large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_07_chesterton_64kb_43
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_07_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
"Or that before the red cock crow All we, a thousand strong, Go down the dark road to God's house, Singing a Wessex song? OR THAT BEFORE THE RED COCK CROW ALL WE A THOUSAND STRONG GO DOWN THE DARK ROAD TO GOD'S HOUSE SINGING A WESSEX SONG
d broached a cask. And waggons one or two stood up, Like tall ships in sight, As if an outpost were encamped At the cloven ways for night. And joyous of the sudden stay Of Alfred's routed few, Sat one upon a stone to sigh, And some slipped up the road to fly, Till Alfred in the fern hard by Set horn to mouth and blew. And they all abode like statues-- One sitting on the stone, One half-way through the thorn hedge tall, One with a leg across a wall, And one looked backwards, very small, Far up the road, alone. Grey twilight and a yellow star Hung over thorn and hill; Two spears and a cloven war-shield lay Loose on the road as cast away, The horn died faint in the forest grey, And the fleeing men stood still. "Brothers at arms," said Alfred, "On this side lies the foe; Are slavery and starvation flowers, That you should pluck them so? "For whether is it better To be prodded with Danish poles, Having hewn a chamber in a ditch, And hounded like a howling witch, Or smoked to death in holes?  SOME OF THEM HAD LIT A FIRE AND ONE HAD BROACHED A CASK AND WAGONS ONE OR TWO STOOD UP LIKE TALL SHIPS IN SIGHT AS IF AN OUTPOST WERE ENCAMPED AT THE CLOVEN WAYS FOR NIGHT AND JOYOUS OF THE SUDDEN STAY OF ALFRED'S ROUTED FEW SAT ONE UPON A STONE TO SIGH AND SOME SLIPPED UP THE ROAD TO FLY TILL ALFRED IN THE FERN HARD BY SET HORN TO MOUTH AND BLEW AND THEY ALL ABODE LIKE STATUES ONE SITTING ON THE STONE ONE HALF WAY THROUGH THE HORNHEAD HALL ONE WITH A LEG ACROSS A WALL AND ONE LOOKED BACKWARDS VERY SMALL FAR UP THE ROAD ALONE GRAY TWILIGHT AND A YELLOW STAR HUNG OVER THORN AND HILL TWO SPEARS AND A CLOVEN WAR SHIELD LAY LOOSE ON THE ROAD AS CAST AWAY THE HORN DIED FAINT IN THE FOREST GREY AND THE FLEEING MEN STOOD STILL BROTHERS AT ARMS SAID ALFRED ON THIS SIDE LIES THE FOE OUR SLAVERY AND STARVATION FLOWERS THAT YOU SHOULD PLUCK THEM SO FOR WHETHER IT IS BETTER TO BE PRODDED WITH DANISH POLES HAVING HEWN A CHAMBER IN A DITCH AND SOUNDED LIKE A HOWLING WITCH OR SMOKE TO DEATH IN HOLES
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_07_chesterton_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_07_chesterton_64kb.flac