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Isabel, a cookDear Diary,
Today I had to get up at five in the morning! I had to force myself out of bed, shove on my old, dusty grey rags and run downstairs and start getting all the food ready for the grand banquet tonight. First I got everything that needed to be prepared out of the cupboards. This alone took me an hour!
I had to prepare all this really delicious food and not even get one taste of it! I normally do all the taste-testing but for the grand banquets I'm not allowed to! Not sure why though.
I don't see why I can't give the king and the rest of the nobles a piece of trencher (a really hard piece of bread used for plates and stuff like that). Oh well, I guess I'd get in huge trouble. Still, It would be fun to see their faces when they bit into it...
June 2004Isabel, 11, Sydney, Australia (Beaumont Rd P.S.)
Sir Mitchell, a KnightDear Diary,
Today I had to fight the most tremendous war. A few of my friends got killed! But I'm used to that sort of thing now.
I almost got in trouble with the king today but I don't know why. He was just about to shout at me, I could tell, but then he got interrupted and went off again. Maybe someone committed something bad and the king thought it was me.
It is spring now, so the flowers are blooming. They are lovely to look at even though we do not have many inside the castle.
I did not get much to eat today so I am hungry.
I must go to bed now for I have another big war to fight tomorrow. I hope I will be all right and I don't get killed like my friends did today.
May 2004Isabel, 10, Sydney, Australia
Lucy SherwoodDear Diary,
Today is my twentieth birthday. We will be travelling into town in search of a dress for the upcoming royal ball.
Though I believe it sounds positively primeval, my dear Aunt Sherwood insists I go so that I may catch a suitable young man's eye. I have not yet told her of the young man to whom I have already pledged my love. I do not wish to be courted by any rude, pompous or childish young man who wishes only for the throne.
I love not a noble but a peasant of lower class than I, yet my heart belongs only to him and always will, forever until the day that my soul leaves my body.
He is well-educated, as I am, and he is caring and loves me truly with all of his heart. He writes me love letters beyond description, and his poems are like whispers of the wind. I think of him often, and wish we could see each other more, besides the midnight escapes when we meet each other in the woodlands.
I wish to be courted by him soon, though I believe he is worried about the Lord and Lady Sherwood. I must go now, Elena has told me the Lady Sherwood asks of my presence.
June 2004Olivia, 11, Charlottesville, U.S.A.
VerityDear Diary,
I got up this morning at five thirty. It was so cold that I struggled to do the buttons up on my black brocade dress, because my fingers were shaking so much! The maids have to wear black, its meant to be a sign of respect to the Lord and Lady Sherwood - personally I think it looks like we're all in mourning!
Anyway, I tiptoed down the passageway to the kitchens, not wishing to disturb the other maids who got up later. As I reached the kitchen door, I could hear Cook shouting at Marie, my friend, also a maid. She forgot to wash the dishes last night and if there is one thing Cook hates, it's that!!
I crept past them both, and saw the tears rolling down Marie's face. Poor girl she didn't mean to! I entered the scullery and began cleaning the floor, as my first task. When that was finished, I went back into the kitchen and helped Cook, as she was preparing a large breakfast, for her Lord and Lady.
We cooked all the food, and I stayed in the kitchen, to eat my cold porridge whilst the Lord and Lady dined in the Great Hall, with their niece, Lucy.
After that, I was allowed the rest of the day off, it being a Sunday until evening, so I changed into some brighter clothes and went for a walk around the castle grounds.
Firstly, I visited my horse Prince in the stables. The stable boy had said I could look after him, so every Sunday I made it my duty to visit him.
After that, I went to visit the dogs and walked for the rest of the day. In the evening, I returned to the kitchens and, once again cleaned the scullery floors, which - in a whole day - had become quite dirty. At nine o'clock, sharp I returned to my room
and am now writing my diary. As soon as I finish, I will go to bed, for an early start tomorrow morning!!
June 2004Abi, 11, Peterborough, ENGLAND
Anna MariaDear Diary,
I have had a very exciting day! The jousting tournaments have been happening recently, and my Aunt Sherwood gave me permission to go and see it. One of the knights jousting today was my friend, Sir Salem Arolan. He is one of the best knights in the castle, but I am not supposed to converse or get in any way emotionally attached to any of the knights. But he is so sweet and easy to get on with, and I need to be friends with someone while I am within the castle grounds, do I not?
Sir Salem won his tournament against that stuck-up, pompous old brute Sir Lancer. I have never taken the trouble to find out that old windbag's first name.
It was quite amazing to watch. Many had betted upon Sir Lancer, for he was the larger, stronger of the two. But I found that he seemed quite clumsy upon his steed, and he used only brute force in his tactics. Salem is much more resourceful, however, and I am not at all surprised that he won.
After the tournament I discreetly congratulated Salem, and told him that I would change into some peasant clothing and then we could both go and explore the market stalls. We had a wonderful time, and I bought many things with him. The gypsies were selling their trinkets and jewellery, and I took the liberty of buying a beautiful silver and sapphire necklace with my money.
Salem and I spent almost all day in the stalls, until I heard my Aunt calling and was forced to make a quick dash back up to the castle.
I am now lying in my bed, writing silently by candlelight. I look forward to filling in this diary again tomorrow.
Signed, Anna Maria
June 2004Naomi, 10, Perth, Australia
Camielle LandstonVery boring today. My father, a lord, just gave some of his land to a new vassal and his name Charles. He promised us his service in turn for some of our rich, fertile land. Father believes he is a perfect husband for me, but to me is snobby and hostile.
I have given my heart to another man, but he is nothing but a mere serf as my father would say. His father was a serf, so the whole family is bound to the land where they live and work, and they eat whatever is grown and harvested there. We have become
self-sufficient, and there is no need to go to town, since wegrow and hunt for whatever foods we need. But being a noble's daughter, there is nothing for me to do.
It is awfully cold and damp inside the castle. Since our narrow windows are designed to keep intruders out and such, there is little light coming in.
Although a noblemans daughter's life may seem easy, it is very boring. Oh, father is calling. It seems I must get acquainted more with that horrific vassal I was telling you about. What fun I'll have! Well, until next time Diary.
Love,
Camielle Landston,
noble daughter of Lord Landston III
June 2004Kimberly, 11, Pembroke, USA
Henrietta Blackwroe15th February 1538
Dear little book,
From the very moment I got out of bed, I was frozen from head to toe. It has been so bitterly cold I had to wear my cape inside the castle even though I was by a fire most of the day making tapestries.
Mother gave me a blanket to keep me warm, but by the end of the day, I had around seven on my lap!
Father brought another suitor for me, named Sir Blackhead and he stank like a pig and he was extremly ugly. I immediately said,
"How on earth do you think you think can come here expecting me to say "yes"?"
After "Sir" Blackhead had left, Father said,"How could you say no to him after all the men you have seen?".
"How on earth can you say "I do" to the most ugly man in the world," I said "and he probably wouldn't make a very good and providing husband anyway!"
And guess who got sent to her bedroom! I got bored and climbed out of the window and down the wall and headed straight for the woods. I really wished I'd put on my coat. I realized to late that the woods were too dangerous for a young lady on her own.
I was suddenly leapt on and blindfolded on put on a cart! Then I was carted down a track for around ten minutes. Then I was unloaded, tied on a chair, un-blindfolded and I saw I was in a room with a door in the corner. These huge men who looked very gruff threatened me and they asked me where I lived and who my Father was. I told them everything and they started writing something down. After an hour, somebody knocked on the door. It was Father!
He said, "I'll give you ten crowns if you give me my daughter back."
So they untied me and Father gave them the money. I rode back to the castle on my albino horse, Starrynight.
When I got back, Mother was waiting for me and when she saw me, she hugged me and said how worried she was when they had received the note. I was so cold I sat by the fire for the rest of the evening. How happy I was to be home again!
yours faithfully,
Henrietta Blackwroe
June 2004Jasmine-Lilly, 10, Newcastle-u-Lyme, England
St. VectorToday, when I got up from my castle room I heard the Knights in the lower block (guard room), I could hear them drinking their wine. So I got my chainmail on with my sword and boots and went downstairs.
The Lord Sir Samuel and St. Tales were a bit unhappy about the attack that killed 51 men. The Lord stood up and made a grace to those men who died. Then suddenly we heard a loud bang on the Castle wall!
So we rushed outside to see what was going on. Damn! it was Sir Vitorio's men attacking the castle from everywhere.
Everyone rushed to get their arrows and reload their bows, then rushed to a new war.
June 2004Marcos, 11, Kent, England
Robert the fletcherToday I had to make 20 bows and 200 arrows, when I only normally make 10 bows and 100 arrows, because the king was having an archery tournament. I got to watch the tournament with the king for all my hard work. 20 people took part, they all had 10 arrows but 1 of the bows snapped.
The king told me off and sent me back to work to make even more so the tournament could last longer.
I didn't find out who won for I was hard at work. That was my day, quite boring if you ask me.
March 2004Alex and Amanda, 11, Lichfield, England
Sir NewtonDear Diary,
Today I went to the castle's petting zoo, it was splendid. I petted a peacock. A mean scary dragon got out of it's chambers, looking for food, and chased the peacock. Her feathers were flying everywhere, by the end she had two feathers on her, she was a naked peacock. I was lucky enough to get a feather from her. I saved it so I could use it to write in you, my diary.
The dragon gobbled up the peacock in one bite. The dragons teeth were bursting red, I was scared out of my wits. I thought the dragon would eat me next, the way it looked at me with his big scary eyes, breathing fire, smoke coming up from his nose. I pulled out my two swords and cut off the dragon's head.
I reached down in to the dragon's throat in to his stomach and there was the peacock, whole. I grabbed the peacock. The peacock ran back to her home where her mother and father were and she was safe. Nobody was in sight, those cowards, I decided to cut up the dragon and eat him for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Tomorrow, my dear friend.
March 2004Kodi, 6, Oswego, New York
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