ttish king
preferred to wed the princess to the stout earl of Southampton, whom he
had known of old, and his word was law to all his court. So the bride
journeyed with a great following to the south of England, where the
marriage took place, and the next year a baby was born that was called
Bevis.

Now, though her husband was good and kind, and gave her the most
beautiful dresses and horse-trappings in the whole kingdom, the princess
hated him with a deadly hatred, just because he was not Sir Murdour. And
when her son Bevis was seven years old she determined to seek the help
of her old lover, and entice the earl to his death.

* * * * *

To this end she made use of her charms and beauty to gain over to her
side some of her husband's most trusted lords, and when this was done
she chose out a faithful messenger to ride north to Sir Murdour.

'Bid him,' she said, 'to come without fail on the first of May to the
great forest that lies by the sea. Thither will I take care that my lord
shall fare, with but a small company, and--the rest Sir Murdour can
grasp. Only, I should like to see a bleeding head, in proof that all has
gone as I wish.'

Sir Murdour did not delay when he heard this message, but called
together a troop of armed knights, and set sail with them for the forest
on the water over against Southampton. They landed late one night, and
Sir Murdour bade his foster-brother go secretly to the palace, and let
the countess know that he was close at hand. After that he posted his
men in deep dells and behind trees, and awaited his enemy.

The sun was scarcely up before the countess roused her husband, who was
sleeping heavily after a day's hunting.

'Awake,' she cried, shaking his shoulder, 'I am feeling like unto death,
and I have dreamed that this day I shall surely die if I eat not of the
flesh of a wild boar of the forest.'

At these woeful tidings the earl sprang from his bed, and in a short
while he was riding with a pack of hounds and a few attendants towards
the part of the forest where the wild boars were most plentiful. The
dogs were soon racing down a track, having scented a boar, and the earl
was preparing to follow when Sir Murdour and his men leapt out from
their hiding-places and suddenly surrounded him.

'I am here at your lady's bidding,' said the knight; 'she has begged me
to send her your head, and I mean to do it.'

[Illustration: LITTLE BEVIS AVENGES HIS FAT