to protect the oaks from being felled or injured, and a man
who cut down a tree under the shadow of which thirty hogs could stand
was fined three pounds. The herds of swine were placed under the care of
a swineherd, whose sole employment was to keep them together, and they
formed a staple part of the riches of the country. But when the Norman
kings began to rule, they brought with them a passionate love of hunting
and took possession of the forests as preserves for their favorite
sport. The herds of swine were forbidden to roam about as heretofore,
and their owners were reduced to poverty in consequence."

"Wasn't that wicked, Miss Harson?" asked Malcolm.

"Yes; it was both unjust and cruel, and it was one of the great
grievances of the nation. Even at this day the laws for the protection
of game are one of the grounds of ill-feeling on the part of the poor
toward the nobles. In Spain the acorns have the taste of nuts, and are
sold in the markets as an article of food. They grow abundantly in the
woods and forests. Once, in time of war, a foreign army subsisted almost
entirely on them. Herds of swine range the forests in Spain and feed
luxuriously upon acorns, and the salted meats of Malaga, that are famous
for their delicate flavor, are thought to owe it to this cause. Some of
our American Indians depend upon acorns and fish for their winter food;
and when the acorns drop from the tree, they are buried in sand and
soaked in water to draw out the bitter taste."

"I shouldn't like them," said Clara, with a wry face at the thought of
such food.

"Well, dear," replied her governess, laughing, "as you are not an
Indian, you will probably not be called upon to like them; but it would
be better to eat acorns than to starve. You may have noticed the trunk
and branches of the oak are often gnarled and knotted, and this helps to
give the tree its appearance of great strength. It is just as strong as
it looks, and for building-purposes it lasts longer than any other
wood. Beams and rafters of oak are found in old English houses, showing
among the brick-work, and many of these half-timbered houses, as they
are called, were built hundreds of years ago.

"Bedsteads and other articles of furniture, too, were 'built' in those
days, rather than made, for they were not expected to be moved about;
and a heavy oak bedstead is still in existence which is said to have
belonged to King Richard III. It is curiously carved, and the king
r