In a time of kings and castles, soldiers and swords, there was a peaceful village lived in by busy, hard-working people. They enjoyed a happy life in peace under rule of a wise, good-hearted king. The king lived in a castle just at the end of the main street.
One day the king called the people to the castle gates.
"My beloved friends, I have bad news. From a nearby kingdom comes word an army is marching toward our village. Our soldiers are good and brave, but this army that is coming is an army of horse-soldiers. This army has beaten all the foot-soldiers it has fought, and taken riches from every kingdom in its path."
"When this army reaches us, all will be gathered inside the castle walls. Our soldiers will try bravely to turn away the attack. I wish I could promise we will win, but the news from other kingdoms is not good."
The King returned inside, and the people went back to their homes. They talked among themselves about the King's words, most of them shaking their heads in sorrow about the sad news they had heard. Not all, however, had given the battle up for lost.
Alayna was talking with her friend Roland about the news.
"There must be something we can do to help. I just can't believe there's nothing to do."
"Alayna, what could we possibly do against horse-soldiers? If the best soldiers in the country can't win against these horse-soldiers, how can children succeed?"
"Roland, there must be a way to beat the horse-soldiers."
Alayna's face suddenly lit up in a smile.
"I think I have it. Roland, we can do it, but it will take all of our friends, and a plan."
News came from the next village that the invading army was a half-day's ride away. Hurriedly the people gathered their most precious belongings together and headed for the castle.
"Alayna, hurry or you'll be caught outside the walls," her mother cried.
"Mother, I'm hurrying, but I'm going to be with Roland and his family inside the walls."
"All right, but quickly, quickly!" her mother exclaimed.
"Roland, are you coming?" his father bellowed.
"Yes father, but I'll see you inside the walls. I'm going inside with Alayna and her family."
"All right, but hurry!" exclaimed his father.
All over the village children pretended to go to the castle, but really stayed behind while their families rushed to safety.
Now the townspeople were all inside the castle walls, not knowing the children were still in the village. The King's brave soldiers took up weapons to defend the village and castle.
When the horse-soldiers reached the edge of the village the battle began. The horse-soldiers slowly forced back the soldiers defending the village. Back, back the village's soldiers were pushed. Finally they came to the main street of the village, the street that led directly to the castle gate. As the horse-soldiers pressed forward in battle they came closer and closer together between the houses lining the main street. The horse-soldiers were close enough to look into the castle gate now, very close to forcing their way through, when suddenly -
The soldiers heard a shrill whistle from behind the horses. With that signal, the boys of the village leaned from the upper windows of the houses lining the main street and loaded their slingshots. The girls of the village did two things. First, they let all of the family dogs into the street. Second, they moved to the lower windows of the houses with pots and pans and every noisemaker they had. The boys began slinging small stones into the back ends of the horses, making the horses jump from left to right and back again. The noise made by the girls made the horses very nervous, because they were afraid they had an enemy behind them. The dogs ran around the legs of the horses, nipping and biting. These were very brave dogs. Some of the dogs were kicked, but because the horses were packed so closely in the street, most of the kicks hit other horses.
The horses were frightened. Being hit with stones, scared by the noise, bit by the dogs and kicked by the other horses was just too much. They had never faced an enemy like this, and so they turned and ran, no matter what their riders ordered. The dogs ran with them to the edge of the village, nipping and barking, warning them not to come back.
When the horses ran off, the soldiers of the king rushed out to see what army had saved them all from certain defeat. The townspeople hurried out to thank their friends.
Imagine their surprise when they found the unknown army was their own children, led by Alayna and Roland. The crowd of soldiers and villagers were stunned to silence, and just stood there while the king pushed his way to the front.
"What happened? What happened?" he demanded. "Why were these children left outside the safety of the castle while we were fighting a terrible battle?"
When he asked this, the children laughed and began talking all at once, trying to tell the story. Roland saw the king was confused, so he stepped forward and spoke.
"Sire, this was Alayna's idea and plan. She can tell you what happened."
Alayna then told the King, the soldiers and the villagers about her plan to help in the battle for the village.
"Why didn't you ask for help, my child?" the King wondered.
"Because I wanted to help fight, and if I told someone, none of the children would have been allowed outside the castle during the battle," Alayna answered.
The King had to admit she was right.
So the King sent riders to all of the neighboring villages to give them Alayna's idea, and to this very day the King calls a holiday every year to celebrate the day Alayna and the children saved the village.
