Alfred the Great was a wise, brave king in England about a thousand years ago.
He defended his people against terrible enemies and brought peace and order to his country, which was the southern part of the island of Great Britain.
(There were several kings in England then.
) Alfred's people were called the West Saxons.
In those days the most terrible warriors were the Danes, who often sailed across the North Sea from their home in Denmark to rob and kill the West Saxons.
Alfred became king in the year 871.
The first time the Danes invaded his country after that, he drove them out.
A few years later they came back and this time they beat Alfred's army and the king had to hide in a swamp.
King Alfred did not give up.
He wandered among his people in disguise.
Slowly he gathered his scattered army together again.
Once he stayed at the home of an old woman who told him to watch some cakes she was baking.
When he fell asleep before the fire and let the cakes burn, the old woman, not knowing he was the king, scolded him and called him a good-for-nothing.
But finally Alfred gathered his army together and defeated the Danes in a great battle.
Alfred set up a good government, passed wise laws, and brought peace and order to his country.
In those days most of the people could not read or write, and the few who could write used only the Latin language.
Alfred brought teachers and learned men from all parts of his country and from other lands in Europe, to write books and teach the people.
King Alfred helped to write the books.
Instead of Latin he used the language of the people, Anglo-Saxon, which came to be the English language we speak today.
In 892 the Danes attacked again and after fighting them for four long years, Alfred defeated them again.
He died in 899, when he was about 50 years old.
He defended his people against terrible enemies and brought peace and order to his country, which was the southern part of the island of Great Britain.
(There were several kings in England then.
) Alfred's people were called the West Saxons.
In those days the most terrible warriors were the Danes, who often sailed across the North Sea from their home in Denmark to rob and kill the West Saxons.
Alfred became king in the year 871.
The first time the Danes invaded his country after that, he drove them out.
A few years later they came back and this time they beat Alfred's army and the king had to hide in a swamp.
King Alfred did not give up.
He wandered among his people in disguise.
Slowly he gathered his scattered army together again.
Once he stayed at the home of an old woman who told him to watch some cakes she was baking.
When he fell asleep before the fire and let the cakes burn, the old woman, not knowing he was the king, scolded him and called him a good-for-nothing.
But finally Alfred gathered his army together and defeated the Danes in a great battle.
Alfred set up a good government, passed wise laws, and brought peace and order to his country.
In those days most of the people could not read or write, and the few who could write used only the Latin language.
Alfred brought teachers and learned men from all parts of his country and from other lands in Europe, to write books and teach the people.
King Alfred helped to write the books.
Instead of Latin he used the language of the people, Anglo-Saxon, which came to be the English language we speak today.
In 892 the Danes attacked again and after fighting them for four long years, Alfred defeated them again.
He died in 899, when he was about 50 years old.
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