Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-04-03
How a Hen
Saved a King
By Fred. Myron Colby.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There is nothing more romantic in
that have occurred in the lives of a
few royal personages in some stages
Of their career The early adventures
Of Gustavus Vasa of Sweden, and Of
Robert Bruce of Scotland, before they
succeeded in winning their crowns, the
wanderings, and narrow escapes Of
Charles the Second after the battle of
Worcester, and the vicissitudes of the
Young Pretender after the battle OF
Culloden, all appeal strongly to the i'm
aginations of young people and are
more or less familiar.
This is the story of another prince
not so well known, but whose career is
fully as interesting as that of Charles
Edwards; in fact, Prince Bertarid of
Pavia passed through more thrilling
experiences. escaped greater dangers
and was quite providentially preserv-
ed % any Of your favorite heroes in
the story books. The account as given
10 US seems to rest on authentic sources
and is naively related by one of the
most pious of the old writers.
Pavia was the capital of the old
Kingdom of the Lombards which oc-
cupied all of Northern Italy in the
early part of the middle ages. 1t was
at that time a large, walled-in city
full Of fine buildings, one of the finest
of which the the royal palace of the
Lombard kings where Bertarid was
born. He was the oldest son Of King
Aribert, and when his father died he
became the eighth king of the Lom-
bards.
His younger brother Godebert want
ed part of the kingdom and raised a
rebellion against him. Bertarid appeal
ed for help to his great feudatory.
Grimoald, Duke of Beneventum and
Godebert was forced to leave the king
dom. Grimoald was very ambitious
man, and when he saw how easily the
younger prince was got rid of he plan
ned to dispose of the older brother
and take the kingdom himself. He
succeeded in getting the kingdom, but
Prince Bertarid escaped through the
wit of faithful attendant.
Duke Grimoald's plan was to seize
the prince one night when there had
been a great banquet at the royal pal
ace in celebration of the victory and
his soldiers had their orders to seize
him as soon as he was sound asleep.
But one of his servants, a stable boy
named Onuff, had seen enough to
make him suspicious for his masters
safety. Bertarid was aroused by his
warning:
"Oh, my master, hasten and escape,
for your enemies seek your life"
Bertarid was thunderstruck and did
not know what to do, but the hostler's
quick wit devised scheme that prom
Used him safety IL they could carry it
into effect. He and Onuff changed
clothes; throwing aside the kingly de-
vices, and leading him with a mattress,
the bedclothes and a bearskin the ser
want drove his royal master in this rid
iculous way out of the palace till they
reached the city gate. Here the guards,
laughing at the sight, inquired what it
meant? Onuff was ready with an an
swer:
"Ah, sirs, this ragged rascal had pre-
pared my bed in the chamber Of that
foul drunkard Bertarid, who is snoring
there up stairs, drowned in his wine.
I will no longer stay with that mad
man. To my home; to my home!" And
giving fresh blow to the prince, they
both were allowed to leave the city.
But IL Bertarid was out of Pavia he
was not out of Lombardy. Grimoald
soon learned of the trick that had been
played upon his guards, and knowing
that his usurped crown would not be
safe a moment with the rightful mon
arch at large, he used every means to
intercept the fugitive. The account Of
the young princes adventures is al
most like reading some of the stories
of the Arabian Nights. Several times
he narrowly escaped capture, and he
was forced to adopt all sorts of dis
guises and often went whole days with
out food.
Once he and his faithful Onuff be-
came separated, and while making his
way across the territory of Turin Ber-
tarid was so closely pursued by his
enemies, that he was forced to take ref
uge In the barn of a neighboring peas
ant. In obtaining entrance he met
with an accident, severely spraining
an ankle which rendered him nearly
helpless for the time. He managed,
however, to find a place Of concealment
In a haymow. and lay there long after
his pursuers had relinquished their
search.
His sprained ankle caused him great
pain, and he was suffering from hun
ger, for he had eaten nothing since the
day before He did not dare to call for
assistance for fear that the husband
man and his servants might prove
smissaries of the usurper. He accord