Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

Rewards and Fairies
‘“But how did he come alive from Santlache fight?” asked ‘“I knew it,” said Rahere. “But while this man wandered
the King. “Ask him! Hast thou heard it, Rahere?” “Never. He mad by the wayside, none cared what he called himself.”
says he has been stoned too often for telling the tale. But he ‘“I learned to cease talking before the stones flew,” says the
can count you off Saxon and Norman shrines till daylight,” old man, and Hugh groaned.
said Rahere and the old man nodded proudly.
‘“Ye have heard!” said Rahere. “Witless, landless, nameless,
‘“My faith!” said Henry after a while. “I think even my and, but for my protection, masterless, he can still make shift
Father the Great Duke would pity if he could see him. to bide his doom under the open sky. ‘“Then wherefore didst
‘“How if he does see?” said Rahere.
thou bring him here for a mock and a shame?” cried Hugh,
‘Hugh covered his face with his sound hand. “Ah, why hast beside himself with woe.
thou shamed him?” he cried again to Rahere.
‘“A right mock and a just shame!” said William of Exeter.
‘“No—no,” says the old man, reaching to pluck at Rahere’s ‘“Not to me,” said Nigel of Ely. “I see and I tremble, but I
cape. “I am Rahere’s man. None stone me now,” and he played neither mock nor judge.” Well spoken, Ely.” Rahere falls into
with the bells on the scollops of it.
the pure fool again. “I’ll pray for thee when I turn monk.
‘“How if he had been brought to me when you found him?” Thou hast given thy blessing on a war between two most
said the King to Rahere.
Christian brothers.” He meant the war forward ‘twixt Henry
You would have held him prisoner again—as the Great Duke and Robert of Normandy. “I charge you, Brother,” he says,
did,” Rahere answered.
wheeling on the King, “dost thou mock my fool?” The King
‘“True,” said our King. “He is nothing except his name. Yet shook his head, and so then did smooth William of Exeter.
that name might have been used by stronger men to trouble ‘“De Aquila, does thou mock him?” Rahere jingled from
my England. Yes. I must have made him my life’s guest—as I one to another, and the old man smiled.
shall make Robert.”
‘“By the Bones of the Saints, not I,” said our Lord of
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