Favorite Tales Of Long Ago Author:James Baldwin FAVORITE TALES of LONG AGO Retold by JAMES BALDWIN Illustrated by Lili Rethi E. P. BUTTON CO., INC. New York Of CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER. 55-6511 1955, BY E. P. BUTTON co. r INC. All rights reserved. No part of this book protected by the above copyright may be reproduced in any form without written pexmisnkm o the publsher. IN THE UNITED STA... more »TES OF AMERICA ,0-U CONTENTS King Alfred and the Cakes 3 King Canute on the Seashore 7 King John and the Abbot 1 1 Bruce and the Spider 18 Other Wise Men of Gotham 21 Pocahontas 28 Sir Walter Raleigh 30 The Miller of the Dee 36 George Washington and His Hatchet 39 The Story of William Tell 41 Arnold Winkelried 45 The Bell of Atri 49 The Story of Cincinnatus 58 The Story of Regulus 65 Cornelia s Jewels 69 Androclus and the Lion 73 -- viii Contents The Sword of Damocles 78 Damon and Pythias 82 Alexander and Bucephalus 85 Diogenes the Wise Man 88 The Brave Three Hundred 91 The Kingdoms 95 The Endless Tale 99 The Blind Men and the Elephant 104 Maximilian and the Goose Boy 107 The Inchcape Rock 114 Antonio Ganova 119 A Story of Robin Hood 127 Whittington and His Cat 134 FAVORITE TALES of LONG AGO 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 4 Favorite Tales of Long Ago 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 erive him c o o 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. quot Yes, quot she said, quot 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. quot King Alfred was very willing to watch the cakes, but he had for greater things to think about. How was he going to get his army to gether 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« less