Twelfth Night, last half of Act 5, Sn. 1

Just then, Sir Andrew comes in and says that Cesario came to them and beat them up. He has a bloody head himself, and says that Sir Toby is also suffering from the same complaint. Sir Toby comes staggering in drunk, and says that he was beaten, and that Sir Andrew is a coward and that he hates drunken fools.  Sir Andrew helps him off to bed, and Olivia says that they must be looked to. Then Sebastian comes in and clears things up. He greets Olivia with love and knows Antonio. He sees Viola, and asks her some questions that clear up the fact of their looking alike. She discloses the fact that she is a woman, and tells them about the captain who has her woman's clothes. Olivia and Sebastian are married, and Viola and Orsino will be later.

THE END
Bell

Ivanhoe, Chs. 13-14

When the name of Ivanhoe was spoken, it went around the lists like an arrow. Prince John was surprised, and not that pleased. He had given Ivanhoe's land to Front-de-Beuf, and now Ivanhoe might, nay would, want it back. However De Bracy said that the champion was wounded and might die.
Now it was time to have the archery, so as not to make the people mad. Prince John told his men to look for the "insolent braggart" who had spoken to him earlier. This yeoman was not shooting, saying that these yeomen, the best in England, were much better than he was. His name, he said, was Locksley. (I am sure that this is none other than Robin o' Locksley, or Robin Hood.) Prince John told Locksley that if he did not compete, his bow would be broken and he would be branded a coward. If he did compete, but was beaten, he would be whipped out of the lists with bowstrings. He competed against Hubert, a well-known archer. Hubert shot first, and his arrow landed near to the center of the target.  Locksley's landed two inches nearer. Hubert shot again, and this time it landed in the center. Locksley's arrow landed on top of Hubert's and split it to bits! (This sounds like Robin Hood, does it not? ) He then asked Hubert to shot at a mark he designated. He plucked a willow wand, and, peeling it, set it up against a tree. Hubert said that no one could hit that. Locksley hit it fairly in the middle. For his first two shots, he did not even really aim seemingly. For his last shot, however, he changed the string and looked to his arrow.

Now we will move on to Cedric and Athelstane, who attended Prince John's banquet. Insults were given them in the form of compliments, and they left early after drinking the health of King Richard the Lion-Heart, Prince John's brother. Prince John was very angry, and they were lucky to get away.
More soon!
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Brendan Voyage, 1/3 Ch. 7

Brendan was going lazily along. They got a position check from the Lord Jellicoe and later when they were listening to the news broadcast they heard the Lord Jellicoe ask if the leather boat had been carrying a crew of mad Irish monks. They didn't hear the reply because they were all doubled up with laughter!
The only worrying thing was that the skin near the H-frame was slack and not looking good. But Brendan was still holding up well. Most people had expected her to sink after just 5 days, and she had been afloat much longer than that! It was helping that the weather was getting colder. When it really got chilly, they put on wool clothes instead of their artificial fiber clothing they had been wearing. Their metal tools had already rusted, and had been replaced when possible by something made of a natural material.
The medieval sailors were much better equipped then many people think they were. Their things held up, and they could repair them without a lot of tools.

Brendan was going through the middle of the Faroes islands, when she ran into a gale off the Mykines cliffs. These were dangerous cliffs, and if Brendan ran onto them, she would be sunk. The wind was blowing them onto the cliffs, and they were going forward very slowly!

I'll stop here. Next time: How they got out of this hole.
More soon!
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Twelfth Night: Act 5, 1/2 sn. 1

Orsino meets with Olivia's Fool outside her house and sends him to go get her. She comes, and says that she has already been betrothed to Cesario. Cesario/Viola says no, they are not betrothed. But Olivia has the contract fetched, and Orsino is mad at Viola/Cesario for forsaking him. She declares that he is wrong, but he will not listen. Then the officers come in with Antonio, who declares that Cesario has wronged him. Cesario/Viola says no, she does not know who he is. Everyone is very confused by now. Then Sir Andrew comes in to say that Cesario came and beat himself and Sir Toby up. Cesario/Viola has not done that either, and she says so. Sir Andrew is very angry, and so is Sir Toby. They go off the have their heads mended.

More soon!
Bell

Ivanhoe, Ch. 12

People hurried to get seats to watch the tournament from, that they might have a good place to see from. The knights divided into two parties, some under the Templar, Sir Brian, and some under the champion of yesterday's combat.  There were some rules to prevent unnecessary bloodshed or death; no daggers, no thrusting with the sword, knights on the ground could fight with other knights of the ground but horsemen were not permitted to fight with a knight on the ground,  when Prince John threw down his baton all combat stopped, and if you were forced against the railing, you were vanquished. The combat began, and the first shock of the meeting threw half the knights off their horses. The ones on the ground that could fought each other, and the ones on horseback did the same. At last, there were just a few knights on each side, so Sir Brian and the Disinherited Knight were able to fight. The Disinherited Knight's party had had the worst of it, because of Front de Beuf's arm on one side, and Athelstane's on the other. These men both attempted to help Sir Brian run down and unhorse the Disinherited Knight, and he would have fallen had not a new man come to help him. This was the knight who, because he showed no inclination to fight, was termed The Black Sluggard. He rode up, crying "Desdichado, to the rescue! (this term came from the Disinherited Knight's shield)," and struck Front de Beuf down with his sword, then turned to Athelstane and, wrenching the battle axe from his hand, struck him such a blow as to stretch him out on the ground! Then he went back to the other side of the lists, and let the two leaders deal with each other. Ivanhoe easily threw down Sir Brian, and, getting down from his horse, commanded him to yield. But then Prince John threw down his baton, and ended the combat. The Disinherited Knight was not allowed to hide his face any longer, and when Rowena saw it, she gave a faint scream. However, she did not faint, but placed the crown of flowers on his head. It was Ivanhoe, Cedric's banished son! He swooned, and it was found that he had a spearhead buried in his side.

More soon!
Bell

Brendan Voyage- 1/3 of Ch. 7

They started to get ready to sail to the Faroes, a group of islands that were a milestone in Brendan's journey. They had a Doubting Thomas who was sure that they were going to sink. He kept asking sea-wise questions, and always ended with "I wouldna want to sail with you."  Arthur mimicked him, his Irish accent turned Sots for a moment and uttered a mocking warning--"We're all doomed! Aye, we're doomed for sure!" Edan also banished any despondency. They were ready to take off when he said he had forgotten something. Almost an hour later he came back running. He had found the last bottle of Pimms in Stornoway.  He also tried to grow watercress seeds, but a wave washed it overboard. As for the Pimms, he accidentally knocked it over with his foot and spilled the contents into he bilge.

Edan and the Skipper divided the cooking, so Arthur and George did the dishes. No one bothered to shave or wash, because it would have been a waste of fresh water and there was no need. The leather and the sheepskins smelled far worse than they ever would.
Each person had his own area of responsibility. George made regular inspections of the sailing gear, and they were constantly needing to repair ropes that had gotten frayed or mend a tear or sail. Every piece of cordage needed constant adjustment, because the flax ropes stretched slack when dry and shrank into iron rods when wet. It was best to stretch them taut when dry, then keep them wet with sea water. Arthur was the photographer, and he had a way with them, keeping them working in spite of the salt that clogged the shutters. The skipper had charge of navigation and radio communications. He would try to establish contact every 24 hours, and he often succeeded. The radio was amazing, holding up under much abuse. It was powered by car batteries, which were recharged by Lucas solar panels that only gave a small charge. The radio operators were also helpful, listening for Brendan at a time when the airwaves weren't cluttered by other traffic.

More soon!
Bell  

Twelfth Night, Act 4

Note: Act 4 was so short that I just did the entire act.

     Sir Andrew, Sir Toby, and Fabian come upon Sebastian and, thinking he is Cesario/Viola, Sir Andrew fights with him. Sebastian responds to the blow he receives, and fights him off. Sir Toby draws his sword and prepares to fight, but Olivia comes upon them and tells Sebastian to come with her. He does so, and she asks him if he will marry her. He says yes, so they are betrothed.  Meanwhile, Sir Toby has the Fool dress up as a priest and talk to Mavolio. He asks that he be let out, and says that he is in the dark and that it is as dark as hell. The Fool won't let him out, and pretends to think that he really is a madman. Then he talks to Mavolio in his normal voice, and pretends to hold a conversation with Sir Topas. He then goes for paper and ink and a light for Mavolio.

More soon!
Bell 

Homeschooling

If you are interested in homeschooling, here is a website about what it is like to be a kid homeschooled with the Charlotte Mason curriculum: http://jklivingston.home.mindspring.com/bell/

Bell

Ivanhoe-ch. 11

Gurth was traveling along a dark lane, when he was attacked and seized by robbers. They took him to a clearing in a thicket, and relieved him of his purse. Gurth told them that his master was the Disinherited Knight, that he had redeemed the armor of the knights all but Sir Brian's at 50 zecchins apiece, that he would take nothing from Sir Brian but his life's blood, and that he, Gurth, had not spent the 30 zecchins of his because he wanted to buy his freedom. They asked why he had been traveling, and Gurth replied that he had paid Issac the Jew for the horse and armor that he had lent the Disinherited Knight for the tournament, he had paid Issac 80 zecchins, and he had been given back 100. The robbers said that this could not be true, but Gurth told them to look and see if it was not. When they all bent down to look, Gurth freed himself and, snatching a quarterstaff from one of the men, hit the Captain over the head and grabbed the money. He was, however, quickly re-caught and the purse again taken from him. The robbers saw that his tale was true, so they gave him a quarterstaff and he fought the Miller. He won, and was given his freedom and the money as a reward.

More soon,
Bell

News Site

If you are looking for a news website to keep up with what is going on, I recommend Ricochet.com, a site with conservative news commentary.

Bell

Brendan Voyage-Ch. 6

Peter, the injured crew member, couldn't stay with Brendan. He had strained the muscles on the side of his chest, and if he did that again, it would be more serious. Besides, they might not be able to get him to a hospital. So, sadly, Peter packed his bag and left. They had a temporary replacement for him, Wallace Clark, from the Irish Cruising Club. They took Brendan over to Iona, one of the Hebrides Islands.  On the way, a rope broke that held up one of the sails. The whole sail came crashing down, but no one was under it at the time. When Wallace went back to his office after a long weekend, he sent some much better flax rope.
In Iona, they got a replacement for Wallace. Edan joined them and soon became Brendan's live wire and joker. He needed a couple of days to settle his affairs, so they took Brendan over to another of the islands with only 4 people. There was a fog, and they got stuck in a bay and had quite a time getting out. Then Edan joined them, and they got some new flax rope from Wallace. It was of much better quality then their old stuff. They got out into clear water, with a good wind blowing. They put up every scrap of canvas they had, and Brendan fairly flew over the water. She was making 12 knots, going as fast as many modern yachts. After two hours, they took down the extra canvas and sailed into Stonorway as if they had been sailing medieval boats all their lives. The lifeboat crew was disappointed, because they had expected to get a bit of exercise rowing them in. But it was thought that they would get it later.

More soon!
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Twelfth Night-Act 3, 1/2 sn. 4

Sir Toby wanted Sir Andrew and Cesario to fight. So he told each of them that the other person was ferocious and mean, and they were very scared of each other when they met. But Antonio, thinking that Viola was Sebastian, came in and broke it up. Then officers came and arrested Antonio. He asked Viola for some of his money back, and was hurt when she said she did not know what he was talking about. But he mentioned Sebastian, and so she was happy because this meant that her brother was alive! Meanwhile, Sir Toby and Fabian, who staid with Viola while Sir Toby talked with Sir Andrew, told Sir Andrew that Cesario/Viola was a coward, so Sir Andrew wanted to go thrash him for it.
More later,
Bell

Ivanhoe-Chapters 9-10

Flashback: The Disinherited Knight won the tournament, and was to choose the Queen of Beauty.
He rode up and down the lists, looking at the faces of the ladies. Some blushed, some averted their gaze, some laughed, and some drew their veils over their faces, having had the honor many times before. At last, he laid the crown at the feet of the Lady Rowena to choose her. Prince John was rather surprised at the choice, but he came into the lists with his train and told Lady Rowena that she had been chosen, and asked her if she would not assume her position as queen of the tournament, and come to the banquet with her father and friends. Cedric replied for her in Saxon that she did not speak the Norman tongue, and neither he or Athelstane practiced any but the ways of their fathers, so they declined the invitation to the banquet. He then put the cornet on her head to say that she accepted the temporary authority that was placed on her.

The Disinherited Knight would not reveal his name, and he also declined to come to the banquet. People hazarded guesses as to his name, and Prince John had thought that it might be his brother, Richard the Lion-Heart. But it was not. Richard was much bigger and stronger.

Then the Disinherited Knight went to his pavilion, but would suffer none but his squire to tend him. This was none other than our friend Gurth, who played the  part of a Norman squire rather well. The knight ate after Gurth helped to remove his armor, and soon the squires of the vanquished knights came to redeem the armor and horses of their masters. For the armor and horses of all the knights except Sir Brian de Bois-Gulibert, he took 50 zecchins each, but he would not accept the armor of the Templar, for they were not done with their feud. The squire assured him that the Templar  would never wear the armor or ride the horse again, so the knight bestowed it on him. Then after they had gone, the Disinherited Knight sent Gurth to Issac to pay him for the horse and armor. Gurth paid Issac  80 zecchins, and Rebecca secretly gave him 100. The knight had given Gurth 10, so with the 20 that were his after he gave the knight the 80 for what he had paid Issac. So he started back to the pavilion.

More soon!
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Brendan Voyage, 1/2 Ch. 5

They were in the Aran islands, and everyone seemed determined to help them. The curragh men brought more lobster and crabs, and the local wives took it in turns to bake more scones. A volunteer flew out and installed their radio. They had not had time to apply for a license, so they came up with the call sign Curragh Brendan. When they set out, school children were out to watch for Brendan and to report her progress. All the people were very helpful!

Then they set out and had clear seas for a while. They caught two fish and cooked them. They also caught a young seagull and managed to set him free unharmed.  Then they ran into a storm, and lost radio contact because of an electric storm. Then the storm let up, and they discovered that many of their stores were ruined by the water. The next day they were able to tidy up the cabin some and make sense of the mess. The tried rowing some, but seemed to get nowhere. Then Peter called the skipper and told him that his arm was hurting. He took some pain killer, but an hour later the pain had spread to the side of his chest and it was hurting him to breathe. They called in and a fishing boat towed them into port, where an ambulance came and took Peter to see a doctor.

More soon!
Bell