as the devil
saw the cross he was afeard and fled, and left the right way, and
brought Christopher about by a sharp desert. And after, when they were
past the cross, he brought him to the highway that they had left. And
when Christopher saw that, he marvelled, and demanded whereof he
doubted, and had left the high and fair way, and had gone so far about
by so aspre a desert. And the devil would not tell him in no wise. Then
Christopher said to him: If thou wilt not tell me, I shall anon depart
from thee, and shall serve thee no more. Wherefor the devil was
constrained to tell him, and said: There was a man called Christ which
was hanged on the cross, and when I see his sign I am sore afraid, and
flee from it wheresoever I see it. To whom Christopher said: Then he is
greater, and more mightier than thou, when thou art afraid of his sign,
and I see well that I have labored in vain, when I have not founden the
greatest Lord of the world. And I will serve thee no longer, go thy way
then, for I will go seek Christ. And when he had long sought and
demanded where he should find Christ, at last he came into a great
desert, to an hermit that dwelt there, and this hermit preached to him
of Jesu Christ and informed him in the faith diligently, and said to
him: This king whom thou desirest to serve, requireth the service that
thou must oft fast. And Christopher said to him: Require of me some
other thing, and I shall do it, for that which thou requirest I may not
do. And the hermit said: Thou must then wake and make many prayers. And
Christopher said to him: I wot not what it is; I may do no such thing.
And then the hermit said to him: Knowest thou such a river, in which
many be perished and lost? To whom Christopher said: I know it well.
Then said the hermit: Because thou art noble and high of stature and
strong in thy members, thou shalt be resident by that river, and thou
shalt bear over all them that shall pass there, which shall be a thing
right convenable to our Lord Jesu Christ whom thou desirest to serve,
and I hope he shall show himself to thee. Then said Christopher:
Certes, this service may I well do, and I promise to him for to do it.
Then went Christopher to this river, and made there his habitacle for
him, and bare a great pole in his hand instead of a staff, by which he
sustained him in the water, and bare over all manner of people without
ceasing. And there he abode, thus doing, many days. And in a time, as he
slept