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KING ALFRED AND THE CAKES . Many years ago there lived in England a wise and good king whose name was Alfred . No other man ever did so much for his country as he ; and people now , all over the world , speak of him as Alfred the Great . In those days a king did not have a very easy life . There was war almost all the time , and no one else could lead his army into battle so well as he . And so , between ruling and fighting , he had a busy time of it indeed . A fierce , rude people , called the Danes , had come from over the sea , and were fighting the English . There were so many of them , and they were so bold and strong , that for a long time they gained every battle . If they kept on , they would soon be the masters of the whole country . At last , after a great battle , the English army was broken up and scattered . Every man had to save himself in the best way he could . King Alfred fled alone , in great haste , through the woods and swamps . Late in the day the king came to the hut of a woodcutter . He was very tired and hungry , and he begged the woodcutter's wife to give him something to eat and a place to sleep in her hut . The woman was baking some cakes upon the hearth , and she looked with pity upon the poor , ragged fellow who seemed so hungry . She had no thought that he was the king . " Yes , " she said , " I will give you some supper if you will watch these cakes . I want to go out and milk the cow ; and you must see that they do not burn while I am gone . " King Alfred was very willing to watch the cakes , but he had far greater things to think about . How was he going to get his army together again ? And how was he going to drive the fierce Danes out of the land ? He forgot his hunger ; he forgot the cakes ; he forgot that he was in the woodcutter's hut . His mind was busy making plans for to - morrow . In a little while the woman came back . The cakes were smoking on the hearth . They were burned to a crisp . Ah , how angry she was ! " You lazy fellow ! " she cried . " See what you have done ! You want something to eat , but you do not want to work ! " I have been told that she even struck the king with a stick ; but I can hardly believe that she was so ill - natured . The king must have laughed to himself at the thought of being scolded in this way ; and he was so hungry that he did not mind the woman's angry words half so much as the loss of the cakes . I do not know whether he had anything to eat that night , or whether he had to go to bed without his supper . But it was not many days until he had gathered his men together again , and had beaten the Danes in a great battle .
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