or when I did set out to
learn the art of performing strange tricks in the magic, wherein the hand
doth ever deceive the eye, the king was affrighted, and did accuse me of
being a wizard, even commanding that I should be put to death. Luckily my
wit did save my life. I begged that I might be slain by the royal hand
and not by that of the executioner.

"By the saints," said his Majesty, "what difference can it make unto
thee? But since it is thy wish, thou shalt have thy choice whether I kill
thee or the executioner."

"Your Majesty," I answered, "I accept the choice that thou hast so
graciously offered to me: I prefer that your Majesty should kill the
executioner."

Yet is the life of a royal jester beset with great dangers, and the king
having once gotten it into his royal head that I was a wizard, it was not
long before I again fell into trouble, from which my wit did not a second
time in a like way save me. I was cast into the dungeon to await my
death. How, by the help of my gift in answering riddles and puzzles, I
did escape from captivity I will now set forth; and in case it doth
perplex any to know how some of the strange feats were performed, I will
hereafter make the manner thereof plain to all.

49.--_The Mysterious Rope._

[Illustration]

My dungeon did not lie beneath the moat, but was in one of the most high
parts of the castle. So stout was the door, and so well locked and
secured withal, that escape that way was not to be found. By hard work I
did, after many days, remove one of the bars from the narrow window, and
was able to crush my body through the opening; but the distance to the
courtyard below was so exceeding great that it was certain death to drop
thereto. Yet by great good fortune did I find in the corner of the cell a
rope that had been there left and lay hid in the great darkness. But this
rope had not length enough, and to drop in safety from the end was nowise
possible. Then did I remember how the wise man from Ireland did lengthen
the blanket that was too short for him by cutting a yard off the bottom
of the same and joining it on to the top. So I made haste to divide the
rope in half and to tie the two parts thereof together again. It was then
full long, and did reach the ground, and I went down in safety. How could
this have been?

50.--_The Underground Maze._

The only way out of the yard that I now was in was to descend a few
stairs that led up into the centre (A)