RICHARD retired to his tent unconcerned; meanwhile the castle was taken, and every rebel hanged – except Richard’s assailant, a mere boy named Bertrand, who was dragged to the king’s bedside.*
By now Richard’s wound was gangrenous, and his mighty frame crumbling. “What harm have I done you?” he demanded pettishly. “None,” was Bertrand’s reply, “but murdering my father and my two brothers. So slay me too,” he taunted, baring his neck; “nothing can rob me of my victory!”
There was a long pause. Then to the would-be martyr’s disappointment, “Live on!” the King commanded. “And thank me every morning for the sunrise. May my example give hope to those vanquished today!” He also promised Bertrand a hundred shillings.*
But the King’s chief officer, Mercardier, knew nothing of this, and
had Bertrand hanged; for the conqueror of Saladin never recovered from
Bertrand’s arrow, and died on April 6th, 1199, prompting Roger of
Howden’s epitaph,
‘In this man’s death
The Lion was slain by the ant.’
Charles Dickens and Roger of Howden name him Bertrand or Bertram, but several other names have been given to Richard’s nemesis by chroniclers. How much of the story is true remains debatable, though Richard did die at the Château de Châlus Chabrol near Limoges, of a wound from a crossbow bolt that turned septic.
Dickens wonders whether the King remembered the time when Saladin sent fruits and snows to cool his fever as he lay in his tent after Arsuf. “Perhaps some remembrance of his generous enemy Saladin, who was not a Christian, came into the mind of the dying King.”
Précis
After crushing the revolt with brutal efficiency, Richard turned to the young man who had wounded him. The wound had turned gangrenous, and Richard knew he was dying, but still pardoned his murderer, much to that would-be martyr’s disappointment. Nonetheless, Richard did die, and it was said that England’s Lion had been slain by a French ant. (57 / 60 words)
After crushing the revolt with brutal efficiency, Richard turned to the young man who had wounded him. The wound had turned gangrenous, and Richard knew he was dying, but still pardoned his murderer, much to that would-be martyr’s disappointment. Nonetheless, Richard did die, and it was said that England’s Lion had been slain by a French ant.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, because, may, must, or, otherwise, ought, unless.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Five. Lion. Today.
2 Conquer. Crumble. Time.
3 Enemy. Rebellious. Town.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
grps (5+1)
grapes. gripes. grips. gropes. groups.
groupies.
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