The King's Sons

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Four royal brothers would rather practise archery and trade blows with wooden swords than attend to their lessons. On the Berkshire downs, King Ethelwulf's sons train with the soldier Cerda, whose encouragement feeds their enthusiasm for fighting. Their parents see a larger responsibility ahead: the boys must gain the wisdom to rule as well as the skill to defend their home. Queen Osburga values learning, while their teacher, the monk Swythe, struggles to hold their interest.

George Manville Fenn's historical story for young readers centres on Alfred and the competing demands of play, family duty and education. In a later scene, Osburga's concern for the king deepens her distress over her sons' behaviour towards Swythe. Alfred, troubled by her words, seeks the monk in his plain room. These encounters give the tale its human scale, showing how a royal child's conduct matters to the people who teach and care for him.