Another Queen Learn English through story level 2

chapter one

fathering gay

my name is best curl

but this is not my story

it is the story

of my lady mary

queen of scots

she wrote the story

and then she gave it to me

i am going to give it to her son

she began the story

a week ago

it was january

1587

and we sat here

in our cold room

in fathering gay castle

in the north of england

we couldn’t see much from the window

one or two houses a river

some trees

some horses

and a road

that’s all

the road

goes to london

the home of queen elizabeth of england

mary

sat with her little dog in her hands

and watched it

all day long

no one came along the road

nothing happened

i watched mary

unhappily

please your majesty

come away from that window

i said

it doesn’t help

no one is going to come

queen elizabeth can’t do it

queens don’t kill queens

don’t they bass

mary said

then why are we here

in this prison

why am i not free

why

your majesty

because queen elizabeth is afraid of you

that’s right

mary said

she’s afraid of me

and she hates me too

she hates me because i am beautiful

and she is not

because i had three husbands

and she

never married

and because many people

good catholic people in england

france scotland spain

say that i

mary am the true queen of england not

elizabeth

and elizabeth has no children

so when she is dead

my son james

she came away from the window

and stood in front of me

james

she said quietly

my son

does he think about me

sometimes

he was only 10 months old

when i last saw him

it is nearly 20 years

of course he thinks about you your

majesty

i said

you write to him often

how can he forget his mother

then why doesn’t he write to me

mary asked

does he want me to stay here in an

english prison

no

of course not your majesty

but

he has a lot of work your majesty

he is the king of scotland and

he is not the king of scotland bess

she said

not before i am dead

remember that

no your majesty of course not

but perhaps people tell him things that

are untrue

you know what people say

perhaps

perhaps he thinks you killed his father

mary’s face went white

she was very angry

and for a minute

i was afraid

she said

you know

that’s a lie bess

it is a lie

i did not kill james’s father

i knew nothing about it

i know that your majesty

but perhaps james doesn’t know it

he hears so many lies

all the time

he needs to know the true story

why don’t you write

and tell him

mary sat down slowly

she looked old and tired

all right bess

she said

give me a pen please

i’m going to write to james

and tell him the true story

you can give it to him

when i’m dead

dead your majesty

don’t say that

you aren’t going to die

her old

tired eyes looked at me

yes i am bess

you know what is going to happen

one day soon

a man is going to bring a letter from

queen elizabeth

and then her men are going to kill me

but before i die

i would like to write to my son james

i want to tell him

the story of my life

so give me a pen

please

i gave her a pen

this is what she wrote

[Music]

chapter 2

france

dear

james

very soon

i am going to die

and meet

my god

before i die

i want to write the true story of my

life for you

everything that i write here

is true

i cannot lie to you

or to god

please believe that james

it’s important to me

my father died

when i was one week old

so i was the queen of scots when i was a

baby

at first

i lived with my mother in scotland

and then

when i was five

i went to france

my mother was french

but she stayed in scotland

and died there

i went to france

to marry the king of france’s son

his name

was francis

and he was one year younger than me

in 1559

his father died

so francis

was king

then i was queen of france

and queen of scotland too

i was very happy in france

francis my husband

was like a little brother to me

i think he loved me

but he was very young

and he was often ill

and then

in 1560

he died

he was 16 years old

when he died

i was very unhappy

and my life was very different

there was a new king and queen

and i wasn’t important in france anymore

but i was still queen of scots

so

i came back

to scotland

when i arrived in scotland

i was a young girl of

my mother was dead

and there was no one there to meet me

i walked off the ship

and i slept in a little house near the

sea

next day

the scots lords came from edinburgh

they were pleased to see me

and for a week

everyone was happy

people smiled at me

and sang in the streets

i think everyone liked me

then

that sunday

i went to church

james

my son

you are a protestant

and i am a catholic

you are a good man

and you love god

but your church and my church are

enemies

i was born a catholic

and i am going to die a catholic

i love god too

i hope you understand that

i’m not going to change now

that sunday

people shouted angrily in the streets

your majesty

said the scots loads

scotland is a protestant country

you can’t go to a catholic church here

the scottish people don’t like catholics

i’m sorry

my lords

i said

but i am your queen

no one tells me what to do

i don’t hate protestants

and i’m not going to kill them

the people can go to their protestant

churches

and pray to god there

but i’m going to pray with catholics

in my church

people were angry because of that

a man called

john knox

came to see me

he was a famous protestant churchman

but i didn’t like him

he was a big angry man

with black clothes

he hated the catholic church

and wanted all catholics to leave

scotland

to him

the protestant church was the only true

church of god

he said

your majesty you’re a young woman like

my daughter

women can’t understand difficult things

like god or the church

find a good protestant husband girl let

him rule this country for you

i was very angry with this man knox

i was a queen

but i was only eighteen

he didn’t talk quietly

he shouted at me

i cried because of his angry words

i could not understand him

he talked so much

and he knew so many

books but i did not go to his church

he was right about one thing

perhaps i could rule scotland without a

man

but i could not have a child without one

and every queen needs a son or daughter

to come after her

so i began to look for a husband

[Music]

chapter 3

darnley and riccio

at first i wanted to marry the son of

the king of spain

don carlos

but he was a catholic of course

and my scots lords did not like that

it was difficult for me james

i wanted to please myself

i wanted to please my friends and family

in france

and to please my people too

and then

there was the queen of england

at first i wanted very much to be

friends with elizabeth

we wrote many letters

and talked about a meeting

a meeting between two sister queens

elizabeth wrote to me at this time

our two countries need to be friends

you need a husband

i

need a friend

why not marry my friend robert dudley

the earl of leicester

he is a tall strong man

i think he could be a good husband for

you

i was very angry

about this letter

there were a lot of stories about

elizabeth and robert dudley

they were good friends

he often danced and sang

and talked with her

sometimes people said

he stayed in her room all night

dudley

had a wife but one day

she died very suddenly

it was an accident

she fell down the stairs

they say

but then

perhaps she was unhappy

because of her husband and elizabeth

and she writes to me about a man like

this

i thought

she wants him to marry me

because he is her friend

her lover perhaps

she wants her lover to be king of

scotland

i found a better man than dudley james

i found

henry darnley

your father

he was 19 years old

and i was 23

he was a tall man

with a beautiful face

and big green eyes

he talked and sang well

and i liked dancing with him

he often wore expensive black clothes

and he laughed a lot when he was with me

he was very young

and friendly

and i felt happy when i was with him

i liked him very much

and i thought he loved me too

he was an important man too

we were cousins

his grandfather was king of scots

and his great grandfather

was henry vii of england

in july 1565

i married him

elizabeth was very angry

and so were a lot of the scots lords

my half-brother

the earl of moray

tried to stop the marriage

i had to fight him

and he ran south

to england

but i was happy

your father and i laughed

every day

he was now henry king of scots

after one or two weeks

the laughter stopped

a king has a lot of work james

you know that

he has to read hundreds of letters

talk to people

and think about a lot of important

things

i did those things every day

but now

i thought

i had a man to help me

my lord henry

i said

would you like to read all the letters

with me

you can sit next to me

and you can work with me every day

your father looked unhappy

i’m not interested in work like that

he said

i don’t understand it

of course not

i said

you’re a young man my love

but i can teach you

for one or two days

he sat down with me

and i tried to teach him

but it was true

he was not interested in the work

and he did not try to understand it

you do it mary

he said

i’m going out with my friends

we’re going to ride and drink

and swim

so

i did all the work

at night too

he often went out with his friends in

the town

they drank a lot

and laughed and sang

and there were often fights

but no one said anything

because he was the king

my husband

what could people say

they were unhappy

but

they were afraid of him

some of them went to england

to the earl of moray

at this time i was often very tired

because i was pregnant

you

my son james

were alive inside me

but i did all the work of a queen

and i needed friends too

one of these friends

was a young italian

david riccio

riccio

was a little man

and he was not tall

or beautiful

or strong

but he was a very clever

interesting man

he wrote many of my letters for me

and helped me

he sang well too

and i sometimes sang with him

in the evenings

i liked him very much

and at first

your father liked him too

but then mourie’s friends began to talk

about me and riccio

david oriccio is in the queen’s rooms

every night

they said to your father

she laughs and sings and dances with him

my lord it is not right

he is not a scotsman and he is not her

husband

he is always with her

perhaps they said other things too

i don’t know

a lot of scots lords listened to them

but i tell you james

before god

i did nothing wrong

david riccio was a good man

he worked hard

and he helped me

so of course i liked him

your father did not work

he went out to the town every night with

his friends

and drank

and then one night

your father came home

[Music]

chapter 4

the death of david riccio

it was a saturday evening in march 1566.

i was in edinburgh with some friends

david riccio was there

with six or seven other people

we were in a small room

but there was a good dinner on the table

and we were happy

it was dark outside

but inside

it was warm and friendly

suddenly a door opened behind me

in the door

was henry darnley

my husband

i stood up

and smiled

good evening my lord

i said

please come in

would you like something to eat

no thank you

he said

i’m not hungry

but i want to sit next to you wife

please tell that man to move

a man got out of the chair next to me

and darnley sat beside me

then he put his arms around me

i did not like it his face was hot

and his eyes looked unhappy

but i smiled and said

i am happy to see you my lord

are you mary

he laughed

are you really

yes

of course my lord

but

then the second door opened

and his friend lord ruthen stood there

he had a knife in his hand

his face was red

and he looked very angry

at first

no one moved

then ruthen said

your majesty

send david riccio out of this room now

i want him

i looked at riccio

he was afraid

why

i said

why do you want him

he is a bad wicked man

ruthen said

send him out

no

i said

you want to kill him

david riccio is my friend

he stays here

with me

he goes out woman

lord ruth and said

king henry hold your wife please

i stood up

but darnley held my arms

and i could not move

david riccio ran behind me

and held my dress

my friends in the room stood up too and

moved towards ruthen angrily

but he had a knife in his hand

get back

he said angrily don’t touch me

then five men with knives ran into the

little room

and there was a fight

one man held a knife in my face

and another man hit david riccio behind

me

then they pulled him out of the room

help me

he screamed

help me my queen please

they’re going to kill me don’t ah

i couldn’t help him

because darnley had me in his arms

but i could hear david riccio’s screams

i think he fell down the stairs

and he screamed for two or three minutes

then it was quiet

what are you doing

i asked darnley angrily

riccio is a good man

why are you doing this

darnley laughed

you are my wife mary not david riccios

he said

so why are you with him every evening

you never talk to me

i don’t talk to you because you are

never here

i said

you are always drinking with your

friends

you aren’t a king

you’re a stupid boy

he laughed

again it was not a nice laugh

well

he said

perhaps i am a boy

but that is better than david riccio now

do you want to go and see him

i did see him

five minutes after that

he was very dead

and there was blood all over the floor

poor david riccio

he sings to god now

not me

i looked at henry darnley

my husband

he had a stupid smile on his face

but i think he was afraid of me

i looked at him a long time

and the smile went away

remember this night

husband

i said to

him remember it well

think about it

when you look into my eyes

and before you go to sleep

david riccio was my friend

and you killed him in front of me

i’m never going to forget that henry

darnley

never

[Music]

chapter 5

my son is born

next morning darnley came to see me

he was afraid

what’s the matter husband

i said

why are you crying

oh mary

mary

he said

i’m sorry

i was wrong

i helped those men to kill riccio

and now the earl of moray is back here

with them

he hates me

i’m afraid they’re going to kill me

and you too

think of our child mary

here inside you

he took me in his arms again

i was very angry

i am sorry james

that this man was your

father he was a stupid boy

not a man

he was tall

and strong

and beautiful

but he could never think like a man

or a king

i said

you know these men henry

what do they want

they

they want our child mary

they don’t want us

they’re going to put you in prison

they don’t want you to be queen

they want your child to be king or queen

i

i don’t know what they want to do with

me

perhaps they want you to be king too

without me

i said quietly

then you can do what they say

like a little boy

perhaps mary

they said that yesterday

but now that moray’s here

i don’t know i’m afraid

please help me

he began to cry again

what can we do

we can run away

i said

we can leave edinburgh quickly and

quietly

before ruthen and his men stop us

be quiet for a minute

i want to think

i walked up and down for two or three

minutes

then i said

henry

go back to these men

tell them

no

mary please

i can’t

i’m afraid of them

listen to me henry

and try to be a man

go and tell them i’m ill

because of the child

say i’m not angry with them

tell them anything

lie to them

then tonight

bring some men and horses here

behind the castle

he went

and did it

all day i waited in my rooms and

listened

then

at one o’clock in the morning

darnley and i went quietly down the

stairs

behind the castle

some of my friends were there

with horses for us

quickly

we rode away into the night

that was a very bad night

it was dark

and cold

i was ill

and darnley was afraid

come on

he said

ride faster woman

you’re too slow

but i was pregnant

and it was cold

and dark

we rode for five hours in the rain

i can’t

henry

i said

i’m ill

think of the baby

i don’t want it to die

why not

he said

we can always make another one

i’m sorry but it is true

your father said things like that james

then he rode away in front of me

into the dark

i rode slowly behind

with my good woman

best curl

in the morning

we arrived at dunbar castle

darnley slept

and i wrote letters to my friends

next day

lord bothwell came to help me

i liked him

he was a good

strong man

soon i had an army of eight thousand men

bothwell and i rode back to edinburgh

with the army

lord ruthen died

and some of his friends ran away

but the earl of moray stayed

all that summer i ruled the country

and waited for the baby

my husband stayed outside my rooms

i did not want to see him

no one did

perhaps he drank with his friends

i don’t know

and then

on the 19th of june

in a small room in edinburgh castle

my baby was born

it took a long time

but at last you were in my arms

james

my son

i asked your father to come in

my lord henry

i said

this is our baby

look at him my lord

take him in your arms

he is your son

isn’t he beautiful

but your father did not love me james

very often

after you were born

he slept with other women

i know that

because he talked to everyone about it

i think

he wanted people to know

and

i am sorry

but i do not think he loved you james

when i took you to church

and gave you your name

he did not come

he wasn’t interested

but because of him

david riccio was dead

i could never forget that

never

[Music]

chapter six

kirker field

i had a new man to help me now

the earl of bothwell

a strong

clever man

he was older than me

he was not a boy like darnley

he worked hard

and he could think

he was a good fighter

and he was not afraid of other men

perhaps you are like him

james

my son

in january your father

darnley

was ill in glasgow

i went to see him

and took him back to edinburgh

he was unhappy

and afraid of people

he saw enemies behind every door

poor stupid boy

he said he loved me again

i was angry

but i felt sorry for him too

he was very ill

it’s not far now henry

i said you can sleep in the castle

no

not there

please mary

he said

i don’t want to go into the castle

i’m afraid of it

but where do you want to go

i asked

find me a little house outside the town

and stay with me there

he said

we can be happy there

so i found him a small house called

kirkafield

outside edinburgh

he stayed there in a room upstairs

and sometimes

i slept in a room downstairs

donnelly was often afraid

and i visited him every day

slowly

he got better

on sunday the 9th of february

there was a big wedding in

edinburgh after the wedding

bothwell and i walked out to kirker

field

to see darnley and talk to him

everyone sang and laughed

and was very happy

at ten o’clock

i was tired

good night my lords

i said

i’m going downstairs to bed

lord bothwell put his hand on my arm

your majesty

he said

you can’t sleep here now

don’t you remember

people are dancing and singing in town

tonight

everyone wants you to go

oh

yes

i forgot

i said

of course people want to see me there

so

good night henry

sleep well

darnley was very unhappy

please marry my love

don’t go

he said

don’t leave me here

but i did not love him now

i remembered the night when riccio died

so i smiled and said

good night henry

be a man now

don’t be afraid of the dark

then i went downstairs with lord

bothwell

outside the house we met one of

bothwell’s men

he looked afraid

and there was something black

on his face and hands

jesus man how dirty you are

i said

don’t come near me with those hands

no my lady

of course not

he said

he looked at bothwell for a minute

and then ran away quickly

i laughed

got on my horse

and forgot about

it i tell you before god james

i did not kill your father

it was not me

i knew nothing about it

nothing

i sang and danced in town

and then went to bed

in edinburgh castle

then

at two o’clock in the morning

there was a sudden noise

a very big

bang

everybody heard it

all through the town

my god

i said

what’s that

everyone ran out of their rooms

lord bothwell was downstairs

don’t be afraid

ladies

he said

my men are outside

they’re going to see what it is

after an hour

he came to see me

please

sit down my lady

he said

i have some unhappy news

yes my lord

what is it

it’s your husband

lord darnley

he is dead

but

how

how did he die

who killed him

i don’t know my lady

that bang

that was his house

kirkefield

it’s not there anymore

what

and darnley was inside

well

no

my lady

bothwell said slowly

my men found him

in the garden

not in the house

he is wearing

only night clothes

and there is no blood on him

but he is dead

i am sorry

take me out there

i want to see him

now

yes my lady

i went out to kirkerfield in the early

morning

there was no house now

no walls

no doors

no windows

nothing

and there in the garden

a long way from the house

was that poor

dead boy

my husband

i did not love him

but i cried then

he was your father james

and i did not

kill him

i don’t know who killed him

but he had many enemies in scotland

i was very afraid

i too

had enemies

and i often slept there

perhaps someone wanted to kill me too

[Music]

chapter 7

bothwell

soon everyone in europe heard the news

the queen of france and the queen of

england wrote angry letters to me

who killed the king

they asked

i was very unhappy at this time james

we looked for the killers

but we could not find them

please believe me james

the scots lords are difficult men

some were friends

some were enemies

but they changed all the time

many people in scotland said

bothwell killed lord darnley

i heard them

outside the castle

and in the town

but i never believed it

people in edinburgh sold horrible

stories and pictures of bothwell

the same day that darnley died

it was too soon

perhaps darnley’s killers wrote these

stories about bothwell

before they killed darnley

i don’t think

lord bothwell killed your father james

he was a good friend to me in difficult

times

he was a good

strong

clever man

and he worked hard

i liked that

a lot of women liked him i think

three times that spring

he asked me to marry him

he had a wife

and i could not marry again so soon

i asked him to wait

then

on the 24th of april

i rode out of edinburgh to the north

i had five or six friends with me

six miles outside the town

lord bothwell met us

with an army

why are you here my lord

i said

he smiled

because i want to meet you mary

he said

i want you to come with me to my castle

he rode next to me

and his men rode between me and my

friends

i was afraid

and a little excited too

but my lord

you can’t do this

i said

i don’t want to come with you now

but i want you mary

he said

your friends can’t stop me

i love you

and i want to marry you

what’s wrong with that

i said nothing

what could i say

i liked him

and he had an army

i had only six friends

so

i rode with him to his castle in dunbar

and stayed there two weeks

and then

he was a strong man and i was only a

woman

and i did like him james

i liked him very much

after two weeks in dunbar

bothwell and i rode back to edinburgh

his wife did not want him

and was happy to divorce him

so

on the 15th of may 1567

i married him

he was a good man james

a much better man than your father

i needed a strong man to help me rule

the country

but

i was wrong

i understand that now

all the scots lords were afraid of

bothwell

and many of them were his enemies

they had an army

and on the 15th of june

bothwell and i

rode out to fight them

we met them at carberry hill

it was a hot day

and the two big armies stood

and looked

and waited

their army had a big flag

with a picture of your poor dead father

darnley on it

under the picture

there were the words

find my killers

oh god

come on my lord

i said to bothwell

our army is better than theirs

let’s fight them

bothwell rode up and down

and talked to his men

but they didn’t want to fight

they talked

and looked at the flag

and waited

then

some of them walked home

at five o’clock that evening

lord kirkaldi rode from his army to talk

to us

he said to me

my lady

leave your husband and come with us

we don’t want men to die

and so

because our men didn’t want to fight

i went with him

it was a very bad day for me

they took me back to edinburgh

and people in the streets screamed at me

kill the woman she sleeps with her

husband’s killer

we want james to be king

kill her now

i was unhappy

and afraid

and i was pregnant again

they took me to loch levin castle

and put me in a room like a prison

there i did not eat for two weeks

and bothwell’s children

there were two babies

were born dead

i nearly died too

i was so angry and tired

and ill

then

one day after the babies died

lord lindsay gave me a letter

it said

i

mary queen of scots

give the kingdom of scotland

to my son james

from today

james

is the new king

of scots

but

because he is a child

the earl of moray

my half brother

can rule the country for him

because i was afraid

and tired and ill

i wrote my name on the letter

mary

but

it is not important james

it doesn’t change anything

i am queen of scots

not you

that letter changes nothing

bothwell went over the sea

and died in a prison in denmark

i was a prisoner in loch leven for a

year

a lot of people in europe were angry

about that

queen elizabeth wrote to the earl of

murray

you cannot keep a queen in prison she

said

it is very wrong

i was pleased about that

but moray didn’t listen

lord douglas lived in the castle

and his young son william liked me

one day

there was a wedding in the castle

people sang and danced and drank

william douglas gave me some old women’s

clothes

i put the clothes on

and walked quietly out of the castle

with him

he shut the castle door behind us

to keep his father’s friends in

then

we got on some horses

and rode away through the night

all my friends came back to me

soon i had a big army

mary is our queen again people said

give her back her son

you were in earl morey’s castle james

so i came to fight him

i rode with my army to langside

near glasgow

and there

there james

there

my son

i lost the fight

i am so sorry

i had many

good

strong men in my army

but earl murray’s men were stronger

many of my men died

and some ran away

after the fight

i ran away too

i did not want to go to prison again

so

i rode south

to england

queen elizabeth wants to help me

i thought

she understands

she wrote to moray

and she is a queen

like me

i can come back to scotland with her

army

kill moray

and find my baby son james

i am in england

but i am free

i can try again

i was wrong about that too

very wrong

[Music]

chapter 8

england

elizabeth didn’t give me her army

she put me in prison

you know this james

it is the story of your life

not mine

i was 25 years old when i came to

england

and i am 45 now

twenty years

in english prisons

murray

told lies about me

mary and bothwell killed darnley

he said

mary slept with riccio and bothwell and

killed her husband

but it’s not true

they’re all lies james

wicked lies

they only said these things because i am

a woman

and a catholic

and they don’t want a catholic queen in

scotland

they want

a protestant king

a king like you james

why james

my son

don’t you help me

why are you friendly with elizabeth my

enemy

you don’t want me back in scotland do

you

you believe these lies

don’t you

you talk to moray and his friends every

day

but they lied about me james

moray and his friends killed riccio

they killed your father too

they stole my husband bothwell

stole my son

stole

my son’s love

i’m sorry james

forgive me

sometimes i get very angry

it is

difficult

not to be angry

when you are in prison for twenty years

elizabeth

didn’t know what to do

sometimes she believed murray

sometimes she didn’t

she was afraid to kill me

because

i was a queen

she was afraid to let me go free

because i have friends in england

the english catholics want me to be

queen of england

not her

and she

is a woman with no husband

and no son

so she hates me too

sometimes

the english catholics write to me

and ask me for help and sometimes i

write to them

sometimes elizabeth’s men

find these letters

the english protestants want to kill me

because of these letters

you are a wicked woman

they say

you killed your husband darnley

and now you want to kill our queen

elizabeth you’re going to die

i did not kill my husband

i said

and when i came to england

i did not want to kill your queen

i asked her for help

i wanted to go back to scotland

but my lords

she put me in prison for 20 years

20 years my lords

i want to be free

don’t you understand that

when men write to me

and try to help me

then yes

sometimes i write back

why not

is that wicked

do you think

they didn’t listen

of course not

they want to kill me

and so they wrote to queen elizabeth

and now

i sit here

in fathering gay castle

and wait

for her to answer

i do not want to die

james my son

but i do not want to live all my life

in an english prison

i am old

and tired of life

think well of me james

my son

and

chapter nine

a death

queen mary stopped writing then

yesterday afternoon

the 7th of february 1587

we heard a horse

outside our window

mary looked out

there was a man there

on the road from london

he had a letter

from the queen of england

in the evening an englishman

lord shrewsbury came to see mary

i’m sorry my lady he said but i have a

letter from my queen

you’re going to die

tomorrow

mary did not move

when

she asked quietly

at half past eight in the morning

he said

i am very sorry

my lady

he went away

we did not sleep much that night

we talked

and prayed to god

and she gave me her letter to her son

james

give it to him bess

please

she said

and tell him how i died

yes my lady

i said

and so now

i am going to tell you

king james

this is how your mother died

at six o’clock

she got up

prayed

and dressed

she put on a red petticoat first

then

a black dress

and a white veil

over the dress

the veil came from her head

to her feet

she could see out through it

but we could not see her face

she looked like a woman on her wedding

day

when the english men came

we went downstairs with her

her little dog walked beside her

under the veil

but the englishman didn’t see that

six of us went into a big room with her

a hundred people stood and watched

a protestant churchman came to talk to

her

my lady

he said

pray with me

no

she said

thank you

but no

i was born a catholic

and i’m going to die

a catholic

i think god

understands that

she prayed for five minutes

and then stood up

the executioner came towards her

he was a big strong man

with an axe

and something black over his face

i’m sorry my lady

he said

i don’t hate you

but this is my work

please forgive me

of course i forgive you

mary said

i am old

and tired

and you’re going to open my prison doors

for me

i am going to see god

do your work well

then she looked at me

and her friends

don’t cry for me ladies

she said

please

don’t cry now

she could not walk to the block

so the executioner helped her

he took off her white veil

and then he took off her black dress

and put it on the floor

she stood there

in her red petticoat

with a smile on her face

then

the executioner put something over her

eyes

very slowly

mary put her head

on the block

the lord my god

is my one

true friend

she said

i give my life oh god

into your hands

then the executioner lifted his axe

once

twice

oh god

three times

and her head

her poor poor head

fell on the floor

it was very quiet in the room after that

it is a little thing

ahead

a very little thing

but there was so much blood

blood on her red petticoat

blood on her black dress

and her white veil

blood on the executioner’s shoes

blood all over the floor

blood

blood

everywhere

we all looked

and said nothing

the executioner put down his axe

and stood quietly

and then

mary’s little dog came out from under

her bloody dress and veil

and walked slowly

unhappily through the blood towards her

head

my lord

the story of your poor mother’s life

finishes here

we

her friends

cry for her

but that is how your mother died

she died

like a queen

a good lady

and a famous queen

mary

queen of scots

you