LESSON 5
OPPORTUNITY

This I beheld, or dreamed it in a dream: —

There spread a cloud of dust along a plain;

And underneath the cloud, or in it, raged

A furious battle, and men yelled, and swords

Shocked upon swords and shields. A prince’s banner

Wavered, then staggered backward, hemmed by foes.

A craven hung along the battle’s edge,

And thought, “Had I a sword of keener steel—

That blue blade that the king’s son bears, —but this

Blunt thing—!” he snapt and flung it from his hand

And lowering crept away and left the field

Then came the king’s son, wounded, sore bestead,

And weaponless, and saw the broken sword,

Hilt-buried in the dry and trodden sand,

And ran and snatched it, and with battle-shout

Lifted afresh, he hewed his enemy down,

And saved a great cause that heroic day.

— Edward Rowland Sill