The Oldest Tale in the English Langage

Disaster and Calamity!

You remember the Saxon Army I painted up over the summer? Here they all are in their great plastic mead hall:





The Saxon king built his mead hall on the great cliffs of Shelf. There were rumblings among some that the mead hall was far too perilously high, but the king scoffed claiming that the view from atop the Shelf was much better. Besides, were not all within the mead hall protected by the magical floor that held fast the warrior's metal boots? Surely nothing unfortunate could happen.

But perhaps the aelfe heard the king's confident speech and worked their mischief. For while the warriors were firmly rooted the floor of the mead hall, the hall itself was not immune to their charms.

With a crash, the mead hall tumbled from Shelf. The violent drop disrupted the magic floor and all were thrown into confusion. Those rushing to the warrior's aid threw open the door to find everyone in a tangled heap and at first glance, a fearful carnage was expected.

But it takes more than a fall from the Shelf to break a Saxon! Man after man was extracted from the pile miraculously unharmed. Even so, the great army of the Saxons was decimated. Ten and three warriors suffered limb-rending wounds, one or two unfortunates losing both arms in the great fall. Fortunately, almost all of the wounded were Ceorls or Gebburs -- lowly warriors of no great importance.

In fact, the only casualty of note, was the king himself -- his left arm sheared clean off. The price of his hubris.

But then, a cunning wizard (who, it must be admitted, first suggested the idea of putting the mead hall on the Shelf) arrived with his magical salves Zap-A-Gap and Zip-Kicker. With some patient work, all of the injured were soon made whole, the mead hall was put back into good order and, very carefully, placed in a less visually exciting, but much safer location.

Heed well the lessons of the unfortunate Saxons! For you may not have a friendly wizard to hand!
Tom

p.s. *sigh* The most action these guys have seen in a month.