had not the heart to
destroy three innocent beings, he had a great fire kindled, and in this
he burned a sheep and two lambs, so as to make people believe that he
had carried out the king's commands. The stepmother had made these known
to the people, adding that the queen was a wicked sorceress.

The faithful servant, however, told the queen that it was the king's
command that during the years he was absent in the war she should keep
herself concealed in the castle, so that no one but himself should see
her and the little princes.

The queen obeyed, and no one knew but that both she and her children had
been burned. But when the time came near for King Lindorm to return home
from the war the old retainer grew frightened because he had not obeyed
his orders. He therefore went to the queen, and told her everything, at
the same time showing her the king's letter containing the command to
burn her and the princes. He then begged her to leave the palace before
the king returned.

The queen now took her two little sons, and wandered out into the wild
forest. They walked all day without ending a human habitation, and
became very tired. The queen then caught sight of a man who carried some
venison. He seemed very poor and wretched, but the queen was glad to see
a human being, and asked him whether he knew where she and her little
children could get a house over their heads for the night.

The man answered that he had a little hut in the forest, and that she
could rest there; but he also said that he was one who lived entirely
apart from men, and owned no more than the hut, a horse, and a dog, and
supported himself by hunting.

The queen followed him to the hut and rested there overnight with her
children, and when she awoke in the morning the man had already gone out
hunting. The queen then began to put the room in order and prepare food,
so that when the man came home he found everything neat and tidy, and
this seemed to give him some pleasure. He spoke but little, however, and
all that he said about himself was that his name was Peter.

Later in the day he rode out into the forest, and the queen thought that
he looked very unhappy. While he was away she looked about her in the
hut a little more closely, and found a tub full of shirts stained with
blood, lying among water. She was surprised at this, but thought that
the man would get the blood on his shirt when he was carrying home
venison. She washed the shirts, and hu