_Wherein it appears that an absent minded king forgot the duty in
hand while he was thinking of something else._
A long time ago there lived in England a good king who was named
Alfred. He was very wise and brave, and did so much for his people
that he is known as Alfred the Great.
In those days kings had many wars with their enemies. The king
always led his own men in battle, and was up in the very front
ranks where the fighting was the worst.
At the time we are telling of, the Danes had come over to England,
and had fought a fierce battle with King Alfred, and had scattered
his army far and wide, so that the king had to flee through woods
and swamps in order to save his life.
Alfred escaped from his pursuers, and late in the day came to the
hut of a poor wood-cutter, deep in the forest. He was very hungry
and was weary, and muddy and did not look much like a king. In fact
he looked more like a beggar than anything else. He asked the old
woman in the hut to give him something to eat, not letting her know
who he was.
“Very well,” she said, “I am going out to milk the cow, and if you
watch those cakes on the hearth while I am gone, I will let you
have one. Watch so that they do not burn.” And she went on out to
milk the cow.
Alfred sat down in front of the fire, and the cakes were cooking on
the hearth. He watched them for awhile, and then he began to think
about his army, and his people, and the Danes, and to wonder if he
would ever get his soldiers together again. He forgot all about his
hunger, and all about the cakes on the hearth. He even forgot he
was in the wood-cutter’s hut, for his mind was on his own affairs,
and they were very bad indeed.
The one cake began to burn, then another cake began to burn and
then all the cakes began to burn. Still Alfred paid no attention
to them, but kept on looking into the fire and thinking about the
enemies of England.
After awhile the old woman smelt the burning cakes. “Mercy on me,”
she said, “that man has let the cakes burn,” and she set down the
milk pail, and ran into the house where the king sat before the
fire paying no attention whatever.
“You lazy fellow!” she cried, “see what has happened! The cakes are
not fit to eat. You are very trifling indeed, and are too lazy to
be trusted.” The king laughed and went to bed without any supper.
“Perhaps I deserved that scolding,” he said. “Even a king should
pay attention to the little things of life.” At any rate it was not
long before he had gathered his soldiers and had driven the Danes
out of his kingdom.