the Bavarian barley juice, not without a
warning as to its strength. The Brunswicker received the usual cup,
emptied it at a draught, and pronounced it excellent. "But," he
continued, "such barley juice as we brew at home in Brunswick is
equalled by no other. Our Mumme is the king of beers, so that the
bravest drinker cannot take two beakers of it without sinking under the
table." The duke listened with displeasure to the haughty words of the
knight, for he was not a little proud of the brewings of his country,
and commanded his cup-bearer, with a meaning look, to challenge him.

"By your leave, Sir Knight," replied the page, "what you say is not
quite true. If it pleases you and my lord Duke, I should like to lay a
wager with you."

The duke nodded assent, and the knight, smiling scornfully, challenged
the cup-bearer to pledge him.

"Your Brunswick Mumme," continued the page, "may pass as a refreshing
drink; but with our beer you cannot compare it, for the best of our
brewings is unknown to you. In case, however, you please again to make
your appearance at the hospitable court of my gracious lord, I will
promise you a beaker of beer which cannot be equalled in any other
country of united Christendom. I will drink the greatest bumper that can
be found in our court of your Mumme at one draught, if you can take of
our beer, even slowly, three beakers. He who a half hour afterward can
stand on one leg and thread a needle shall win the wager, and receive
from the other a mighty cask of Tokayer Rebensafte."

This speech received loud applause, and the Brunswicker laughingly
accepted the challenge.

After the knight had departed the duke tapped the page on the shoulder
and said, "Take care that thou dost not repent thy word, and that the
Brunswicker does not win the wager."

The first morning in May the Brunswicker rode into the castle and was
welcomed by the duke. All eyes were turned on the cup-bearer, who
shortly afterward appeared with a suite of pages carrying on a bier two
little casks, one bearing the Bavarian arms and the other those of
Brunswick. The right to give to the contents of the former a particular
name was reserved to the duke. The page produced likewise a monstrous
silver bumper and three beakers of the ordinary size. It was long before
the bumper was filled to the rim, and then it required two men to raise
it to the table. In the mean time another page placed the three beakers
before the knight, wh