Nobody said anything just for a moment, it was as though they were all waiting; and then, suddenly, they heard the Christmas bells!
‘It’s Midnight!’ cried Aunt Deborah. ‘It’s Christmas Day! Quick, open the windows, my dears, and let Christmas in!’
They tore open windows and set wide the doors; and the starry cold flowed in and the music of the bells. In the golden parlour everybody turned and looked at each other, all except Littlest, who had not woken up. The waiting was over and it was Christmas Day, and the little King had come; and from the towers and spires of London Town the bells rang out the news. From St. Paul’s, from the Savoy Chapel, from St. Mary of the Ferry, St. Olaf’s and St. Clement Dane and St. Martin in the Fields, from St. Margaret’s and the great Abbey, the bells rang out for gladness.
And Tamsyn’s tulip on the window-sill, that the Wise Woman had said would flower at Christmas and bring her her heart’s desire, stood joyously a-tiptoe, with its scarlet petals held wide, wide open to the stars and the pealing bells.
About the Author
Rosemary Sutcliff was born in 1920 in West Clanden, Surrey.
With over 40 books to her credit, Rosemary Sutcliff is now universally considered one of the finest writers of historical novels for children. Her first novel, The Queen Elizabeth Story was published in 1950. In 1972 her book Tristan and Iseult was runner-up for the Carnegie Medal. In 1974 she was highly commended for the Hans Christian Andersen Award and in 1978 her book Song for a Dark Queen was commended for the Other Award.
Rosemary lived for a long time in Arundel, Sussex with her dogs and in 1975, she was awarded the OBE for services to Children’s Literature. Unfortunately Rosemary passed away in July 1992 and will be much missed by her many fans.
Other books by Rosemary Sutcliff
THE CHRONICLES OF ROBIN HOOD
THE QUEEN ELIZABETH STORY BROTHER DUSTY FEET
SIMON THE EAGLE OF THE NINTH
OUTCAST THE SHIELD RING THE SILVER BRANCH
WARRIOR SCARLET THE LANTERN BEARERS
KNIGHT’S FEE DAWN WIND
THE MARK OF THE HORSE LORD THE WITCH’S BRAT
THE CAPRICORN BRACELET BLOOD FEUD
FRONTIER WOLF FLAME COLOURED TAFFETA
THE DRAGON SLAYER THE HOUND OF ULSTER
TRISTAN AND ISEULT SUN HORSE
MOON HORSE THE LIGHT BEYOND THE FOREST
THE SWORD AND THE CIRCLE THE ROAD TO CAMLANN
BONNIE DUNDEE A CIRCLET OF OAK LEAVES
THE CHIEF’S DAUGHTER THE TRUCE OF THE GAMES
SHIFTING SANDS THE CHANGELING EAGLE’S EGG
‘WE LIVED IN DRUMFYVIE’ (with Maggie Lyford-Pike)
SONG FOR A DARK QUEEN A LITTLE DOG LIKE YOU
THE ROUNDABOUT HORSE LITTLE HOUND FOUND
THE SHINING COMPANY
For Adult Readers
LADY IN WAITING THE RIDER OF THE WHITE HORSE
SWORD AT SUNSET THE FLOWERS OF ADONIS
BLOOD AND SAND
Non-Fiction
HEROES AND HISTORY HOUSES AND HISTORY
Biography
RUDYARD KIPLING: A BODLEY HEAD MONOGRAPH
Autobiography
BLUE REMEMBERED HILLS
THE ARMOURER’S HOUSE
AN RHCP DIGITAL EBOOK 978 1 448 17421 8
Published in Great Britain by RHCP Digital,
an imprint of Random House Children’s Publishers UK
A Random House Group Company
This ebook edition published 2013
Copyright © Anthony Lawton 1951
First Published in Great Britain
Red Fox 9780099354017 1951
The right of Rosemary Sutcliff to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
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