And when the winds broke they were cold sunless gales which nipped the young life in the earth.

The ploughing was backward, and the seed-time was a month too late.

The new-born lambs died on the fells and there fell a wasting sickness among the cattle.

Few salmon ran up the streams, and the sea-fish seemed to have gone on a journey.

Even in summer, the pleasant time, food was scarce, for the grass in the pastures was poor and the cows gave little milk, and the children died.