麻豆约拍

Adapted and read by Robin Simpson听

Let me tell you a story about a boy. A very special boy. A boy called Patrick.

He lived long ago. Long, long ago. So long ago that we don't really know that much about him. But here's some things we do know.

Patrick was born in Wales. Or it could have been England. No, wait. No, definitely Wales 鈥� Maybe.

Okay, so we don鈥檛 actually know where he was born. Let鈥檚 start again.

We know that Patrick was born somewhere in Britain during the time of the Romans. He was a normal boy with a normal family living a normal life. 听And, like many people in Britain, he was a Christian.

One day he was walking along the seashore when he heard a noise behind him.听 "Who's there?" he asked, turning around. He saw several big men advancing on him. Pirates!

The men grabbed Patrick and threw him in a little boat. Poor Patrick was terrified. The men tied him up and rowed out to their sailing ship. He was taken all the way to Ireland.

Now, in those days Ireland was thought to be the 'end of the world'. There was nothing beyond it but endless sea and the people there weren't Christian but Pagan - they worshipped the seasons and the sun. They also kept slaves. And that is what Patrick became. Day in, day out he worked the land with no pay and no hope of ever being set free. He missed his home. He missed his family. He missed his freedom. Many years passed.

Then, one night, he had a strange dream. He dreamt an angel appeared to him. "Hello Patrick" said the Angel. "Hello", said Patrick, "are you an angel?"

鈥淵es", said the Angel, "and I've come to give you a message. Tomorrow morning you must run away. Go down to the beach and you'll find a boat, a boat to sail home.鈥� 鈥淲hat if someone sees me?鈥� asked Patrick, 鈥淚鈥檒l get into trouble.鈥� "I鈥檒l keep you safe", said the Angel, 鈥淏e brave.鈥�

When Patrick woke he crept down to the shore and there, on the sand, was indeed a small boat. He pushed the boat onto the water and climbed inside.

Raising the sail he looked over his shoulder at the disappearing coastline.

He was free! "I never, ever, want to see Ireland again," he said. But guess what? He would see Ireland again.

听Back in Britain, he started to change his mind about the Irish. If only someone could teach them how to lead a better life. Maybe that someone was Patrick.

听So, Patrick sailed back to Ireland to spread the Christian message. As he wandered the land he was met with anger and hate. The people didn't want to hear about a man called Jesus. They chased him away. They robbed him of his money. Once, he was even put in prison. But that didn't stop Patrick.

So, he kept on travelling. Kept on spreading the word of God. And little by little people listened. Little by little Ireland became a Christian country.

There are many more stories about Patrick. You may have heard some of them. The most famous is the one about the snakes. It goes like this鈥�

One day, when Patrick was walking along the coast of Ireland, he came across a snake. Patrick didn鈥檛 like snakes. Not because they might be poisonous but because the Devil could disguise himself as a serpent. Maybe this snake was the Devil? He heard another 鈥淗iss鈥�. It was another snake.

There! Another! And another! Soon Patrick was surrounded by slithering serpents. Hundreds of them.

听But Patrick wasn鈥檛 scared. He had the power of good on his side. Saying his prayers he drove back the snakes. Back. Back. Back to the sea. Where the snakes all drowned. Every last one.

听And to this day, people say that鈥檚 why there are no snakes to be found in the whole of Ireland. It鈥檚 a good story but probably not true.

听What is true is that many years after his death, Patrick was made the patron saint of Ireland. Every year, on the 17th March, people all over the world celebrate St Patricks day.

And that's the story of how a normal boy, a slave boy, became the patron saint of a whole nation.

听