in his lodge, he heard the voice of a child which called him and
said: Christopher, come out and bear me over. Then he awoke and went
out, but he found no man. And when he was again in his house, he heard
the same voice and he ran Out and found nobody. The third time he was
called and came thither, and found a child beside the rivage of the
river, which prayed him goodly to bear him over the water. And then
Christopher lift up the child on his shoulders, and took his staff, and
entered into the river for to pass. And the water of the river arose and
swelled more and more: and the child was heavy as lead, and alway as he
went further the water increased and grew more, and the child more and
more waxed heavy, insomuch that Christopher had great anguish and was
afeard to be drowned. And when he was escaped with great pain, and
passed the water, and set the child aground, he said to the child:
Child, thou hast put me in great peril; thou weighest almost as I had
all the world upon me, I might bear no greater burden. And the child
answered: Christopher, marvel thee nothing, for thou hast not only borne
all the world upon thee, but thou hast borne him that created and made
all the world, upon thy shoulders. I am Jesu Christ the king, to whom
thou servest in this work. And because that thou know that I say to be
the truth, set thy staff in the earth by thy house, and thou shalt see
to-morn that it shall bear flowers and fruit, and anon he vanished from
his eyes. And then Christopher set his staff in the earth, and when he
arose on the morn, he found his staff like a palmier bearing flowers,
leaves and dates.

And then Christopher went into the city of Lycia, and understood not
their language. Then he prayed our Lord that he might understand them,
and so he did. And as he was in this prayer, the judges supposed that he
had been a fool, and left him there. And then when Christopher
understood the language, he covered his visage and went to the place
where they martyred Christian men, and comforted them in our Lord. And
then the judges smote him in the face, and Christopher said to them: If
I were not Christian I should avenge mine injury. And then Christopher
pitched his rod in the earth, and prayed to our Lord that for to convert
the people it might bear flowers and fruit, and anon it did so. And then
he converted eight thousand men. And then the king sent two knights for
to fetch him to the king, and they found him praying, and