Reading

1. 1. Joan of Arc is a French national heroine.
Her parents were poor farmers, and she had
four brothers and sisters. At home, Joan helped
her parents and learned the Bible. When she
was 12 years old, she began to hear voices.
The voices said that she must help France
by fighting the English soldiers.
2. In the early 1400s, France had no king. The only
leader was a man called the “dauphin.” He was
a very weak leader. King Henry V of England
wanted to control France. He sent armies into
France, and he got control over Paris and part
of northern France.
3. When Joan was about 17 years old, she dressed
in boys’ clothes and went to visit the dauphin.
She told the dauphin that God spoke to her. She
told the dauphin that she could fight the English
and win. The dauphin believed her and gave
her an army. She went to Orléans and fought
the English. She won. Soon after, the dauphin
became King Charles VII of France.
4. In 1430, Joan of Arc was caught by the English
near Paris and taken prisoner. She was accused
of being a witch, saying things against God, and
wearing men’s clothes. She asked the Pope and
King Charles VII for help. But no one helped her.
She was burned at the stake in the marketplace
on May 30, 1431. She was about 19 years old.
Joan of Arc