Mike Bates Jr., age 15, of Bessemer, Ala., for his question:

WHO WAS LADY GODIVA?

Lady Godiva was the wife of an Englishman named Earl Leofric. They lived in Chester, England, during the 1000s.

Lady Godiva asked her husband to reduce the heavy taxes he had imposed as lord of Coventry. He agreed to do so if she would ride naked through the town, according to legend.

All of the townspeople were asked by Lady Godiva to remain indoors. Then, clothed only in her long hair, Lady Godiva mounted a horse and rode through the streets. Taxes were reduced.

According to the story, a tailor in town named Tom peeped through a shutter as Lady Godiva made her ride. He was struck blind. This `  traditional incident is the origin of the phrase "peeping Tom."

For centuries, a fair was held at intervals in Coventry to celebrate Lady Godiva's courage.