Hero Tales of the Far NorthRiis, Jacob A. (Jacob August)
History
Hero Tales of the Far North
Riis, Jacob A. (Jacob August)
Scandinavia -- History
The ship was left. If that went back, all was lost. Happily
both captain and mate were prisoners ashore. Four boat-loads of
islanders, with arms carefully stowed under the seats, went out
with the mate of the _Spes_, who was given to understand that if he
as much as opened his mouth he would be a dead man. They boarded
the ship, taking the crew by surprise. By night the last enemy
was comfortably stowed, and the ship on her way to Rönne, where
the prisoners were locked in the court-house cellar, with shotted
guns guarding the door. Perhaps it was the cruelties practised by
Swedish troops in Denmark that preyed upon the mind of Jens Kofoed
when he sent the parson to prepare them for death then and there;
but better counsel prevailed. They were allowed to live. The whole
war cost only two lives, the governor’s and that of a sentinel at
the castle, who refused to surrender. The mate of the _Spes_ and
two of her crew contrived to escape after they had been taken to
Copenhagen, and from them Karl Gustav had the first tidings of how
he lost the island.
The captured ship sailed down to Copenhagen with greeting to King
Frederik that the people of Bornholm had chosen him and his heirs
forever to rule over them, on condition that their island was never
to be separated from the Danish Crown. The king in his delight
presented them with a fine silver cup, and made Jens Kofoed captain
of the island, beside giving him a handsome estate. He lived
thirty-three years after that, the patriarch of his people, and
raised a large family of children. Not a few of his descendants are
to-day living in the United States. In the home of one of them in
Brooklyn, New York, is treasured a silver drinking cup which King
Frederik gave to the ex-trooper; but it is not the one he sent back
with his deputation. That one is still in the island of Bornholm.
CARL LINNÉ, KING OF THE FLOWERS
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account