rincess
Margaret, daughter of the King of Bamburgh was turned into a "laidly
worm" (loathly or loathsome serpent) by her wicked stepmother, who was
jealous of the lovely maid. The whole district was in terror of this
dreadful monster, which desolated the country-side in its search for
food.

"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

"With masts of the rowan-tree,"

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;
S