ot
to be punished so severely. She wished that she could do something to
help him, to save him if possible. But this seemed difficult, for she
knew what a bad temper the King had; and she also knew how proud he had
been of that wolf, who was the only tame one in all the land.

Bridget called for her coachman with her chariot and pair of white
horses, and started for the King's palace, wondering what she should do
to satisfy the King and make him release the man who had meant to do no
harm.

But lo and behold! as the horses galloped along over the Irish bogs of
peat, Saint Bridget saw a great white shape racing towards her. At first
she thought it was a dog. But no: no dog was as large as that. She soon
saw that it was a wolf, with big eyes and with a red tongue lolling out
of his mouth. At last he overtook the frightened horses, and with a
flying leap came plump into the chariot where Bridget sat, and crouched
at her feet, quietly as a dog would. He was no tame wolf, but a wild
one, who had never before felt a human being's hand upon him. Yet he let
Bridget pat and stroke him, and say nice things into his great ear. And
he kept perfectly still by her side until the chariot rumbled up to the
gate of the palace.

Then Bridget held out her hand and called to him; and the great white
beast followed her quietly through the gate and up the stair and down
the long hall, until they stood before the red-velvet throne, where the
King sat looking stern and sulky.

They must have been a strange-looking pair, the little maiden in her
green gown with her golden hair falling like a shower down to her knees;
and the huge white wolf standing up almost as tall as she, his yellow
eyes glaring fiercely about, and his red tongue panting. Bridget laid
her hand gently on the beast's head which was close to her shoulder, and
bowed to the King. The King only sat and stared, he was so surprised at
the sight; but Bridget took that as a permission to speak.

"You have lost your tame wolf, O King," she said. "But I have brought
you a better. There is no other tame wolf in all the land, now yours is
dead. But look at this one! There is no white wolf to be found anywhere,
and he is both tame and white. I have tamed him, my King. I, a little
maiden, have tamed him so that he is gentle as you see. Look, I can
pull his big ears and he will not snarl. Look, I can put my little hand
into his great red mouth, and he will not bite. Sire, I give him to