This is a photograph of class III Upper A at Manchester High School in 1899. This was a Year 7 class. Among the girls is Adela Pankhurst. The girls in the photograph are not named but Adela is probably the second from the left on the front row.
This story was written by Adela Pankhurst for the Manchester High School Magazine in 1901. She was later famous with her sisters, Christabel and Sylvia who were also pupils at Manchester High, in campaigning that women should be given the right to vote. Most people at that time thought that women were not intelligent enough to vote. Queen Victoria described the idea of women voting as "wicked."
What to think about in the story
The story is about a prince who gives up his claim to the throne to live as a poor fisherman. Its themes are very typical of those found in children's stories in Victorian times. At the heart of the story is the idea that true happiness comes from goodness and love not wealth and worldly success.
A KING'S SON
There was once a king who had two sons, Harold and Thorstan. Harold was the elder and, being the heir to the throne, was the more important in the eyes of the king and his subjects. Both sons were devotedly loved by their father and mother, King Raymond and Queen Bellicent, and indeed by all who knew them for their were beautiful and good. Harold was brave, strong and gallant and he was afraid of nothing. Thorstan was fair and slender with a soft voice and shrinking manners, turning pale with fear at small alarms. Harold was kind and tender with his brother and never teased or spoke roughly but guarded him from every danger.
Harold was not ambitious to be king and often as he sat at his lessons in the schoolroom his eyes would wander to the green woods and he longed to be free to live under the shade of the tall trees or lie and dream in the flowery meadows all day long.
One day, when Harold was twelve years old, a terrible thing happened. A wicked king came from over the water and marching with his army through King Raymond's kingdom went to the palace, killing the people and burning the homesteads he passed on his way. King Raymond was a man of peace but the foreign king was a cruel tyrant and, like all his kind, was a coward at heart.
So when he had seen King Raymond's land was not very rich, except perhaps in happiness for the people were simple farmers who did not care for wealth that comes by sorrow and danger, he was not anxious to conquer the land and run the risk of his life. Yet his cruel heart was not satisfied with the mischief he had already done.
"Give me your eldest son," said the cruel king, "and I will go away." King Raymond turned pale and Queen Bellicent clasped her son in her arms but Harold broke gently away and stood by his father. "Do not refuse, father," he said, "I am not afraid." So it was decided that for the sake of the land and its people he would go with the cruel king.
So the day came and the prince said good bye to his parents and brother, to the home he loved and the people who wept and blessed him. "I will come back," Harold shouted as by the bend in the road he was lost from sight.
The young prince and his captors rode to the coast and getting into a ship set sail for the distant land of the wicked king. But as night fell the wind rose and lashed the sea with fury and tore the sails of the ship. The heavy storm drove the ship onto a hidden rock. Harold felt himself being swept into the raging sea, heard the sound of rushing water in his ears, saw a thousand stars and then darkness.
Presently he awoke and saw an old woman bending over him. She gave him warm broth which he drank eagerly. The people to whose hut he had been taken were a poor fisherman called Ulrich and his wife and he stayed with them because of their goodness.
By and by Ulrich taught Harold to row and fish and his old life became like a dream and the new was very sweet and wholesome. So Harold became a man, strong, handsome and good, a loving son and a just and upright man.
On his twenty first birthday Ulrich called Harold to him. "My son," he said, "you have been with us many years and we have grown to love you dearly but your parents, King Raymond and Queen Bellicent mourn you as dead. Your brother, Thorstan is heir in your place. He is very good and beloved but it is your duty to go and see them. Then you shall be free to choose." Harold took the old man's hand and kissed it and said, "Never fear, father, I will come back."
When Harold returned to his native land memories of his childhood flocked to his mind and he felt a longing for his parents and his brother. He came upon his mother gathering flowers in the garden he knew so well but she did not recognise him. "Mother, do you not know me?" he said, "I am Harold." At this the Queen gave a cry and fell into the arms of her son. Great was the rejoicing on Harold's return. Thorstan would have stepped aside and let his brother he the rightful heir but Harold refused. "You have been our parent's only son these many years," he said "It is your place, I do not wish to be king."
So Harold left his birthplace and went back across the sea and stayed there. He was indeed happy, though he was a poor fisherman to the end of his days and had many cares and deep sorrows his life was useful and full of love.