In God's Garden: Stories of the Saints for Little Children. Amy Steedman

In God's Garden: Stories of the Saints for Little Children

She slept calmly and peacefully until she dreamed a dream, Frontispiece AT PAGE Ursula stood on the landing-place, the first to greet the Prince, 8 By Vittore Carpaccio at the Accademia, Venice. SAINT BENEDICT, A little demon seized the robe of the young monk, 22 A terrible storm began to rage, 28 By Lorenzo Monaco, Uffizi, Florence. SAINT CHRISTOPHER, The child upon his shoulder seemed to grow heavier, 38 By Titian, Doge's Palace, Venice. SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA, The Holy Child placed a ring upon her finger, 46 By Benozzo Gozzali, Uffizi, Florence. SAINT AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO, The child had digged a hole in the sand, 60 By Sandro Botticelli, Accademia, Florence. SAINT CECILIA, A crown of lilies and roses in each hand, 74 She taught them about the Lord of Heaven, 78 By Spinello Aretino, S. Maria del Carmine, Florence. SAINT NICHOLAS, He showed his daughter the gold, 86 He went to the harbour where two ships lay, 90 By Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Accademia, Florence. SAINT COSMO AND SAINT DAMIAN, But Cosmo turned and walked away, 104 An angel guided them with loving care, 108 By Fra Angelico, Accademia, Florence. SAINT GEORGE, Saint George rode straight at the monster, 124 By Vittore Carpaccio, S. Georgio Maggiore, Venice. SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI, Then the Pope took the little poor brothers under his protection, 136 He chanted the Gospel at the first Christmas mass, 140 By Giotto, Accademia, Florence.

SAINT URSULA

Table of Contents

Once upon a time in the land of Brittany there lived a good king, whose name was Theonotus. He had married a princess who was as good as she was beautiful, and they had one little daughter, whom they called Ursula.

It was a very happy and prosperous country over which Theonotus ruled, for he was a Christian, and governed both wisely and well, and nowhere was happiness more certain to be found than in the royal palace where the king and queen and little Princess Ursula lived.

All went merrily until Ursula was fifteen years old, and then a great trouble came, for the queen, her mother, died. The poor king was heart-broken, and for a long time even Ursula could not comfort him. But with patient tenderness she tried to do for him all that her mother had done, and gradually he began to feel that he still had something to live for.

Her mother had taught Ursula with great care, and the little maid had loved her lessons, and so it came to pass that there was now no princess in all the world so learned as the Princess Ursula. It is said that she knew all that had happened since the beginning of the world, all about the stars and the winds, all the poetry that had ever been written, and every science that learned men had ever known.

But what was far better than all this learning was that the princess was humble and good. She never thought herself wiser than other people, and her chief pleasure was in doing kind things and helping others. Her father called her the light of his eyes, and his one fear was that she would some day marry and leave him alone.

And true it was that many princes wished to marry Ursula, for the fame of her beauty and of her learning had spread to far distant lands.

Now on the other side of the sea, not very far from Brittany, there was a great country called England. The people there were strong and powerful, but they had not yet learned to be Christians. The king of that land had an only son called Conon, who was as handsome as he was brave. And when his father heard of the fame of the Princess Ursula he made up his mind that she should be his son's wife. So he sent a great company of nobles and ambassadors to the court of Brittany to ask King Theonotus for the hand of the Princess Ursula.

That king received the messengers most courteously, but he was very much troubled and perplexed at the request. He did not want to part with Ursula, and he knew she did not wish to marry and leave him.

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