ALFRED died in 901 A.D. and his son, Edward, became king after
him. He is called Edward the Elder, because he was the first of
a great many kings of that name. He was a good king and was greatly
helped by his sister, Ethelfleda, who was called the Lady of Mercia.
She was a brave, wise woman and, like Boadicea, often led her
soldiers in battle. For the Danes began to be troublesome again,
and Edward and Ethelfleda had to fight many battles with them.
When Edward the Elder and Ethelfleda both died, Edward's son,
Athelstane, came to the throne. He, too, was a good king, and
he, too, had to fight with the Danes. After him came six kings
who have been called the "boy kings," because they were
all so young when they came to the throne. Some of these boy kings
were wise and good, and all of them had to fight with the Danes.
Year by year the Danes were becoming more and more powerful in
England. They not only came and went in their ships, but many
more of them settled in the country. They made their homes in
England and forgot about their old homes in Denmark. That would
not have mattered much, if they had become good English subjects,
willing to obey an English king. But that is what they did not
do. Instead, they rebelled always against the king, and so wars
and fighting went on.
Now you shall hear about the last of the "boy kings."
His name was Ethelred, and because he was foolish and slow, he
was also called the Unready. He lived about a hundred years after
Alfred.
In his reign everything seemed to go wrong. The Danes soon found
out what a foolish man he was, and they came in greater numbers
than ever. Ethelred had not spirit enough to be a good leader.
He was never sure of what he wanted to do, so his soldiers lost
heart and his captains quarreled among themselves.
He built ships, but they were shattered by storms. The city of
London caught fire by accident and was burnt to the ground. Everywhere
there was misery and misfortune.
Then Ethelred thought of an unhappy plan for ridding the country
of the Danes. He said to them, "I will give you a large sum
of money if you will go away."
The Danes, of course, were delighted at the idea of getting money
so easily, and they gladly promised. Ethelred gave them the gold,
and they sailed away and the English people rejoiced.
But the Danes, as you know, were never careful about keeping
their promises. They went home, it is true, but when they had
spent all the money which Ethelred had given them, they said,
"Let us go to England again and rob the people. Perhaps their
foolish king will give us more money."
And so they sailed to England. Ethelred again gave them money
to go back to Denmark; again they sailed away, but when the money
was spent, once more they returned.
Over and over again the same thing happened, Ethelred always
giving the Danes larger and larger sums, for they grew more and
more greedy when they saw how easy it was to make the foolish
English king give them money.
How did Ethelred get all the money which he gave to the Danes?
Was it his own? No. In order to get the money, Ethelred taxed
the people, that is, he made each person pay a certain sum every
year, and this was called Danegelt or Danemoney.
The English were already accustomed to pay taxes for various
things, and at first they did not mind paying this new one. Indeed
they were glad to do it, in the hope of getting rid of their terrible
enemies. But when the Danes returned time after time, when year
by year the tax grew heavier and heavier, the people grew weary
of it, and angry.
"We strive and toil," they said, "to earn money,
that we may live in peace and comfort, but it is of no use. The
King takes our money and gives it to these idle heathen. We will
work and pay no more." So the people grew moody, and the
country was in greater misery than before.
Then Ethelred thought of another plan by which to get rid of
the Danes. This plan was both terrible and wicked.
He sent messengers into every part of England, telling the English
that, on the 13th of November, they were to kill all the Danes,
men, women and children.
This was a most cruel and wicked order. Besides, it was not the
Danes who were living in England who gave the greatest trouble,
but those who year by year came across the sea in their ships,
to plunder and kill. But Ethelred was weak and cowardly. He dared
not fight the fierce sea-kings as they were called, so he thought
he would murder their peaceful brothers and sisters.
And the most dreadful thing is that Englishmen all over the country
were found willing to carry out the cruel order. Yet we must not
think too hardly of these old Englishmen, for they had suffered
so much from the Danes that it was little wonder that they hated
them.
Even those Danes, who were living peaceably in England, were
so proud and haughty that the English hated them. They always
thought they should have the best of everything, they expected
to be called "Lord Dane," they treated the English like
slaves, and if an Englishman and a Dane met in a narrow passage
or on a bridge the Englishman had to go back until "my Lord
Dane" had passed.
So when the 13th of November came, the Englishmen rose and slaughtered
the Danes, every one, man, woman and child, rich and poor, high
and low. None were saved.
Among those who were killed was the Princess Gunhilda, sister
of the King of Denmark. She had married an English lord and was
living with him in England. She was not only very beautiful, but
good. The Danes were heathen, but Gunhilda had become Christian,
and in her gentle way she tried to bring about peace between the
English and the Danes.
When the terrible slaughter began, and the air was filled with
shrieks, Gunhilda's husband, son and servants gathered round her,
to protect her. Bravely they fought for her, but all in vain.
First her husband and then her son fell dead at her feet, pierced
by many spears.
Then a cruel man seized the beautiful Gunhilda by the hair and
buried his sword in her heart.
"Alas!" she said, as she sank dying to the ground,
"my death will bring great sorrow upon England."
