d come to help her, and one bore the face of her son, while both
had crowns on their heads.

She could sleep no more that night, so she rose and looked out of the
window on the park which lay below, and there, under the trees, were the
hart and the hind! Panting for joy, the queen summoned a priest, and
told him her dream, and, as she told it, behold the skins cracked, and
shining clothes appeared beneath.

'Your dream has been fulfilled,' said the priest. 'The hind is the
daughter of the emperor of Rome, who fled away with yonder knight
dressed in a hart skin!'

Joyfully the queen made herself ready, and she soon joined the animals,
who had wandered off to a part of the park that was full of rocks and
caves. She greeted them with fair words, and begged William to take
service under her, which he did gladly.

'Sweet sir, what token will you wear on your shield?' asked she; and
William answered, 'Good madam, I will have a werwolf on a shield of
gold, and let him be made hideous and huge.'

'That shall be done,' said she.

When the shield was painted, William prayed her to give him a horse, and
she led him into the stable, and bade him choose one for himself. And he
chose one that had been ridden by the late king his father. And the
horse knew him, though his mother did not, and it neighed from pure
delight. After that William called to the soldiers to rally round him,
and there was fought a great battle, and the Spaniards were put to
flight, and throughout Palermo the people rejoiced mightily.

When the enemy had retreated far away, and William returned to the
palace, where the queen and Melior were awaiting him; suddenly, from the
window, they beheld the werwolf go by, and as he passed he held up his
foot as if he craved mercy.

'What does he mean by that?' asked the queen.

'It betokens great good to us,' answered William.

'That is well,' said the queen; 'but the sight of that beast causes me
much sorrow. For my fair son was stolen away from me by such a one, when
he was four years old, and never more have I heard of him.' But in her
heart she felt, though she said nothing, that she had found him again.

By-and-by the king of Spain came back with another army, and there was
more fighting. In the end the Spanish king was forced to yield up his
sword to William, who carried him captor to his mother Felice. The queen
received him with great courtesy, and placed him next her at dinner, and
the peers who had l