A Noble Heart

Well, This is the last day of June and thus, I am going to wrap up my Bruce month with one more post. I have been having a very good time writing these story posts this last month, and I think I will do more of these in the future.

Today, I'm going to give you another Douglas story. James Douglas died in Spain on a crusade, carrying Robert the Bruce's heart in a casket as he had asked him to. Bruce's heart now lies in Melrose Abbey where a round memorial stone reads: "A Nobel heart hath no ease if freedom fail."

The Moors had invaded southern Spain, and Douglas had gone to fight. A long time ago, he and Robert, now dead, had talked about going on a crusade. Robert had always wanted to go on one, but he had passed away before he had a chance to make that possible. Before he died, though, he asked Douglas if he would take his heart with him. So Douglas had a small casket made that he could carry with him and he set off on the crusade alone.

They had reached a small town called Teba in Spain where they were supposed to meet with reinforcements, but something went wrong and the Scots were attacked. Douglas thought in those few minutes that he was granted before he had to fight, that it was most likely foul play. But before he could think anymore, he turned to his men and raised his sword.

"Come, let us fight this day, companions. For Robert." He then took the casket from his tunic and, standing in the path, threw it toward the oncoming army. "Go forward brave heart!" he shouted. "Douglas shall follow you or die!"

The men shouted in agreement and they followed Douglas into the charge.

The Scots were horribly outnumbered and before long, James Douglas fell, wounded beyond recovery. He clasped the casket he had found again and sighed.

"It's a good thing we did not do this poorly winning Scotland, back, my friend," he said then closed his eyes.

Douglas's body was taken back to Scotland and laid in St Brides while Bruce's heart was put in Melrose Abbey and is still there to this day.

fin

I hope everyone has enjoyed Bruce Month as much as I have! I'll be back some next month and then I'm going to have to start thinking about August and Wallace again. I'd love to do a story request for the life of Wallace, so please tell me what your favorite Wallace story is and I'll try my best at telling it.

For now, though, I'm going to go back to my novel writing!

Slainte, Hazel

James the Good

All right, then, today, I'm going to give you a story about Sir James Douglas, one of Bruce's faithful followers and closest friends. He was also known as James the Good or The Black Douglas for his dark complexion--not because he was cold-hearted, for he was a very chivalrous knight.

The story I'm going to tell you today is about how Douglas took an English occupied castle in the middle of the night with hardly any problem whatsoever!

James Douglas watched the soldiers on the wall top as they marched back and fourth, studying their patterns. He beckoned to his men.

"They do not look down," he told the men. "We will sneak up on them that way."

"But they will see us coming from afar!" one of the men protested.

"They will see us. Be we will crawl. In the mirk, no one will know the difference between us and cows!"

The men approved this wisdom and they set out to cross the field, wrapping their weapons under their dark cloaks and some taking light rope ladders upon their backs.

Up on the wall top a woman sat with her baby, singing gently to it a lullaby that all the English mothers were singing at the time:

"Hush ye, hush ye, do not fret ye,

The Black Douglas shall not get thee."

She looked up as the guards spoke to each other then, pointing below to the grounds.

"What's that?" one asked his companion.

"Looks to be some cows runaway, man," the other guard replied. "If they're still there tomorrow, we can make a meal out of them."

They did not notice the ladders slipping over the battlements and as they continued their patrol, a dark clothed figure slipped over the wall top just as the mother finished singing to her babe the lullaby again.

"The Black Douglas shall not get thee."

"Do not be sure of that," Douglas said as he dropped down beside her.

"You!" the woman almost cried, but Douglas put a hand over her mouth.

"Wheesht!" he hissed and beckoned to one of him men now over the wall top. "He will stay with ye and keep ye safe. No harm will come to you and the bairn." And then he was gone along the wall. He rushed down the steps and opened the gates before any of the English could stop him, letting in the rest of his army. They quickly took the castle and before the English could do anything the Scots had won. And the woman and her baby were saved by one of the most hated enemies the English ever had.

Fin.

Tell me how you are liking my stories and also if there are any you want me to tell about :) This next week, I hope to get at least two posts done as Friday will be Bannockburn when I have a special treat planned for you! ;-)

Slainte, Hazel

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