The Mythology & Folklore Database
It happened one day that there was a running at tilt and tournament in the public place appointed for that purpose, to which this gentleman, amongst others, resorted. And no sooner was he gone, but his lady, with her maidens also, went to see it; the nurse also, to satisfy her curiosity, went privately, and left the child lying in the cradle in the hall, and the greyhound in the room.
The gentleman's house being out of repair, in the very room where the child was issued out of a hole a great and horrible serpent, which approaching the cradle with all speed, to slay the child. The greyhound perceived it and flew at the serpent to preserve the child; and so furious was the engagement that the cradle was overturned with the child in it, the bottom upwards, but without any harm to the child, because the clothes fell underneath, and the cradle stood on the four pummels.
The dog being enraged, as well at the wounds he received of the serpent, as the wrong designed his young master, fell with redoubled fury upon the serpent, and at last remained victorious, tearing the serpent in such a manner that he was all besmeared with his blood; and then he laid himself down in his place and licked his wounds.
Not long after this, the tilting being ended, the nurse came into the chamber and saw the cradle turned upside down, compassed round about with blood, and the greyhound likewise all bloody; and without looking any further tore her clothes, and in a fright, with outrageous cries, carried the sad new to her lay, that the greyhound had slain the child.
Hereupon the mother, full of despair and grief for the loss of her only son, likewise rent he clothes and broke out into dismal exclamations, and her maidens who had accompanied her, adding to the lamentation, made the whole house ring; and yet not any of them had the wit to go and turn the cradle up to see what had happened, continuing their outcries, till the gentleman returned from the tournament, to whom the lady, with tears and aggravations, related what she had imagined by the nurse's discourse.
The knight, hearing these sad tidings, full of rage and grief, went into the hall; where meeting the poor greyhound, who came fawning upon him, as he used to do, and seeing him all bloody, he immediately concluded that all they had told him was true; and drawing out his sword he run him quite through the windpipe and neck, so that the poor dog fell down dead at the feet of his mistaken master.
No sooner had the angry knight done this, but he went and took up the cradle, and there he found his son alive and well, and seeing then the slaughtered serpent, which nobody has minded before, he perceived the greyhound had killed the serpent in defense of the child.
Whereupon, being full of grief, he sorrowfully cried out, "Ah! Poor dog! That thy friendship and loyalty should be so unfortunate to thee to cause they death, instead of recompense, which thou didst deserve for preserving my little child.
And saying this, he broke his sword in pieces, and went towards the Holy Land and abode there all the days of his life; and all this was occasioned by giving too much credit to the words of a rash woman.