A story of Normandy in the time of William the Conqueror, giving a vivid picture of manners and customs through the eyes of two boys of the court. Describes castle life, dress, amusements, training for knighthood, and other aspects of feudal life. Also relates stories of William's early days, as well as tales of his Norsemen forefathers, Duke Robert the Magnificent, Little Duke Richard, and Rolf the Ganger. Show All     Download:     PDF       EPUB

To my young friend SOPHIE WOLCOTT STUART whose enthusiastic interest in story-book land is an inspiration to one venturing within its charmed borders

Preface

Very likely all you boys and girls of the age of the children in this story will learn, by and by, how important a part in history was played by the people of Normandy, especially under their Duke, William the Conqueror. And then, if you read this little book, perhaps you will say to yourselves, "Why, yes, we remember about those people, how they lived and what the children did in the days of Duke William!" And if you read carefully your histories, and books of manners and customs, and tales of that time, perhaps you will say also, "The doings of Our Little Norman Cousin of Long Ago must have been true! At any rate we are quite sure the author tried very hard to make those Norman children in the story behave as proper eleventh-century boys and girls ought to.

EVALEEN STEIN

Pronunciation of Proper Names

Bayeux (ba-yuh') Brecey (bree-sa') Briouze (bree-ooz') Brit'-tan-y Bur'-gun-dy Caen (kon) Centeville (sont-vee'-ye) Crecy (kra-see') Dives (deev) Epte (ept) Eu (uh) Falaise (fal-aze') Gervaise (jer-vaz') Goelet (jo-lay') Guibray (je-bra') Laon (lon) Noireat (nwar-e-a') Rouen (rwan) Seine (sane) Val-es-Dunes (val-a-dune') Valognes (val-own')