Английские легенды / English Legends - стр. 20
“The cowards!” cried Hereward. “And they think themselves worthy of knighthood when they will save their own lives and leave a child in danger! They must be taught a lesson. Martin, come here and help me.”
They put the body of the dead bear just where the castle door, opening, would show it at once. Then Hereward asked Alftruda to call to the knights inside saying that all was safe and they could come out, for the bear would not hurt them. He and Martin, listening, heard with great glee the argument within as to who should risk his life to open the door, the many excuses given for refusal, and, best of all, the cry of horror with which the knight who had dared to open the door shut it again on seeing the Fairy Bear waiting to enter. Hereward even carried his trick so far as to thrust the bear heavily against the door, making all the people within cry for the protection of the saints. Finally, when he was tired of the joke, he convinced the knights that they might go out safely, and showed how he, a youth of seventeen, had killed the monster with one blow. From that time Hereward was the favourite of the whole castle, petted, praised, beloved by all its inhabitants, except his jealous rivals.
The foreign knights became so jealous of the Saxon youth, and disliked his sarcastic humour so much that they planned several times to kill him, and once or twice nearly succeeded. This insecurity, and a feeling that perhaps Earl Siward did have some relation to the Fairy Bear and would wish to avenge his death, made Hereward decide to leave Gilbert’s castle.
The spirit of adventure was strong upon him, the sea seemed to call him; now that he had become evidently superior to the other noble youths in Gilbert’s castle, his ambition called him on. Accordingly, he took a sad leave of Alftruda, an affectionate one of Sir Gilbert, who wished to knight him for his brave deed, and a mocking one of his angry and unsuccessful rivals.
Boarding a merchant ship, he sailed for Cornwall[66], and there was taken to the court of King Alef[67], a minor British chief, who, like a true patriarch of old times, was getting rid of his children as he could, and had betrothed his fair daughter to a terrible Pictish[68] giant, breaking off, in order to do it, her engagement with Prince Sigtryg[69] of Waterford, son of a Danish king in Ireland.
Hereward was chivalrous, and little Alftruda had made him feel pitiful to all maidens. Seeing at once how the princess hated and feared her new betrothed, a horrible, misshapen creature, nearly eight feet high, he decided to destroy him. He arranged a quarrel with the giant, and killed him the next day in fair fight. But the vengeful Pictish tribe made Kind Alef throw Hereward and his man Martin into prison, so he promised trial and punishment for them in the morning.