"For seven miles east and seven miles west And seven miles north and south, No blade of grass or corn would grow, So deadly was her mouth.
The milk of seven streakit cows It was her cost to kepe, They brought her dayly, whyche she drank Before she wente to slepe."
This offering proved successful in pacifying the creature, and it remained in the cave at Spindleston, coming out daily to drink its fill from the trough prepared for it. But the fear of it in no wise diminished, and
"Word went east, and word went west, And word is gone over the sea, That a laidly worm in Spindleston Heugh Would ruin the North Countree."
The news in due course comes to the ears of Princess Margaret's only brother, the Childe Wynde, who is away seeking fame and fortune abroad. In fear for his lovely sister, he calls together his "merry men all," and they set to work to build a ship
a sure defence against the spells of witchcraft; and hoisting their silken sails they hasten homeward.
"... ... The wind with speed Blew them along the deep. The sea was calm, the weather clear, When they approached nigher; King Ida's castle well they knew, And the banks of Bamburghshire."
The wicked queen saw the little bark coming near, and knew that her guilt was about to meet its reward. In haste she tried to wreck the vessel, but the rowan-tree masts made her spells of no avail. Then she bade her servants go to the beach and oppose the landing of the Childe and his crew; but the servants were beaten back, and the young knight and his men landed in Budle Bay. The worm came fiercely to the attack, as the Childe Wynde advanced against it; but on meeting him, and feeling the touch of his "berry-brown sword," it besought him to do it no harm.
"'O quit thy sword, unbend thy brow, And give me kisses three; For though I be a laidly worm No harm I'll do to thee.
O quit thy sword, unbend thy brow, And give me kisses three; If I'm not won ere the sun goes down Won shall I never be.'
He quitted his sword, and smoothed his brow, And gave her kisses three; She crept intill the hole a worm, And came out a fayre ladie."
The knight clasped his lovely sister in his arms, and, casting around her his crimson cloak, led her back to her home, where the trembling queen awaited them. Her doom was spoken by the Childe Wynde--