Clay Lane

Posts in The Copybook credited to ‘Clay Lane’

463
The Calendar ‘English Style’ Clay Lane

An English monk warned of a flaw in the world’s most widely-used calendar.

Until 1752, the British Isles used the Julian Calendar brought here by the Romans in the first century AD. It had its problems, as even vocal champion St Bede acknowledged; but when Rome updated it in 1582 they trampled needlessly on ancient Church rules, offending the Greeks and Russians, and the Reformation was in full swing, which meant the English were in no mood to comply either.

Read

464
Gunpowder, Treason and Plot Clay Lane

Only an anonymous tip-off prevented England losing her sovereignty as well as her King.

The Gunpowder Plot was an attempt to assassinate King James I and his entire government on the 5th of November, 1605. Had it succeeded, it would have ended English sovereignty and made England and Scotland junior partners to the great Catholic states of Europe.

Read

465
The Lion and the Mouse Clay Lane

A casual act of mercy brought an unexpected reward.

When the King of Jungle let a lippy little mouse go, he had no idea that he was saving his own life too.

Read

466
The Fox and the Grapes Clay Lane

Some people disparage what they can’t have.

In this Aesop’s Fable, a hungry fox tries to hide his own failings by laying the blame on someone else.

Read

467
The Fox and the Bramble Clay Lane

A fox tries to save herself from a fall, but finds she would have been better off taking the tumble.

Read

468
The Eagle, the Jackdaw, and the Shepherd Clay Lane

An over-excited jackdaw goes out of his league, and pays the price.

A jackdaw is a member of the crow family, with a little silver sheen to the back of its head. It is not one of the larger crows, but in this story, a jackdaw’s envy leads him to forget that.

Read