“There is only one way by which you can save your life and that of your babes. I can change you all three into lupi manari, or were-wolves, and thus in the form of wolves you may escape.”
Then the Queen had the power to become a she-wolf or a human being at her will, and it was the same with the children. So they fled away, and lived in the woods for seven years; and the boys grew up like young giants, as strong as six common children. And the Queen became more beautiful than ever, for she lived under a spell.
One day the King was hunting in the forest, when he found himself alone, and surrounded by such a flock of raging wolves that his life was in great danger, when all at once there came a very beautiful woman, who seemed to have great power over the beasts, as if she were their queen, for they obeyed her and retreated. Then the King recognised in her his lost wife. So they returned with the twins to their castle, but the King did not know that his wife and children were themselves were-wolves.
One day the same enemy who had sought to kill the Queen seven years before, of which the King knew nothing, came to the castle pretending to be a friend, and was kindly treated. But when the Queen and her two sons beheld him, they flew at him as if they were mad, and tore him to pieces before all the Court, and began to devour him like raging wolves. Yet still the King did not know the whole truth.
Then a brother of the King who was thus slain gathered an army and besieged Romo, who found himself in great danger. One evening he said:
“There is danger within the walls,
The sound of enemies without,
The sun set in blood,
To-morrow it may rise to death.
Would that I had more warriors to fight!
Two hundred fierce and bold;
Two hundred would save us all,
Three hundred would give us full victory.”
The Queen said nothing, but that night she stole secretly out of the castle with her sons, and when alone they began to howl, and soon all the were-wolves in the country assembled. So the Queen returned with three hundred men, so fierce and wild that they looked like devils.
They were strange in every way, and talked or howled among themselves in a horrible language, which, however, the Queen and her sons seemed to understand. And in the first battle Romo gained a great victory. And it was observed that the three hundred men ate the dead. However, the King was well pleased to conquer.
When Romolo and Remolo were grown up to be men they learned that in a land not far away were two Princesses named Sabina and Sabinella, who were the two most beautiful, and also the strongest, maidens in the world. And it was also made known that he who would win either must come and conquer her in fight and carry her away by main strength.
So Romolo and Remolo went to their city, and on an appointed day the two Princesses appeared in the public place, ready for the combat. But Romolo advanced with his brother riding on his shoulders, pick-back, sulle spalle, as boys do, and, catching up Sabina with one hand and Sabinella with the other, he ran away like the wind—so rapidly that he soon distanced all pursuers. And when Romolo was tired, Remolo took his place, carrying the sisters and bearing his brother. And Romolo made a song on it: