OUR
STUDENTS' WORK
SENT IN TO THE GREAT BOOKS ACADEMY
Shurley
Grammar Essay by one of our 5th graders, Quinn
D.
I live in Alaska, the 49th state in the winter.
I stay with my cool grandpa in a small village
call the Nikiski. Alaska is the most northern
state in the United States and the weather can
be very cold in the winter.
My favorite spot in Alaska is my Grandpa's log
cabin in the woods. The cabin is on a big hill
with a lake at the bottom. We go sledding down
the hill and onto the frozen lake. If we like,
we can clear the snow from parts of the lake
and go skating. We go cross country skiing on
the lake and on some of the trails in the woods.
My cousins have snow machines. We have big parties
with all my cousins and ride snow machines all
day. Even when the weather is cold and snowy,
we just dress warm and have fun. There are many
mountains near Grandpa's house. It is fun to
spend all day down hill skiiing. My favorite
place to ski is called the Mount Alyeska.
Most of all, I enjoy my Grandpa. He is too old
to ski now, but he tells us stories that are
interesting. He used to run sled dogs when he
was young. He even ran sled dogs in the Army
because he is so good at it. His favorite lead
dog was Murphy. When the Alasken Earthquake
came in 1964, Grandpa, my mom, Uncle Stan and
Aunt Gretchen were out on the lake coming home
in the dog sled. The ice broke into little pieces
and water was everywhere. Grandpa says he was
scared and wanted to get off the lake. He yelled
at Murphy who was scared too. Murphy pulled
hard and got the other dogs pulling. They got
Grandpa off the lake with mom, Uncle Stan and
Aunt Gretchen and took them to the nearest house.
Murphy is dead now and Grandpa doesn't run sled
dogs anymore, but he can still tell stories.
I love Alaska and I think it is one of the most
interesting states. Alaska reminds me of my
Grandpa.
Reuel's
Favorite Reading from this Quarter 3rd - 10th
Grade Program
My
favorite reading from this quarter has been
Tacitus’ Annuls of Imperial Rome because
it has given me an indepth look at the characters
of ancient people and the many similarities
they have with modern people. I also enjoyed
reading this book because I want to some day
become a film director and make a movie about
some of its most fascinating characters. These
two reasons make Tacitus’ Annuls, my most
interesting reading assignment for this quarter.
The
thing I love most about Tacitus’ writing
is that he takes time to document into his histories
in-depth accounts of people’s lives. These
accounts enable me to broaden my understanding
of the progression of civilization by showing
me that people and the way they react to things
have not drastically changed over the centuries.
A good example of this is in Tacitus’
Annuls, chapter 23, entitled Innocent Victims.
This chapter is full of intrigue and conspiracy
over the planed assassination of the tyrant
Nero. The conspirators involved in this plot
are mostly in it for one of two motives, either
their own future benefits or for those of their
country once Nero is dead. When both these kinds
of conspirators are found out by Nero and punished,
they react in a way that is predictable to their
nature. The self seeking ones become traitors
and inform on their comrades, and the noble
conspirators die by torture rather then inform
on their compatriots. To summarize this paragraph,
I believe this book has taught me that people
are usually similar in the way they deal with
things no matter what age they live in.
When
I get older, I would like to become a movie
director and make a film about the lives and
deeds of some of Rome’s most courageous
generals. To do this I would use Tacitus’
Annuls of Imperial Rome as one of my main source
books, since it is one of the most indepth historical
accounts of ancient Rome around. The reason
I wish to make this film is to preserve the
memory of courageous men in a medium of art
that is more popular nowadays then books. Movies
are watched by more people than historical documentaries,
so I would definitely make my film into a movie.
This movie would be about Roman generals and
would let a modern day person see the struggles,
hardships, and persistence that was required
to keep the huge nation of Rome safe and secure.
It would also show viewers the struggles generals
went through in obeying the stupid and ignorant
commands of the senators and populace of Rome.
The
first movie that I would make would be about
the famous general Germanicus. Tacitus gives
an indepth account of him in his chapters Mutiny
on the Frontiers and War with the Germans so
I would have plenty of information about him.
Germanicus was a general on the Roman\German
frontier during the reign of Tiberius, who was
his uncle. He won many fierce battles against
the Germans and succeeded in reducing the fierce
tribes of the Chatti and Cherusci. He also helped
settle the frequent mutinies that were occurring
in the various Roman camps due to old age, disreputable
conditions, and lack of money. He achieved this
by declaring that a soldier only had to serve
his country for twenty years at the most. Germanicus
was known to be a compassionate conqueror, kind
father and loyal husband. All of these attributes,
despite needing to be honored and remembered,
make for a great movie. People love heroes like
Germanicus because they never give in to things
they know are wrong, always protect those who
are weaker than them, and live their lives honorably
even when they are mistreated. Germanicus, being
all these things and more, deserves to have
a movie be made in his honor.
I
have had an instructive and enlightening time
reading and studying the Annuls of Imperial
Rome. Overall, comprehending Tacitus’
work has been a huge advancement in furthering
my education and understanding of the classics.
Giving me the history of Rome and her great
people has made me more intelligibly understand
philosophers whenever they discuss matters pertaining
to ancient Rome. Discovering the history of
the ancient world through writers such as Tacitus
is a constant joy that I look forward to whenever
I begin to read their marvelous works.
Reuel
Northwood
resident Hunter G. is one of five youngsters
cast as Tiny Tim in the Musical Theatre Village
production "A Christmas with Scrooge"
opening tonight, Thursday, and continuing weekends
through Dec. 28.
"I
think Tiny Tim is the best role I've ever played,"
said Hunter. "I have tons of solos, too."
Those include "One Bright Start in Bethlehem"
and "Tim's Carol," among others.
Of
his character, Hunter said, "Tiny Tim's
a sickly boy so he's very, very good. He's part
of the surplus population," he added, echoing
a line from the mean spirited Scrooge.
Surpisingly,
Hunter said his favorite line in the show is
not the concluding "God bless us everyone!"
but the early street scene when he is with his
father, Bob Cratchit, and says, "Oh no,
sir, we are on our way to work."
According
to Hunter's mother, Carolyn G., who homeschools
Hunter through Great Books Academy, when he's
not playing Tiny Tim he's in the chorus in other
performaces.
Creative
Writing sent to us by Mary C.
one of our 3rd grade students.
By
Mary C.
Chapter
One
The Adventures of Sono
It
came in this way began the Flower of the Wise.
This sparrow, an ordinary sparrow with it's
bright red wings had been flying for days, weeks,
or even months, in a land that had no name or
direction. When you were going North you really
going South, and when you going South you were
really going North, and so on and so forth.
But anyway this sparrow being an ordinary sparrow
didn't want to go either way. He was just flying
around looking for a spot to make a nest.
He had been flying around like this for some
time when his head began to nod, and he just
about fell asleep. He lifted himself up strait
and waited for a tree to come in sight. Unfortunately
there was not one tree in that valley that he
was in. His eyes began to get moist, then suddenly
he spotted a little flower patch were the flowers
were huge enough to put three bird nests in.
The sparrow turned toward them wanting to alight
on the one in the middle, which could hold four
nests. It was the largest and the prettiest.
Suddenly he felt so sleepy the things in front
of him went blank. Everything except the middle
Flower which the sparrow wanted to nest in.
Then down he went, heading strait for the middle
Flower's stem. His beak went into it and it
flue up into the air, and the wind carried it
away over hills and waters, villages and towns,
seas and even a few oceans. Then it fell into
a poor gardener's garden were it's stem right
away went deep, deep down into the warm soil.
Two years went by and still the large Flower
remained as beautiful and delicate as before,
and it didn't grow any bigger, or wilt a little
and grow smaller. The farmer, Hagor Bine didn't
bother about it, but his boy did. The small
child played only by that one Flower and no-were
else. His father began to get suspicious about
his boy, and one day he looked at the Flower
and wondered: were did it come from. I didn't
plant it. It couldn't have grown here. There
are no flowers for miles around here, and flowers
of course do not grow so fast!
Well, he couldn't do a thing about it. Whenever
Hagor tried to pull the Flower out he just ended
up getting his hand grass stained. To the little
boys delight Hagor had agreed to keep the Flower.
Now this young boy's name was Sono Bine, and
liking this Flower so much he had given it a
name, Sun-Beauties.
Now one-day Hagor and his wife and Sono decided
to leave their house and go to a town called
Dechilia. But Sono didn't want to leave his
Flower at there old home, so he went into the
back garden and pulled on the Flower to make
it come out. Suddenly it did, roots and all.
'As if it really wanted to go with me,' chuckled
Sono hugging the Flower.
Hagor jumped three feet in the air when he saw
Sono with Sun-Beauties.
'How on….' He stopped. 'How on earth did
you get that horrible Flower out of the ground?
Why, I myself couldn't even budge it!'
'Father,' said Sono, 'that's because you were
always mean to it. You tried to cut it down,
you tried to squash it, and last of all you
didn't care about it. I am sure that this Flower
is no ordinary Flower, like the ones you sell
at the market. This Flower is alive!'
'Well, well, you may think so, my boy, but that
Flower is not going to last that long.'
'Just try to destroy it, Father.'
I am not going to destroy it, you are. I will
force you myself. You will burn it.'
' I would never to such a thing to Sun-Beauties,
and besides, you can't really even destroy it.'
At this Hagor flew into a rage. 'That thing
is a flower, and you think it's alive? Well,
we'll just have to see about that ourselves!
Won't we?'
'No,' said Sono shaking his head. 'Only if it
may be the Flower's will, Father,' and tossed
Sun-Beauties into the air, and again it worked.
The air, since there was no wind at all carried
Sun-Beauties far, far away to the very ends
of the earth were it fell into the ocean and
taken in by the Sea fairies.
Mean while Sono was looking up at the sky trying
to catch another glimpse of the Flower.
'Sono,' called Mynah, (Hagor's wife). 'Quickly
leave us. Your father wants to destroy that
Flower of yours. But here, take these.'
She
handed him a small sack containing bread, cheese,
and meat. Then she gave him a bow and an arrow
pouch full of red arrows with brown feathers
and the end of each, and last of all she gave
him a sword of all silver.
'Take these,' she repeated. 'They may come to
use one day. Right now I want you to go to a
land that has no name or direction. Here a wizard
lives, and he will be able to teach you how
to use these things. You may call the land The
Land of the Unbelieved.'
Sono at hearing that name, for he remembered
a storyteller who said that
The Land of the Unbelieved, The Flower of the
Wise, and The Beginning of Magic was true!
'But,' said Sono, 'are those three stories real?'
'What three stories, Sono,' asked Mynah.
'The Land of the Unbelieved, The Beginning of
Magic, and The Flower of the Wise.'
Mynah sighed. 'Yes, all three of them,' she
whispered. 'Now fly. Your father is coming.'
It
would be strange to leave your own home and
to face the dangers of the outside world. Well,
this is what Sono did.
I can tell you that Sono did not at all like
doing this, but he did want to find his beloved
Flower. It was a sunny day, but rather pale.
Sono was a little scared. He didn't know what
to do with his sword, so he found no use in
that, but he knew perfectly well what to do
with the bow and arrows, so he found much use
in that. He sighed when he looked ahead and
saw the mountain May-Snow.
'How am I to ever cross May-Snow?' he asked
himself. 'Many of our kind have said that they
would surely cross it, but they all slipped
into the cracks of ice. Well, if I my destination
is beyond this mountain I might as well go up
it or around it.'
Just then a little man appeared. Sono instantly
knew him. 'Uncle Mattoon!' he cried out. 'Yes,'
said the little man, 'it's me, but what ever
are you doing her, sonny?'
'I have been sent to cross May-Snow to get to
a wizard that lives in a land with no name or
direction.'
'Well,' said Uncle Mattoon. 'I don't think you
will ever get over or past it with-out falling
through one of those trap doors that Sor…'
He suddenly stopped.
'Please go on,' begged Sono.
'This is no place for telling these kind of
stories like this,' said Uncle Mattoon. 'Would
you like to come with me into my house. Oh no!
I left the teakettle on the fire! Here, come
with me. I was just getting supper ready.'
Uncle Mattoon's house unexpectedly was right
by them in a snow bank. It would look very small
to you, but to Uncle Mattoon it was a rather
large house.
It was very comfortable with it's two, soft,
woolen chairs, the little, round table mad out
of wood, the small fire that was blazing wildly
be now, and then there was the small kitchen
and bed.
But the thing that interested Sono most was
a large door at the back of the house.
'What is that?' said Sono.
'Oh,' said Uncle Mattoon. 'That is the back
door were the Mites sleep. It is very large
if you go deeper into my tunnels, but right
now lets take our minds out of the tunnels.'
'Mites!' cried Sono. 'What are they? Are they
some kind of other creature, Uncle Mattoon?'
'Well, yes. You could say that. I found the
in the mountain. I don't know if that is their
proper name though. They may be the lost friends
of our, because, well, some of them look kind
of familiar.'
'Are they here at the moment?' cried Sono.
'Yes,' said a voice outside the door.
'Atha!' said Sono jumping about a foot into
the air. 'What one earth are you doing out here?'
'Look,' said Atha. 'I am not in debt about crossing
the mountain or anything like that. I just came
here to make a living helping this wizard…'
'Wizard!' said Sono. 'What wizard? You don't
mean…'
'I am the wizard,' said Uncle Mattoon. 'I was
sent years ago by Mr. Blissidy to go to a wizard
by following a small path that was so deep in
snow you could hardly see it at all. When I
finely arrived there I was greeted by Cilia,
the wizard Cytemine. Cytemine taught me all
about sword fighting, aiming an arrow, and then
he taught me some wizardry, or would you call
it sorcery?'
'I'll go with wizardry,' said Atha.
'Wizardry,' said Sono.
'Well, any way. I was ready to go away and find
a use for my trades that I had learned while
I was at Cytemine's rock home, for Cytemine
and his daughter lived in a rock palace.
'Wizard Mattoon,' said Atha, 'didn't you tell
me this story before? I remember the wizard
Cytemine's name and what you did with him and
all that, but you never finished the story.'
'You never finish any stories that are about
yourself,' corrected Sono. 'Why don't you, Uncle,
I mean Wizard Mattoon? They all seam so interesting,
especially at the last part that you tell us
about. But I don't understand why you don't
tell us about the other parts though.'
Chapter Two
Saphona
They were all silent for about four minutes
until Atha said, 'All right, Wizard Mattoon.
I'm starving were is supper?'
'It's still cooking,' said Uncle Mattoon, 'but
I think it's finished now,' and he ran over
to the small fire were they could see the two
biggest fish they had ever seen in there whole
life.
'Atha,' whispered Sono. 'How did you find Uncle
Mattoon anyway?'
'I would like to tell you it after supper, but
if you insist…'
'Come over to supper if your hungry, Atha,'
said Uncle Mattoon laughing cheerfully. 'Do
any of you remember what fish tastes like?'
'No,' said Sono and Atha almost at the same
time.
'Good,' said Uncle Mattoon, 'because this is
the time to celebrate Saphona. Anyway, I don't
remember what fish tastes like either. Well,
dig in. I haven't too much time to spend with
you right now. I have to cook the Mites supper
in a few minutes.'
'All right,' said Atha, 'go ahead. I have to
have a word or two with Sono. By the way, when
you come back I would like you to tell us why
you never finish those stories of yourself.'
'Um,' said Sono, 'Uncle Mattoon, what is Saphona?'
'It's the Day of Giladaclis and Giladacris,'
said Atha cheerfully. 'My favorite time of the
year! You'll love it. Latter on tonight we'll
go in through these passages to the top of Mount
May-Snow; and there the Mites have set out a
feast, turkey, fish, venison, beef, cake, snow
sugar, apple sauce, and then there the dancing
and singing.'
'Then who are Giladaclis and Giladacris?' asked
Sono. 'Some lord and lady perhaps?'
'Close,' said Uncle Mattoon, 'but they are a
king and queen, and please don't act so rude
toward their Majesties. King Giladacris and
Queen Giladaclis is the Lord and Lady of the
land you are searching for to find this wizard.
The Land that has no name or direction you may
call it, but I call it Andia-Landano or The
Land of the Unbelieved.'
'Didn't I hear,' said Sono, 'that story from
that old man that came to our house and told
me those stories of The Land of the Unbelieved,
The Flower of the Wise, but I forget the name
of the other one.'
'You did,' said Uncle Mattoon, 'that was me.'
'Then why did you disguise yourself,' asked
Sono.
'I didn't disguise myself. I was wearing my
old cloak, just as wizards wear their own.'
Sono and Atha stood face to face until a knock
on the little door disturbed them.
'No doubt it's Middat,' muttered Uncle Mattoon
as he hobbled off toward the door.
'Wizard Mattoon!' said a little man, 'there
was a rock just around the corner, and it's
broken everything, save the five potion's.'
'You don't mean it broke the Littile and the
Fiath, Middat,' said Uncle Mattoon.
'No,' said Middat,' but if it wasn't for Citable
it would have been smashed to pieces immediately.'
Uncle Mattoon gave a sigh of relief, and then
glanced at the winter sky.
It was dole and cold. The sun was already sinking
beyond the mountaintops, and all he could see
was the dark, cold mountains that surrounded
May-Snow. The snowflakes were to big that they
could build a mountain in a week. And then he
noticed the biggest snowflake he had ever seen.
It couldn't have been a Mite, for they were
not as small as this snowflake, or whatever
it was, and it was certainly not a dwarf, for
dwarfs weren't that big. Then to his surprise
the snowflake stopped in front of the open door.
Now he could see that it was not a mite or a
dwarf. It was Cilia, the wizard Cytemine's daughter.
'Cilia!' cried Uncle Mattoon and Atha almost
at the same time.
'Whatever are you doing hear?' said Uncle Mattoon.
'Do you have a message from Cytemine?'
'No,' said Cilia, 'he is right behind me. We
have come all that long way to spend Saphona
with you.'
'But Cilia,' said Atha, 'aren't you going to
spend Saphona with Giladacris and Giladaclis?'
'Their coming too,' said Cilia, 'in their snowflake
carriage drawn by those giant, white butterflies.'
Just then a white carriage came up, and Cytemine,
bending down came in through the low door, and
after him came King Giladacris and Queen Giladaclis.
'Middat,' whispered Uncle Mattoon, 'get the
feast set up, and quickly too.'
'Well, Mattoon,' said King Giladacris, 'I can
see that you made this house especially for
winter.'
'I did,' said Uncle Mattoon, 'but I myself didn't
do it. The Mites did, or whatever they really
are.'
'The Moons are up,' said Atha, 'it's time to
take the passage up to the top of May-Snow!
The Mites are waiting, Wizard Mattoon, lets
go.'
Wizard Mattoon quickly snatched a small candle,
and in front he guided them all up a steep tunnel
that seamed to have no end. You would thank
it mighty cold if you were down there, but to
them it was surprisingly hot. Even though Sono
and Atha were at the back, they felt like they
were in front, because it was so dark that you
couldn't see you hand even if you held it right
up to your face.
Suddenly they all came out of the darkness and
found themselves in a large area with little
people all around it.
Sono immediantly recognized a small man with
a large hat, and dressed in a green robe.
'Mr. Bliklethan!' he said in a rather awkward
voice. 'How in the world did you get here? You
were helping Father load the wagon when he saw
you last. Oh, it seams such a long time ago
though.'
'Yes, my boy,' said the little man. 'It is me,
though I hardly think it is.'
'What do you mean?' asked Sono.
'Yes, I was helping your father when you saw
me last, and also when I saw you last, Sono.
When helping him a strange shadow cast over
me. I looked up, and saw the most unexpected
thing I ever saw. I flying lizard.'
'Did it have and wings?' said Sono.
'No,' said Bliklethan, 'It was just floating
in the air. My eyes followed it, and suddenly
I felt myself floating beside that flying lizard.'
'Then there must have been some trickery in
the sky,' said Sono. 'Even in The Book of all
Magic Spell there no such thing.'
'Sono,' said Bliklethan, 'whoever it be made
that book does not know all things, and then
there's you haven't even read the Book or seen
it.'
'Well, that's true.'
'But there was no trickery in the air, it was
an un-winged, flying lizard. The ones that Sorc…'
'You know? That's exactly what Uncle Mattoon
did. He didn't finish his Sorc period thing.'
'We're just not supposed to tell any one about
this, certainly not a boy from a farmyard. The
Great King Giladacris has made us all swear
we will not tell any boys or girls whatsoever.
I don't know why, but there was something about
him when he to us not to.'
Then they stopped for the feast was beginning.
King Giladacris was strolling around the edges
of May-Snow's top, and beautiful Queen Giladaclis
was sitting down on a flowerbed sucking some
strong wine that the Mites wanted her to try
for them. Some of the Mites were sitting down
on stumps and a few giant mushrooms eating turkey,
beef, fish, venison, and all the rest of the
fine foods; the rest of the Mites were tending
the King and Queen. They could see that the
King's face was looking rather dull. His face
was looking toward the snowy mountain with the
little green grass tops popping up now and then.
'Mountain sickness again,' muttered Bliklethan
glancing at the King. 'He always has it when
he's up here. That always makes me wonder why
he comes at all of he hates it up here.'
'I make him,' said a voice, which as would think
not at all normal. It was a soft, strong voice,
or rather a beautiful, gentle voice. This made
Bliklethan turn his head toward the Queen, sitting
on her flowerbed with two Mites on either side
of her.
Bliklethan bit his lips nervously as if he was
going to say some thing, but he kept quiet and
smiled at Queen Giladaclis.
But Sono didn't think it was Mountain Sickness
that was bothering the King. He had had mountain
sickness before, and his face turned white.
'I don't think so, Bliklethan,' said Sono.
Suddenly King Giladacris said, 'Mattoon, are
those traps that I see down there?' 'They are,
your most high Majesty,' said Uncle Mattoon.
'I am getting rid of them as soon as the snows
over.'
'No, I am afraid you will have to get rid of
them now. Soon the snow will cover them and
your Mites will walk into them. And its no good
losing even one mite.'
'Yes, your most high Majesty, but may I ask
why?'
'Mattoon, I want the Mites hearing. I'll tell
you after the feast.'
'Wizard Mattoon,' said Sono. 'I was just wondering
why there are all those old cloaks up in your
closet?'
'I, like Wizard Cytemine train boys to become
wizards. Oh, did you see that old book in the
corner, Sono. It is a very treasured book.'
'No. Why is it treasured,' said Sono.
'Cytemine gave it to me. It is the Seventh Book
of all Spells. I have read it three times so
I can memorize it when time comes to use the
Spells. I could train you t be a wizard, but
you're a little to young. I have train four
boys to become wizard. I fist train them to
ride on flying horses and use swords and then
they take the book back to their house to study
it. And in a week they give it back. That's
why I treasure it, Sono.'
'What are you talking about,' said Atha, her
mouth full of strawberries. 'Sono, did you know
about Sor…'
'What's the good of talking when there's plenty
of food to eat,' interrupted Uncle Mattoon for
some reason. The Mites were busy serving the
King and Queen and Cytemine and Cilia, and some
of the higher Mites. The two huge fish, which
Uncle Mattoon had cooked, were on the table,
and so were all the treats. Sono of course was
not a mountain boy, so he didn't care for the
mountain goats meet, and he was not totally
a sea boy, so he took very little of the fish.
But that wasn't all. All the treats that Atha
had said were served were there, but there was
still a whole lot more.
Now Sono could see the queen. She was dressed
in white and gold lace. Her gold hair was not
in buns or braids; it was hanging down her back.
On her head there was a silver crown with white
and blue diamonds. Sono could see gold sparkles
in hair. Her eyes were as blue as the sky's
sunset. Around her waist was a gold chain with
a big, blue ruby on it, and around the ruby
there were smaller white ones, which became
smaller and smaller as it circled away from
the big ruby. 'Mittletan,' she called, 'were
is Middat? He told me he was coming back with
a message for me.'
'I am right here, you Grace,' said Middat coming
out far, dark end. 'Here is the
letter that you wanted.'
Sono watched while Queen Giladaclis opened the
letter. Her eyes went from one way to the other,
never blinking. Then he happened to look at
Middat. He was watching the queen silently from
a corner; also staring at the small piece of
paper. 'Take it to Giladacris,' said Giladaclis
silently, as if deep in thought. 'I am not to
deal with those Sorcorlans.'
The little Mite walked slowly toward Giladacris.
His face was a pale blue color.
'Sorcorlans,' said Middat to King Giladacris.
'What?' cried King Giladacris, 'I thought they
had all gone to Manocor? S. had not even taken
forces with Simtanines.'
'No,' said Middat. 'Clortainitor disagreed to
go on flying lizards and learn the Magic Words
to Ianda the Fate-teller.'
'I thought she was dead?'
'Well, S. had found her and taken her to Helithealer.
He had twenty Sorcorlans tend to her day and
night. She had stayed up in her high tower for
three years till she was all right, and could
spray her wonder all over Sorcortainior. What
a fool he was to not take her to Mildasta, the
Healer of All Wounds.'
'Actually, Middat, she is only the Healer of
all Sorcorlans wounds, that means all the Sorcorlans
only need to come to her to heal them. But Ianda
is not a Sorcorlan. She is a Simtanine, and
before I thought her dead she wanted secretly
wanting to go back to Clortainitor's side. It
may be that she still wishes that very wish.'
'Oh, I hope so,' said Atha.
'Atha!' said Middat. 'What are you doing listening
to this?'
'She may listen to this, but none of the boys
may,' said King Giladacris, which is now to
be called just Giladacris.
Now Sono slipped away quietly not to be seen.
'Atha,' he called. 'I'm sorry, but I heard all
that King Giladacris and Middat said together.'
'That's all right,' said Atha, 'I actually was
just going to tell you, but remember: don't
do anything about it, really. If we do, well,
I don't know what would hap- pen, but I can
tell you this: King Giladacris was surely be
very mad at us if we did.'
'Ok,' said Sono.
Now it was time for the rest of the High Mites
to come out of their holes. They were only allowed
after the moon was up, and the larger half of
the feast was starting. The air was full of
the voices of the little mite people. Sono just
about forgot all about what he had heard, but
even if he did Atha would have reminded him.
Giladacris had gone over to talk to one of the
High Mites named Gittaller. Giladaclis (as we
are now to call her) was picking flowers with
the young, girl mites and spreading them on
the thirteenth Saphona Cloth.
Now when Atha or Sono spoke they couldn't even
hear themselves, and they could hardly move
or they would walk into one of the mites, which
were all over the place now. But at least Sono
and Atha could see each other, and Giladacris
and Giladaclis, because the Mites heads were
so low.
'Atha,' cried Sono, though he didn't hear it.
Then he heard a faint "Yes", but he
didn't answer in case it was a mite that was
talking to someone else. Most of the Mites had
leaf plates in there hands, with all kinds of
good foods to eat.
Suddenly he heard a voice behind him, which
said kindly "Are you Sono". He immediantly
looked behind him. It was Giladacris.
'I am, your most high Majesty,' was all Sono
could say.
'I know that you were listening to Middat and
me.'
'I am sorry, but I did.'
'That's all right. Thetil has already heard
about it too.'
'Who's Thetil?'
'I'll show you if you want me to.'
Sono was silent for a minute, then, 'Yes, please,
you Majesty.'
'Alright,' said Giladacris, 'but please don't
call me majesty. Just call me Gilada- cris.'
Chapter Three
Sorcor the Great
Giladacris
led Sono through a small door in the mountain's
side. They went a deep down into that door passage
until they came to a smaller door. Giladacris
whispered something into it, and the door opened.
Inside the door there was a desk and a small
stool, and then there was a bed in the corner.
But the thing that surprised Sono most was a
boy with a small dog that was staring at them.
'Giladacris,' said the boy, which was Thetil.
'I lost my book in the corridor. You said you'd
find it.'
'I have it,' said Giladacris handing him a big
book with small writings on it, and a picture
of a globe that looked like a magic crystal,
which Sono had seen in a book. At the top of
the book cover was a writing, which said in
large letters MAGIC ADICION. Then Giladacris
said, 'Thetil, I would like to introduce you
to someone,' making way for Sono. 'This is Sono,
Sono, this is Thetil.'
Now Sono could see Thetil properly. 'I have
to go right now,' said Giladacris, and left
the room.
'Hello,' said Thetil. 'Are you a wizard?'
'No.'
'Do you want to be one?'
'No, not really.'
'What do you mean by that?'
'Well, I have seen wizards books, and it makes
me think what a lot of practice and memory that
is to learn.'
'Not if you were born to be a wizard it wouldn't.'
'Well, I wasn't born to be a wizard. Really
I was just a farm boy, until…'
'What? Until what?'
'I found a flower which I named Sun-beauties
because the seed in it looked like they were
dancing when the sun first came up. It was huge.
I could have fit three of those huge books that
Wizard Mattoon has in it,' said Sono.
'You need kidding?' said Thetil with his mouth
open.
'Why should I be kidding?'
'Because that Flower Giladacris and Giladaclis
have been seeking all their lives, well not
all there lives, but most of it. That may be
The Flower of Earth, The Hope of Andia-Landano,
(which is Giladacris's land). It may be The
Flower of the Wise.'
'It can't be, Thetil.'
'Yes it can. Do you still have the Flower?'
'No, I was trying to save it from being burnt.'
'Burnt with what?'
'Fire of course.'
'Oh, I thought he was going to burn it with
Classich.'
'What is Classich?'
'A special kind of light which can burn the
Flower, but it cannot destroy It. But you did
save it, didn't you, because if you didn't we
may have been in serious trouble, or would be.'
'I don't really know if I saved it or not. I
through it in the air, and It just floated away.
I know I shouldn't have done it.'
'In a way you were right. First: if you hadn't
done it your father may have put it in fire
that looked ordinary, but really it had a special
kind of Classich in it, which would make the
Flower disappear, and we would never find it.
Second: if you did do it, It may have landed
in our enemies hands, and Andia-Landano would
be ruined forever. Third: if you had just kept
the Flower with you and run away you could have
given Giladacris the Flower, and he could help
Fieth, the Lord of all Fiaths, and his wife
and queen, Queen Fiesta. They are the Third
Greatest of all Lords of the Upper World.'
'Who's the First and Second?'
'I am not allowed to tell you the First right
now, but I can tell you the Second pair: King
Giladacris and Queen Giladaclis.'
'Why can't you tell me who the First is?'
'Because he is an enemy, but I can gave you
a hint. His name begins with S.'
'Wait a second. Giladacris had been using a
capital S. for an enemy's name, and Mattoon
said Sor, and Bliklethan said Sorc. Give me
another hint.'
'Well after S O R C comes another O.'
'Ok,
is it Sorcon?'
'That's his boy's name.'
'Is it Sorco?'
'No.'
'Is it Sorcor?'
'At this Thetil's face changed to pale blue.
'Y-y-y yes,' gasped Thetil. 'That's the name
of our enemies leader. Sorcor the Great he is
to be called, but the mites and all the ones
that on Fieth and Giladacris's team do not call
him that. We call him Sincatcher the One. If
we have the Flower we could destroy him, and
Giladacris would be the Highest King of the
Upper World. Would you like to hear part of
the Legand of Andia- Landano?'
'Oh! yes. Please do tell me.' And Thetil told
him all about the sparrow which had caused the
Flower to be lost.'
An
essay completed by Joseph D. C.,
a student in the first year of our
Great Books High School Program.
Joseph
D. C.
Thucydides:
History of the Peloponnesian War
2/17/05
The Peloponnesian War
The fact that we call the war between the Delian
League (Athenian Empire) and Sparta the Peloponnesian
War shows that Thucydides saw the war through
a veil of preconception do to his loyalty to
Athens. Thucydides, an Athenian statesman and
general was convinced from the outset that the
war would be the most important ever recorded
in Greece and therefore made great efforts to
establish the exact truth. Since he was exiled
early in the war for failing to relieve a besieged
Athenian territory, he had plenty of freedom
to travel and to talk to both Spartans and Athenians.
Warfare
in Hellenic Greece centered mainly around heavy
infantrymen called hoplites. They were armed
as spearmen, which are relatively easy to equip
and maintain. And mainly they represented the
middle class, who could afford the cost of the
armaments. Almost all the famous men of ancient
Greece, even the philosophers and playwrights,
fought as a hoplite in some battle or another.
Hoplites generally armed themselves immediately
before battle, since the equipment was so heavy.
Each man provided his own gear so it was fairly
non-uniform, and often friendly troops would
fail to recognize one another. A hoplite typically
had a breastplate, a bronze helmet with cheek
plates, as well greaves and other armor, plus
a bowl-shaped wooden shield around 1 meter across.
The primary weapon was a spear, around 2.7 meters
in length; as this frequently broke upon charging,
hoplites also carried a smaller 60 cm thrusting
sword.
According to Thucydides, the cause of the war
was the "fear of the growth of the power
of Athens" throughout the middle of the
5th century BC. After an alliance of Greek states
stopped an attempted invasion of the Greek peninsula
by the Persian empire, several of those states
formed the Delian league in 478 BC in order
to create and fund a standing navy which could
be used against the Persians in areas under
their control. Athens, the largest member of
the league and the major Greek naval power,
took the leadership of the league and controlled
its treasury. Over the following decades, Athens
was able to convert the Delian league into an
Athenian empire. This increase in Athenian military
power allowed it to challenge the Lacedaemonians
(commonly known as the Spartans), who, as leaders
of the Peloponnesian League, had long been the
sole major military power in Greece.
The immediate cause of the war comprised several
specific actions of Athens that affected Sparta's
allies, notably Corinth. The Athenian navy intervened
in a dispute between Corinth and Corcyra, preventing
Corinth from invading Corcyra at the Battle
of Sybota, and placed Potidaea, a Corinthian
colony, under siege. The Athenian Empire also
levied economic sanctions against Megara, an
ally of Sparta. These sanctions, known as the
Megarian decree, were largely ignored by Thucydides,
but modern economic historians have noted that
forbidding Megara to trade with the prosperous
Athenian empire would have been disastrous for
the Megarans. The decree was likely a greater
catalyst for the war than Thucydides and other
ancient authors realized, more so than simple
fear of Athenian power.
As
the war began, Sparta and Athens each took advantage
of their military strengths. Sparta, with its
much larger army, ravaged Attica the territory
around Athens while the Athenian navy raided
cities on the Peloponnesus. This strategy lasted
for two years. Meanwhile Pericles death in 429
left the democracy prey to hostile factions
and reckless leaders who pursued their own advantage.
Most of the leaders were warmongers who insisted
on vigorous prosecution of the conflict. Chief
among these select few was Alcibiades, who was
as irresponsible as he was brilliant. By 425
Sparta's hopes for victory were bleak, and its
leaders were ready to ask for peace. Slowly,
however, the fortunes of war changed. Sparta,
under its general Brasidas, scored significant
victories at Chalcidice and Amphipolis. Both
were serious losses for Athens. The Athenian
leader Nicias persuaded the city to accept Sparta's
offer to cease hostilities in 421. And despite
Thucydides’ prejudices he had the best
insight into the period and the war itself.
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