An Island Story | Page 2

sea. Her hair was as yellow as fine
gold, and in her cheeks a lovely pink came and went. When she spoke,
her voice sounded as clear as a bell and as soft as the whisper of the
waves, as they ripple upon the shore.
"O Father Neptune," she said, "let Albion come to my island. It is a
beautiful little island. It lies like a gem in the bluest of waters. There
the trees and the grass are green, the cliffs are white and the sands are
golden. There the sun shines and the birds sing. It is a land of beauty.
Mountains and valleys, broad lakes and swift-flowing rivers, all are
there. Let Albion come to my island."
"Where is this island?" said Neptune and Amphitrite both at once. They
thought it must indeed be a beautiful land if it were only half as lovely
as the little mermaid said.
"Oh, come, and I will show it to you," replied she. Then she swam
away in a great hurry to show her beautiful island, and Neptune,
Amphitrite, and all the mermaids and mermen followed.
It was a wonderful sight to see them as they swam along. Their white
arms gleamed in the sunshine, and their golden hair floated out over the
water like seaweed. Never before had so many of the sea-folk been
gathered together at one place, and the noise of their tails flapping
through the water brought all the little fishes and great sea monsters out,
eager to know what was happening. They swam and swam until they
came to the little green island with the white cliffs and yellow sands.
As soon as it came in sight, Neptune raised himself on a big wave, and
when he saw the little island lying before him, like a beautiful gem in

the blue water, just as the mermaid had said, he cried out in joy, "This
is the island of my love. Albion shall rule it and Albion it shall be
called."
So Albion took possession of the little island, which until then had been
called Samothea, and he changed its name to Albion, as Neptune had
said should be done.
For seven years Albion reigned over his little island. At the end of that
time he was killed in a fight with the hero Hercules. This was a great
grief to Neptune and Amphitrite. But because of the love they bore to
their son Albion, they continued to love and watch over the little green
island which was called by his name.
For many years after the death of Albion the little island had no ruler.
At last, one day there came sailing from the far-off city of Troy a prince
called Brutus. He, seeing the fair island, with white cliffs and golden
sands, landed with all his mighty men of war. There were many giants
in the land in those days, but Brutus fought and conquered them. He
made himself king, not only over Albion, but over all the islands which
lay around. He called them the kingdom of Britain or Britannia after his
own name, Brutus, and Albion he called Great Britain because it was
the largest of the islands.
Although after this the little island was no longer called Albion,
Neptune still loved it. When he grew old and had no more strength to
rule, he gave his scepter to the islands called Britannia, for we know--
"Britannia rules the waves."
This is a story of many thousand years ago. Some people think it is
only a fairy tale. But however that may be, the little island is still
sometimes called Albion, although it is nearly always called Britain.
In this book you will find the story of the people of Britain. The story
tells how they grew to be a great people, till the little green island set in
the lonely sea was no longer large enough to contain them all. Then
they sailed away over the blue waves to far-distant countries. Now the

people of the little island possess lands all over the world. These lands
form the empire of Greater Britain.
Many of these lands are far, far larger than the little island itself. Yet
the people who live in them still look back lovingly to the little island,
from which they or their fathers came, and call it "Home."

CHAPTER 2
THE COMING OF THE ROMANS
HUNDREDS of years passed after Brutus conquered Albion and
changed its name to Britain, during which time many kings and queens
reigned over the island. Our great poet Shakespeare has written about
one of these kings who was called King Lear. Some day you must read
his story.
There were many good and wise rulers among these ancient British
kings. But it would take