Our Island Story by HE Marshall
Chapter 20 Canute and the Waves
Canute (Danish King) ruled England after Edmund Ironside died. His nobles would flatter him with much praises. One day he taught the nobles a lesson about their excessive flattery after they had said that all nations would obey him if only Canute said to. He put a chair on the beach when it was low tide. As the tide came in, Canute told the waves, "Go back. I am your master and I command you not to flow over my land." Of course the waves did not obey and the nobles were shown how foolish they really were. Canute told the nobles, "To God alone belongs such power".
Chapter 21 Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor was the son of King Ethelred the Unready. Edward fled to Normandy/France with his family when he was a boy and like the Normans better than the English. He became king through the advice of Godwin, Earl of Wessex.
Edward's Norman friends came and visited England and were haughty and rude to the English. Edward sided with his Norman friends when confronted by Godwin, Earl of Wessex. Edward was so angry that he banished Godwin and his sons. Edward then brought more people from France to England and gave many of the nobles places at court. His cousin William of Normandy (The Duke of Normandy) also came for a visit and made Edward promise that he should be the next king. Edward, of course, had no right to do that.
The people longed for Godwin to return -- and he did.