Children in Year 4 have spent the week learning a new text as part of their English learning. Have a go at practising at home!
The King’s Ship
Early one morning, Tom Kemp sat on the harbour wall watching the sun rise.He listened to the shouts of the sailors below while he thought about the long journey he had taken to Portsmouth. He watched as the Mary Rose was cast into shadow by the rolling clouds. The ship was grand and he was still hopeful he would be able to join its crew. Suddenly, he heard a shout, “All hail the King, he comes hither apace!”
Tom leapt to his feet and caught a glimpse of the King’s carriage as it clattered past him. Excitedly, Tom dashed along the harbour wall and watched as the ships were loaded with cannon balls, crates of arrows and barrels of salted fish and bread. Desperate to board the ship, Tom rushed down the stone steps, leapt into a small boat and rowed furiously towards the ship.
However, a hush rippled through the crowd. Without warning, the great ship creaked over dangerously. Very soon, the gun doors were in the sea and water began to pour into the ship. It was sinking!
The soldiers and sailors on board shouted and screamed as they began sliding down the deck. Some people leapt into the cold, deep sea to escape. Tom saw a sailor struggling in the water so he grabbed at the sailor’s clothes and heaved him into his little boat. Tom spent many hours saving as many people as he could.
Later that day, slumped against the harbour wall, Tom stared sadly into the water. There had been 500 men on the Mary Rose and now only 40 of them were still alive. The Mary Rose was lying at the bottom of sea. What a terrible disaster. Tom could only think of how lucky he was to be alive.