ght in. These chariots were drawn by swift horses, and, upon the
wheels, long sharp knives were fixed. The Iceni drove the chariots very
fast among their foes, and the knives cut down and killed many of them.

The Romans from over the sea were the most dangerous enemies of Boadicea
and her people.

In those days the Romans were the best fighters, and the strongest and
wisest people in the world. They came in ships to Britain. They had been
told that it was a good country, and they hoped to take it for
themselves. Some of them came to Boadicea's land, and took a part of it
and of her riches. And when she tried to stop them from doing this, they
seized her and the two princesses and beat them cruelly.

This wicked act made the Iceni very angry. From all parts of the land,
fierce fighting-men came marching in haste to avenge themselves on their
enemies, bringing with them their spears and their war-chariots. When
all were gathered together, they fell upon the Romans.

There were so many of them, and they were so fierce, that the Romans
could not stand against them. Thousands were killed, and the rest ran
away to their ships.

But there were many more Romans in other parts of Britain, and when
these heard how their friends had been beaten, they came marching in
haste to punish the Iceni.

The Iceni did their best to get ready to defend themselves, but many of
their brave men had been slain and others were wounded and weary, so
they could not hope again to win a victory over their strong foes.
Before the battle, Queen Boadicea, with her fair hair waving in the
wind, stood before her soldiers and spoke to them. She told them of the
wrong which the Romans had done, and begged them to fight bravely for
their country. Then she got into her chariot, and with her daughters
lying at her feet, drove to and fro, so that all might see them.

And the soldiers shouted, and promised to fight to the end for their
brave queen.

They did fight long and bravely, until most of them were killed, but
their foes were too strong for them. When Queen Boadicea saw that her
brave soldiers were beaten, she drank some poison which killed her. She
thought it better to die than to be again taken prisoner by the cruel
Romans.

[Illustration: QUEEN BOADICEA AND HER SOLDIERS]

=King Alfred and the Cakes=

Once, when good King Alfred of England was forced to flee from his
strong foes the Danes, he hid himself in a wood. In this wood, th