Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

‘What did the King say?’ cried Dan.
Rewards and Fairies
Norman King, and there is enough of Earl Godwin’s blood
‘He had opened his mouth to speak, when young Fulke, left in me to sicken at the work. Wait awhile with the torch.”
who had come into the stand with us, laughed, and, boy-like, ‘I waited then, and I thought I heard him sob.’
once begun, could not check himself. He kneeled on the in- ‘Poor Hugh! Was he so tired?’ said Una. ‘Hobden says beatstant
for pardon, but fell sideways, crying: “His legs! Oh, his ing is hard work sometimes.’
long, waving red legs as he went backward!”
‘I think this tale is getting like the woods,’ said Dan, ‘darker
‘Like a storm breaking, our grave King laughed,—stamped and twistier every minute.’ Sir Richard had walked as he talked,
and reeled with laughter till the stand shook. So, like a storm, and though the children thought they knew the woods well
this strange thing passed!
enough, they felt a little lost.
‘He wiped his eyes, and signed to De Aquila to let the drive ‘A dark tale enough,’ says Sir Richard, ‘but the end was not
come on.
all black. When we had washed, we went to wait on the King
‘When the deer broke, we were pleased that the King shot at meat in the great pavilion. just before the trumpets blew for
from the shelter of the stand, and did not ride out after the the Entry—all the guests upstanding—long Rahere comes pos-
hurt beasts as Red William would have done. Most vilely his turing up to Hugh, and strikes him with his bauble-bladder.
knights and barons shot!
‘“Here’s a heavy heart for a joyous meal!” he says. “But each
De Aquila kept me beside him, and I saw no more of Hugh man must have his black hour or where would be the merit of
till evening. We two had a little hut of boughs by the camp, laughing? Take a fool’s advice, and sit it out with my man. I’ll
where I went to wash me before the great supper, and in the make a jest to excuse you to the King if he remember to ask for
dusk I heard Hugh on the couch.
you. That’s more than I would do for Archbishop Anselm.”
‘“Wearied, Hugh?” said I.
‘Hugh looked at him heavy-eyed. “Rahere?” said he. “The
‘“A little,” he says. “I have driven Saxon deer all day for a King’s jester? Oh, Saints, what punishment for my King!”
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