An island story; a child's history of England . l clinging to the mast. He was thepoorest of all those who had sailed in the beautifulWhite Ship. While the others had been dressed in silkand satin and velvet, his coat was of sheepskin, andperhaps that helped to save him, for the rough skin keptout the cold and wet far better than a coat of satin couldhave done. It was beginning to grow light when three fishermen,passing in their boat, caught sight of something floatingin the water. They rowed near to see what it was, andfound the poor butcher almost dead from cold andhunger. The fishermen lift
An island story; a child's history of England . l clinging to the mast. He was thepoorest of all those who had sailed in the beautifulWhite Ship. While the others had been dressed in silkand satin and velvet, his coat was of sheepskin, andperhaps that helped to save him, for the rough skin keptout the cold and wet far better than a coat of satin couldhave done. It was beginning to grow light when three fishermen,passing in their boat, caught sight of something floatingin the water. They rowed near to see what it was, andfound the poor butcher almost dead from cold andhunger. The fishermen lifted him into their boat and took himhome. When they had warmed and fed him, and hecould speak again, he told his dreadful story. Alas, what news to carry to England! There wasmourning and tears among the nobles when they heard it,for almost every one among them had lost a son or abrother. But who should tell the King? No one dared. Thenobles knew that Henry loved his son above everythingon earth, so for three days, in spite of his anxious ques-. The little boy knelt before the King and stammered out the story. THE STORY OF THE * WHITE SHIP 135 tions, no one dared to tell him the truth. When alonethey wept for their dear ones, but in presence of theKing they put away their tears and tried to smile and jestas usual. At last one of the nobles, taking his little son by thehand, and whispering to him, Go, tell the King, gentlypushed the child into the room where Henry was sitting. The little boy felt frightened and shy at finding him-self alone with the stern King, although he hardly under-stood how terrible a tale he had to tell. Half sobbingwith excitement and fear, he knelt before Henry andstammered out the story. As Henry listened, his hands clutched his robe, hislips moved, but no sound came. Then suddenly he fellsenseless to the floor, and the little boy, now quitefrightened, burst into loud sobbing. At the sound of the fall the nobles rushed into theroom. They lifted the King
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Keywords: ., bookauthormarshall, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookyear1906
