Short passages for reading, drawn from history, legend, poetry and fiction.
John Neagle (1796–1865), Wikimedia Commons. Licence: Public domain.
A loyal Scotsman on the run from pro-English traitors disguised himself as a blacksmith’s apprentice, but soon gave himself away.
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By Georg Balthasar Probst (1732-1801) 1750
Byron felt compelled to set the record straight after it was alleged that he had swum the Hellespont the easy way.
Wandernder Weltreisender 3.0.
Magnus, Earl of Orkney, disappointed King Magnus of Norway by refusing to get involved in somebody else’s war.
© Samyan Bahga, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0.
A herd of goats is threatened by a pride of lions, and it falls to one brave billy to face the danger alone.
© Forza, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
In this fable from India, a sly little insect teaches a jackdaw that all that glisters is not necessarily edible.
© Israeli Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC-BY-SA 2.5
Back in the 6th century, Mary was consumed by an addiction so compulsive that she would use and discard anyone to satisfy it.