ENGLISH STORY (KING ALFRED AND THE CAKES)

KING ALFRED AND THE CAKES




MANY years ago there lived in England a wise and good king whose
name was Alfred. No other man ever did so much for his country as he;
and people now, all over the world, speak of him as Alfred the Great.
In those days a king did not have a very easy life. There was war almost
all the time, and no one else could lead his army into battle so well as he.
And so, between ruling and fighting, he had a busy time of it indeed.
A fierce, rude people, called the Danes, had come from over the sea, and
were fighting the English. There were so many of them, and they were so
bold and strong, that for a long time they gained every battle. If they
kept on, they would soon be the masters of the whole country.
At last, after a great battle, the English army was broken up and
scattered. Every man had to save himself in the best way he could. King
Alfred fled alone, in great haste, through the woods and swamps.
Late in the day the king came to the hut of a woodcutter. He was very
tired and hungry, and he begged the woodcutter's wife to give him
something to eat and a place to sleep in her hut.
The woman was baking some cakes upon the hearth, and she looked with
pity upon the poor, ragged fellow who seemed so hungry. She had no
thought that he was the king.
"Yes," she said, "I will give you some supper if you will watch these
cakes. I want to go out and milk the cow; and you must see that they do
not burn while I am gone."
King Alfred was very willing to watch the cakes, but he had far greater
things to think about. How was he going to get his army together again?
And how was he going to drive the fierce Danes out of the land? He
forgot his hunger; he forgot the cakes; he forgot that he was in the
woodcutter's hut. His mind was busy making plans for to-morrow.