of this road, a man such as I am going to
describe to you. He was tall, ugly; nay, hideous quite
marvellously. His face was blacker than smoked meat, and so wide,
that there was a good palm's distance between his eyes; his cheeks
were huge, his nostrils also, with a very big flat nose; thick lips
as red as embers, and long teeth yellow and smoke colour. He wore
leathern shoes and gaiters, kept up with string at the knees; on
his back was a parti-coloured coat. He was leaning upon a stout
bludgeon. Aucassin was startled and fearful, and said:

"'Fair brother ("beau frere"--a greeting corresponding to the
modern "bon homme")! God be with thee!'

"'God bless you!' answered the man.

"'What dost thou here?' asked Aucassin.

"'What is that to you?' answered the man.

"'I ask thee from no evil motive.'

"'Then tell me why,' said the man, 'you yourself are weeping with
such grief? Truly, were I a rich man like you, nothing in the world
should make me weep.'

"'And how dost thou know me?'

"'I know you to be Aucassin, the son of the Count; and if you will
tell me why you weep, I will tell you why I am here.'

"'I will tell thee willingly,' answered Aucassin. 'This morning I
came to hunt in the forest; I had a white leveret, the fairest in
the world; I have lost him--that is why I am weeping.'

"'What!' cried the man;' it is for a stinking hound that you waste
the tears of your body? Woe to those who shall pity you; you, the
richest man of this country. If your father wanted fifteen or
twenty white leverets, he could get them. I am weeping and mourning
for more serious matters.'

"'And what are these?'

"'I will tell you. I was hired to a rich farmer to drive his
plough, dragged by four bullocks. Three days ago, I lost a red
bullock, the best of the four. I left the plough, and sought the
red bullock on all sides, but could not find him. For three days I
have neither eaten nor drunk, and have been wandering thus. I have
been afraid of going to the town, where they would put me in jail,
because I have not wherewith to pay for the bullock. All I possess
are the clothes on my back. I have a mother; and the poor woman had
nothing more valuable than me; since she had only an old smock
wherewith to cover her poor old limbs. They