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Y5 HS Big Write for November: All About Alfred
14 Nov 2014
This week we had a Big Write which focussed on writing Historical Fiction:
stories about King Alfred the Great.
These are our wonderful winners.
Congratulations!
You can see all our class' Big Write adventures at the
Whole School Arts Week Exhibition on
Friday 21st November in the Main Hall.
Alfred was just twenty years old when he first led an army into battle against the Vikings who were attacking Wessex. In this story, Giorgio describes Alfred's first battle.
Alfred the Great
by Giorgio
1200 years earlier, in the time of the Anglo-Saxons, Alfred woke up hearing noises. He was thinking, 'What could it be?' to himself. Then he said, "The Vikings are attacking! Prepare to defend the castle!"
The battle began. Alfred was so nervous about the war and worried what would happen if he lost. He helped to defend his land.
Later on in the attack, King Alfred thought to himself, 'We're going to win this battle. Only we must carry on with this hard fighting. We have to win this attack or we will lose everything.'
In the battle, the Saxons were demolishing the Vikings. Eventually the Vikings had to surrender. They ran off to their escape route which led to their boats and sailed back to their land.
To celebrate the big victory and for the Anglo-Saxons to remember the victory, they dug out a horse so they would never forget.
Not all the battles against the Vikings were as successful as this one. In these stories Charlotte and Rheya write about the time when Alfred (now crowned King of Wessex) was in hiding from the Vikings following a surprise attack on Christmas day.
Alfred the Great
by Charlotte
Alfred was a great king but he was alone, dressed as a peasant. He had lost many of his soldiers and was forced to dress up as a peasant in order to hide from the Vikings. Alfred needed food as he was starving.
Because he was hungry, he knocked at the door of a small cottage. The door opened and an old woman was not far behind. She felt sorry for Alfred (not knowing he was the king) so she let him in. He begged for food and the old woman replied, "You may have one of my cakes which are cooking on the fire, but only if you watch them while I milk my cows." He promised he would do this for her.
The woman left Alfred to it. He started to watch the cakes but then began thinking of how he was going to get his army back together and how he was going to defeat the Vikings. Time flew by. The woman came back to finding her cakes burnt. She furiously grabbed her broom and whacked Alfred with it!
She was about to yell, "Get out!" but a bunch of Alfred's soldiers arrived and bowed down. In an instant she realised that the peasant was actually the king and bowed down to him, begging for forgiveness. Alfred said, " Rise good dame. I betrayed your trust. You have every right to be angry. Go in peace."
Alfred went away knowing the he had gained the woman's trust once again.
Alfred the Great
by Rheya
Alfred was now king, but no of a peaceful, happy country because the Vikings were always attacking. They had attacked again and again. Alfred was not ready, so Alfred and his men fled from the village. Half of his men were killed or hurt!
Alfred pretended he was a sick, poor peasant and stayed very close to the swamp. He knocked on the door of a lonely hut. The hut's door creaked open and the lady who owned the hut came out. Alfred asked if he could have shelter. The lady said, "Yes." If he looked after her cakes, while she was milking cows, she would give him food. Alfred said he would do it.
However, he had too much on his mind, like the Vikings, so he forgot about the cakes and they burnt. When the lady came back, she saw the cakes were burnt and whacked him with her stick.
Shortly afterwards Alfred's men came and the peasant woman realised he was the king. She fell to her knees and begged for his forgiveness. Fortunately there was nothing to fear because Alfred was a good-hearted king so he said, "Rise good dame. Go in peace."
This story may not be true but at least we know Alfred was in Athelney because nine hundred years later a gold brooch belonging to him was found in the marshes. On it said 'AELFRED mee heht gewryrean' which means in modern English, 'Alfred caused me to be made.'
