§ 28. There was also another bad man, named Oswulf, who one day awaking from sleep in a field, and finding a serpent entwined round his neck, seized it, and dashed it against the ground; but it was of no use, for the serpent again and again returned and coiled itself round his neck, and so the wretched man, whether he threw the animal into water or fire, or cut it to pieces with a knife, yet was utterly unable to discover how it was that it immediately came back. At first indeed the serpent was small, but by degrees it grew larger, and yet did not bite or poison the man. Whenever he entered the church, which was hallowed by the body of the Holy Cuthbert, the serpent left him, and did not molest him whilst he continued therein: but when he went out, the serpent again fastened on his neck, and thus he endured this affliction for a long time, until by a happy device, he spent three whole days and nights at the church praying, and so freed himself entirely from the serpent.