"And
should I now forbear to chase, a dukedom would no more than reward me
for the perils I have seen. First in the lofty tree watching the
castle; and thou knowest that now, when, from the interdict, no bells
may ring to disperse the tempests, I might have died from the lightning
stroke, not once but many times. For there might have been a tempest
and lightning every day, and no thanks to the king that there was not.
Then, too, I did encounter perils from the boughs which might have
broken and did not. And wherefore did they not? Because they were too
tough and sound. And this, too, moreover, was no thanks to the king.
And two horses have I lost,--one mine own and one the gift of the prior
of St. Edmund's. And did the prior wish to give me the beast? Nay, he
did not, and would have refused it if he had dared. He made as if he
gave it because of the king, but he did not. He feared before me, as
well he might. For I had met a hedgehog, and when a man is in such a
case he is in no mind to have a horse refused him by a fat prior. And
all this also was no thanks to the king. And then I did meet that
varlet of a groom at the Green Dragon, and he did send me here.
Pages:
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152