SKOPEO CHRONICLES #30
April 2006
(A bimonthly newspaper from the Skopeo Literary Society)
New Blog On The Block!
You must visit THERE AND BACK AGAIN! It’s an outstanding new contribution to the blog-world! If you have any interest in the Lord Of The Rings, you will be sure to love it. A relaxing, beautifully decorated piece of Middle-Earth, complete with awesome, inspirational music, (the music has been commented on by many visitors) this will be a blog you visit again and again! But this blog is not just about Lord of the Rings, it is a collection of noble thoughts, interesting tidbits, nature notes, exciting stories and historical narrations.
You can visit it at this address: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Ringbearer Be sure to go and see it!
SPECIAL FEATURES-Young Writer’s Carnival
This section contains narrations or short stories contributed by our readers! Thank you to everyone who worked so hard on this project!
Romeo and Juliet
By Serena W. from Florida
Romeo was heart broken after he heard of the terrifying news of Juliet’s death. He couldn’t live without her so he decided to go to Juliet’s tomb and drink a bottle of poison and die right beside her. When he got to the tomb there was a man who Juliet’s father was making her marry. The man knew who Romeo was and would not let him do any more harm to Juliet’s family. So they each drew their swords and fought a terrible fight until finally the young man who’s name was Paris fell dead on the ground.
After that Romeo went to his beloved Juliet’s grave and drank the poison and died instantly. Then all the sudden Juliet woke up and found her true love lying dead on the ground. She bent down by his side and kissed him on his lips to try children. to get any of the poison on them to kill her to but there was none left so she took the dagger that lay beside him and stabbed herself in the heart.
From then on the two families were friends forever knowing that it was them who had caused the death of their two children.
King Edward I
by Sir Richard A.K.A. Mr. Higgleworth,who lives in a foreign land!
After the Little War of Chalons, Edward sailed home to England, and was greeted and crowned happily. Never was there so much happiness since Alfred the Great’s reign and never did the king reign so well since Harold I. Edward asked the king of Wales to do homage to him, but he refused. Many times Edward sent this message, but he still refused. Then, Edward heard that a woman from France was on her way to marry the King of Wales, and traveling through England. He seized her and told the king of Wales that if he didn’t do homage, he couldn’t have his wife. Now the Welsh thought that the time had come, as Merlin had said, that the Welsh would be king of all England. So they fought the English, but the English won. The king of Wales died in the war, and it was a cruel custom to put the head on a spear. The English also put a crown on his head and put his head on a tower saying that the prediction was fulfilled.
The Battle Of Marathon
by Anonymous
Persia was just a little country but little countries can often be very important in the history of the world. Persia was a powerful country and when King Darius of Persia announced his decision to conquer Greece and hold it under his thumb, almost all of the city-states in Greece gave in immediately. Almost is not ALL. Sparta and Athens, two very powerful city-states in
Greece refused.
Darius of Persia was strong and he was powerful and he had millions of soldiers AND he was angry. A little tiny province in the a little tiny country had decided to be smart and King Darius decided to let them know, right at the beginning, that he would not stand for insolence. So he marched his soldiers mile by mile down into Greece. The Athenians did not wait for him to attack. They chose a plain in a narrow valley and assembled their men there. They sent a swift runner to warn the Spartans to come and help them and meanwhile, they prepared.
They had a smart general, Miletus, who lined up all the weakest soldiers in the front row and in the middle of the assembled army. He hid all of strongest on the sides and then he attacked.
The Persian army was surprised and delighted, figuring that they would make quick work of the small band before them. But, just as the Persians rushed into the fray and began to drive the Greeks back, the strong soldiers were on top of them. The Persian army, bewildered and frightened was defeated that day and the Greeks rejoiced but it was not the end of the war, yet.
The Legend Of The Olympics
by Anonymous
If you were to ask a Greek how the Olympics began he would probably tell you this story: King Oenomaus of Pisa who had a beautiful daughter named Hippodamia. To ensure that she married a heroic man, her father proposed a challenge to any man that thought himself worthy of her. He told them that the man who could successfully carry off his daughter in his chariot would be given her hand in marriage. But as he attempted to carry the princess off, the suitor would be pursued by the king’s own charioteer whose chariot magic horses drew. No one was able to catch up with the magic horses and many dozens of men died in the attempt for they were speared in the back by the charioteer when he caught up with them. But, at length, a brave man named Pelops managed to get another pair of magic horses in his possession. Now, at last there would be a fair contest. But Pelops did not trust to chance. Instead he bribed the king’s charioteer to replace the axles on the king’s chariot with wax one that resembled them. Then, the race began. For a few moments the chariots raced along together but soon the wax axles began to crumble and the king’s chariot was over-turned and he perished. Pelops married Hippodamia and they lived happily for many years until Hippodamia became ill and died. Pelops long mourned her death and he decreed that the Olympic games should be started as part of her funeral rites.
DID YOU KNOW?
-Did you know that your body has about 640 different kinds of skeletal muscles!
- R.C.
There Is No Death
THERE is no death! The stars go down
To rise upon some other shore
And bright in heaven’s jeweled crown
They shine forevermore.
There is no death! The forest leaves
Convert to life the viewless air;
The rocks disorganize to feed
The hungry moss they bear.
There is no death! The leaves may fall,
And flowers may fade and pass away-
They only wait, through wintry hours,
The warm, sweet breath of May.
There is no death! The choicest gifts
That heaven hath kindly lent the earth
Are ever first to seek again
The country of their birth.
And all things that for growth or joy
Are worthy of our love and care,
Whose loss has left us desolate,
Are safely garnered there.
Though life become a desert waste
We know its fairest, sweetest flowers,
Transplanted into Paradise,
Adorn immortal bowers.
The voice of birdlike melody
That we have missed and mourned so long,
Now mingles with the angel choir
In everlasting song.
There is no death! Although we grieve
When beautiful familiar forms
That we have learned to love are torn
From our embracing arms-
Although with bowed and breaking heart,
With sable garb and silent tread,
We bear their senseless dust to rest,
And say that they are “dead,”
They are not dead! They have but passed
Beyond the mists that blind us here
Into the new and larger life
Of that serener sphere.
They have but dropped their robe of clay
To put their shining raiment on;
They have not wandered far away
They are not “lost” or “gone.”
Though disenthralled and glorified
They still are here and love us yet;
The dear ones they have left behind
They can never forget.
And sometimes when our hearts grow faint
Amid temptations fierce and deep,
Or when the wildly raging waves
Or grief or passion sweep,
We feel upon our fevered brow
Their gentle touch, their breath of balm;
Their arms enfold us and our hearts
Grow comforted and calm.
And ever near us, though unseen
The dear, immortal spirits tread
For all the boundless universe
Is Life- there are no dead!
-J.L. McCreery
JOKES and RIDDLES ROOM
Mother: Troy, I’ve been calling you for the last five minutes, didn’t you hear me?
Troy: No, I didn’t hear you ‘till the fourth time you called.
Q. How do you tell a male robin from a female robin?
A. Call it by name. If he answers it’s a boy. If she answers it’s a girl.
Q. Who was most sorry when the Prodigal Son came home?
A. The fatted calf.
-Contributed by C.V.
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The honorable Wlions society’s second paper is finally out! Any one interested in reading it, please consult the editor.
EVERYONE’S HELPFUL HINTS
-Will the worthy T.S., pilot of the trans-height express (a basket reserved for transporting items to different floors) please keep up with his task of transporting these items to where they belong! They have been piling up too often of late!
It Is Good To Remember…
-R.C.
Comments
Monday - Hi!
Posted by Striker
I like The Battle Of Marathon and how the Greeks outwitted the Persians. Why wasn't the story about Agathorn in this paper? The last 2 chapters were great!
Striker
Tuesday - in which we respond to Master Striker
Posted by Inklings
My Dear Master Striker,
I am glad you enjoyed reading the literary paper from our humble society. It is very encouraging to know that some one is interested in it. The third section of the story about Agathorn was to be written by young Master Snapdragon, but he did not accomplish that task in time. We hope to include it in our next paper. Thank you for your concern and if, at anytime you feel that you would like to contribute a worthy piece to the newspaper, you are most welcome. The writing above your blog is very pleasing to the eye.
Yours sincerely,
Claudio Versiaan, president
Thursday - Greeks and persians
Posted by Curufinwe
I like your Greek and persian story 'The Battle Of Marathon' by Anonymous
I think your posts are quite long, how many people write the stories in it?
There must be alot. Curufinwe :-)
Thursday - In which the editor responds to the noble Curufinwe Legolas Greenleaf Of Mirkwood
Posted by Inklings
We appreciate your interest in Greek history. We also value and enjoy studying it. In answer to your question, there are five regular contributors to our society as well as a few others that contribute occasionally. We will gladly accept any contributions to that you choose to send us and will publish them in our newspaper.
Sincerely,
Rosemary Carastapasta,
Editor of the Skopeo Literary Society