Konkurs realioznawczy - King Alfred and the cakes
Przez najbliższe tygodnie będziemy publikować na naszej stronie popularne legendy i baśnie Wysp Brytyjskich, które wraz ze wskazanymi w regulaminie konkursu English-Speaking Countries in a Nutshell, będą źródłem, na bazie którego opracowany zostanie test finałowy. Rudyard Kipling powiedział niegdyś: “If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” Chcemy, aby przedstawione legendy na długo pozostały w pamięci uczestników konkursu oraz wszystkich czytelników i życzymy przyjemnej lektury!
King Alfred was an Anglo-Saxon king who lived in the 9th century AD. He was not king of England, because England was not yet one united country. Alfred was king of Wessex. The other kingdoms in England - Mercia, Northumbria and East Anglia- were occupied by the Vikings, who had come over the sea and wanted to conquer the British Islands. There were so many invaders, and they were so fierce and powerful that they had won many battles and would soon become rulers of the whole country.
King Alfred did not have an easy life. There was war all the time, and he had lost many battles. After he had been defeated by the Vikings in battle yet again, he had to flee and find a hiding place to save his life. Hungry and exhausted, the king came to a shepherd’s hut (in other versions of the story the hut belonged to a woodcutter). The shepherd was out, minding his sheep and his wife was baking cakes. The woman invited King Alfred in. She did not recognise the monarch and thought he was merely a soldier of Wessex, not the king! She offered him rest and food, as she had just started baking some cakes for supper.
The woman went out to collect some more firewood and told the soldier to keep an eye on the cakes while she was away. Alas, almost as soon as she had left, poor Alfred fell asleep. According to some other accounts, King Alfred was so deep in thought, planning how to win back his kingdom and defeat the Vikings that he completely forgot about the cakes, which burnt. The shepherd’s wife was not pleased to see her visitor had spoiled her supper, so she started beating King Alfred with her broomstick, calling him a lazy, good-for-nothing man. The king accepted being in the wrong, when it was his fault, and did not use his royal authority to avoid punishment. He took the beating and apologised!
Some time after the event, King Alfred gathered his men again and beat the Vikings in a great battle. Over the years, he did so much good for his country that he became known all over the world as Alfred the Great.
The story presents King Alfred as a humble man, who had all the qualities needed to be an outstanding monarch. It also tells us that it is important to take responsibility no matter how large or small a task might seem.