Oh, how beautiful are all earthly things! We do not remember anything, for we have never been taught. Yet we have seen old trees and red rocks. Sometimes we pass into long shadows. Sometimes we walk until evening in the bright meadows. We have shouted Jesus' name into s the ears of Nicholas, and he knows it well. But he cannot say it. He rejoices with us in what we see. For his lips can open with joy, and he fondles our shoulders.

Men said that we should meet ogres and werewolves in the woods. It was not true. No one has frightened us; 10 no one has hurt us. The lonely and the sick come to look at us and old women light lights for us in their cabins. The church bells are rung for us. Peasants get up from their furrows to watch us. The animals, too, look at us and do not run away.

Since we have been walking the sun has grown warmer, and we no longer pick the same flowers. But all stalks may be plaited in the same shapes and our crosses are always fresh. So we are of good hope, and soon we shall catch sight of the blue sea, and beyond the blue sea is Jerusalem. And the Lord will let all of us little children come to His tomb. And the white voices will be joyful in the night.

1. Who led the French Children's Crusade? What caused him to lead it? How many French children joined in it? Where were they going?

2. Tell what happened to the young crusaders.

3. Who tells the "Child Crusader's Story"? What did the three do on the way?

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HOW CALAIS WAS SAVED

BY JEAN FROISSART

The town of Calais held out for almost a year against an English army led by King Edward III. Then, as the people were starving, they asked King Edward to let them go in safety if they gave up the town. When he refused, his knights told him that English soldiers could expect no mercy if their king showed none to others. Froissart's Chronicles are a history of his own time - he knew many of the people, and saw many of the happenings, described.

◄HEN the king said: "Sirs, I will not stand out against

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all of you. So, Sir Walter Manny, you shall go and tell the Captain of Calais that all the mercy he shall have now from me is this: let six of the chief burgesses of the stown come out bareheaded, barefooted, and barelegged, with halters about their necks, and with the keys of the town and castle in their hands; let these six men put themselves altogether in my power, and I will have mercy on the rest."

Then Sir Walter went out again, and found the Captain of Calais, Sir John of Vienne, still on the wall, waiting for an answer. And Sir Walter told him all the mercy that he could get from the king.

"Well, sir,” quoth Sir John, "I beg you to wait here for a Is little while, till I can go into the town and tell this to the townsfolk, who sent me hither."

Then Sir John went into the market place and rang the town bell; and at once men and women began to assemble there, and Sir John told them all that he had done, and

said: "Sirs, there are no better terms to be had; so take counsel among yourselves and make your answer at once."

Then all the people began to weep and to be so sorrowful that the hardest heart, seeing them, would have had pity on them; the Captain himself wept for pity. At last the s richest burgess of the town, Eustace of St. Pierre, rose up and said openly: "Sirs, great and small, it would indeed be a great wrong to allow the people of this town to die by famine or otherwise when there is a means to save them. I think that whoever kept them from this harm would 10 greatly please our Lord God. For my own part, I have faith in God to believe that he will pardon me if I die in this quarrel, to save others; and so I will be the first to put my life in peril.”

When he had said this they all gave him great honor and 15 many of them kneeled down at his feet, weeping and sighing. Then another honest burgess stood up and said, "I will keep company with my good friend Eustace." He was called John of Aire. Then up rose James of Wissant, who was rich in goods and lands, and said that he would go 20 with his two cousins. And so did Peter of Wissant, his brother; and then two others said they would do the same. So they all went and dressed themselves as the king had commanded.

Then the Captain went with them to the gate of the city, 25 and men, women, and children made great lamentation at their departing. So they passed out of the gate, which was closed again behind them, and came to Sir Walter Manny where he waited for them between the gate and the barriers. And the Captain said to Sir Walter Manny, "Sir, as Captain 30 of Calais I deliver here to you, by the consent of all the people of the town, these six burgesses; and I truly swear

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to you that they are and were to-day, the most honorable, rich, and well-known burgesses of the town of Calais. And so, gentle knight, I beg of you to pray the king to have mercy on them, that they may not die."

5 Quoth Sir Walter, "I cannot say what the king will do, but I will do for them the best I can." Then the barriers were opened and the six burgesses went to the king, and the Captain went back to the town.

When Sir Walter presented the burgesses to the king they kneeled down, held up their hands, and said: "Gentle king, behold us here, six men, who were burgesses of Calais and great merchants; we have brought you the keys of the town and of the castle, and we submit ourselves entirely to your will and pleasure, that we may save the rest of 15 the people of Calais, who have suffered great misery. Sir, we beseech your grace in your great nobility to have mercy and pity on us."

At this all the earls and barons and others who were there wept for pity. But the king looked on them with anger, for 20 he hated the people of Calais very bitterly, on account of the great loss and annoyance they had formerly caused him at sea.

Then he commanded their heads to be cut off; and though every man there begged the king to show them 25 mercy, he would hear no one who spoke for them. Then Sir Walter Manny said: "Ah, noble king, for the love of Heaven, restrain your passion. You have the name of being truly noble of mind; therefore do not now do a thing that will blemish your good name and give folk cause to 30 speak evil of you. Everyone will say it is a great cruelty to put to death these worthy men who have willingly put themselves in your power to save their townsfolk."

But the king turned away from him, gnashing his teeth, and commanded the hangman to be sent for, and said, "The people of Calais have caused many of my men to be slain, and therefore these men shall die likewise."

Then the queen, Philippa, kneeled down and wept pite- 5 ously, saying, "Oh, gentle sir, since I came to you across the sea, at great peril, I have asked you for nothing. So now I humbly beg you, for the honor of the Son of blessed Mary, and for the love of me, that you will show mercy to these six burgesses." The king looked at the queen and 10 stood still a little while, thinking. Then he said, "Oh, lady, I wish that you had been in some other place at this time; for you have made a request of me that I cannot deny you. Therefore I give these six men to you, to do whatever you please with them.”

So the queen had them brought into her own room, and had the halters taken from their necks, and new clothes given them, and their dinner served to them at their leisure. Then she gave them each six nobles, and had them safeguarded out of the English camp and set at liberty.

1. Where is Calais located? How far is it from England? Why should the English wish to capture it?

2. Why did King Edward wish the six burgesses to be bareheaded, etc.? What do you think of these six men? What is your opinion of Sir Walter Manny? Of the king?

3. What excuse did the king give for wishing the six burgesses to die? Who spoiled his plan? Explain line 19, page 330.

4. Is there anything in the story itself to suggest that the events took place in the Middle Ages?

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