 1:14:57Speaker 1: took the band from her eyes and made a little back.
- 1:15:00Speaker 1: Willem thanked her for showing him a dance that was
- 1:15:03Speaker 1: so wonderful and pretty. He praised her, petted her, and
- 1:15:07Speaker 1: hoped that she had not tired herself too much. When
- 1:15:10Speaker 1: she had gone from the room, the man with the
- 1:15:12Speaker 1: violin told Willem of the care she had taken to
- 1:15:15Speaker 1: teach him the music of the dance. He told how
- 1:15:18Speaker 1: she had sung it to him over and over again.
- 1:15:21Speaker 1: He told how she had even wished to pay him
- 1:15:24Speaker 1: with her own money for learning to play it for her.
- 1:15:27Speaker 1: There was yet another way in which Minon tried to
- 1:15:29Speaker 1: please Willem and make him forget his cares. She sang
- 1:15:33Speaker 1: to him the song which he liked best, was one
- 1:15:36Speaker 1: whose words he had never heard before. Its music, too,
- 1:15:39Speaker 1: was strange to him, and yet it pleased him very much.
- 1:15:43Speaker 1: He asked her to speak the words over and over again.
- 1:15:46Speaker 1: He wrote them down, But the sweetness of the tune
- 1:15:49Speaker 1: was more delightful than the words. The song began in
- 1:15:52Speaker 1: this way, do you know the land where citron's lemons
- 1:15:56Speaker 1: grow and oranges under the green leaves glow? Once, when
- 1:16:01Speaker 1: she had ended the song, she said again, do you
- 1:16:04Speaker 1: know the land? It must be Italy, said Willem, Have
- 1:16:08Speaker 1: you ever been there? The child did not answer other wise.
- 1:16:14Speaker 1: Men of Gotham. One day news was brought to Gotham
- 1:16:18Speaker 1: that the King was coming that way, and that he
- 1:16:21Speaker 1: would pass through the town. This did not please the
- 1:16:24Speaker 1: men of Gotham at all. They hated the king, for
- 1:16:27Speaker 1: they knew that he was a cruel, bad man. If
- 1:16:30Speaker 1: he came to their town, they would have to find
- 1:16:33Speaker 1: food and lodging for him and his men, and if
- 1:16:35Speaker 1: he saw anything that pleased him, he would be sure
- 1:16:38Speaker 1: to take it for his own. What should they do?
- 1:16:42Speaker 1: They met together to talk the matter over. Let us
- 1:16:45Speaker 1: chop down the big trees in the woods, so that
- 1:16:47Speaker 1: they would block up all the roads that lead into
- 1:16:50Speaker 1: the town, said one of the wise men. Good said
- 1:16:54Speaker 1: all the rest. So they went out with their axes,
- 1:16:57Speaker 1: and soon all the roads and paths to the town
- 1:16:59Speaker 1: were filled with logs and brush. The king's horsemen would
- 1:17:03Speaker 1: have a hard time of getting into Gotham. They would
- 1:17:05Speaker 1: either have to make a new road or give up
- 1:17:08Speaker 1: the plan altogether and go on to some other place.
- 1:17:12Speaker 1: When the King came and saw that the road had
- 1:17:14Speaker 1: been blocked up, he was very angry. Who chopped those
- 1:17:19Speaker 1: trees down in my way? He asked of the two
- 1:17:21Speaker 1: country lads that were passing by, the men of Gotham,
- 1:17:25Speaker 1: said the lads, well, said the King, Go and tell
- 1:17:29Speaker 1: the men of Gotham that I shall send my sheriff
- 1:17:31Speaker 1: into their town and have all their noses cut off.
- 1:17:35Speaker 1: The two lads ran to the town as fast as
- 1:17:37Speaker 1: they could and made known what the king had said.
- 1:17:41Speaker 1: Everybody was in great fright. The men ran from house
- 1:17:44Speaker 1: to house, carrying the news and asking one another what
- 1:17:47Speaker 1: they should do. Our wits have kept the king out
- 1:17:50Speaker 1: of the town, said one, and so now our wits
- 1:17:53Speaker 1: must save our noses. True, true, said the others. But
- 1:17:58Speaker 1: what shall we do? Then, one whose name was Dobbin,
- 1:18:01Speaker 1: and who was thought to be the wisest of them all, said,
- 1:18:05Speaker 1: let me tell you something. Many a man has been
- 1:18:08Speaker 1: punished because he was wise, but I have never heard
- 1:18:11Speaker 1: of one being harmed because he was a fool. So
- 1:18:14Speaker 1: when the King's sheriff comes, let us all act like fools. Good, good,
- 1:18:20Speaker 1: cried the others. We will all act like fools. It
- 1:18:24Speaker 1: was no easy thing for the King's men to open
- 1:18:27Speaker 1: the roads, and while they were doing it, the King
- 1:18:29Speaker 1: grew tired of waiting and went back to London. But
- 1:18:33Speaker 1: very early one morning, the sheriff, with a party of
- 1:18:36Speaker 1: fierce soldiers, rode through the woods and between the fields
- 1:18:39Speaker 1: toward Gotham. Just before they reached the town, they saw
- 1:18:43Speaker 1: a queer sight. The old men were rolling big stones
- 1:18:47Speaker 1: up the hill, and all the young men were looking
- 1:18:49Speaker 1: on and grunting very loudly. The sheriff stopped his horses
- 1:18:53Speaker 1: and asked what they were doing. We are rolling stones
- 1:18:57Speaker 1: up hill to make the sun rise, said one of
- 1:18:59Speaker 1: the old men. You foolish fellow, said the sheriff. Don't
- 1:19:04Speaker 1: you know that the sun will rise without any help? Ah?
- 1:19:08Speaker 1: Will it? Said the old man. Well, I never thought
- 1:19:11Speaker 1: of that. How wise you are. And what are you doing,
- 1:19:16Speaker 1: said the sheriff to the young men. Oh, we do
- 1:19:19Speaker 1: the grunting while our fathers do the working. They answered,
- 1:19:23Speaker 1: I see, said the sheriff. Well, that is the way
- 1:19:26Speaker 1: the world goes everywhere, and he rode on toward the town.
- 1:19:30Speaker 1: He soon came to a field where a number of
- 1:19:32Speaker 1: men were building a stone wall. What are you doing,
- 1:19:36Speaker 1: he asked, why, master, They answered, there is a cuckoo
- 1:19:41Speaker 1: in this field, and we are building a wall around
- 1:19:43Speaker 1: it so as to keep the bird from straying away.
- 1:19:46Speaker 1: You foolish fellows, said the sheriff. Don't you know that
- 1:19:50Speaker 1: the bird will fly over the top of your wall
- 1:19:53Speaker 1: no matter how high you build it. Why no, they said,
- 1:19:58Speaker 1: we never thought of that. How very wise you are.
- 1:20:02Speaker 1: The sheriff next met a man who was carrying a
- 1:20:04Speaker 1: door on his back. What are you doing, he asked.
- 1:20:08Speaker 1: I have just started on a long journey, said the man.
- 1:20:11Speaker 1: But why do you carry that door? Asked the sheriff.
- 1:20:15Speaker 1: I left my money at home. Then why didn't you
- 1:20:18Speaker 1: leave the door at home too? I was afraid of thieves,
- 1:20:22Speaker 1: and you see, if I have the door with me,
- 1:20:24Speaker 1: they can't break it open and get in. You foolish fellow,
- 1:20:29Speaker 1: said the sheriff. It would be safer to leave the
- 1:20:32Speaker 1: door at home and carry the money with you. Ah,
- 1:20:35Speaker 1: would it, though, said the man. Now I never thought
- 1:20:38Speaker 1: of that. You are the wisest man that I ever saw.
- 1:20:43Speaker 1: Then the sheriff rode on with his men, but every
- 1:20:45Speaker 1: one that they met was doing some silly thing. Truly,
- 1:20:49Speaker 1: I believe that the people of Gotham are all fools,
- 1:20:52Speaker 1: said one of the horsemen. That is true, said another.
- 1:20:56Speaker 1: It would be a shame to harm such simple people.
- 1:20:59Speaker 1: Let us ride back to London and tell the King
- 1:21:01Speaker 1: all about them, said the sheriff. Yes, let us do so,
- 1:21:06Speaker 1: said the horseman. So they went back and told the
- 1:21:09Speaker 1: King that Gotham was a town of fools, and the
- 1:21:11Speaker 1: King laughed and said that if that was the case,
- 1:21:14Speaker 1: he would not harm them, but would let them keep
- 1:21:17Speaker 1: their noses. Picciola. Many years ago there was a poor
- 1:21:23Speaker 1: gentleman shut up in one of the great prisons of France.
- 1:21:26Speaker 1: His name was Charny, and he was very sad and unhappy.
- 1:21:30Speaker 1: He had been put into prison wrongfully, and it seemed
- 1:21:33Speaker 1: to him as though there was no one in the
- 1:21:35Speaker 1: world who cared for him. He could not read, for
- 1:21:38Speaker 1: there were no books in the prison. He was not
- 1:21:40Speaker 1: allowed to have pens or paper, and so he could
- 1:21:43Speaker 1: not write. The time dragged slowly by. There was nothing
- 1:21:47Speaker 1: that he could do to make the days seem shorter.
- 1:21:50Speaker 1: His only pastime was walking back and forth in the
- 1:21:53Speaker 1: paved prison yard. There was no work to be done,
- 1:21:56Speaker 1: no one to talk with. One fine morning in spring,
- 1:22:00Speaker 1: Charny was taking his walk in the yard. He was
- 1:22:03Speaker 1: counting the paving stones, as he had done a thousand
- 1:22:05Speaker 1: times before. All at once he stopped. What had made
- 1:22:09Speaker 1: that little mount of earth between two of the stones.
- 1:22:12Speaker 1: He stooped down to sea. A seed of some kind
- 1:22:15Speaker 1: had fallen between the stones. It had sprouted, and now
- 1:22:19Speaker 1: a tiny green leaf was pushing its way up out
- 1:22:21Speaker 1: of the ground. Charny was about to crush it with
- 1:22:24Speaker 1: his foot when he saw that there was a kind
- 1:22:26Speaker 1: of soft coating over the leaf. Ah. He said, this
- 1:22:31Speaker 1: coating is to keep it safe. I must not harm it,
- 1:22:35Speaker 1: and he went on with his walk. The next day,
- 1:22:38Speaker 1: he almost stepped upon the plant before he thought of it.
- 1:22:41Speaker 1: He stooped to look at it. There were two leaves now,
- 1:22:44Speaker 1: and the plant was much stronger and greener than it
- 1:22:46Speaker 1: was the day before. He stayed by it a long time,
- 1:22:50Speaker 1: looking at all its parts. Every morning after that Charny
- 1:22:54Speaker 1: went at once to his little plant. He wanted to
- 1:22:56Speaker 1: see if it had been chilled by the cold or
- 1:22:59Speaker 1: scorched by the sun. He wanted to see how much
- 1:23:02Speaker 1: it had grown. One day, as he was looking from
- 1:23:05Speaker 1: his window, he saw the jailer go across the yard.
- 1:23:08Speaker 1: The man brushed so close to the little plant that
- 1:23:11Speaker 1: it seemed as though he would crush it. Charny trembled
- 1:23:14Speaker 1: from head to foot. Oh my picciola, he cried. When
- 1:23:20Speaker 1: the jailer came to bring his food, he begged the
- 1:23:22Speaker 1: grim fellow to spare his little plant. He expected that
- 1:23:26Speaker 1: the man would laugh at him. But although a jailer
- 1:23:29Speaker 1: he had a kind heart. Do you think that I
- 1:23:32Speaker 1: would hurt your little plant? He said no. Indeed, it
- 1:23:35Speaker 1: would have been dead long ago if I had not
- 1:23:38Speaker 1: seen that you thought so much of it. That is
- 1:23:41Speaker 1: very good of you, Indeed, said Charny, he felt half
- 1:23:45Speaker 1: ashamed at having thought the jailer unkind. Every day he
- 1:23:48Speaker 1: watched Picciola, as he had named the plant. Every day
- 1:23:52Speaker 1: it grew larger and more beautiful. But once it was
- 1:23:55Speaker 1: almost broken by the huge feet of the jailer's dog,
- 1:23:58Speaker 1: Charny's heart sank within him. Picciola must have a house,
- 1:24:03Speaker 1: he said, I will see if I can make one. So,
- 1:24:07Speaker 1: though the nights were chilly, he took day by day
- 1:24:10Speaker 1: some part of the firewood that was allowed him, and
- 1:24:13Speaker 1: with this he built a little house around the plant.
- 1:24:16Speaker 1: The plant had a thousand pretty ways which he noticed.
- 1:24:19Speaker 1: He saw how it always been a little toward the sun.
- 1:24:22Speaker 1: He saw how the flowers folded their petals before a storm.
- 1:24:26Speaker 1: He had never thought of such things before, yet he
- 1:24:29Speaker 1: had often seen whole gardens of flowers in bloom. One day,
- 1:24:33Speaker 1: with food and water, he made some ink. He spread
- 1:24:36Speaker 1: out his handkerchief for paper. He used a sharpened stick
- 1:24:40Speaker 1: for a pen and all for what he felt that
- 1:24:43Speaker 1: he must write down the doings of his little pet.
- 1:24:47Speaker 1: He spent all his time with the plant. See my
- 1:24:51Speaker 1: lord and my lady, the jailer would say when he
- 1:24:53Speaker 1: saw them. As the summer passed by, Picciola grew more lovely.
- 1:24:58Speaker 1: Every day. There were no fewer than thirty blossoms on
- 1:25:02Speaker 1: its stem. But one sad morning it began to droop.
- 1:25:06Speaker 1: Charny did not know what to do. He gave it water,
- 1:25:09Speaker 1: but still it drooped. The leaves were withering. The stones
- 1:25:13Speaker 1: of the prison yard would not let the plant live.
- 1:25:17Speaker 1: Charny knew that there was but one way to save
- 1:25:19Speaker 1: his treasure, alas how could he hope that it might
- 1:25:23Speaker 1: be done. The stones must be taken up at once,
- 1:25:26Speaker 1: But this was a thing which the jailer dared not do.
- 1:25:29Speaker 1: The rules of the prison were strict, and no stone
- 1:25:32Speaker 1: must be moved. Only the highest officers in the land
- 1:25:36Speaker 1: could have such a thing done. Poor Charny could not sleep.
- 1:25:40Speaker 1: Picciola must die already, the flowers had withered, the leaves
- 1:25:44Speaker 1: would soon fall from the stem. Then a new thought
- 1:25:48Speaker 1: came to Charny. He would ask the Great Napoleon the
- 1:25:51Speaker 1: Emperor himself to save his plant. It was a hard
- 1:25:55Speaker 1: thing for Charny to do, to ask a favor of
- 1:25:58Speaker 1: the man whom he hated, the man who had shut
- 1:26:01Speaker 1: him up in this very prison, But for the sake
- 1:26:04Speaker 1: of Picciola he would do it. He wrote his little
- 1:26:07Speaker 1: story on his handkerchief. Then he gave it into the
- 1:26:10Speaker 1: care of a young girl, who promised to carry it
- 1:26:12Speaker 1: to Napoleon. Ah, if the poor plant would only live
- 1:26:16Speaker 1: a few days longer. What a long journey that was
- 1:26:20Speaker 1: for the young girl. What a long dreary waiting it
- 1:26:23Speaker 1: was for Charny and Picciola. But at last news came
- 1:26:27Speaker 1: to the prison. The stones were to be taken up.
- 1:26:30Speaker 1: Picciola was saved. The Emperor's kind wife had heard the
- 1:26:34Speaker 1: story of Charny's care for the plant. She saw the
- 1:26:38Speaker 1: handkerchief on which he had ridden of its pretty ways. Surely,
- 1:26:42Speaker 1: she said, it can do us no good to keep
- 1:26:44Speaker 1: such a man in prison. And so at last Charny
- 1:26:48Speaker 1: was set free. Of course, he was no longer sad
- 1:26:51Speaker 1: and unloving. He saw how God had cared for him
- 1:26:55Speaker 1: and the little plant, and how kind and true are
- 1:26:57Speaker 1: the hearts of even rough men, And he cherished Picciola
- 1:27:01Speaker 1: as a dear loved friend whom he could never forget. Pocahontas.
- 1:27:08Speaker 1: There was once a very brave man whose name was
- 1:27:11Speaker 1: John Smith. He came to this country many years ago,
- 1:27:14Speaker 1: when there were great woods everywhere and many wild beasts
- 1:27:18Speaker 1: and indians. Many tales are told of his adventures, some
- 1:27:22Speaker 1: of them true and some of them untrue. Among the
- 1:27:25Speaker 1: latter is the following story. One day, when Smith was
- 1:27:30Speaker 1: in the woods, some Indians came upon him and made
- 1:27:33Speaker 1: him their prisoner. They led him to their king, and
- 1:27:36Speaker 1: in a short time they made ready to put him
- 1:27:38Speaker 1: to death. A large stone was brought in and Smith,
- 1:27:42Speaker 1: who was made to lie down with his head on it.
- 1:27:45Speaker 1: Then two tall Indians with big clubs in their hands,
- 1:27:48Speaker 1: came forward. The king and all his great men stood
- 1:27:51Speaker 1: around to see. The Indians raised their clubs. In another
- 1:27:56Speaker 1: moment they would fall on Smith's head. But just then
- 1:27:59Speaker 1: a little Indian girl rushed in. She was the daughter
- 1:28:03Speaker 1: of the king, and her name was Pocahontas. She ran
- 1:28:07Speaker 1: and threw herself between Smith and the uplifted clubs. She
- 1:28:11Speaker 1: clasped Smith's head with her arms. She laid her own
- 1:28:15Speaker 1: head upon his Oh, father, she cried, spare this man's life.
- 1:28:21Speaker 1: I am sure he has done you no wrong, and
- 1:28:23Speaker 1: we ought to be his friends. The men with the
- 1:28:27Speaker 1: clubs could not strike, for they did not want to
- 1:28:29Speaker 1: hurt the girl. The king at first did not know
- 1:28:32Speaker 1: what to do. Then he spoke to some of his warriors,
- 1:28:35Speaker 1: and they lifted Smith from the ground. They untied the
- 1:28:39Speaker 1: cords from his wrists and feet, and set him free.
- 1:28:42Speaker 1: The next day, the king sent Smith home, and several
- 1:28:45Speaker 1: Indians went with him to protect him from harm. After that,
- 1:28:50Speaker 1: as long as she lived, Pocahontas was the friend of
- 1:28:52Speaker 1: the white men, and she did a great many things
- 1:28:55Speaker 1: to help them. Sir Humphrey Gilbert. More than three hundred
- 1:29:02Speaker 1: years ago there lived in England a brave man whose
- 1:29:04Speaker 1: name was Sir Humphrey Gilbert. At that time there were
- 1:29:08Speaker 1: no white people in this country of ours. The land
- 1:29:11Speaker 1: was covered with forest, and where there are now great
- 1:29:14Speaker 1: cities and fine farms, there were only trees and swamps,
- 1:29:18Speaker 1: among which roamed wild Indians and wild beasts. Sir Humphrey
- 1:29:22Speaker 1: Gilbert was one of the first men who tried to
- 1:29:25Speaker 1: make a settlement in America. Twice did he bring men
- 1:29:28Speaker 1: in ships over the sea, and twice did he fail
- 1:29:31Speaker 1: and sail back for England. The second time he was
- 1:29:35Speaker 1: on a little ship called the Squirrel. Another ship called
- 1:29:38Speaker 1: the Golden Hind was not far away. When there were
- 1:29:42Speaker 1: three days from the land, the wind failed and the
- 1:29:45Speaker 1: ships lay floating on the waves. Then at night the
- 1:29:48Speaker 1: air grew very cold, a breeze sprang up from the east.
- 1:29:52Speaker 1: Great white icebergs came drifting around them. In the morning,
- 1:29:57Speaker 1: the little ships were almost lost among the floating mountains.
- 1:29:59Speaker 1: Of the men on the Hind saw Sir Humphrey sitting
- 1:30:03Speaker 1: on the deck of the Squirrel with an open book
- 1:30:05Speaker 1: in his hand. He called to them and said, be brave,
- 1:30:10Speaker 1: my friends, we are as near Heaven on the sea
- 1:30:13Speaker 1: as on the land. Night came again. It was a
- 1:30:17Speaker 1: stormy night, with mist and rain. All at once. The
- 1:30:21Speaker 1: men on the Hind saw the lights on board of
- 1:30:23Speaker 1: the Squirrel go out. The little vessel with brave Sir
- 1:30:27Speaker 1: Humphrey and all his brave men, was swallowed up by
- 1:30:31Speaker 1: the waves. Sir Philip Sidney, a cruel battle was being fought.
- 1:30:37Speaker 1: The ground was covered with dead and dying men. The
- 1:30:41Speaker 1: air was hot and stifling. The sun shone down without
- 1:30:45Speaker 1: pity on the wounded soldiers lying in the blood and dust.
- 1:30:49Speaker 1: One of these soldiers was a nobleman, whom everybody loved
- 1:30:52Speaker 1: for his gentleness and kindness. Yet now he was no
- 1:30:56Speaker 1: better off than the poorest man in the field. He
- 1:30:59Speaker 1: had been wounded and would die, and he was suffering
- 1:31:02Speaker 1: much with pain and thirst. When the battle was over,
- 1:31:06Speaker 1: his friends hurried to his aid. A soldier came running
- 1:31:09Speaker 1: with a cup in his hand. Here, Sir Philip, he said,
- 1:31:14Speaker 1: I have brought you some clear, cool water from the brook.
- 1:31:17Speaker 1: I will raise your head so that you can drink.
- 1:31:20Speaker 1: The cup was placed at Sir Philip's lips. How thankfully
- 1:31:24Speaker 1: he looked at the man who had brought it. Then
- 1:31:27Speaker 1: his eyes met those of a dying soldier who was
- 1:31:29Speaker 1: lying on the ground close by. The wistful look in
- 1:31:33Speaker 1: the poor man's face spoke plainer than words. Give the
- 1:31:37Speaker 1: water to that man, said Sir Philip quickly, and then,
- 1:31:41Speaker 1: pushing the cup toward him, he said, here, my comrade,
- 1:31:45Speaker 1: take this. Thy need is greater than mine. What a
- 1:31:49Speaker 1: brave noble man he was. The name of Sir Philip
- 1:31:53Speaker 1: Sidney will never be forgotten, for it was the name
- 1:31:56Speaker 1: of a Christian gentleman who always had the good of
- 1:31:58Speaker 1: others in his mind. Was it any wonder that everybody
- 1:32:02Speaker 1: wept when it was heard that he was dead? It
- 1:32:05Speaker 1: is said that on the day when he was carried
- 1:32:08Speaker 1: to the grave, every eye in the land was filled
- 1:32:11Speaker 1: with tears. Rich and poor, high and low, all felt
- 1:32:16Speaker 1: that they had lost a friend. All mourned the death
- 1:32:19Speaker 1: of the kindest, gentlest man that they had ever known.
- 1:32:24Speaker 1: Sir Walter Raleigh. There once lived in England a brave
- 1:32:29Speaker 1: and noble man whose name was Walter Raleigh. He was
- 1:32:32Speaker 1: not only brave and noble, but he was also handsome
- 1:32:35Speaker 1: and polite, And for that reason the Queen made him
- 1:32:38Speaker 1: a knight and called him Sir Walter Raleigh. I will
- 1:32:42Speaker 1: tell you about it. When Raleigh was a young man,
- 1:32:45Speaker 1: he was one day walking along a street in London.
- 1:32:48Speaker 1: At that time, the streets were not paved and there
- 1:32:51Speaker 1: were no sidewalks. Raleigh was dressed in very fine style,
- 1:32:55Speaker 1: and who wore a beautiful scarlet cloak thrown over his shoulders.
- 1:33:00Speaker 1: As he passed along, he found it hard work to
- 1:33:02Speaker 1: keep from stepping in the mud and soiling his handsome
- 1:33:05Speaker 1: new shoes. Soon he came to a puddle of muddy
- 1:33:08Speaker 1: water which reached from one side of the street to
- 1:33:10Speaker 1: the other. He could not step across. Perhaps he could
- 1:33:14Speaker 1: jump over it. As he was thinking what he should do,
- 1:33:18Speaker 1: he happened to look up. Who was it coming down
- 1:33:21Speaker 1: the street on the other side of the puddle. It
- 1:33:25Speaker 1: was Elizabeth, the Queen of England with her train of
- 1:33:28Speaker 1: gentle women and waiting maids. She saw the dirty puddle
- 1:33:32Speaker 1: in the street. She saw the handsome young man with
- 1:33:35Speaker 1: a scarlet cloak standing by the side of it. How
- 1:33:38Speaker 1: was she to get across? Young Raleigh, when he saw
- 1:33:42Speaker 1: who was coming forgot about himself. He thought only of
- 1:33:46Speaker 1: helping the Queen. There was only one thing that he
- 1:33:48Speaker 1: could do, and no other man would have thought of that.
- 1:33:52Speaker 1: He took off his scarlet cloak and spread it across
- 1:33:55Speaker 1: the puddle. The Queen could step on it now as
- 1:33:58Speaker 1: on a beautiful carpet. She walked across. She was safely
- 1:34:03Speaker 1: over the ugly puddle, and her feet had not touched
- 1:34:06Speaker 1: the mud. She paused a moment and thanked the young man.
- 1:34:10Speaker 1: As she walked on with her train, she asked one
- 1:34:13Speaker 1: of the gentlewomen, who is that brave gentleman who helped
- 1:34:16Speaker 1: us so handsomely. His name is Sir Walter Raleigh, said
- 1:34:20Speaker 1: the gentlewoman. He shall have his reward, said the Queen.
- 1:34:25Speaker 1: Not long after that, she sent for Raleigh to come
- 1:34:28Speaker 1: to her palace. The young man went, but he had
- 1:34:31Speaker 1: no scarlet cloak to wear. Then, while all the great
- 1:34:35Speaker 1: men and fine ladies of England stood around, the Queen
- 1:34:38Speaker 1: made him a knight, and from that time he was
- 1:34:41Speaker 1: known as Sir Walter Raleigh, the Queen's favorite. Sir Walter
- 1:34:47Speaker 1: Raleigh and Sir Humphrey Gilbert, about whom I have already
- 1:34:50Speaker 1: told you, were half brothers. When Sir Humphrey made his
- 1:34:54Speaker 1: first voyage to America, Sir Walter was with him. After that,
- 1:34:59Speaker 1: Sir Walter tried several times to send men to this
- 1:35:02Speaker 1: country to make a settlement. But those whom he sent
- 1:35:05Speaker 1: found only great forest and wild beasts and savage Indians.
- 1:35:10Speaker 1: Some of them went back to England, some of them
- 1:35:13Speaker 1: died for want of food, and some of them were
- 1:35:16Speaker 1: lost in the woods. At last, Sir Walter Raleigh gave
- 1:35:20Speaker 1: up trying to get people to come to America. But
- 1:35:23Speaker 1: he found two things in this country which the people
- 1:35:25Speaker 1: of England knew very little about. One was the potato,
- 1:35:30Speaker 1: the other was tobacco. If you should ever go to Ireland,
- 1:35:35Speaker 1: you may be shown the place where Sir Walter planted
- 1:35:37Speaker 1: the few potatoes which he carried over from America. He
- 1:35:41Speaker 1: told his friends how the Indians used them for food,
- 1:35:44Speaker 1: and he proved that they would grow in the old
- 1:35:46Speaker 1: world as well as in the new. Sir Walter had
- 1:35:50Speaker 1: seen the Indian smoking the leaves of the tobacco plant,
- 1:35:53Speaker 1: he thought that he would do the same, and he
- 1:35:55Speaker 1: carried some of the leaves to England. Englishmen had never
- 1:35:59Speaker 1: used tobacco before that time, and all who saw Sir
- 1:36:03Speaker 1: Walter puffing away at a roll of leaves thought that
- 1:36:05Speaker 1: it was a strange sight. One day, as he was
- 1:36:09Speaker 1: sitting in his chair and smoking, his servant came into
- 1:36:12Speaker 1: the room. The man saw the smoke curling over his
- 1:36:15Speaker 1: master's head, and he thought that he was on fire.
- 1:36:18Speaker 1: He ran out for some water. He found a pail
- 1:36:21Speaker 1: that was quite full. He hurried back and threw the
- 1:36:24Speaker 1: water into Sir Walter's face. Of course, the fire was
- 1:36:28Speaker 1: all put out. After that a great many men learned
- 1:36:32Speaker 1: to smoke, and now tobacco is used in all countries
- 1:36:36Speaker 1: of the world. It would have been well if Sir
- 1:36:38Speaker 1: Walter Raleigh had let it alone. Socrates and his house.
- 1:36:45Speaker 1: There once lived in Greece a very wise man whose
- 1:36:47Speaker 1: name was Socrates. Young Men from all parts of the
- 1:36:51Speaker 1: land went to him to learn wisdom from him. And
- 1:36:54Speaker 1: he said so many pleasant things, and said them in
- 1:36:56Speaker 1: so delightful a way, that no one ever grew tired
- 1:36:59Speaker 1: of listening to him. One summer he built himself a house.
- 1:37:04Speaker 1: But it was so small that the neighbors wondered how
- 1:37:06Speaker 1: he could be content with it. What is the reason,
- 1:37:10Speaker 1: said they, that you, who are so great a man,
- 1:37:13Speaker 1: should build such a little blocks as this for your
- 1:37:15Speaker 1: dwelling house. Indeed, there may be little reason, said he,
- 1:37:21Speaker 1: But small as the place is, I shall think myself
- 1:37:24Speaker 1: happy if I can fill even it with true friends.
- 1:37:29Speaker 1: The Barmecide Feast. There was once a rich old man
- 1:37:33Speaker 1: who was called the Barmecide. He lived in a beautiful
- 1:37:36Speaker 1: palace in the midst of flowery gardens. He had everything
- 1:37:40Speaker 1: that heart could wish. In the same land there was
- 1:37:43Speaker 1: a poor man whose name was Shagabac. His clothing was rags,
- 1:37:47Speaker 1: and his food was the scraps which other people had
- 1:37:50Speaker 1: thrown away. But he had a light heart and was
- 1:37:53Speaker 1: as happy as a king. Once, when Shagabac had not
- 1:37:57Speaker 1: had anything to eat for a long time, he thought
- 1:38:00Speaker 1: that he would go and ask the Barmecide to help.
- 1:38:03Speaker 1: The servant at the door said, come in and talk
- 1:38:06Speaker 1: with our master. He will not send you away. Hungry,
- 1:38:09Speaker 1: Shackabac went in and passed through many beautiful rooms looking
- 1:38:14Speaker 1: for the Barmecide. At last he came to a grand hall,
- 1:38:17Speaker 1: where there were soft carpets on the floor, and fine
- 1:38:20Speaker 1: pictures on the walls, and pleasant couches to lie down upon.
- 1:38:25Speaker 1: At the upper end of the room he saw a
- 1:38:27Speaker 1: noble man with a long white beard. It was the Barmecide,
- 1:38:31Speaker 1: and poor Shackabac bowed low before him, as was the
- 1:38:35Speaker 1: custom in that country. The Barmecide spoke very kindly and
- 1:38:39Speaker 1: asked what he wanted. Shackabac told him about all his
- 1:38:43Speaker 1: troubles and so that it was now two days since
- 1:38:45Speaker 1: he had tasted bread. Is it possible, said the Barmecide,
- 1:38:50Speaker 1: You must be almost dead with hunger, and here I
- 1:38:54Speaker 1: have plenty and to spare. Then he turned and called
- 1:38:58Speaker 1: ho boy bringing water to wash our hands, and then
- 1:39:02Speaker 1: order the cook to hurry the supper. Shackabac had not
- 1:39:05Speaker 1: expected to be treated so kindly. He began to think
- 1:39:08Speaker 1: the rich man say not a word, said the Barmecide,
- 1:39:12Speaker 1: But let us get ready for the feast. Then the
- 1:39:15Speaker 1: rich man began to rub his hands as though some
- 1:39:17Speaker 1: one was pouring water on them. Come and wash with me,
- 1:39:21Speaker 1: he said. Shackabac saw no boy, nor basin nor water,
- 1:39:27Speaker 1: but he thought that he ought to do as he
- 1:39:29Speaker 1: was bidden, and so like the Barmecide, he made a
- 1:39:32Speaker 1: pretense of washing. Come now, said the Barmecide. Let us
- 1:39:37Speaker 1: have supper. He sat down as if to a table,
- 1:39:41Speaker 1: and pretended to be carving a roast. Then he said,
- 1:39:44Speaker 1: help yourself, my good friend. You said you were hungry,
- 1:39:48Speaker 1: so now don't be afraid of the food. Shackabac thought
- 1:39:51Speaker 1: that he understood the joke, and he made pretense of
- 1:39:54Speaker 1: taking food and passing it to his mouth. Then he
- 1:39:57Speaker 1: began to chew and said, you you see, sir, I
- 1:40:01Speaker 1: lose no time, boy, said the old man. Bring on
- 1:40:04Speaker 1: the roast goose. Now, my good friend, try this choice
- 1:40:08Speaker 1: piece from the breast, and here are sweet sauce, honey, raisins,
- 1:40:12Speaker 1: green peas, and dry figs. Help yourself and remember that
- 1:40:16Speaker 1: other good things are coming. Shackabac was almost dead with hunger,
- 1:40:21Speaker 1: but he was too polite not to do as he
- 1:40:23Speaker 1: was bidden. Come, said the Barmecide. Have another piece of
- 1:40:27Speaker 1: the roast, Lamb, did you ever eat anything so delicious?
- 1:40:32Speaker 1: Never in my life, said Shackabac. Your table is full
- 1:40:35Speaker 1: of good things. Then eat heartily, said the Barmecide. You
- 1:40:40Speaker 1: cannot please me better. After this came the dessert. The
- 1:40:44Speaker 1: Barmecide spoke of sweet meats and fruits, and Shackabac made
- 1:40:48Speaker 1: believe that he was eating them. Now, is there anything
- 1:40:51Speaker 1: else that you would like? Asked the host. Uh No,
- 1:40:56Speaker 1: said poor Shackabac. I have indeed had great plenty. Let
- 1:41:00Speaker 1: us drink, then, said the Barmecide boy, Bring on the wine.
- 1:41:06Speaker 1: Excuse me, my lord, said Shackabac. I will drink no wine,
- 1:41:10Speaker 1: for it is forbidden. The Barmecide seized him by the hand.
- 1:41:15Speaker 1: I have long wished to find a man like you,
- 1:41:17Speaker 1: he said. But come now we will all sup in earnest.
- 1:41:22Speaker 1: He clapped his hands. Servants came, and he ordered supper.
- 1:41:26Speaker 1: Soon they sat down to a table loaded with the
- 1:41:29Speaker 1: very dishes of which they had pretended to eat. Poor
- 1:41:32Speaker 1: Shackabac had never had so good a meal in all
- 1:41:35Speaker 1: his life. When they had finished and the table had
- 1:41:38Speaker 1: been cleared away, the Barmecide said, I have found you
- 1:41:42Speaker 1: to be a man of good understanding. Your wits are quick,
- 1:41:45Speaker 1: and you are ready always to make the best of everything.
- 1:41:48Speaker 1: Come and live with me and manage my house. And
- 1:41:52Speaker 1: so Shackabac lived with the Barmecide many years, and never
- 1:41:55Speaker 1: again knew what it was to be hungry. Of a tree.
- 1:42:02Speaker 1: A Tree is the name of a little town in Italy.
- 1:42:05Speaker 1: It is a very old town and is built half
- 1:42:07Speaker 1: way up the side of a steep hill. A long
- 1:42:10Speaker 1: time ago, the king of a Tree bought a fine,
- 1:42:12Speaker 1: large bell and had it hung up in a tower
- 1:42:15Speaker 1: in the market place. A long rope that reached almost
- 1:42:18Speaker 1: to the ground was fastened to the bell. The smallest
- 1:42:22Speaker 1: child could ring the bell by pulling upon this rope.
- 1:42:26Speaker 1: It is the bell of justice, said the king. When
- 1:42:30Speaker 1: at last everything was ready, the people of a Tree
- 1:42:33Speaker 1: had a great holiday. All the men and women and
- 1:42:36Speaker 1: children came down to the market place to look at
- 1:42:38Speaker 1: the bell of justice. It was a very pretty bell,
- 1:42:41Speaker 1: and was polished until it looked almost as bright and
- 1:42:44Speaker 1: yellow as the sun. How we should like to hear
- 1:42:47Speaker 1: it ring, they said. Then the king came down the street.
- 1:42:52Speaker 1: Perhaps he will ring it, said the people, and everybody
- 1:42:56Speaker 1: stood very still and waited to see what he would do.
- 1:43:00Speaker 1: But he did not ring the bell. He did not
- 1:43:02Speaker 1: even take the rope in his hands. When he came
- 1:43:05Speaker 1: to the foot of the tower, he stopped and raised
- 1:43:07Speaker 1: his hand. My people, he said, do you see this
- 1:43:12Speaker 1: beautiful bell. It is your bell, but it must never
- 1:43:16Speaker 1: be rung except in case of need. If any one
- 1:43:19Speaker 1: of you is wronged at any time, he may come
- 1:43:21Speaker 1: and ring the bell, and then the judges shall come
- 1:43:24Speaker 1: together at once and hear his case and give him justice.
- 1:43:28Speaker 1: Rich and poor, old and young, all alike may come,
- 1:43:33Speaker 1: but no one must touch the rope unless he knows
- 1:43:36Speaker 1: that he has been wronged. Many years passed by after this.
- 1:43:41Speaker 1: Many times did the bell in the market place ring
- 1:43:43Speaker 1: out to call the judges together. Many wrongs were righted,
- 1:43:47Speaker 1: many ill doers were punished. At last, the hemp and
- 1:43:51Speaker 1: rope was almost worn out. The lower part of it
- 1:43:54Speaker 1: was untwisted, some of the strands were broken. It became
- 1:43:57Speaker 1: so short that only a tall man could reach it.
- 1:44:01Speaker 1: This will never do, said the judges one day. What
- 1:44:04Speaker 1: if a child should be wronged it could not ring
- 1:44:07Speaker 1: the bell to let us know it. They gave orders
- 1:44:10Speaker 1: that a new rope should be put upon the bell
- 1:44:12Speaker 1: at once, a rope that should hang down to the ground,
- 1:44:16Speaker 1: so that the smallest child could reach it. But there
- 1:44:19Speaker 1: was not a rope to be found in all a tree.
- 1:44:22Speaker 1: They would have to send across the mountains for one,
- 1:44:24Speaker 1: and it would be many days before it could be brought.
- 1:44:28Speaker 1: What if some great wrong should be done before it came,
- 1:44:31Speaker 1: how could the judges know about it if the injured
- 1:44:34Speaker 1: one could not reach the old rope. Let me fix
- 1:44:37Speaker 1: it for you, said a man who stood by. He
- 1:44:40Speaker 1: ran into his garden, which was not far away, and
- 1:44:43Speaker 1: soon came back with a long grapevine in his hand.
- 1:44:47Speaker 1: This will do for a rope, he said, and he
- 1:44:49Speaker 1: climbed up and fastened it to the bell. The slender vine,
- 1:44:53Speaker 1: with its leaves and tendrils still upon it, trailed to
- 1:44:56Speaker 1: the ground. Yes, said the judges, it is a very
- 1:45:00Speaker 1: good rope. Let it be as it is now on
- 1:45:03Speaker 1: the hillside above the village, there lived a man who
- 1:45:06Speaker 1: had once been a brave knight. In his youth, he
- 1:45:09Speaker 1: had ridden through many lands, and he had fought in
- 1:45:12Speaker 1: many a battle. His best friend through all that time
- 1:45:15Speaker 1: had been his horse, a strong, noble steed that had
- 1:45:19Speaker 1: worn him safe through many a danger. But the night,
- 1:45:23Speaker 1: when he grew older, cared no more to ride into battle,
- 1:45:27Speaker 1: He cared no more to do brave deeds. He thought
- 1:45:30Speaker 1: of nothing but gold. He became a miser. At last
- 1:45:34Speaker 1: he sold all that he had except his horse, and
- 1:45:37Speaker 1: went to live in a little hut on the hillside.
- 1:45:40Speaker 1: Day after day he sat among his money bags and
- 1:45:42Speaker 1: planned how he might get more gold, And day after
- 1:45:46Speaker 1: day his horse stood in his bare style, half starved
- 1:45:50Speaker 1: and shivering with cold. What is the use of keeping
- 1:45:54Speaker 1: that lazy steed, said the miser to himself one morning.
- 1:45:58Speaker 1: Every week. It cost me more to keep him than
- 1:46:00Speaker 1: he is worth. I might sell him, but there is
- 1:46:03Speaker 1: not a man that wants him. I cannot even give
- 1:46:06Speaker 1: him away. I will turn him out to shift for
- 1:46:09Speaker 1: himself and pick grass by the roadside. If he starves
- 1:46:12Speaker 1: to death, so much the better. So the brave old
- 1:46:17Speaker 1: horse was turned out to find what he could among
- 1:46:19Speaker 1: the rocks on the barren hill side. Lame and sick,
- 1:46:22Speaker 1: he strolled along the dusty roads, glad to find a
- 1:46:25Speaker 1: blade of grass or a thistle. The boys threw stones
- 1:46:29Speaker 1: at him, the dogs barked at him, and in all
- 1:46:32Speaker 1: the world there was no one to pity him. One
- 1:46:36Speaker 1: hot afternoon, when no one was upon the street, the
- 1:46:39Speaker 1: horse chanced to wander into the market place. Not a
- 1:46:42Speaker 1: man nor child was there, for the heat of the
- 1:46:45Speaker 1: sun had driven them all indoors. The gates were wide open.
- 1:46:49Speaker 1: The poor beast could roam where he pleased. He saw
- 1:46:53Speaker 1: the grapevine rope that hung from the bell of Justice.
- 1:46:56Speaker 1: The leaves and tendrils upon it were still fresh and green,
- 1:46:59Speaker 1: for it had not been there long. What a fine
- 1:47:02Speaker 1: dinner that would be for a starving horse. He stretched
- 1:47:06Speaker 1: his thin neck and took one of the tempting morsels
- 1:47:09Speaker 1: in his mouth. It was hard to break it from
- 1:47:11Speaker 1: the vine. He pulled at it, and the great bell
- 1:47:14Speaker 1: above him began to ring. All the people in a
- 1:47:18Speaker 1: tree heard it. It seemed to say, someone has done
- 1:47:23Speaker 1: me wrong, Someone has done me wrong. Oh come and
- 1:47:29Speaker 1: judge my case, Oh come and judge my case four
- 1:47:35Speaker 1: ive been wrong. The judges heard it, they put on
- 1:47:42Speaker 1: their robes and went out through the hot streets to
- 1:47:44Speaker 1: the marketplace. They wondered who it could be who would
- 1:47:47Speaker 1: ring the bell at such a time. When they passed
- 1:47:50Speaker 1: through the gate, they saw the old horse nibbling at
- 1:47:53Speaker 1: the vine. Ha cried one. It is the Miser's steed.
- 1:47:58Speaker 1: He has come to call for justice for his master,
- 1:48:01Speaker 1: as everybody knows, has treated him most shamefully. He pleads
- 1:48:06Speaker 1: his cause as well as any dumb brute can, said another.
- 1:48:09Speaker 1: And he shall have justice, said the third. Meanwhile, a
- 1:48:14Speaker 1: crowd of men and women and children had come into
- 1:48:16Speaker 1: the market place, eager to learn what cause the judges
- 1:48:20Speaker 1: were about to try. When they saw the horse, all
- 1:48:23Speaker 1: stood still in wonder. Then every one was ready to
- 1:48:27Speaker 1: tell how they had seen him wandering on the hills, unfed,
- 1:48:31Speaker 1: uncared for, while his master sat at home counting his
- 1:48:34Speaker 1: bags of gold. Go bring the miser before us, said
- 1:48:38Speaker 1: the judges, And when he came, they bade him stand
- 1:48:42Speaker 1: and hear their judgment. This horse has served you well
- 1:48:46Speaker 1: for many a year, they said. He has saved you
- 1:48:49Speaker 1: from many a peril. He has helped you gain your wealth,
- 1:48:52Speaker 1: therefore we order that one half of all your gold
- 1:48:55Speaker 1: shall be set aside to buy him shelter and food,
- 1:48:59Speaker 1: a green pasture where he may graze, and a warm
- 1:49:02Speaker 1: stall to comfort him in his old age. The miser
- 1:49:06Speaker 1: hung his head and grief to lose his gold, but
- 1:49:09Speaker 1: the people shouted with joy, and the horse was led
- 1:49:12Speaker 1: away to his new stall and a dinner such as
- 1:49:16Speaker 1: he had not had in many a day. The Black Douglas.
- 1:49:22Speaker 1: In Scotland, in the time of King Robert Bruce, there
- 1:49:24Speaker 1: lived a brave man whose name was Douglas. His hair
- 1:49:28Speaker 1: and beard were black and long, and his face was
- 1:49:30Speaker 1: tanned and dark, and for this reason people nicknamed him
- 1:49:34Speaker 1: the Black Douglas. He was a good friend of the
- 1:49:37Speaker 1: King and one of his strongest helpers in the war
- 1:49:41Speaker 1: with the English, who were trying to drive Bruce from Scotland.
- 1:49:44Speaker 1: The Black Douglas did many brave deeds, and the English
- 1:49:48Speaker 1: people became very much afraid of him. By and by
- 1:49:52Speaker 1: the fear of him spread all through the land. Nothing
- 1:49:55Speaker 1: could frighten an English lad more than to tell him
- 1:49:58Speaker 1: that the Black Douglas was not far away. Women would
- 1:50:01Speaker 1: tell their children when they were naughty that the Black
- 1:50:05Speaker 1: Douglas would get them, and this would make them very
- 1:50:08Speaker 1: quiet and good. There was a large castle in Scotland
- 1:50:12Speaker 1: which the English had taken early in the war. The
- 1:50:15Speaker 1: Scottish soldiers wanted very much to take it again, and
- 1:50:18Speaker 1: the Black Douglas and his men went one day to
- 1:50:21Speaker 1: see what they could do. It happened to be a holiday,
- 1:50:24Speaker 1: and most of the English soldiers in the castle were
- 1:50:27Speaker 1: eating and drinking and having a merry time. But they
- 1:50:30Speaker 1: had left watchmen on the wall to see that the
- 1:50:32Speaker 1: Scottish soldiers did not come upon them unawares, and so
- 1:50:36Speaker 1: they felt quite safe. In the evening, when it was
- 1:50:40Speaker 1: growing dark, the wife of one of the soldiers went
- 1:50:43Speaker 1: up on the wall with her child in her arms.
- 1:50:46Speaker 1: As she looked over into the fields below the castle,
- 1:50:49Speaker 1: she saw some dark objects moving toward the foot of
- 1:50:51Speaker 1: the wall. In the dusk, she could not make out
- 1:50:54Speaker 1: what they were, and so she pointed them out to
- 1:50:57Speaker 1: one of the watchmen. Pooh, pooh, said the watchman. Those
- 1:51:01Speaker 1: are nothing to frighten us. They are farmers cattle, trying
- 1:51:04Speaker 1: to find their way home. The farmer himself is enjoying
- 1:51:08Speaker 1: the holiday, and he has forgotten to bring them in.
- 1:51:11Speaker 1: If the Douglas should happen this way before morning, he
- 1:51:14Speaker 1: will be sorry for his carelessness. But the dark objects
- 1:51:18Speaker 1: were not cattle. They were the Black Douglas and his men,
- 1:51:22Speaker 1: creeping on hands and feet toward the foot of the
- 1:51:24Speaker 1: castle wall. Some of them were dragging ladders behind them
- 1:51:28Speaker 1: through the grass. They would soon be climbing to the
- 1:51:31Speaker 1: top of the wall. None of the English soldiers dreamed
- 1:51:34Speaker 1: that they were within many miles of the place. The
- 1:51:38Speaker 1: woman watched them until the last one had passed around
- 1:51:41Speaker 1: a corner out of sight. She was not afraid, for
- 1:51:45Speaker 1: in the darkening twilight, they looked indeed like cattle. After
- 1:51:49Speaker 1: a little while, she began to sing to her child,
- 1:51:53Speaker 1: hush ye, hushy, little pet ye, hush ye, hush ye,
- 1:51:57Speaker 1: do not fret ye. The Black Douglas shall not get
- 1:52:00Speaker 1: ye all. At once, a gruff voice was heard behind her, saying,
- 1:52:06Speaker 1: don't be so sure about that. She looked around, and
- 1:52:11Speaker 1: there stood the Black Douglas himself. At the same moment,
- 1:52:15Speaker 1: a Scottish soldier climbed off a ladder and leaped upon
- 1:52:18Speaker 1: the wall. And then there came another, and another and another,
- 1:52:22Speaker 1: until the wall was covered with them. Soon there was
- 1:52:25Speaker 1: hot fighting in every part of the castle, But the
- 1:52:28Speaker 1: English were so taken by surprise that they could not
- 1:52:31Speaker 1: do much. Many of them were killed, and in a
- 1:52:35Speaker 1: little while the Black Douglas and his men were the
- 1:52:37Speaker 1: masters of the castle, which by right belonged to them.
- 1:52:42Speaker 1: As for the woman and her child, the Black Douglas
- 1:52:45Speaker 1: would not suffer any one to harm them. After a
- 1:52:48Speaker 1: while they went back to England. And whether the mother
- 1:52:51Speaker 1: made up any more songs about the Black Douglas, I
- 1:52:54Speaker 1: cannot tell. The blind Men and the Elephant. There were
- 1:53:01Speaker 1: once six blind men who stood by the roadside every
- 1:53:04Speaker 1: day and begged from the people who passed. They had
- 1:53:07Speaker 1: often heard of elephants, but they had never seen one,
- 1:53:11Speaker 1: For being blind, how could they It So happened one
- 1:53:14Speaker 1: morning that an elephant was driven down the road where
- 1:53:17Speaker 1: they stood. When they were told that the great beast
- 1:53:20Speaker 1: was before them, they asked the driver to let him
- 1:53:23Speaker 1: stop so that they might see him. Of course, they
- 1:53:26Speaker 1: could not see him with their eyes, but they thought
- 1:53:29Speaker 1: that by touching him they could learn just what kind
- 1:53:31Speaker 1: of animal he was. The first one happened to put
- 1:53:34Speaker 1: his hand on the elephant's side. Well, well, he said,
- 1:53:38Speaker 1: now I know all about this beast. He is exactly
- 1:53:41Speaker 1: like a wall. The second felt only of the elephant's tusk.
- 1:53:46Speaker 1: My brother, he said, you are mistaken. He is not
- 1:53:50Speaker 1: at all like a wall. He is round and smooth
- 1:53:53Speaker 1: and sharp. He is more like a spear than anything else.
- 1:53:57Speaker 1: The third happened to take hold of the elephant's trunk.
- 1:54:00Speaker 1: Both of you are wrong, he said. Anybody who knows
- 1:54:03Speaker 1: anything can see that this elephant is like a snake.
- 1:54:07Speaker 1: The fourth reached out his arms and grasped one of
- 1:54:10Speaker 1: the elephant's legs. Oh, how blind you are, he said.
- 1:54:14Speaker 1: It is very plain to me that he is round
- 1:54:16Speaker 1: and tall, like a tree. The fifth was a very
- 1:54:19Speaker 1: tall man, and he chanced to take hold of the
- 1:54:21Speaker 1: elephant's ear. The blindest man ought to know that this
- 1:54:25Speaker 1: beast is not like any of the things that you name,
- 1:54:28Speaker 1: he said, He is exactly like a huge fan. The
- 1:54:32Speaker 1: sixth was very blind, indeed, and it was some time
- 1:54:35Speaker 1: before he could find the elephant at all. At last
- 1:54:39Speaker 1: he sees the animal's tail. Oh, foolish fellows, he cried,
- 1:54:43Speaker 1: you surely have lost your senses. This elephant is not
- 1:54:47Speaker 1: like a wall, or a spear, or a snake or
- 1:54:49Speaker 1: a tree, neither is he like a fan. But any
- 1:54:53Speaker 1: man with a particle of sense can see that he
- 1:54:55Speaker 1: is exactly like a rope. Then the elephant moved on,
- 1:55:00Speaker 1: and the six blind men sat by the roadside all
- 1:55:02Speaker 1: day and quarreled about him. Each believed that he knew
- 1:55:06Speaker 1: just how the animal looked, and each called the others
- 1:55:09Speaker 1: hard names because they did not agree with him. People
- 1:55:13Speaker 1: who have eyes sometimes act as foolishly. The brave three
- 1:55:18Speaker 1: hundred All Greece was in danger. A mighty army led
- 1:55:24Speaker 1: by the Great King of Persia had come from the east.
- 1:55:27Speaker 1: It was marching along the seashore in a few days
- 1:55:30Speaker 1: would be in Greece. The Great King had sent messengers
- 1:55:33Speaker 1: into every city and state, bidding them give him water
- 1:55:36Speaker 1: and earth in token that the land and the sea
- 1:55:39Speaker 1: were his. But they said no, we will be free.
- 1:55:44Speaker 1: And so there was a great stir throughout all the land.
- 1:55:48Speaker 1: The men armed themselves and made haste to go out
- 1:55:51Speaker 1: and drive back their foe, and the women stayed at home,
- 1:55:54Speaker 1: weeping and waiting and trembling with fear. There was only
- 1:55:58Speaker 1: one way by which the Persia army could go into
- 1:56:01Speaker 1: Greece on that side, and that was by a narrow
- 1:56:03Speaker 1: pass between the mountains and the sea. This pass was
- 1:56:07Speaker 1: guarded by Leonidas, the king of the Spartans, with three
- 1:56:11Speaker 1: hundred Spartan soldiers. Soon the Persian soldiers were seen coming.
- 1:56:16Speaker 1: There were so many of them that no man could
- 1:56:18Speaker 1: count them. How could a handful of men hope to
- 1:56:21Speaker 1: stand against so great a host? And yet Leonidas and
- 1:56:25Speaker 1: his Spartans held their ground. They had made up their
- 1:56:28Speaker 1: minds to die at their post. Someone brought them word
- 1:56:32Speaker 1: that there were so many Persians that their arrows darkened
- 1:56:35Speaker 1: the sun. So much the better, said the Spartans, We
- 1:56:40Speaker 1: shall fight in the shade. Bravely They stood in the
- 1:56:43Speaker 1: narrow pass. Bravely they faced their foes. To Spartans, there
- 1:56:48Speaker 1: was no such thing as fear. The Persians came forward,
- 1:56:52Speaker 1: only to meet death at the points of their spears.
- 1:56:56Speaker 1: But one by one the Spartans fell. At last their
- 1:56:59Speaker 1: spears were were broken. Yet still they stood side by side,
- 1:57:03Speaker 1: fighting to the last. Some fought with swords, some with daggers,
- 1:57:08Speaker 1: and some with only their fists and teeth. All day long,
- 1:57:13Speaker 1: the army of the Persians was kept at bay. But
- 1:57:16Speaker 1: when the sun went down there was not one Spartan
- 1:57:19Speaker 1: left alive. Where they had stood, there was only a
- 1:57:22Speaker 1: heap of the slain, all bristled over with spears and arrows.
- 1:57:27Speaker 1: Twenty thousand Persian soldiers had fallen before that handful of men,
- 1:57:31Speaker 1: and Greece was saved. Thousands of years have passed since then,
- 1:57:36Speaker 1: but men still liked to tell the story of Leonidas
- 1:57:39Speaker 1: and the brave three hundred who died for their country's sake,
- 1:57:43Speaker 1: the endless tale. In the far East, there was a
- 1:57:47Speaker 1: great king who had no work to do. Every day
- 1:57:50Speaker 1: and all day long, he sat on soft cushions and
- 1:57:53Speaker 1: listened to stories, and no matter what the story was about,
- 1:57:57Speaker 1: he never grew tired of hearing it. Though it was
- 1:58:00Speaker 1: very long. There is only one fault that I find
- 1:58:04Speaker 1: with your story, he often said, it is too short.
- 1:58:09Speaker 1: All the story tellers in the world were invited to
- 1:58:11Speaker 1: his palace, and some of them told tales that were
- 1:58:14Speaker 1: very long, indeed, but the king was always sad when
- 1:58:17Speaker 1: a story ended. At last. He sent word into every city,
- 1:58:22Speaker 1: in town and country place, offering a prize to any
- 1:58:25Speaker 1: one who should tell him an endless tale. He said,
- 1:58:29Speaker 1: to the man that will tell me a story which
- 1:58:31Speaker 1: shall last forever, I will give my fairest daughter for
- 1:58:34Speaker 1: his wife, and I will make him my heir, and
- 1:58:38Speaker 1: he shall be king after me. But this was not all.
- 1:58:42Speaker 1: He added a very hard condition. If any man shall
- 1:58:46Speaker 1: try to tell such a story and then fail, he
- 1:58:49Speaker 1: shall have his head cut off. The king's daughter was
- 1:58:53Speaker 1: very pretty, and there were many young men in that
- 1:58:55Speaker 1: country who were willing to do anything to win her,
- 1:58:59Speaker 1: But none of them wanted to lose their heads, and
- 1:59:01Speaker 1: so only a few tried for the prize. One young
- 1:59:05Speaker 1: man invented a story that lasted three months, but at
- 1:59:08Speaker 1: the end of that time he could think of nothing more.
- 1:59:11Speaker 1: His fate was a warning to others, and it was
- 1:59:14Speaker 1: a long time before another story teller was so rash
- 1:59:17Speaker 1: as to try the king's patience. But one day a
- 1:59:20Speaker 1: stranger from the south came into the palace Great King.
- 1:59:24Speaker 1: He said, is it true that you offer a prize
- 1:59:27Speaker 1: to the man who can tell a story that has
- 1:59:29Speaker 1: no end? It is true, said the king, And shall
- 1:59:33Speaker 1: this man have your fairest daughter for his wife, and
- 1:59:36Speaker 1: shall he be your heir? Yes, if he succeeds, said
- 1:59:40Speaker 1: the king. But if he fails, he shall lose his head.
- 1:59:44Speaker 1: Very well, then, said the stranger. I have a pleasant
- 1:59:48Speaker 1: story about locust which I would like to relate. Tell it,
- 1:59:52Speaker 1: said the king. I will listen to you. The story
- 1:59:56Speaker 1: teller began his tale. Once upon a time, sir and
- 2:00:00Speaker 1: king seized upon all the corn in his country and
- 2:00:02Speaker 1: stored it away in a strong granary. But a swarm
- 2:00:05Speaker 1: of locusts came over the land and saw where the
- 2:00:08Speaker 1: grain had been put. After searching for many days, they
- 2:00:12Speaker 1: found on the east side of the granary a crevice
- 2:00:14Speaker 1: that was just large enough for one locust to pass
- 2:00:17Speaker 1: through at a time. So one locust went in and
- 2:00:20Speaker 1: carried away a grain of corn. Then another locust went
- 2:00:24Speaker 1: in and carried away a grain of corn. Then another
- 2:00:27Speaker 1: locust went in and carried away a grain of corn.
- 2:00:30Speaker 1: Day after day, week after week, the man kept on saying,
- 2:00:34Speaker 1: then another locust went in and carried away a grain
- 2:00:37Speaker 1: of corn. A month passed, a year passed. At the
- 2:00:41Speaker 1: end of two years, the king said, how much longer
- 2:00:45Speaker 1: will the locust be going in and carrying away corn?
- 2:00:48Speaker 1: O King, said the story teller, They have as yet
- 2:00:52Speaker 1: cleared only one cubit, and there are many thousand cubits
- 2:00:55Speaker 1: in the granary. Man man cried the king, you will
- 2:01:00Speaker 1: drive me mad. I can listen to it no longer.
- 2:01:04Speaker 1: Take my daughter be my heir, rule my kingdom, But
- 2:01:09Speaker 1: do not let me hear another word about those horrible locusts.
- 2:01:13Speaker 1: And so the strange story teller married the king's daughter,
- 2:01:16Speaker 1: and he lived happily in the land for many years.
- 2:01:19Speaker 1: But his father in law, the King, did not care
- 2:01:23Speaker 1: to listen to any more stories. The Inchcape Rock. In
- 2:01:29Speaker 1: the North Sea, there is a great rock called the
- 2:01:31Speaker 1: Inchcape Rock. It is twelve miles from any land and
- 2:01:35Speaker 1: is covered most of the time with water. Many boats
- 2:01:38Speaker 1: and ships have been wrecked on that rock, for it
- 2:01:40Speaker 1: is so near the top of the water that no
- 2:01:43Speaker 1: vessel can sail over it without striking it. More than
- 2:01:47Speaker 1: a hundred years ago there lived not far away a
- 2:01:49Speaker 1: kind hearted man who was called the Abbot of Aberbrothick.
- 2:01:53Speaker 1: It is a pity he said that so many brave
- 2:01:57Speaker 1: sailors should lose their lives on that hidden rock. So
- 2:02:01Speaker 1: the Abbot caused a buoy to be fastened to the rock.
- 2:02:04Speaker 1: The buoy floated back and forth in the shallow water.
- 2:02:07Speaker 1: A strong chain kept it from floating away. On the
- 2:02:11Speaker 1: top of the buoy, the abbot placed a bell, and
- 2:02:13Speaker 1: when the waves dashed against it, the bell would ring
- 2:02:16Speaker 1: out loud and clear. Sailors now were no longer afraid
- 2:02:20Speaker 1: to cross the sea at that place. When they heard
- 2:02:24Speaker 1: the bell ringing, they knew just where the rock was,
- 2:02:26Speaker 1: and they steered their vessels around it. God bless the
- 2:02:30Speaker 1: good abbot of aberbrothek, they all said. One calm summer day,
- 2:02:35Speaker 1: a ship with a black flag happened to sail not
- 2:02:38Speaker 1: far from the inch Cape Rock. The ship belonged to
- 2:02:41Speaker 1: a sea robber called Ralph the Rover, and she was
- 2:02:44Speaker 1: a terror to all honest people, both on sea and shore.
- 2:02:49Speaker 1: There was but little wind that day, and the sea
- 2:02:52Speaker 1: was as smooth as glass. The ship stood almost still.
- 2:02:55Speaker 1: There was hardly a breath of air to fill her sails.
- 2:02:59Speaker 1: Ralph the Road was walking on the deck. He looked
- 2:03:02Speaker 1: out upon the glassy sea. He saw the buoy floating
- 2:03:05Speaker 1: above the Inchcay Rock. It looked like a big black
- 2:03:08Speaker 1: speck upon the water. But the bell was not ring
- 2:03:11Speaker 1: that day. There were no waves to set it in motion.
- 2:03:15Speaker 1: Boys cried Ralph the Rover, put out the boat and
- 2:03:19Speaker 1: row me to the Inchcay Rock. We will play a
- 2:03:22Speaker 1: trick on the old abbot. The boat was lowered. Strong
- 2:03:26Speaker 1: arms soon rowed it to the Inchcay rock. Then the robber,
- 2:03:30Speaker 1: with a heavy axe, broke the chain that held the buoy.
- 2:03:33Speaker 1: He cut the fastenings of the bell. It fell into
- 2:03:36Speaker 1: the water. There was a gurgling sound as it sank
- 2:03:39Speaker 1: out of sight. The next one that comes this way
- 2:03:42Speaker 1: will not bless the abbot, said Ralph the Rover. Soon
- 2:03:47Speaker 1: a breeze sprang up, and the black ship sailed away.
- 2:03:51Speaker 1: The sea robber laughed as he looked back and saw
- 2:03:53Speaker 1: that there was nothing to mark the place of the
- 2:03:55Speaker 1: hidden rock. For many days, Ralph the Rover scoured the seas,
- 2:04:00Speaker 1: and many were the ships that he plundered. At last
- 2:04:03Speaker 1: he chanced to sail back toward the place from which
- 2:04:06Speaker 1: he had started. The wind had blown hard all day,
- 2:04:10Speaker 1: the waves rolled high, the ship was moving swiftly. But
- 2:04:14Speaker 1: in the evening the wind died away and a thick
- 2:04:17Speaker 1: fog came on. Ralph the Rover walked the deck. He
- 2:04:21Speaker 1: could not see where the ship was going. If the
- 2:04:24Speaker 1: fog would only clear away, he said, I thought I
- 2:04:28Speaker 1: heard the roar of breakers, said the pilot. We must
- 2:04:31Speaker 1: be near the shore. I cannot tell, said Ralph the Rover,
- 2:04:36Speaker 1: but I think we are not far from the inch
- 2:04:38Speaker 1: Cape Rock. I wish we could hear the good Abbot's bell.
- 2:04:42Speaker 1: The next moment there was a great crash. It is
- 2:04:46Speaker 1: the inch Cape Rock. The sailors cried, as the ship
- 2:04:49Speaker 1: gave a lurch to one side and began to sink.
- 2:04:53Speaker 1: Oh what a wretch am I cried Ralph the Rover.
- 2:04:57Speaker 1: This is what comes of the joke that I played
- 2:04:59Speaker 1: on the good Abbot. What was it that he heard
- 2:05:03Speaker 1: as the waves rushed over him? Was it the Abbot's
- 2:05:07Speaker 1: bell ringing for him far down at the bottom of
- 2:05:10Speaker 1: the sea. The King and his hawk Ginghis Khan was
- 2:05:16Speaker 1: a great king and warrior. He led his army into
- 2:05:19Speaker 1: China and Persia, and he conquered many lands. In every country.
- 2:05:23Speaker 1: Men told about his daring deeds, and they said that
- 2:05:26Speaker 1: since Alexander the Great, there had been no king like him.
- 2:05:31Speaker 1: One morning, when he was home from the wars, he
- 2:05:33Speaker 1: rode out into the woods to have a day's sport.
- 2:05:36Speaker 1: Many of his friends were with him. They rode out gaily,
- 2:05:39Speaker 1: carrying their bows and arrows. Behind them came the servants
- 2:05:43Speaker 1: with the hounds. It was a merry hunting party. The
- 2:05:47Speaker 1: woods rang with their shouts and laughter. They expected to
- 2:05:51Speaker 1: carry much game home in the evening. On the king's
- 2:05:55Speaker 1: wrist sat his favorite hawk, For in those days, hawks
- 2:05:58Speaker 1: were trained to hunt at a word from their masters.
- 2:06:01Speaker 1: They would fly high up into the air and look
- 2:06:04Speaker 1: around for prey. If they chanced to see a deer
- 2:06:07Speaker 1: or a rabbit, they would swoop down upon it, swift
- 2:06:10Speaker 1: as any arrow. All day long, ginghis Khan and his
- 2:06:14Speaker 1: huntsmen rode through the woods, but they did not find
- 2:06:17Speaker 1: as much game as they expected. Toward the evening they
- 2:06:21Speaker 1: started for home. The king had often ridden through the woods,
- 2:06:24Speaker 1: and he knew all the paths, so while the rest
- 2:06:27Speaker 1: of the party took the nearest way, he went by
- 2:06:29Speaker 1: a longer road through a valley between two mountains. The
- 2:06:33Speaker 1: day had been warm, and the king was very thirsty.
- 2:06:37Speaker 1: His pet hawk had left his wrist and flown away.
- 2:06:40Speaker 1: It would be sure to find its way home. The
- 2:06:43Speaker 1: king rode slowly along. He had once seen a spring
- 2:06:46Speaker 1: of clear water near this pathway, if he could only
- 2:06:49Speaker 1: find it now, But the hot days of summer had
- 2:06:53Speaker 1: dried up all the mountain brooks. At last, to his joy,
- 2:06:57Speaker 1: he saw some water trickling down over the edge of
- 2:06:59Speaker 1: a rock. He knew that there was a spring farther up.
- 2:07:03Speaker 1: In the wet season, a swift stream of water always
- 2:07:06Speaker 1: poured down here, but now it came only one drop
- 2:07:09Speaker 1: at a time. The king leaped from his horse. He
- 2:07:12Speaker 1: took a little silver cup from his hunting bag. He
- 2:07:15Speaker 1: held it so as to catch the slowly falling drops.
- 2:07:19Speaker 1: It took a long time to fill the cup, and
- 2:07:22Speaker 1: the king was so thirsty that he could hardly wait.
- 2:07:25Speaker 1: At last it was nearly full. He put the cup
- 2:07:28Speaker 1: to his lips and was about to drink all at once.
- 2:07:31Speaker 1: There was a whirring sound in the air, and the
- 2:07:34Speaker 1: cup was knocked from his hands. The water was all
- 2:07:37Speaker 1: spilled upon the ground. The king looked up to see
- 2:07:41Speaker 1: who had done this thing. It was his pet hawk.
- 2:07:45Speaker 1: The hawk flew back and forth a few times, and
- 2:07:47Speaker 1: then alighted among the rocks by the spring. The king
- 2:07:50Speaker 1: picked up the cup and again held it to catch
- 2:07:53Speaker 1: the trickling drops. This time he did not wait so long.
- 2:07:57Speaker 1: When the cup was half full, he lifted it toward
- 2:07:59Speaker 1: his mouth, But before it had touched his lips, the
- 2:08:02Speaker 1: hawk swooped down again. And knocked it from his hands.
- 2:08:06Speaker 1: And now the king began to grow angry. He tried again,
- 2:08:10Speaker 1: and for the third time, the hawk kept him from drinking.
- 2:08:14Speaker 1: The king was now very angry. Indeed, how dare you
- 2:08:18Speaker 1: to act? So he cried. If I had you in
- 2:08:20Speaker 1: my hands, I would wring your neck. Then he filled
- 2:08:24Speaker 1: the cup again, but before he tried to drink, he
- 2:08:27Speaker 1: drew his sword. Now, sir hawk, he said, this is
- 2:08:30Speaker 1: the last time. He had hardly spoken before the hawk
- 2:08:34Speaker 1: swooped down and knocked the cup from his hand, but
- 2:08:38Speaker 1: the king was looking for this. With a quick swoop
- 2:08:40Speaker 1: of the sword, he struck the bird as it passed.
- 2:08:44Speaker 1: The next moment, the poor hawk lay bleeding and dying
- 2:08:47Speaker 1: at its master's feet. That is what you get for
- 2:08:50Speaker 1: your pains, said kingas Khan. But when he looked for
- 2:08:53Speaker 1: his cup, he found that it had fallen between two rocks,
- 2:08:56Speaker 1: where he could not reach it. At any rate, I
- 2:08:59Speaker 1: will have a drink from that spring, he said to himself.
- 2:09:03Speaker 1: With that he began to climb the steep bank to
- 2:09:05Speaker 1: the place from which the water trickled. It was hard work,
- 2:09:09Speaker 1: and the higher he climbed, the thirstier he became. At last,
- 2:09:13Speaker 1: he reached the place. There indeed was a pool of water.
- 2:09:17Speaker 1: But what was that lying in the pool and almost
- 2:09:19Speaker 1: filling it? It was a huge dead snake of the
- 2:09:23Speaker 1: most poisonous kind. The king stopped. He forgot his thirst.
- 2:09:28Speaker 1: He thought only of the poor dead bird lying on
- 2:09:31Speaker 1: the ground below him. The hawk saved my life, he cried,
- 2:09:36Speaker 1: And how did I repay him? He was my best friend,
- 2:09:40Speaker 1: and I have killed him. He clambered down the bank.
- 2:09:44Speaker 1: He took the bird up gently and laid it in
- 2:09:46Speaker 1: his hunting bag. Then he mounted his horse and rode
- 2:09:49Speaker 1: swiftly home. He said to himself, I have learned a
- 2:09:53Speaker 1: sad lesson today, and that is never to do anything
- 2:09:58Speaker 1: in anger. The kingdoms, there was once a king of
- 2:10:03Speaker 1: Prussia whose name was Frederick William. On a fine morning
- 2:10:07Speaker 1: in June, he went out alone to walk in the
- 2:10:09Speaker 1: green woods. He was tired of the noise of the city,
- 2:10:12Speaker 1: and he was glad to get away from it. So
- 2:10:15Speaker 1: as he walked among the trees, he often stopped to
- 2:10:18Speaker 1: listen to the singing birds, or to look at the
- 2:10:20Speaker 1: wild flowers that grew on every side. Now and then
- 2:10:24Speaker 1: he stooped to pluck a violet or a primrose or
- 2:10:27Speaker 1: a yellow buttercup. Soon his hands were full of pretty blossoms.
- 2:10:32Speaker 1: After a while he came to a little meadow in
- 2:10:34Speaker 1: the midst of the wood. Some children were playing there.
- 2:10:37Speaker 1: They were running here and there and gathering the cowslips
- 2:10:40Speaker 1: that were blooming among the grass. It made the king
- 2:10:43Speaker 1: glad to see the happy children and hear their merry voices.
- 2:10:47Speaker 1: He stood still for some time and watched them as
- 2:10:50Speaker 1: they played. Then he called them around him, and all
- 2:10:53Speaker 1: sat down together in the pleasant shade. The children did
- 2:10:57Speaker 1: not know who the strange gentleman was, but they liked
- 2:11:00Speaker 1: his kind face and gentle manners. Now, my little folks,
- 2:11:04Speaker 1: said the king, I want to ask you some questions,
- 2:11:07Speaker 1: and the child who gives the best answer shall have
- 2:11:10Speaker 1: a prize. Then he held up an orange so that
- 2:11:13Speaker 1: all the children could see. You know that we all
- 2:11:17Speaker 1: live in the Kingdom of Prussia, he said, But tell
- 2:11:20Speaker 1: me to what kingdom does this orange belong. The children
- 2:11:24Speaker 1: were puzzled. They looked at one another and sat very
- 2:11:27Speaker 1: still for a little while. Then a brave bright boy
- 2:11:30Speaker 1: spoke up and said, it belongs to the vegetable kingdom. Sir.
- 2:11:35Speaker 1: Why so, my lad asked the king. It is the
- 2:11:39Speaker 1: fruit of a plant, and all plants belong to that kingdom,
- 2:11:42Speaker 1: said the boy. The king was pleased. You are quite right,
- 2:11:46Speaker 1: he said, and you shall have the orange for your prize.
- 2:11:50Speaker 1: He tossed it gaily to the boy. Catch it if
- 2:11:53Speaker 1: you can, he said. Then he took a yellow gold
- 2:11:57Speaker 1: piece from his pocket and held it up so that
- 2:11:59Speaker 1: it glittered in the sunlight. Now to what kingdom does
- 2:12:02Speaker 1: this belong? He asked. Another bright boy answered quickly to
- 2:12:07Speaker 1: the mineral kingdom. Sir, all medals belong to that kingdom.
- 2:12:11Speaker 1: That is a good answer, said the king. The gold
- 2:12:14Speaker 1: piece is your prize. The children were delighted with eager faces.
- 2:12:19Speaker 1: They waited to hear what the stranger would say next.
- 2:12:23Speaker 1: I will ask you one more question, said the king,
- 2:12:26Speaker 1: and it is an easy one. Then he stood up
- 2:12:29Speaker 1: and said, tell me, my little folks, to what kingdom
- 2:12:32Speaker 1: do I belong? The bright boys were puzzled. Now. Some
- 2:12:37Speaker 1: thought of saying to the Kingdom of Prussia. Some wanted
- 2:12:40Speaker 1: to say to the animal kingdom, but they were a
- 2:12:43Speaker 1: little afraid, and all kept silent. At last, a tiny
- 2:12:47Speaker 1: blue eyed child looked up into the king's smiling face
- 2:12:51Speaker 1: and said, in her simple way, I think to the
- 2:12:54Speaker 1: Kingdom of Heaven. King Frederick William stooped down and lifted
- 2:12:59Speaker 1: the little maiden in his arms. Tears were in his
- 2:13:03Speaker 1: eyes as he kissed her and said, so be it,
- 2:13:06Speaker 1: my child, So be it the miller of the d
- 2:13:12Speaker 1: Once upon a time there lived on the banks of
- 2:13:14Speaker 1: the River d a miller who was the happiest man
- 2:13:17Speaker 1: in England. He was always busy from morning till night,
- 2:13:21Speaker 1: and he was always singing as merrily as any lark.
- 2:13:24Speaker 1: He was so cheerful that he made everybody else cheerful,
- 2:13:28Speaker 1: and people all over the land like to talk about
- 2:13:30Speaker 1: his pleasant ways. At last the King heard about him.
- 2:13:35Speaker 1: I will go down and talk with this wonderful miller,
- 2:13:38Speaker 1: he said, perhaps he can tell me how to be happy.
- 2:13:42Speaker 1: As soon as he stepped in sight of the mill,
- 2:13:44Speaker 1: he heard the miller singing, I envy nobody, No not I,
- 2:13:49Speaker 1: for I am as happy as I can be, and
- 2:13:51Speaker 1: nobody envies me. You're wrong, my friend, said the king.
- 2:13:57Speaker 1: You're wrong as wrong can be. I envy you, and
- 2:14:01Speaker 1: I would gladly change places with you if I could
- 2:14:04Speaker 1: only be as light hearted as you are. The miller
- 2:14:08Speaker 1: smiled and bowed to the king. I am sure I
- 2:14:11Speaker 1: could not think of changing places with you, sir, he said.
- 2:14:15Speaker 1: Now tell me, said the king, what makes you so
- 2:14:18Speaker 1: cheerful and glad here in your dusty meal, while I,
- 2:14:21Speaker 1: who am king, am sad and in trouble every day.
- 2:14:26Speaker 1: The miller smiled again and said, I do not know
- 2:14:30Speaker 1: why you are sad, but I can easily tell why
- 2:14:33Speaker 1: I am glad. I earn my own bread, I love
- 2:14:36Speaker 1: my wife and my children, I love my friends and
- 2:14:39Speaker 1: they love me, and I owe not a penny to
- 2:14:42Speaker 1: any man. Why should I not be happy? For here
- 2:14:45Speaker 1: is the river Dee, and every day it turns my mill,
- 2:14:49Speaker 1: and the mill grinds the corn that feeds my wife,
- 2:14:52Speaker 1: my babes and me. Say no more, said the king.
- 2:14:56Speaker 1: Stay where you are and be happy still, But I
- 2:15:00Speaker 1: envy you. Your dusty cap is worth more than my
- 2:15:03Speaker 1: golden crown. Your meal does more for you than my
- 2:15:06Speaker 1: kingdom can do for me. If there were more such
- 2:15:09Speaker 1: men as you, what a good place this world would be.
- 2:15:13Speaker 1: Good Bye, my friend. The King turned about and walked
- 2:15:17Speaker 1: sadly away, and the miller went back to his work, singing, Oh,
- 2:15:21Speaker 1: I'm as happy as happy can be, for I live
- 2:15:24Speaker 1: by the side of the River Dee. The sons of
- 2:15:28Speaker 1: William the Conqueror. There was once a great king of
- 2:15:32Speaker 1: England who was called William the Conqueror, and he had
- 2:15:35Speaker 1: three sons. One day, King William seemed to be thinking
- 2:15:39Speaker 1: of something that made him feel very sad, and the
- 2:15:42Speaker 1: wise men who were about him asked him, what was
- 2:15:45Speaker 1: the matter. I am thinking, he said, of what my
- 2:15:49Speaker 1: sons may do after I am dead. For unless they
- 2:15:52Speaker 1: are wise and strong, they cannot keep the kingdom which
- 2:15:55Speaker 1: I have won for them. Indeed, I am at a
- 2:15:58Speaker 1: loss to know which one of the three are to
- 2:16:00Speaker 1: be king when I am gone, O King, said the
- 2:16:04Speaker 1: wise men. If we only knew what things your sons
- 2:16:07Speaker 1: admire the most, we might be able to tell what
- 2:16:10Speaker 1: kind of men they will be. Perhaps by asking each
- 2:16:13Speaker 1: of them a few questions, we can find out which
- 2:16:16Speaker 1: one of them will be best fitted to rule your palace.
- 2:16:20Speaker 1: The plan is well worth trying, at least, said the king.
- 2:16:24Speaker 1: Have the boys come before you, and then ask them
- 2:16:26Speaker 1: what you please. The wise men talked with one another
- 2:16:30Speaker 1: for a little while, and then agreed that the young
- 2:16:32Speaker 1: princes should be brought in one at a time, and
- 2:16:35Speaker 1: that the same questions should be put to each. The
- 2:16:38Speaker 1: first who came into the room was Robert. He was
- 2:16:41Speaker 1: a tall, wilful lad and was nicknamed short stocking. Fair
- 2:16:47Speaker 1: Sir said, one of the men, answer me this question,
- 2:16:51Speaker 1: if instead of being a boy, it had pleased God
- 2:16:54Speaker 1: that you should be a bird. What kind of bird
- 2:16:56Speaker 1: would you rather be? A hawk? Answered Robert, I would
- 2:17:02Speaker 1: rather be a hawk, for no other bird reminds one
- 2:17:05Speaker 1: so much of a bold and gallant knight. The next
- 2:17:09Speaker 1: who came in was young William, his father's namesake and pet.
- 2:17:14Speaker 1: His face was jolly and round, and because he had
- 2:17:17Speaker 1: red hair, he was nicknamed Rufus, or the red fair
- 2:17:22Speaker 1: Sir said, the wise man, answer me this question, if
- 2:17:26Speaker 1: instead of being a boy, it had pleased God that
- 2:17:28Speaker 1: you should be a bird, what kind of a bird
- 2:17:31Speaker 1: would you rather be? An eagle? Answered William? I would
- 2:17:36Speaker 1: rather be an eagle, because it is strong and brave.
- 2:17:40Speaker 1: It is feared by all other birds, and is therefore
- 2:17:43Speaker 1: the king of them all. Lastly came the youngest brother, Henry,
- 2:17:48Speaker 1: with quiet steps and a sober, thoughtful look. He had
- 2:17:53Speaker 1: been taught to read and write, and for that reason
- 2:17:55Speaker 1: he was nicknamed beau clerk or the handsome scholar. Fair Sir,
- 2:18:01Speaker 1: said the wise man, answer me this question, if instead
- 2:18:05Speaker 1: of being a boy, it have pleased God that you
- 2:18:08Speaker 1: should be a bird, what kind of a bird would
- 2:18:10Speaker 1: you rather be? A starling? Said Henry. I would rather
- 2:18:15Speaker 1: be a starling, because it is good mannered and kind,
- 2:18:18Speaker 1: and a joy to every one who sees it, and
- 2:18:21Speaker 1: it never tries to rob or abuse its neighbor. Then
- 2:18:25Speaker 1: the wise men talked with one another for a little while,
- 2:18:28Speaker 1: and when they had agreed among themselves, they spoke to
- 2:18:31Speaker 1: the King. We find, said they, that your eldest son
- 2:18:36Speaker 1: Robert will be bold and gallant. He will do some
- 2:18:39Speaker 1: great deeds and make a name for himself, but in
- 2:18:42Speaker 1: the end he will be overcome by his foes and
- 2:18:45Speaker 1: will die in prison. The second son, William, will be
- 2:18:50Speaker 1: as brave and strong as the eagle, but he will
- 2:18:53Speaker 1: be feared and hated for his cruel deeds. He will
- 2:18:57Speaker 1: lead a wicked life and will die as shameful death.
- 2:19:01Speaker 1: The youngest son, Henry, will be wise and prudent and peaceful.
- 2:19:05Speaker 1: He will go to war only when he is forced
- 2:19:08Speaker 1: to do so by his enemies. He will be loved
- 2:19:11Speaker 1: at home and respected abroad, and he will die in
- 2:19:14Speaker 1: peace after having gained great possessions. Years passed away, and
- 2:19:19Speaker 1: the three boys had grown up to be men. King
- 2:19:23Speaker 1: William lay upon his death bed, and again he thought
- 2:19:26Speaker 1: of what would become of his sons when he was gone.
- 2:19:29Speaker 1: Then he remembered what the wise men had told him,
- 2:19:32Speaker 1: and so he declared that Robert should have the lands
- 2:19:35Speaker 1: which he held in France, that William should be the
- 2:19:38Speaker 1: king of England, and that Henry should have no land
- 2:19:41Speaker 1: at all, but only a chest of gold. So it
- 2:19:45Speaker 1: happened in the end very much as the wise men
- 2:19:48Speaker 1: had foretold. Robert the short Stocking was bold and reckless,
- 2:19:53Speaker 1: like the hawk which he so much admired. He lost
- 2:19:56Speaker 1: all the lands that his father had left him, and
- 2:19:59Speaker 1: was at last shut up in prison, where he was
- 2:20:01Speaker 1: kept until he died. William Rufus was so overbearing and
- 2:20:06Speaker 1: cruel that he was feared and hated by all his people.
- 2:20:10Speaker 1: He led a wicked life and was killed by one
- 2:20:13Speaker 1: of his own men while hunting in the forest. And
- 2:20:16Speaker 1: Henry the handsome Scholar, had not only the chest of
- 2:20:19Speaker 1: gold for his own, but he became by and by
- 2:20:23Speaker 1: the king of England. And the ruler of all the
- 2:20:26Speaker 1: lands that his father had had In France. The story
- 2:20:30Speaker 1: of Cincinnatus. There was a man named Cincinnatus who lived
- 2:20:35Speaker 1: on a little farm not far from the city of Rome.
- 2:20:38Speaker 1: He had once been rich and had held the highest
- 2:20:41Speaker 1: office in the land, but in one way or another
- 2:20:44Speaker 1: he had lost all his wealth. He was now so
- 2:20:47Speaker 1: poor that he had to do all the work on
- 2:20:49Speaker 1: his farm with his own hands. But in those days
- 2:20:52Speaker 1: it was thought to be a noble thing to till
- 2:20:54Speaker 1: the soil. Cincinnatus was so wise and just that everybody
- 2:21:00Speaker 1: trusted him and asked his advice. And when anyone was
- 2:21:03Speaker 1: in trouble and did not know what to do, his
- 2:21:06Speaker 1: neighbors would say, go and tell Cincinnatus, he will help you.
- 2:21:12Speaker 1: Now there lived among the mountains, not far away, a
- 2:21:14Speaker 1: tribe of fierce half wild men who were at war
- 2:21:18Speaker 1: with the Roman people. They persuaded another tribe of bold
- 2:21:22Speaker 1: warriors to help them, and then marched toward the city,
- 2:21:25Speaker 1: plundering and robbing as they came. They boasted that they
- 2:21:29Speaker 1: would tear down the walls of Rome and burn the houses,
- 2:21:32Speaker 1: and kill all the men, and make slaves of the
- 2:21:35Speaker 1: women and children. At first, the Romans, who were very
- 2:21:39Speaker 1: proud and brave, did not think there was much danger.
- 2:21:43Speaker 1: Every man in Rome was a soldier, and the army
- 2:21:46Speaker 1: which went out to fight the soldiers was the finest
- 2:21:48Speaker 1: in the world. No one stayed at home with the
- 2:21:51Speaker 1: women and children and boys, but the white haired fathers,
- 2:21:54Speaker 1: as they were called, who made the laws for the city,
- 2:21:58Speaker 1: and a small company of men who go the walls.
- 2:22:01Speaker 1: Everybody thought it would be an easy thing to drive
- 2:22:04Speaker 1: the men of the mountains back to the place where
- 2:22:06Speaker 1: they belonged. But one morning five horsemen came riding down
- 2:22:10Speaker 1: the road from the mountains. They rode with great speed,
- 2:22:14Speaker 1: and both men and horses were covered with dust and blood.
- 2:22:18Speaker 1: The watchmen at the gate knew them and shouted to
- 2:22:20Speaker 1: them as they galloped in. Why did they ride thus
- 2:22:23Speaker 1: and what had happened to the Roman army. They did
- 2:22:26Speaker 1: not answer him, but rode into the city and along
- 2:22:29Speaker 1: the quiet streets, and everybody ran after them, eager to
- 2:22:33Speaker 1: find out what was the matter. Rome was not a
- 2:22:37Speaker 1: large city at that time, and soon they reached the
- 2:22:40Speaker 1: market place where the white haired fathers were sitting. Then
- 2:22:43Speaker 1: they leaped from their horses and told their story. Only
- 2:22:48Speaker 1: yesterday they said, our army was marching through a narrow
- 2:22:51Speaker 1: valley between two steep mountains. All at once a thousand
- 2:22:55Speaker 1: savage men sprang out from among the rocks. Before us
- 2:22:58Speaker 1: and above us. They had blocked up the way, and
- 2:23:01Speaker 1: the pass was so narrow that we could not fight.
- 2:23:05Speaker 1: We tried to come back, but they had blocked up
- 2:23:07Speaker 1: the way on this side of us, too. The fierce
- 2:23:10Speaker 1: men of the mountains were before us and behind us,
- 2:23:13Speaker 1: and they were throwing rocks down upon us from above.
- 2:23:17Speaker 1: We had been caught in a trap. The ten of
- 2:23:19Speaker 1: us set spurs to our horses, and five of us
- 2:23:22Speaker 1: forced our way through, but the other five fell before
- 2:23:25Speaker 1: the spears of the mountain men. And now, old Roman fathers,
- 2:23:29Speaker 1: send help to our army at once, or every man
- 2:23:33Speaker 1: will be slain and our city will be taken. What
- 2:23:37Speaker 1: shall we do, said the white haired fathers. Whom can
- 2:23:41Speaker 1: we send but the guards and the boys, and who
- 2:23:43Speaker 1: is wise enough to lead them and thus save wrong
- 2:23:47Speaker 1: All shook their heads and were very grave, for it
- 2:23:50Speaker 1: seemed as if there was no hope. Then one said,
- 2:23:54Speaker 1: send for Cincinnatus, he will help us. Cincinnatus was in
- 2:23:59Speaker 1: the field plowing when the men who had been sent
- 2:24:01Speaker 1: to him, came in great haste. He stopped and greeted
- 2:24:04Speaker 1: them kindly, and waited for them to speak. Put on
- 2:24:08Speaker 1: your cloak, cin Sinnatus, they said, and hear the words
- 2:24:11Speaker 1: of the Roman people. Then Cincinnatus wondered what they could mean.
- 2:24:16Speaker 1: Is all well with Rome, he asked, and he called
- 2:24:19Speaker 1: to his wife to bring him his cloak. She brought
- 2:24:23Speaker 1: the cloak, and Cincinnatus wiped the dust from his hands
- 2:24:26Speaker 1: and arms and threw it over his shoulders. Then the
- 2:24:29Speaker 1: men told their errand they told him how the army,
- 2:24:33Speaker 1: with all the noblest men of Rome, had been entrapped
- 2:24:36Speaker 1: in the mountain pass. They told him about the great
- 2:24:39Speaker 1: danger the city was in. Then they said, the people
- 2:24:43Speaker 1: of Rome make you their ruler and the ruler of
- 2:24:45Speaker 1: their city, to do with everything as you choose, and
- 2:24:48Speaker 1: the fathers bid you come at once to go out
- 2:24:50Speaker 1: against our enemies, the fierce men of the mountains. So
- 2:24:55Speaker 1: Cincinnatus left his plow standing where it was and hurried
- 2:24:58Speaker 1: to the city. When he passed through the streets and
- 2:25:01Speaker 1: gave orders as to what should be done, some of
- 2:25:04Speaker 1: the people were afraid, for they knew that he had
- 2:25:07Speaker 1: all power in Rome. To do what he pleased. But
- 2:25:10Speaker 1: he armed the guards and the boys and went out
- 2:25:13Speaker 1: at their head to fight the fierce mountain men and
- 2:25:15Speaker 1: free the Roman army from the trap into which it
- 2:25:18Speaker 1: had fallen. A few days afterward, there was great joy
- 2:25:22Speaker 1: in Rome. There was great news from Cincinnatus. The men
- 2:25:25Speaker 1: of the mountains had been beaten with great loss. They
- 2:25:28Speaker 1: had been driven back into their own place. And now
- 2:25:32Speaker 1: the Roman army, with the boys and the guards, was
- 2:25:35Speaker 1: coming home with banners flying and shouts of victory. And
- 2:25:39Speaker 1: at their head rode Cincinnatus. He had saved Rome. Cincinnatus
- 2:25:45Speaker 1: might then have made himself king, for his word was law,
- 2:25:49Speaker 1: and no man dared lift a finger against him. But
- 2:25:52Speaker 1: before the people could thank him enough for what he
- 2:25:54Speaker 1: had done, he gave back the power to the white
- 2:25:57Speaker 1: haired Roman fathers and went again to his little farm
- 2:26:01Speaker 1: and his plow. He had been the ruler of Rome
- 2:26:04Speaker 1: for sixteen days. The story of Regulus. On the other
- 2:26:11Speaker 1: side of the sea from Rome, there was once a
- 2:26:13Speaker 1: great city named Carthage. The Roman people were never very
- 2:26:16Speaker 1: friendly to the people of Carthage, and at last a
- 2:26:19Speaker 1: war began between them. For a long time it was
- 2:26:23Speaker 1: hard to tell which would prove the stronger. First the
- 2:26:25Speaker 1: Romans would gain a battle, and then the men of
- 2:26:28Speaker 1: Carthage would gain a battle. And so the war went
- 2:26:31Speaker 1: on for many years. Among the Romans there was a
- 2:26:34Speaker 1: brave general named Regulus, a man of whom it was
- 2:26:37Speaker 1: said that he never broke his word. It so happened
- 2:26:41Speaker 1: after a while that Regulus was taken prisoner and carried
- 2:26:45Speaker 1: to Carthage. Ill and very lonely. He dreamed of his
- 2:26:48Speaker 1: wife and little children so far away beyond the sea,
- 2:26:52Speaker 1: and he had but little hope of ever seeing them again.
- 2:26:56Speaker 1: He loved his home dearly, but he believed that his
- 2:26:59Speaker 1: first duty was to his country, and so he had
- 2:27:02Speaker 1: left all to fight in this cruel war. He had
- 2:27:06Speaker 1: lost a battle, it is true, and had been taken prisoner.
- 2:27:10Speaker 1: Yet he knew that the Romans were gaining ground, and
- 2:27:12Speaker 1: the people of Carthage were afraid of being beaten. In
- 2:27:15Speaker 1: the end. They had sent into other countries to hire
- 2:27:18Speaker 1: soldiers to help them, but even with these they would
- 2:27:21Speaker 1: not be able to fight much longer against Rome. One day,
- 2:27:26Speaker 1: some of the rulers of Carthage came to the prison
- 2:27:29Speaker 1: to talk with Regulus. We should like to make peace
- 2:27:32Speaker 1: with the Roman people, they said, and we are sure
- 2:27:36Speaker 1: that if your rulers at home knew how the war
- 2:27:38Speaker 1: is going, they would be glad to make peace with us.
- 2:27:42Speaker 1: We will set you free and let you go home
- 2:27:44Speaker 1: if you will agree to do as we say. What
- 2:27:48Speaker 1: is that, asked Regilus. In the first place, they said,
- 2:27:53Speaker 1: you must tell the Romans about the battles which you
- 2:27:55Speaker 1: have lost, and you must make it plain to them
- 2:27:58Speaker 1: that they have not gained anything by the way war.
- 2:28:01Speaker 1: In the second place, you must promise us that if
- 2:28:03Speaker 1: they will not make peace, you will come back to
- 2:28:06Speaker 1: your prison. Very well, said Regulus, I promise you that
- 2:28:12Speaker 1: if they will not make peace, I will come back
- 2:28:14Speaker 1: to prison. And so they let him go, for they
- 2:28:18Speaker 1: knew that a great Roman would keep his word. When
- 2:28:21Speaker 1: he came to Rome, all the people greeted him gladly.
- 2:28:25Speaker 1: His wife and children were very happy, for they thought
- 2:28:28Speaker 1: that now they would not be parted again. The white
- 2:28:31Speaker 1: haired fathers, who made the laws for the city, came
- 2:28:33Speaker 1: to see him. They asked him about the war. I
- 2:28:38Speaker 1: was sent from Carthage to ask you to make peace,
- 2:28:41Speaker 1: he said, But it will not be wise to make peace. True,
- 2:28:45Speaker 1: we have been beaten in a few battles, but our
- 2:28:47Speaker 1: army is gaining ground every day. The people of Carthage
- 2:28:51Speaker 1: are afraid and well they may be. Keep on with
- 2:28:54Speaker 1: the war a little while longer, and Carthage shall be yours.
- 2:28:59Speaker 1: As for me, I have come to bid my wife
- 2:29:01Speaker 1: and children and Rome farewell. Tomorrow I will start back
- 2:29:05Speaker 1: to Carthage and to prison, for I have promised. Then
- 2:29:10Speaker 1: the fathers tried to persuade him to stay. Let us
- 2:29:14Speaker 1: send another man in your place, they said, shall a
- 2:29:18Speaker 1: Roma not keep his word? Answered Regilus, I am ill,
- 2:29:22Speaker 1: and at the best have not longed to live. I
- 2:29:25Speaker 1: will go back as I promised. His wife and little
- 2:29:29Speaker 1: children wept, and his sons begged him not to leave
- 2:29:32Speaker 1: them again. I have given my word, said Regulus. The
- 2:29:37Speaker 1: rest will be taken care of. Then he bade them
- 2:29:40Speaker 1: good bye and went bravely back to the prison and
- 2:29:43Speaker 1: the cruel death which he expected. This was the kind
- 2:29:47Speaker 1: of courage that made Rome the greatest city in the world.
- 2:29:52Speaker 1: The story of William tell The people of Switzerland were
- 2:29:56Speaker 1: not always free and happy as they are to day.
- 2:30:00Speaker 1: Many years ago, a proud tyrant whose name was Gessler,
- 2:30:03Speaker 1: ruled over them and made their lot a bitter one. Indeed,
- 2:30:07Speaker 1: one day this tyrant set up a tall pole in
- 2:30:10Speaker 1: the public square and put his own cap on the
- 2:30:12Speaker 1: top of it, And then he gave orders that every
- 2:30:15Speaker 1: man who came into the town should bow down before it.
- 2:30:19Speaker 1: But there was one man named William Tail who would
- 2:30:22Speaker 1: not do this. He stood up straight with folded arms
- 2:30:26Speaker 1: and laughed at the swinging cap. He would not bow
- 2:30:29Speaker 1: down to Gessler himself. When Gessler heard of this, he
- 2:30:34Speaker 1: was very angry. He was afraid that other men would disobey,
- 2:30:38Speaker 1: and that soon the whole country would rebel against him.
- 2:30:41Speaker 1: So he made up his mind to punish the bold man.
- 2:30:45Speaker 1: William Tell's home was among the mountains, and he was
- 2:30:48Speaker 1: a famous hunter. No one in all the land could
- 2:30:51Speaker 1: shoot with bow and arrows so well as he. Gessler
- 2:30:54Speaker 1: knew this, and so he thought of a cruel plan
- 2:30:57Speaker 1: to make the hunter's own skill bring him to grief.
- 2:31:01Speaker 1: He ordered that Tell's little boy should be made to
- 2:31:04Speaker 1: stand up in the public square with an apple on
- 2:31:06Speaker 1: his head, and then he bade Tail shoot the apple
- 2:31:10Speaker 1: with one of his arrows. Tell begged the tyrant not
- 2:31:13Speaker 1: to have him make this test of his skill. What
- 2:31:16Speaker 1: if the boy should move. What if the bowman's hand
- 2:31:19Speaker 1: should tremble, What if the arrow should not carry true?
- 2:31:24Speaker 1: Will you make me kill my own boy? He said?
- 2:31:28Speaker 1: Say no more, said Gessler, You must hit the apple
- 2:31:31Speaker 1: with your one arrow. If you fail, my soldiers shall
- 2:31:35Speaker 1: kill the boy before your eyes. Then, without another word,
- 2:31:40Speaker 1: Till fitted the arrow to his bow. He took aim
- 2:31:44Speaker 1: and let it fly. The boy stood firm and still.
- 2:31:48Speaker 1: He was not afraid, for he had all faith in
- 2:31:51Speaker 1: his father's skill. The arrow whistled through the air. It
- 2:31:56Speaker 1: struck the apple fairly in the center, and carried it away.
- 2:32:00Speaker 1: The people who saw it shouted with joy. As Tail
- 2:32:04Speaker 1: was turning away from the place, an arrow, which he
- 2:32:07Speaker 1: had hidden under his coat, dropped to the ground. Fellow cried, Gessler,
- 2:32:13Speaker 1: what mean you with this second arrow? Tyrant? Was Tell's
- 2:32:17Speaker 1: proud answer. This arrow was for your heart if I
- 2:32:21Speaker 1: had hurt my child. And there is an old story
- 2:32:25Speaker 1: that not long after this, Tell did shoot the tyrant
- 2:32:29Speaker 1: with one of his arrows, and thus he set his
- 2:32:32Speaker 1: country free the sword of Democles. There was once a
- 2:32:38Speaker 1: king whose name was Dionysius. He was so unjust and
- 2:32:42Speaker 1: cruel that he won for himself the name of tyrant.
- 2:32:45Speaker 1: He knew that almost everybody hated him, and so he
- 2:32:48Speaker 1: was always in dread lest some one should take his life.
- 2:32:52Speaker 1: But he was very rich, and he lived in a
- 2:32:54Speaker 1: fine palace where there were many beautiful and costly things,
- 2:32:58Speaker 1: and he was waited upon by a host of servants
- 2:33:00Speaker 1: who were always ready to do his bidding. One day
- 2:33:04Speaker 1: a friend of his, whose name was Democles, said to him,
- 2:33:08Speaker 1: how happy you must be. You have here everything that
- 2:33:11Speaker 1: any man could wish. Perhaps you would like to change
- 2:33:15Speaker 1: places with me, said the tyrant. No, not that, o king,
- 2:33:20Speaker 1: said Democles. But I think that if I could only
- 2:33:23Speaker 1: have your riches and your pleasures for one day, I
- 2:33:26Speaker 1: should not want any greater happiness. Very well, said the tyrant,
- 2:33:31Speaker 1: you shall have them. And so the next day Democles
- 2:33:35Speaker 1: was led into the palace, and all the servants were
- 2:33:38Speaker 1: bidden to treat him as their master. He sat down
- 2:33:41Speaker 1: at a table in the banquet hall, and rich foods
- 2:33:44Speaker 1: were placed before him. Nothing was wanting that could give
- 2:33:47Speaker 1: him pleasure. There were costly wines and beautiful flowers, and
- 2:33:52Speaker 1: rare perfumes and delightful music. He rested himself among soft
- 2:33:56Speaker 1: cushions and felt that he was the happiest man in
- 2:33:59Speaker 1: all the world. Then he chanced to raise his eyes
- 2:34:03Speaker 1: toward the ceiling. What was it that was dangling above him,
- 2:34:07Speaker 1: with its point almost touching his head. It was a
- 2:34:11Speaker 1: sharp sword, and it was hung by only a single
- 2:34:14Speaker 1: horse hair. What if the hair should break? There was
- 2:34:18Speaker 1: danger every moment that it would do. So the smile
- 2:34:22Speaker 1: faded from the lips of Democles. His face became ashy, pale,
- 2:34:27Speaker 1: His hands trembled. He wanted no more food, He could drink,
- 2:34:31Speaker 1: no more wine. He took no more delight in the music.
- 2:34:36Speaker 1: He longed to be out of the palace and away.
- 2:34:39Speaker 1: He cared not where. What is the matter? Said the tyrant?
- 2:34:44Speaker 1: That sword? That sword, cried Democles. He was so badly
- 2:34:50Speaker 1: frightened that he dared not move. Yes, said Dionysius. I
- 2:34:56Speaker 1: know there is a sword above your head, and that
- 2:34:58Speaker 1: it may fall at any moment. But why should that
- 2:35:01Speaker 1: trouble you. I have a sword over my head all
- 2:35:04Speaker 1: the time. I am every moment in dread lest something
- 2:35:07Speaker 1: may cause me to lose my life. Let me go,
- 2:35:11Speaker 1: said Democles. I now see that I was mistaken, and
- 2:35:15Speaker 1: that the rich and powerful are not so happy as
- 2:35:17Speaker 1: they sing, let me go back to my old home
- 2:35:20Speaker 1: in the poor little cottage among the mountains. And so
- 2:35:24Speaker 1: long as he lived, he never again wanted to be
- 2:35:28Speaker 1: rich or to change places, even for a moment with
- 2:35:32Speaker 1: the King. The ungrateful guest. Among the soldiers of King Philip,
- 2:35:39Speaker 1: there was a poor man who had done some brave deeds.
- 2:35:42Speaker 1: He had pleased the King in more ways than one,
- 2:35:44Speaker 1: and so the King put a good deal of trust
- 2:35:46Speaker 1: in him. One day, this soldier was on board of
- 2:35:50Speaker 1: a ship at sea when a great storm came up.
- 2:35:53Speaker 1: The winds drove the ship upon the rocks, and it
- 2:35:55Speaker 1: was wrecked. The soldier was cast half drowned upon the shore,
- 2:36:00Speaker 1: and he would have died there had it not been
- 2:36:02Speaker 1: for the kind care of a farmer who lived close by.
- 2:36:06Speaker 1: When the soldier was well enough to go home, he
- 2:36:09Speaker 1: thanked the farmer for what he had done, and promised
- 2:36:11Speaker 1: that he would repay him for his kindness. But he
- 2:36:15Speaker 1: did not mean to keep his promise. He did not
- 2:36:18Speaker 1: tell King Philip about the man who had saved his life.
- 2:36:22Speaker 1: He only said that there was a fine farm by
- 2:36:24Speaker 1: the sea shore, and that he would like very much
- 2:36:26Speaker 1: to have it for his own would the King give
- 2:36:29Speaker 1: it to him? Who owns the farm? Now, asked Philip,
- 2:36:34Speaker 1: Only a churlish farmer who has never done anything for
- 2:36:37Speaker 1: his country, said the soldier. Very well, then said Philip,
- 2:36:41Speaker 1: you have served me for a long time, and you
- 2:36:44Speaker 1: shall have your wish. Go and take the farm for yourself.
- 2:36:48Speaker 1: And so the soldier made haste to drive the farmer
- 2:36:51Speaker 1: from his house and home. He took the farm for
- 2:36:54Speaker 1: his own. The poor farmer was stung to the heart
- 2:36:58Speaker 1: by such treatment. He went boldly to the king and
- 2:37:01Speaker 1: told the whole story from beginning to end. King Philip
- 2:37:05Speaker 1: was very angry when he learned that the man whom
- 2:37:08Speaker 1: he had trusted had done so base a deed. He
- 2:37:12Speaker 1: sent for the soldier in great haste, and when he
- 2:37:14Speaker 1: had come, he caused these words to be burned into
- 2:37:17Speaker 1: his forehead, the ungrateful guest. Thus all the world was
- 2:37:23Speaker 1: made to know of the mean act by which the
- 2:37:26Speaker 1: soldier had tried to enrich himself, and from that day
- 2:37:29Speaker 1: until he died, all men shunned and hated him, the
- 2:37:34Speaker 1: ungrateful soldier. Here is another story of the battlefield, and
- 2:37:39Speaker 1: it is much like the one I have just told you,
- 2:37:43Speaker 1: not quite a hundred years after the time of Sir
- 2:37:45Speaker 1: Philip Sidney, there was a war between the Swedes and
- 2:37:49Speaker 1: the Danes. One day a great battle was fought, and
- 2:37:52Speaker 1: the Swedes were beaten and driven from the field. A
- 2:37:55Speaker 1: soldier of the Danes, who had been slightly wounded, was
- 2:37:58Speaker 1: sitting on the ground. He was about to take a
- 2:38:01Speaker 1: drink from a flask. All at once he heard some
- 2:38:04Speaker 1: one say, oh, sir, give me a drink, for I
- 2:38:08Speaker 1: am dying. It was a wounded Swede who spoke. He
- 2:38:13Speaker 1: was lying on the ground only a little way off.
- 2:38:16Speaker 1: The Dane went to him at once. He knelt down
- 2:38:18Speaker 1: by the side of his fallen foe and pressed the
- 2:38:21Speaker 1: flask to his lips. Drink, he said, for thy need
- 2:38:25Speaker 1: is greater than mine. Hardly had he spoken these words.
- 2:38:29Speaker 1: When the Swede raised himself on his elbow, he pulled
- 2:38:33Speaker 1: a pistol from his pocket and shot at the man
- 2:38:36Speaker 1: who would have befriended him. The bullet grazed the Dane's shoulder,
- 2:38:40Speaker 1: but he did not do him much harm. Ah, you rascal,
- 2:38:44Speaker 1: he cried, I was going to befriend you, and you
- 2:38:47Speaker 1: repay me by trying to kill me. Now I will
- 2:38:51Speaker 1: punish you I would have given you all the water,
- 2:38:54Speaker 1: but now you shall have only half. And with that
- 2:38:58Speaker 1: he drank the half of it, and then gave the
- 2:39:00Speaker 1: rest to the Swede. When the King of the Danes
- 2:39:04Speaker 1: heard about this, he sent for the soldier and had
- 2:39:07Speaker 1: him tell the story just as it was. Why did
- 2:39:10Speaker 1: you spare the life of the Swede after he had
- 2:39:13Speaker 1: tried to kill you, asked the king, because Sir, said
- 2:39:17Speaker 1: the soldier, I could never kill a wounded enemy. Then
- 2:39:22Speaker 1: you deserve to be a nobleman, said the king, and
- 2:39:25Speaker 1: he rewarded him by making him a knight and giving
- 2:39:28Speaker 1: him a noble title. The White Ship King Henry, the
- 2:39:34Speaker 1: handsome scholar, had one son named William, whom he dearly loved.
- 2:39:38Speaker 1: The young man was noble and brave, and everybody hoped
- 2:39:42Speaker 1: that he would someday be the King of England. One summer,
- 2:39:45Speaker 1: Prince William went with his father across the sea to
- 2:39:48Speaker 1: look after their lands in France. They were welcomed with
- 2:39:51Speaker 1: joy by all their people there, and the young prince
- 2:39:54Speaker 1: was so gallant and kind that he won the love
- 2:39:57Speaker 1: of all who saw him. But at last the time
- 2:40:00Speaker 1: came for them to go back to England. The King
- 2:40:03Speaker 1: with his wise men and brave knights, set sail early
- 2:40:06Speaker 1: in the day. But Prince William with his younger friends
- 2:40:10Speaker 1: waited a little while. They had had so joyous a
- 2:40:13Speaker 1: time in France that they were in no great haste
- 2:40:16Speaker 1: to tear themselves away. Then they went on board of
- 2:40:19Speaker 1: the ship which was waiting to carry them home. It
- 2:40:22Speaker 1: was a beautiful ship, with white sails and white masts,
- 2:40:25Speaker 1: and it had been fitted up on purpose for this voyage.
- 2:40:29Speaker 1: The sea was smooth, the winds were fair, and no
- 2:40:32Speaker 1: one thought of danger on the ship. Everything had been
- 2:40:35Speaker 1: arranged to make the trip a pleasant one. There was
- 2:40:38Speaker 1: music in dancing, and everybody was merry and glad. The
- 2:40:43Speaker 1: sun had gone down before the white winged vessel was
- 2:40:45Speaker 1: fairly out of the bay. But what of that. The
- 2:40:49Speaker 1: moon was at its full, and it would give light enough,
- 2:40:52Speaker 1: and before the dawn of the morrow the narrow sea
- 2:40:55Speaker 1: would be crossed. And so the Prince and the young
- 2:40:58Speaker 1: people who were with him gave themselves up to merriment
- 2:41:01Speaker 1: and feasting and joy. The earlier hours of the night
- 2:41:05Speaker 1: passed by, and then there was a cry of alarm
- 2:41:08Speaker 1: on the deck. A moment afterward, there was a great crash.
- 2:41:12Speaker 1: The ship had struck a rock, the water rushed in.
- 2:41:16Speaker 1: She was sinking. Ah, Where now were those who had
- 2:41:20Speaker 1: lately been so heart free and glad? Every heart was
- 2:41:24Speaker 1: full of fear. No one knew what to do. A
- 2:41:27Speaker 1: small boat was quickly launched, and the Prince, with a
- 2:41:30Speaker 1: few of his bravest friends, leaped into it. They pushed
- 2:41:34Speaker 1: off just as the ship was beginning to settle beneath
- 2:41:37Speaker 1: the waves. Would they be saved? They had rowed hardly
- 2:41:41Speaker 1: ten yards from the ship, when there was a cry
- 2:41:44Speaker 1: from among those who were left behind. Row back, cried
- 2:41:48Speaker 1: the Prince. It is my little sister. She must be saved.
- 2:41:53Speaker 1: The men did not dare to disobey. The boat was
- 2:41:56Speaker 1: again brought alongside the sinking vessel. The Prince stood up
- 2:42:01Speaker 1: and held out his arms for his sister. At that moment,
- 2:42:04Speaker 1: the ship gave a great lurch forward into the waves.
- 2:42:08Speaker 1: One shriek of terror was heard, and then all was
- 2:42:11Speaker 1: still save the sound of the moaning waters. Ship and boat.
- 2:42:16Speaker 1: Prince and princess and all the gay company that had
- 2:42:20Speaker 1: set sail from France went down to the bottom together.
- 2:42:24Speaker 1: One man clung to a floating plank and was saved
- 2:42:27Speaker 1: the next day he was the only person left alive
- 2:42:31Speaker 1: to tell the sad story. When King Henry heard of
- 2:42:34Speaker 1: the death of his son, his grief was more than
- 2:42:37Speaker 1: he could bear. His heart was broken. He had no
- 2:42:41Speaker 1: more joy in life, And men say that no one
- 2:42:44Speaker 1: ever saw him smile again. Here is a poem about
- 2:42:48Speaker 1: him that your teacher may read to you, and perhaps
- 2:42:52Speaker 1: after a while you may learn it by heart. He
- 2:42:56Speaker 1: never smiled again. The ark that held the prince went down,
- 2:43:02Speaker 1: The sweeping waves rolled on, and what was England's glorious crown?
- 2:43:06Speaker 1: To him that wept a sun? He lived for life
- 2:43:10Speaker 1: may long be borne. Ere sorrow breaks its chains. Why
- 2:43:14Speaker 1: comes not death to those who mourn? He never smiled again.
- 2:43:19Speaker 1: There stood proud forms before his throne, the stately and
- 2:43:23Speaker 1: the brave. But who could fill the place of one
- 2:43:27Speaker 1: that one beneath The wave before him passed the young
- 2:43:31Speaker 1: and fair in pleasure's reckless train. But sees dashed o'er
- 2:43:36Speaker 1: his son's bright hair. He never smiled again. He sat
- 2:43:41Speaker 1: where festal boughs went round. He heard the minstrel sing,
- 2:43:45Speaker 1: He saw the torney's victor crowned. Amid the nightly ring,
- 2:43:48Speaker 1: a murmur of the restless deep was blint with every strain,
- 2:43:53Speaker 1: a voice of winds that would not sleep. He never
- 2:43:56Speaker 1: smiled again. Hearts in that time closed o'er. The trace
- 2:44:02Speaker 1: of valves once fondly poured, and strangers took the kinsman's place.
- 2:44:07Speaker 1: At many a joyous board graves which true love had
- 2:44:11Speaker 1: bathed with tears were left to Heaven's bright rain. Fresh
- 2:44:15Speaker 1: hopes were born for other years. He never smiled again.
- 2:44:21Speaker 1: Missus Hemans. Three men of Gotham. There is a town
- 2:44:28Speaker 1: in England called Gotham, and many merry stories are told
- 2:44:31Speaker 1: of the queer people who used to live there. One day,
- 2:44:34Speaker 1: two men of Gotham met on a bridge. Hodge was
- 2:44:37Speaker 1: coming from the market and Peter was going to the market.
- 2:44:42Speaker 1: Where are you going, said Hodge. I am going to
- 2:44:45Speaker 1: the market to buy sheep, said Peter. Buy sheep, said Hodge.
- 2:44:50Speaker 1: And which way will you bring them home? I shall
- 2:44:53Speaker 1: bring them over this bridge, said Peter. No you shall not,
- 2:44:57Speaker 1: said Hodge. Yes, but I will, said Peter. You shall not,
- 2:45:02Speaker 1: said Hodge. I will, said Peter. Then they beat with
- 2:45:07Speaker 1: their sticks on the ground as though there had been
- 2:45:09Speaker 1: a hundred sheep between them. Take care, cried Peter, look
- 2:45:14Speaker 1: out that my sheep don't jump on the bridge. I
- 2:45:18Speaker 1: care not where they jump, said Hodge. But they shall
- 2:45:21Speaker 1: not go over it. But they will, said Peter. Have
- 2:45:25Speaker 1: a care, said Hodge, for if you say too much,
- 2:45:28Speaker 1: I will put my fingers in your mouth, will you,
- 2:45:32Speaker 1: said Peter. Just then, another man of Gotham came from
- 2:45:35Speaker 1: the market with a sack of meal on his horse.
- 2:45:38Speaker 1: He heard his neighbors quarreling about sheep, but he could
- 2:45:41Speaker 1: see no sheep between them, and so he stopped and
- 2:45:45Speaker 1: spoke to them. Ah, you foolish fellows, he cried, it
- 2:45:50Speaker 1: is strange that you will never learn wisdom. Come here, Peter,
- 2:45:53Speaker 1: and help me lay my sack on my shoulder. Peter
- 2:45:57Speaker 1: did so, and the man carried his meal to the
- 2:45:59Speaker 1: side of the bridge. Now look at me, he said,
- 2:46:03Speaker 1: and learn a lesson. And he opened the mouth of
- 2:46:05Speaker 1: the sack and poured all the meal into the river. Now, neighbors,
- 2:46:10Speaker 1: he said, can you tell how much meal is in
- 2:46:13Speaker 1: my sack? There is none at all, cried Hodge and Peter. Together,
- 2:46:18Speaker 1: you are right, said the man. And you that stand
- 2:46:21Speaker 1: here and quarrel about nothing, have no more sense in
- 2:46:24Speaker 1: your heads than I have meal in my sack. Whittington
- 2:46:28Speaker 1: and his cat part one the city. There was once
- 2:46:33Speaker 1: a little boy whose name was Richard Whittington, but everybody
- 2:46:36Speaker 1: called him Dick. His father and mother had died when
- 2:46:39Speaker 1: he was only a babe, and the people who had
- 2:46:41Speaker 1: the care of him were very poor. Dick was not
- 2:46:45Speaker 1: old enough to work, and so he had a hard
- 2:46:47Speaker 1: time of it. Indeed, sometimes he had no breakfast, and
- 2:46:51Speaker 1: sometimes he had no dinner, and he was glad at
- 2:46:53Speaker 1: any time to get a crust of bread or a
- 2:46:55Speaker 1: drop of milk. Now, in the town where Dick lived,
- 2:46:59Speaker 1: the people liked to talk about London. None of them
- 2:47:02Speaker 1: had ever been to the great city, but they seemed
- 2:47:04Speaker 1: to know all about the wonderful things which were to
- 2:47:06Speaker 1: be seen there. They said that all the folks who
- 2:47:09Speaker 1: lived in London were fine gentlemen and ladies, that there
- 2:47:12Speaker 1: was singing and music there all day long, that nobody
- 2:47:16Speaker 1: was ever hungry there and nobody had to work, and
- 2:47:20Speaker 1: that the streets were all paved with gold. Dick listened
- 2:47:23Speaker 1: to these stories and wished that he could go to London.
- 2:47:26Speaker 1: One day, a big wagon drawn by eight horses, all
- 2:47:29Speaker 1: with bells on their heads, drove into the little town.
- 2:47:33Speaker 1: Dick saw the wagon standing by the inn, and he
- 2:47:35Speaker 1: thought that it must be going to the fine city
- 2:47:38Speaker 1: of London. When the driver came out and was ready
- 2:47:41Speaker 1: to start, the lad ran up and asked him if
- 2:47:43Speaker 1: he might walk by the side of the wagon. The
- 2:47:46Speaker 1: driver asked him some questions, and when he learned how
- 2:47:49Speaker 1: poor Dick was, and that he had neither father nor mother,
- 2:47:53Speaker 1: he told him that he might do as he liked.
- 2:47:56Speaker 1: It was a long walk for the little lad, but
- 2:47:58Speaker 1: by and bye he came to the city of London.
- 2:48:01Speaker 1: He was in such a hurry to see the wonderful
- 2:48:03Speaker 1: sights that he forgot to thank the driver of the wagon.
- 2:48:07Speaker 1: He ran as fast as he could from one street
- 2:48:09Speaker 1: to another, trying to find those that were paved with gold.
- 2:48:14Speaker 1: He had once seen a piece of money that was gold,
- 2:48:16Speaker 1: and he knew that it would buy a great, great
- 2:48:18Speaker 1: many things. And now he thought that if he could
- 2:48:21Speaker 1: only get a little bit of the pavement, he would
- 2:48:23Speaker 1: have everything that he wanted. Poor Dick ran till he
- 2:48:27Speaker 1: was so tired that he could run no farther. It
- 2:48:30Speaker 1: was growing dark, and in every street there was only
- 2:48:33Speaker 1: dirt instead of gold. He sat down in a dark
- 2:48:36Speaker 1: corner and cried himself to sleep. When he woke up
- 2:48:40Speaker 1: the next morning, he was very hungry, but there was
- 2:48:43Speaker 1: not even a crust of bread for him to eat.
- 2:48:46Speaker 1: He forgot all about the golden pavements and thought only
- 2:48:49Speaker 1: of food. He walked about from one street to another,
- 2:48:53Speaker 1: and at last grew so hungry that he began to
- 2:48:56Speaker 1: ask those whom he met to give him a penny
- 2:48:58Speaker 1: to buy something to eat. Go to work, you idle fellow,
- 2:49:03Speaker 1: said some of them, and the rest passed him by
- 2:49:05Speaker 1: without even looking at him. I wish I could go
- 2:49:09Speaker 1: to work, said Dick. Part two the kitchen. By and by,
- 2:49:16Speaker 1: Dick grew so faint and tired that he could go
- 2:49:18Speaker 1: no farther. He sat down by the door of a
- 2:49:20Speaker 1: fine house and wished that he was back again in
- 2:49:23Speaker 1: the little town where he was born. The cook maid,
- 2:49:26Speaker 1: who was just getting dinner, saw him and called out,
- 2:49:30Speaker 1: what are you doing here, you little beggar. If you
- 2:49:33Speaker 1: don't get away quick, I'll throw a penful of hot
- 2:49:35Speaker 1: dish water over you. Then I guess you will jump.
- 2:49:39Speaker 1: Just at that time, the master of the house, whose
- 2:49:42Speaker 1: name was mister fitz Warren, came home to dinner. When
- 2:49:45Speaker 1: he saw the ragged little fellow at his door. He said,
- 2:49:49Speaker 1: my lad, what are you doing here? I am afraid
- 2:49:53Speaker 1: you are a lazy fellow, and that you want to
- 2:49:55Speaker 1: live without work. No, indeed, said Dick, I would like
- 2:50:00Speaker 1: to work if I could find anything to do. But
- 2:50:03Speaker 1: I do not know anybody in this town, and I
- 2:50:05Speaker 1: have not had anything to eat for a long time.
- 2:50:09Speaker 1: Poor little fellow, said mister fitz Warren. Come in and
- 2:50:12Speaker 1: I will see what I can do for you. And
- 2:50:15Speaker 1: he ordered the cook to give the lad a good dinner,
- 2:50:17Speaker 1: and then to find some light work for him to do.
- 2:50:21Speaker 1: Little Dick would have been very happy in the new
- 2:50:23Speaker 1: home which he had thus found if it had not
- 2:50:26Speaker 1: been for the cross cook. She would often say, you
- 2:50:30Speaker 1: are my boy now, and you must do as I
- 2:50:32Speaker 1: tell you. Look sharp there, make the fires, carry out
- 2:50:36Speaker 1: the ashes, wash these dishes, sweep the floor, bring in
- 2:50:40Speaker 1: the wood. Oh, what a lazy fellow you are, and
- 2:50:43Speaker 1: then she would box his ears or beat him with
- 2:50:46Speaker 1: the broomstick. At last, Little Alice, his master's daughter, saw
- 2:50:52Speaker 1: how he was treated, and she told the cook she
- 2:50:54Speaker 1: would be turned off if she was not kinder to
- 2:50:56Speaker 1: the lad. After that, Dick had an easier time of it,
- 2:51:01Speaker 1: but his troubles were not over yet by any means.
- 2:51:04Speaker 1: His bed was in a garret at the top of
- 2:51:06Speaker 1: the house, far away from the rooms where the other
- 2:51:09Speaker 1: people slept. There were many holes in the floor and walls,
- 2:51:13Speaker 1: and every night a great number of rats and mice
- 2:51:15Speaker 1: came in. They tormented Dick so much that he did
- 2:51:19Speaker 1: not know what to do. One day, a gentleman gave
- 2:51:23Speaker 1: him a penny for cleaning his shoes, and he made
- 2:51:26Speaker 1: up his mind that he would buy a cat with it.
- 2:51:29Speaker 1: The very next morning he met a girl who was
- 2:51:31Speaker 1: carrying a cat in her arms. I will give you
- 2:51:34Speaker 1: a penny for that cat, he said, all right. The
- 2:51:38Speaker 1: girl said, you may have her, and you will find
- 2:51:42Speaker 1: that she is a good mouse or too. Dick hid
- 2:51:45Speaker 1: his cat in the garret, and every day he carried
- 2:51:48Speaker 1: a part of his dinner to her. It was not
- 2:51:50Speaker 1: long before she had driven all the rats and mice away,
- 2:51:53Speaker 1: and then Dick could sleep soundly every night. Part three
- 2:51:58Speaker 1: the Venture. Some time after that, a ship that belonged
- 2:52:03Speaker 1: to mister Fitzwarren was about to start on a voyage
- 2:52:05Speaker 1: across the sea. It was loaded with goods which were
- 2:52:09Speaker 1: to be sold in lands far away. Mister fitz Warren
- 2:52:12Speaker 1: wanted to give his servants a chance for good fortune too,
- 2:52:15Speaker 1: and so he called all of them into the parlor
- 2:52:17Speaker 1: and asked if they had anything they would like to
- 2:52:20Speaker 1: send out in the ship for trade. Every one had
- 2:52:23Speaker 1: something to send, every one but Dick, And as he
- 2:52:27Speaker 1: had neither money nor goods, he stayed in the kitchen
- 2:52:30Speaker 1: and did not come in with the rest. Little Alice
- 2:52:33Speaker 1: guessed when he did not come, and so she said
- 2:52:35Speaker 1: to her Papa, poor Dick ought to have a chance too.
- 2:52:40Speaker 1: Here is some money out of my own purse that
- 2:52:42Speaker 1: you may put in for him. No, no, my child,
- 2:52:46Speaker 1: said mister Fitzwarren, He must risk something of his own.
- 2:52:50Speaker 1: And then he called very loud, here, Dick, what are
- 2:52:53Speaker 1: you going to send out on this ship. Dick heard
- 2:52:56Speaker 1: him and came into the room. I have nothing in
- 2:52:59Speaker 1: the world, he said, but a cat, which I bought
- 2:53:02Speaker 1: some time ago for a penny. Fetch your cat, then,
- 2:53:06Speaker 1: my lad said mister fitz Warren, and let her go out.
- 2:53:09Speaker 1: Who knows but that she will bring you some profit. Dick,
- 2:53:13Speaker 1: with tears in his eyes, carried poor Puss down to
- 2:53:16Speaker 1: the ship and gave her to the captain. Everybody laughed
- 2:53:20Speaker 1: at his queer venture, but little Alice felt sorry for
- 2:53:24Speaker 1: him and gave him money to buy another cat. After that,
- 2:53:28Speaker 1: the cook was worse than before. She made fun of
- 2:53:31Speaker 1: him for sending his cat to sea. Do you think
- 2:53:34Speaker 1: she would say that a puss will sell for enough
- 2:53:37Speaker 1: money to buy a stick to beat you? At last,
- 2:53:40Speaker 1: Dick could not stand her abuse any longer, and he
- 2:53:43Speaker 1: made up his mind to go back to his old
- 2:53:45Speaker 1: home in the little country town. So very early in
- 2:53:49Speaker 1: the morning on all Hallow's Day he started. He walked
- 2:53:52Speaker 1: as far as the place called Holloway, and there he
- 2:53:55Speaker 1: sat down on a stone, which to this day is
- 2:53:58Speaker 1: called Whittington's Stone. As he sat there, very sad and
- 2:54:02Speaker 1: wondering which way to go, he heard the bells on
- 2:54:05Speaker 1: Bow Church far away, ringing out a merry chime. He listened,
- 2:54:10Speaker 1: they seemed to say to him, turn again, Whittington thrice,
- 2:54:14Speaker 1: Lord Mayor of London. Well, well, he said to himself,
- 2:54:18Speaker 1: I would put up with almost anything to be Lord
- 2:54:21Speaker 1: Mayor of London. When I am a man and to
- 2:54:24Speaker 1: ride in a fine coach. I think I will go
- 2:54:26Speaker 1: back and let the old cook cuffins goold me as
- 2:54:29Speaker 1: much as she pleases. Dick did go back, and he
- 2:54:33Speaker 1: was lucky enough to get into the kitchen and set
- 2:54:36Speaker 1: about his work before the cook came downstairs to get breakfast.
- 2:54:41Speaker 1: Part four. The cat mister Fitzwarren's ship made a long
- 2:54:46Speaker 1: voyage and at last reached a strange land on the
- 2:54:48Speaker 1: other side of the sea. The people had never seen
- 2:54:52Speaker 1: any white men before, and they came in great crowds
- 2:54:54Speaker 1: to buy the fine things with which the ship was loaded.
- 2:54:58Speaker 1: The captain wanted very much to trade with the king
- 2:55:00Speaker 1: of the country, and it was not long before the
- 2:55:02Speaker 1: king sent word to him to come to the palace
- 2:55:05Speaker 1: and see him. The captain did so, he was shown
- 2:55:08Speaker 1: into a beautiful room and given a seat on a
- 2:55:11Speaker 1: rich carpet, all flowered with silver and gold. The King
- 2:55:15Speaker 1: and Queen were seated not far away, and soon a
- 2:55:18Speaker 1: number of dishes were brought in for dinner. They had
- 2:55:21Speaker 1: hardly begun to eat when an army of rats and
- 2:55:24Speaker 1: mice rushed in and devoured all the meat before anyone
- 2:55:27Speaker 1: could hinder them. The captain wondered at this and asked
- 2:55:31Speaker 1: if it was not very unpleasant to have so many
- 2:55:33Speaker 1: rats and mice about. Oh, yes, was the answer. It
- 2:55:38Speaker 1: is indeed unpleasant, and the King would give half his
- 2:55:41Speaker 1: treasure if he could get rid of them. The captain
- 2:55:44Speaker 1: jumped for joy. He remembered the cat which little Whittington
- 2:55:48Speaker 1: had sent out, and he told the King that he
- 2:55:50Speaker 1: had a little creature on board his ship which would
- 2:55:53Speaker 1: make short work of the pests. Then it was the
- 2:55:56Speaker 1: king's turn to jump for joy, and he jumped so
- 2:55:59Speaker 1: high that his yellow cap or turban dropped off his head.
- 2:56:03Speaker 1: Bring the creature to me, he said. If she will
- 2:56:05Speaker 1: do what you say, I will load your ship with gold.
- 2:56:08Speaker 1: The captain made believe that he would be very sorry
- 2:56:11Speaker 1: to part with the cat, but at last he went
- 2:56:14Speaker 1: down to the ship to get her. While the King
- 2:56:16Speaker 1: and Queen made haste to have another dinner made ready.
- 2:56:20Speaker 1: The captain, with Puss under his arm, reached the palace
- 2:56:23Speaker 1: just in time to see the table crowded with rats.
- 2:56:26Speaker 1: The cat leaped out upon them, and oh what havoc
- 2:56:30Speaker 1: she did make among the troublesome creatures. Most of them
- 2:56:33Speaker 1: were soon stretched dead upon the floor, while the rest
- 2:56:36Speaker 1: scampered away to their holes and did not dare to
- 2:56:39Speaker 1: come out again. The king had never been so glad
- 2:56:43Speaker 1: in his life, and the queen asked that the creature
- 2:56:45Speaker 1: which had done such wonders should be brought to her.
- 2:56:49Speaker 1: The captain called pussy, Pussy, pussy, and the cat came
- 2:56:54Speaker 1: up and rubbed against his legs. He picked her up
- 2:56:57Speaker 1: and offered her to the queen, but at first the
- 2:57:00Speaker 1: Queen was afraid to touch her. However, the captain stroked
- 2:57:04Speaker 1: the cat and called pussy, pussy, pussy, and then the
- 2:57:09Speaker 1: queen ventured to touch her. She could only say putty, putty, putty,
- 2:57:15Speaker 1: for she had not learned to talk English. The captain
- 2:57:18Speaker 1: then put the cat down on the Queen's lap, where
- 2:57:21Speaker 1: she purred and purred until she went to sleep. The
- 2:57:24Speaker 1: King would not have missed getting the cat now for
- 2:57:26Speaker 1: the world. He at once made a bargain with the
- 2:57:30Speaker 1: captain for all the goods on board the ship, and
- 2:57:33Speaker 1: then he gave him ten times as much for the
- 2:57:35Speaker 1: cat as all the rest came to. The captain was
- 2:57:39Speaker 1: very glad. He bade the King and Queen good bye,
- 2:57:42Speaker 1: and the very next day set sail for England. Part
- 2:57:46Speaker 1: five The Fortune. One morning, mister fitz Warren was sitting
- 2:57:51Speaker 1: at his desk in the office. He heard some one
- 2:57:53Speaker 1: tap softly at the door, and he said, who's there?
- 2:57:57Speaker 1: A friend was the answer, I have come to bring
- 2:58:01Speaker 1: you news of your ship Unicorn. Mister fitz Warren jumped
- 2:58:05Speaker 1: up quickly and opened the door. Whom should he see
- 2:58:08Speaker 1: waiting there but the Captain, with a bill of lady
- 2:58:10Speaker 1: in one hand and a box of jewels in the other.
- 2:58:14Speaker 1: He was so full of joy that he lifted up
- 2:58:16Speaker 1: his eyes and thanked Heaven for sending him such good fortune.
- 2:58:20Speaker 1: The captain soon told the story of the cat, and
- 2:58:22Speaker 1: then he showed the rich present which the King and
- 2:58:25Speaker 1: Queen had sent to poor Dick in payment for her.
- 2:58:28Speaker 1: As soon as the good gentleman heard this, he called
- 2:58:31Speaker 1: out to his servants, go send him in and tell
- 2:58:34Speaker 1: him of his fame. Pray call him mister Whittington by name.
- 2:58:39Speaker 1: Some of the men who stood by said that so
- 2:58:41Speaker 1: great a present ought not to be given to a
- 2:58:43Speaker 1: mere boy. But mister fitz Warren frowned upon them. It
- 2:58:48Speaker 1: is his own, he said, and I will not hold
- 2:58:50Speaker 1: back one penny from him. Dick was scouring the pots
- 2:58:54Speaker 1: when word was brought to him that he should go
- 2:58:56Speaker 1: to the office. Oh I am so dirty, he said,
- 2:59:00Speaker 1: and my shoes are full of hob nails. But he
- 2:59:03Speaker 1: was told to make haste. Mister fitz Warren ordered a
- 2:59:07Speaker 1: chair to be set for him, and then the lad
- 2:59:09Speaker 1: began to think that they were making fun of him.
- 2:59:12Speaker 1: I beg that you won't play tricks with a poor
- 2:59:14Speaker 1: boy like me, he said, Please, let me go back
- 2:59:17Speaker 1: to my work. Mister Whittington said, mister Fitzwarren, this is
- 2:59:22Speaker 1: no joke at all. The captain has sold your cat
- 2:59:25Speaker 1: and has brought you in return for her, more riches
- 2:59:28Speaker 1: than I have in the whole world. Then he opened
- 2:59:31Speaker 1: the box of jewels and showed Dick his treasures. The
- 2:59:35Speaker 1: poor boy did not know what to do. He begged
- 2:59:38Speaker 1: his master to take a part of it, but mister
- 2:59:40Speaker 1: fitz Warren said, no, it is all your own, and
- 2:59:44Speaker 1: I feel sure that you will make good use of it.
- 2:59:47Speaker 1: Dick then offered some of his jewels to his mistress
- 2:59:50Speaker 1: and little Alice. They thanked him and told him that
- 2:59:53Speaker 1: they felt great joy at his good luck, but wished
- 2:59:55Speaker 1: him to keep his riches for himself. But he was
- 2:59:59Speaker 1: too kind art to keep everything for himself. He gave
- 3:00:02Speaker 1: nice presents to the captain and the sailors, and to
- 3:00:05Speaker 1: the servants in mister Fitzwarren's house. He even remembered the
- 3:00:09Speaker 1: cross old cook. After that Whittington's face was washed and
- 3:00:14Speaker 1: his hair curled, and he was dressed in a nice
- 3:00:16Speaker 1: suit of clothes, and then he was as handsome a
- 3:00:19Speaker 1: young man as ever walked the streets of London. Some
- 3:00:23Speaker 1: time after that there was a fine wedding at the
- 3:00:25Speaker 1: finest church in London, and Miss Alice became the wife
- 3:00:29Speaker 1: of mister Richard Whittington. And the Lord Mayor was there,
- 3:00:32Speaker 1: and the great judges and the sheriffs, and many rich merchants,
- 3:00:35Speaker 1: and everybody was very happy. And Richard Whittington became a
- 3:00:40Speaker 1: great merchant and was one of the foremost men in London.
- 3:00:43Speaker 1: He was Sheriff of the city, and thrice Lord Mayor,
- 3:00:46Speaker 1: and King Henry the Fifth made him a knight. He
- 3:00:50Speaker 1: built the famous prison of Newgate in London. On the
- 3:00:53Speaker 1: archway in front of the prison was a figure cut
- 3:00:56Speaker 1: in stone of Sir Richard Whittington and his cat, And
- 3:00:59Speaker 1: for three hundred years this figure was shown to all
- 3:01:02Speaker 1: who visited London.