ere was
a small cottage, and Alfred asked the woman who lived there if he might
go in and rest.

Now the woman did not know the king, but she saw that he was an English
soldier, and that he was very tired, so she let him come in and sit in
her kitchen.

Upon the hearth before the fire, some cakes were baking, and the woman
told the stranger that if he watched them, and took care that they did
not burn, she would give him some supper. Then she went away to do her
work.

At first, King Alfred watched the cakes carefully; when they were well
cooked on one side he turned the other to the fire. But, after a time,
he began to think of his country, and of his poor people, and then he
forgot his task.

When the woman came back, the cakes were black and burnt. "You are an
idle fellow," cried she angrily. "You would be quite ready to eat the
cakes, but you will not take the trouble to watch them."

While she was loudly scolding, her husband came home. He knew King
Alfred. "Hush, wife!" cried he. "It is our noble lord the king!"

When the woman heard this, she was much afraid, and she begged Alfred to
forgive her.

The king smiled, and said: "I will gladly forgive you for your scolding,
good wife, if you will forgive me for spoiling your supper."

[Illustration: KING ALFRED FORGETS THE CAKES]

=Not Angles, but Angels=

In old days the people of England were not all free, as they are now.
Sometimes young men, and women, and little children were sold as slaves,
and had to work hard for their masters.

Many of these slaves were sent to Rome, for the Romans thought the tall,
fair Angles very beautiful, and liked to have them as their servants.

Once, a wise and good preacher, named Gregory, was walking through the
market-place in Rome, when he saw a group of slaves standing there,
waiting to be bought. Among these slaves were some pretty boys with long
yellow hair, and blue eyes, and white skin. This was a strange sight to
Gregory, for most of the people in his land had dark hair, and brown
skin.

"Who are these boys?" asked he of a man who was standing by.

"They are Angles from over the sea," replied the man.

"Surely not Angles, but Angels," said the preacher, looking kindly into
the boys' faces. "Do they come from England?"

"From heathen England, where men do not know the true God," said the
man.

"Some day they shall be taught to know God, and then indeed they shall
be angels," said Gregory.

Now