Publisher's Synopsis
EVERY one has heard of Bridget, the little girl saint of Ireland. Her name is almost as well knownas that of Saint Patrick, who drove all the snakes from the Island. Saint Bridget had long golden hair;and she was very beautiful. Many wonderful things happened to her that are written in famousbooks. But I suspect that you never heard what she did about the King's Wolf. It is a queer story.This is how it happened. The King of Ireland had a tame wolf which some hunters had caughtfor him when it was a wee baby. And this wolf ran around as it pleased in the King's park near thepalace, and had a very good time. But one morning he got over the high wall which surrounded thepark, and strayed a long distance from home, which was a foolish thing to do. For in those days wildwolves were hated and feared by the people, whose cattle they often stole; and if a man could kill awicked wolf he thought himself a very smart fellow indeed. Moreover, the King himself had offereda prize to any man who should bring him a dead wolf. For he wanted his kingdom to be a peaceful, happy one, where the children could play in the woods all day without fear of big eyes or big teeth.Of course you can guess what happened to the King's wolf? A big, silly country fellow was goingalong with his bow and arrows, when he saw a great brown beast leap over a hedge and dash intothe meadow beyond. It was only the King's wolf running away from home and feeling very friskybecause it was the first time that he had done such a thing. But the country fellow did not know allthat."Aha!" he said to himself. "I'll soon have you, my fine wolf; and the King will give me a goldpiece that will buy me a hat and a new suit of clothes for the holidays." And without stopping tothink about it or to look closely at the wolf, who had the King's mark upon his ear, the fellow shothis arrow straight as a string. The King's wolf gave one great leap into the air and then fell dead onthe grass, poor fellow.The countryman was much pleased. He dragged his prize straight up to the King's palace andthumped on the gate."Open!" he cried. "Open to the valiant hunter who has shot a wolf for the King. Open, that Imay go in to receive the reward."So, very respectfully, they bade him enter; and the Lord Chamberlain escorted him before theKing himself, who sat on a great red-velvet throne in the Hall. In came the fellow, dragging afterhim by the tail the limp body of the King's wolf."What have we here?" growled the King, as the Lord Chamberlain made a low bow and pointedwith his staff to the stranger.
