welcomed，received kindly.
1.When Alfred came to the throne，in his twenty-second year，he ran the risk at first of displeasing his subjects by ruling them too harshly.That was the reason for which，when the Danes made an attack by sea on the southern shore，there were very few men who cared to help Alfred in beating them back；so the young monarch was driven from his throne，and had to hide himself among the woods and the marshes of Somersetshire.
2.This piece of bad fortune did good both to himself and to his people.It softened the sternness of his nature，and allowed his people time to forget his early harshness.His hidingplace was an island in Somersetshire，called Athelney，a little patch of ground covered with alder trees.A bridge was built over the stream，and here the King remained for a whole winter.
3.It was while he lived in this sad state that he found his way one day into the cabin of a man that herded oxen.The man was out，but his wife welcomed the wanderer，and bade him sit down and warm himself at the fire of logs that crackled in the centre of the clay floor.Alfred，who was dressed in the clothes of a peasant，gladly did so，at the same time taking out his knife and trimming his bow.
4.The woman asked him to see that some cakes，which were baking on the fire，did not burn：but he was either too tired，or too much wrapped in thought，or too busy with the shaping of his bow；for，when she turned again to look，the bread was black and smoking.Little dreaming that she was scolding her King，the herdsman‘s wife poured out a torrent of abuse，and told the culprit that，although he was lazy in watching the cakes，she was sure he would eat them greedily enough when they were baked.
中文阅读
1.阿尔弗雷德在22岁登基后，刚愎自用，立政苛严。而这就是为什么当初丹麦人从南部海岸登岸侵袭之时，几乎没有人英勇地站出来击退敌人，最后他不得不狼狈躲避到萨默塞特郡的无边沼泽与树林里之中。
2.不过这段霉运却对他本人以及他治下的人民都有好处，一方面修磨了他急躁的脾气，另一方面也让他的人民有时间去遗忘一些他当初留给他们的恶劣印象。他的藏身之处是萨默塞特郡的一个小岛，名叫阿塞尔内岛，岛的面积不大，上面到处覆盖着赤杨树。后来在小岛边缘的水流上架了一座桥，这位倒霉的国王在那里度过了整整一个严冬。
3.阿尔弗雷德就在这样的困境中一天天煎熬着。有一天，他无意中走进了一位放牛人的陋舍，主人不在，但他的妻子很热情地招待了这位流浪者。她招呼他坐下，让他在地面上一堆劈啪作响的柴火旁暖和身子。穿成农民样子的阿尔弗雷德高兴地坐下来，拿出小刀修剪他的弓箭。
4.这位主妇让他看着火边正在烤制的面包，千万别烤焦了。但也许是他太累了，或者心里琢磨的事太多了，也可能是一心在想快点削好他的弓箭，反正等她回来再看时，面包已经全黑了，还冒着青烟。可以想象，接下来这位倒霉的国王被放牛人彪悍的老婆骂了个狗血喷头。不过还好，她还是告诉这位冤家，尽管他这么没用，把面包烤糊了，但一会儿她重新烤好面包后，还是能让他吃个够的。
20
KING ALFRED AND THE DANES
阿尔弗雷德与丹麦敌寇
imagine，fancy.inflicted，put；thrust.invited，asked.
minstrel，a singer；a bard.regained，won back.skilfully，cleverly.
1.When the news spread quietly among the English of Wessex that Alfredawas living in the island of Athelney，the young men gathered secretly around
him；and in the spring he left the island with a little army of brave men.Before engaging in battle，he is said to have taken the very bold step of going in a minstrel’s dress into the camp of the Danes and playing there，until he was invited to feast with the chief.
2.All the evening he played and sang most skilfully，and the Danes talked in the pauses of the music about their plans for defending themselves and for attacking the English.His ear，though he did not seem to listen，caught every word of the boastful talk，which became less guarded when the wine began to affect the soldiers‘brains.When the feast was over，the minstrelstole away to his little camp atbKING ALFRED IN THE DANISH CAMP.
Brixton，
on the borders of Selwood Forest，and there laid his plans for anattack on the Danes.
3.Next day he managed to place his men between the Northmen and their camp，which was a round or oval space high up on a hill.It was sunset before the battle was ended.The Danes ran up the hill and hid themselves in theira Athelney is AEtheling-igge；that is，Prince’s Iale.
b Brixton.-Now Brixton-Deverill，in Wiltshire.
camp，where，for a fortnight，but no longer，they held out against the attacks ofathe English army，which grew larger every day.By the Battle of Ethandune，asthe fight is called，Alfred regained the throne of Wessex.
4.Nearly twenty years later，Alfred inflicted another great defeat on the Danes.There came to the shore of Kent a fleet that seemed number-less，consisting of more than two hundred ships；and its chief was Hastings，the best known pirate of his day.The Danes landed，and，by forming camps，succeeded in holding their ground for a long time.
5.Their principal station-and their last-was at Wareon the Lea，whencethey threatened London on the north.Alfred came on them at a time when they were just preparing to reap a field of corn，which some English farmer had sown，but on which all the summer they had been casting greedy eyes.We may imagine their wrath when they saw one-half of Alfred‘s force lay down their spears and set to work on the grain with sickles.The reaping，the binding，thecarting were calmly and securely done by the Englishmen，while the Danes looked on in helpless rage from behind their strong ramparts，which were utterly useless in this case.
6.Alfred knew well that the Danes depended chiefly on their ships，and that to render these useless would be to rob them of their strength.Secretly，therefore，he set diggers to work，and caused them to make two long channels alongside of the bed of the river in which the Danish fleet was floating.When all was ready，he cut a way for the water to flow into these new channels，and thus made the old stream so shallow that the ships ran aground and fell on their sides.This was a fatal blow to the pirates，who ran away from their works and scattered themselves over the country.Next year they got home with difficulty in some leaky ships，which they had managed to borrow from the Danes of the eastern coast.
中文阅读
1.阿尔弗雷德正居于阿塞尔内岛的消息在韦塞克斯的英格兰人中不胫而走，许多年轻人远道而来聚集到他周围，于是第二年春天，他便带领着这帮勇士离开了小岛。在与丹麦人直接交锋之前，据说他作了一次巨大的冒险：阿尔弗雷德穿着一身竖琴乐师的服饰，潜入了丹麦人的军营，并在那里有模有样地弹奏起来，最后居然受邀参与丹麦人头领的宴会。
a Ethandune.-Now Edington，near Westbury in Wiltshire.
b Ware.-Twenty miles north of London；near Hertford.
