RED WILLIAM

William II. Born 1057. — Died 1100. — Reigned 12 jears. ,

Now ril tell you a slory about another king William.

He also had two names : he was called William Ihe Second, because lie was tlie second king of lliat name ; and he was also called William Rufus, or Red William, because bis bair was red — Rufus being a Latin word for Red.

This Red William is the same whom I menlioned to you before; be was the second son of king William Ibe Conqueror, and brolber of Robert and Henry.

ï told you tliat he was as \'iolent as Robert, but be was cunning and sly, so that people did nol find out bis lemper as easily as Ihey did Robert's.

I cannot tell you ail bis bistory, that would be too long, and you will read il by and by yourself, when you bave learned to read books of bistory; I shall only tell you of bis dealh, which happened in a strange manner.

King William the Conqueror was very fond of hunting ; so very fond, that he never cared wbat harm he did to other people in riding over Iheir iands, or even in taking iheir lands away from them altogether, in order to make foresls, or places where wild beasts are kept for the purpose of being hunted ; and Red William was, in this respect' exaclly like bis falher.

Tliis was very unjust and cruel of both of Ibem, and Red William suffered dearly for it, as you shall bear.

For one day, as be was hunting in the New Forest, which had been made by turning many poor people out of their bouses, a gentleman called Walter Tyrrel, who was hunting wilh him, shot an arrow at a deer that was running by.

The arrow flew with great violence ; but before it could reach Ihe deer, it happened to strike against the bougli of a tree, so it slanted off another way and pierced Ihe beart of Red William, who happened uniuckily to be at that moment passing under the tree, and who immedialely fell dead on the spot.

The moment Walter Tyrrel saw whal he had done, he was, as you may ihink, horribly frightened, and wilhout saying one word of whal had happened, lie hastened to make bis escape out of Ihe forest. He crossed the river Avon near the town of Ringwood, at a spot which Ihe country people slill call Tyrrell's Ford, and he rode to the seaside, where he got inlo a boat, and sailed away for France.

But Red William was so lialed on accounl of liis iiijusiice and cruelty, lliat no one was sorry for ihc accident, and llie dead body lay for some lime unnoliced in ihe forest, and il was aflcrwards fûund, and broughl to a cliurch to be buried, by some of Ihe poor counlry people wliom lie had Irealed so badiy while lie was alive.

A slone lias been put up in ihe New Foresl, on ihc spot wlierc llie Iree grew under whicli ihe king was killed. If ever we go inlo Hampshire, I shall lake you to see this slone ; for il is a greal pleasure to visit the very spot where any remarkable evenl bas happened.