Why this Book was Written

'IT is very nice,' said Caledonia, as she closed her book with a sigh; 'but why did you not tell us stories of Scotland?'

'Because there was no need. That has been done already by a great and clever man.'

'Oh, but children sometimes like the stories which are written by the not great and clever people best,' said Caledonia wisely. 'Littler children do, anyhow. They are more simpler, you know.'

'Oh indeed!' said I.

'I wish you would write Scotland's Story for littler children like me,' went on Caledonia, 'and please put more battles in it than in Our Island Story. But you must not say that the Scots were defeated. I don't like it at all when you say "The Scots and the Picts were driven back."'

'But you know we were defeated sometimes, Caledonia.'

Caledonia looked grave. That was very serious. Presently her face brightened. 'Well, if we were, you needn't write about those times,' she said.

So, because Caledonia asked me, I have written Scotland's Story. I am afraid it will not please her altogether, for I have had to say more than once or twice that the 'Scots were defeated.' But I would remind her that 'defeated' and 'conquered' are words with quite different meanings, and that perhaps it is no disgrace for a plucky little nation to have been defeated often, and yet never conquered by her great and splendid neighbour.

'Fairy tales!' I hear some wise people murmur as they turn the pages. Yes, there are fairy tales here, and I make no apology for them, for has not a grave and learned historian said that there ought to be two histories of Scotland - one woven with the golden threads of romance and glittering with the rubies and sapphires of Fairyland? Such, surely, ought to be the children's Scotland.

So I dedicate my book to the 'littler children,' as Caledonia calls them, who care for their country's story. It is sent into the world in no vain spirit of rivalry, but rather as a humble tribute to the great Master of Romance, who wrote Tales for his little grandson, and I shall be well repaid, if my tales but form stepping-stones by which little feet may pass to his Enchanted Land.

H. E. MARSHALL

Contents

Chapter I. The Story of Prince Gathelus
Chapter II. A Fight with the Romans
Chapter III. The March of the Romans
Chapter IV. The Story of Saint Columba
Chapter V. How the French and Scots became Friends
Chapter VI. The Last of the Picts
Chapter VII. How a Ploughman won a Battle
Chapter VIII. MacBeth and the Three Weird Sisters
Chapter IX. MacBeth—The Murder of Banquo
Chapter X. MacBeth - How the Thane of Fife went to England
Chapter XI, MacBeth - How Birnham Wood came to Dunsinane
Chapter XII. Malcolm Canmore—How the King overcame a Traitor
Chapter XIII. Malcolm Canmore—How Saint Margaret came to Scotland
Chapter XIV. The Story of Pierce-Eye
Chapter XV, The Reigns of Donald Bane, Duncan and Edgar
Chapter XVI. Alexander I., The Fierce
Chapter XVII. David I., The Sore Saint—The Battle of the Standard
Chapter XVIII. William the Lion
Chapter XIX. The Story of Alexander II
Chapter XX. Alexander III. - How the Little King was Crowned and Married
Chapter XXI. Alexander III. - The Taming of the Ravens
Chapter XXII. Alexander III. - How a Beautiful Lady took a Brave Knight Prisoner
Chapter XXIII. Alexander IlI. - How the King Rode Homeward through the Dark Night
Chapter XXIV. The Maid of Norway
Chapter XXV. John Baliol - The Siege of Berwick
Chapter XXVI. John Baliol - The Last of Toom Tabard
Chapter XXVII. The Adventures of Sir William Wallace
Chapter XXVIII. William Wallace - The Black Parliament of Ayr
Chapter XXIX. William Wallace - The Battle of Stirling Bridge
Chapter XXX. William Wallace - The Battle of Falkirk
Chapter XXXI. William Wallace - The Turning of the Loaf
Chapter XXXII. Robert The Bruce - How the Bruce received a Letter and Struck a Blow
Chapter XXXIII. Robert The Bruce - How the King was Crowned
Chapter XXXIV. Robert The Bruce - If at First you don't succeed, Try Again
Chapter XXXV. Robert The Bruce - The King Tries Again
Chapter XXXVI. Robert The Bruce - The Fight at the Ford
Chapter XXXVII. Robert The Bruce - How the King escaped from Traitors, and how he met a True Woman.
Chapter XXXVIII. Robert The Bruce - The Taking of Perth
Chapter XXXIX. Robert The Bruce - How Two Castles Were Won
Chapter XL. Robert The Bruce - How the Castle of Edinburgh was Taken
Chapter XLI. Robert The Bruce - How Sir Henry de Bohun met his Death
Chapter XLII. Robert The Bruce - The Story of the Battle of Bannockburn
Chapter XLIII. Robert The Bruce - How the Scots carried the War into England
Chapter XLIV. Robert The Bruce - The Heart of the King
Chapter XLV. David II - The Story of Black Agnes
Chapter XLVI. David II - The Battle of Nevilles Cross
Chapter XLVII. Robert II - How the French and the Scots made War on England
Chapter XLVIII. Robert II - The Story of the Battle of Otterburn
Chapter XLIX. Robert III - The Story of a fearful Highland Tournament
Chapter L Robert III - The Story of the Duke of Rothesay
Chapter Ll. Regent Albany - The Story of the Battle of Harlaw
Chapter LII. Regent Murdoch - The Scots in France
Chapter LIII. James I - The Beautiful Lady of the Garden
Chapter LIV. James I - The Poet King, How He Reigned, and How He Died
Chapter LV. James II. Of the Fiery Face - The Story of the Black Dinner
Chapter LVI. James II. Of The Fiery Face - The Fall of the Black Douglases
Chapter LVII. James III - The Story of the Boyds
Chapter LVIII. James III - How a Mason became an Earl
Chapter LIX. James III - The Battle of Sauchieburn
Chapter LX. James IV - The Story of a Great Sea Fight
Chapter LXI. James IV - The Thistle and the Rose
Chapter LXII. James IV - Floden Field
Chapter LXIII. James V - The King of the Commons - The Fall of the Red Douglasses
Chapter LXIV. James V - The King of the Commons - The Story of Johnnie Armstrong
Chapter LXV. James V - The Goodman of Ballengiech
Chapter LXVI. James V  - The King of the Commons - His Last Days
Chapter LXVII. Mary Queen of Scots - France
Chapter LXVIII. Mary - Darnley and Rizzio
Chapter LXIX. Mary - Bothwell
Chapter LXX. Mary - How the Queen Escaped, and How She was made Prisoner Again
Chapter LXXI. James VI - King's Men and Queen's Men
Chapter LXXII. James VI - About the Death of Two Queens and the Joinings of Two Crowns
Chapter LXXIII. James VI - New Scotland
Chapter LXXIV. Charles I - The King and the Covenant
Chapter LXXV. Charles I - How the Soldier Poet helped the King
Chapter LXXVI. Cromwell - How the Soldier Poet Died
Chapter LXXVII. Cromwell - For the Crown
Chapter LXXVIII. Charles II - How the King came to His own again
Chapter LXXIX. Charles II - The Church among the Hills
Chapter LXXX. James VII - A Forlorn Hope
Chapter LXXXI. James VII - The Battle of Killiecrankie
Chapter LXXXII. William III. and Mary II - The Story of the Glen of Weeping
Chapter LXXXIII. William III - Fortune's Gilded Sails
Chapter LXXXIV. Anne - How the Union Jack was made
Chapter LXXXV. George I - For the King over the water
Chapter LXXXVI. George II - A Story of Smugglers
Chapter LXXXVII. George II - The Story of How Prince Charlie came home
Chapter LXXXVIII. George II - The Wanderings of Bonnie Prince Charlie
Chapter LXXXIX. George III - About a Greater Conqueror than Kings
Chapter XC. George IV - God Save the King
List of Kings from Duncan I.