The Copybook

Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.

1621

© Karl and Ali, Geograph. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.

William of Cloudsley Clay Lane

William is Cumbria’s very own blend of Robin Hood and William Tell - with a happy ending, too.

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1622

© Penny Mayes, Geograph. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.

King Alfred and the Beggar Clay Lane

An everyday act of charity triggered off a series of extraordinary events.

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1623

© Antony Dixon, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.0.

The Lambton Worm Clay Lane

John Lambton goes fishing on a Sunday, and lets loose all kinds of trouble.

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1624

© böhringer friedrich, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.5.

William Tell Clay Lane

A classic tale from Switzerland of overbearing authority and a father with a very steady hand.

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1625

© Jeffrey Sciberras, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.

The Sacred Snakes of Kefalonia Clay Lane

Once a year, regular as clockwork, the little snakes slither into the convent for a Feast of the Virgin Mary.

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1626

© Andrew Gray, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0.

The Character of George Stephenson Samuel Smiles

A self-made man who never forgot his humble beginnings.

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