Great Tales From English History (3)
Captain Cook, Samuel Johnson, Queen Victoria, Charles Darwin, Edward the Abdicator, and More
Chapter One
TALE OF A WHALE
LAST WEEK A WHALE SWAM PAST THE BOTTOM of my road. I live about a hundred
yards from the Thames, in Pimlico, central London, so when the news came on the
radio, I dashed down to the river to take a look.
There were hundreds of people there already, focusing their binoculars and
clutching flasks of tea. It was rather a cheery, holiday happening - but
also, in some way, an historic moment. Parents had brought their children to
witness this event of a lifetime. Peering under the bridges, we could see that
gallant volunteers had waded into the water to try to shoo the bewildered
creature back downriver. When it became clear she could not do the job herself,
they hoisted her on to a rescue barge.
I saw the barge come steaming back downstream, heading for the mouth of the
river. It was travelling fast. On the deck we could make out the grey, shiny
mass of the whale, surrounded by the volunteers splashing water ov ... read full excerpt from: Great Tales from English History Volume 3 ebook
