The Black Death was a huge plague that swept through Europe during the Middle Ages. It started in Italy when Chinese traders traveled there, and on their ships were flea infested rats. The fleas carried the disease, but the rats helped spread it by carrying the fleas. Soon this terrible sickness had spread throughout all of Europe, and there was nowhere to hide from it. The plague came in many different forms, and caused many various symptoms.
The Black Death killed very quickly. Some forms killed faster than others, but nevertheless someone who was infected was pretty much guaranteed death. There was literally no place to escape the Black Death because it could travel through the air, food, water, animals, and other people. The safest place to be, though, was in the country where there was less constant contact between people and other things happening, but even there nothing was guaranteed. Because of the plague, the population of Europe decreased by a third, and millions of other people outside of Europe died as well. As you can see, the Black Death was a truly horrible event in our history!
Today my uncle told me some very exciting news. He said that the pope has called upon all of us Christians to go to the Holy Land and fight for Jerusalem. The Muslim Turks have invaded Jerusalem, and there is nobody to stop them! Maybe I shall take up the sword and go to the battle for the Holy Land. After all, my uncle has asked me to!
We are of a noble family who has produced many great knights. Now my uncle is the head of the family, so it would be his duty to go fight in this war. But he is much too old, so he has asked me to go instead. I am very excited about this possibility because I have always wanted to leave home and go adventuring in some far-away land. I think this could also be a good chance to bring glory and honor to my family as well. Maybe I could become a richer man and come back a hero. I, for sure, will readily accept my uncle's request and go to the Holy Land to fight for my family and for the church!
I am the youngest son of the King of France. Today my father gave me terrible news! He said that I would have to marry the daughter of the king of one of our surrounding kingdoms. He says it is for the good of the kingdom, because it will help maintain their loyalty to France. I am only a boy of thirteen years old, and am not yet ready to go out into the world and get married. Why could he not have asked one of my older brothers? It understand why he needs me to do this, but there is just no way I can! What should I do? I must talk to him as soon as possible!
I am so scared. I talked to my father, and he said that I can't say no to this. I have done about all I can to get out of having to leave France and marry some foreign royalty, but there is nothing I can do. Maybe I could run away, but then I will be chased by all my father's men and killed if I am caught. I suppose all I can do is obey my father. Of course I will be leaving my whole life behind, but there is the chance of adventure and possible riches and fame. Wish me luck!
I am in the worst possible situation imaginable, and I wonder if I might be cursed. Nothing in my life has ever gone right, and I have not amounted to anything, or in other words, I am a total failure. Now I am on the run, on my way to wherever my fate takes me. I've been declared a wolf's head, which means that anyone who finds me may kill me, and there is a huge reward for my capture. John Aycliffe, the steward, has already tried to kill me multiple times, and falsely accused me of robbing the mansion!
I do not know why the evil steward is so intent on killing me. It must be some secret about my father, or mother, that he doesn't want me to find out. I was told by Father Quinel that my father was killed by the plague that swept through Europe a few years ago. Now Father Quinel is dead and I'm all alone and on the run. Everywhere I go I feel that John Aycliffe is always right behind me. Though, I have to keep going because if I stop I will die anyways. What is the loss though; my life isn't worth anything. I keep asking God to give me a miracle, but what good is it.
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