Folklore -- Ireland -- Juvenile literature; Folklore -- Wales -- Juvenile literature
Then Olger said very sternly: "There is no compensation, but there is
punishment to be given. Grant me now to fight with your son, and so
avenge my poor child's death."
"Nay," said the Emperor; "for how, then, could he have a chance of
life?"
"What matters that?" cried Olger, with bitter look. "What is your
son more than mine? I demand that he be given up to me."
"I cannot do it," said the Emperor.
"Then," cried Olger in great wrath, "till you learn justice, sire, we
part company." And forthwith he left the Court, and took service
with a Lombard king who was fighting against King Charles.
For the next few years Olger the Dane won great renown by his warfare
against the Franks, for wherever he went he was always the victor,
and his enemies began to look upon his good sword Courtain, and
Broiefort, his great black steed, with awe and terror. Many of the
Franks said openly, that to let Olger depart and to make him their
foe, had been no wise deed, for he came upon them like a blight upon
the summer corn. At length they made a plot against him, and
determined to get the better of him by foul treachery. So they
watched him privily, and found him one day, tired out with fighting,
lying fast asleep by a fountain, with his arms scattered far and
wide, and his good steed Broiefort grazing peacefully by his side.
Then one seized his horse, and another his weapons, and they bound
him fast while he still lay sound asleep.
When Sir Olger was brought to the Court as a prisoner, the Emperor
wished to slay him, because he feared the vengeance of Olger on his
son, and in return for the harm he had done to the Frankish cause.
But the knights and barons would not hear of this, saying that they
had lent themselves to treachery to save their native land, but that
the life of the noblest knight in Christendom should not be lost
thereby. So he was put into prison, and kept under a strong guard
for several years.
Now, after these days did Achar, King of England, land in France to
do homage to the Emperor for his lands; and with him came his fair
daughter Clarice. But as he journeyed to the Court a certain Saracen
giant named Bruhier arrived with a great army to make war upon the
Franks, and he seized the persons of Achar and his daughter, and
marched to fight against the Emperor. And so great was the power of
this giant that the Frankish army could not stand before him, but
fled before his face. Then the barons and knights began to implore
Charles to release Olger from his prison and prevail on him to fight
for them, and forthwith the Emperor went himself ta the prison to
implore his aid. But Olger would not listen for a moment to this
proposal, unless the Emperor would first deliver Charlot the prince
into his hands. For a long time the Emperor would not agree to this;
but at length his whole army reproached him, saying: "Have you no
care for us that you let us die by thousands in a hopeless fight?
Why should a thousand die for one?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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