make furnish this last story,
arrived one day at a little village in Lombardy, it being then early on
a Friday evening, and ordered his steward to have supper early, and to
go into the town and buy what he could, for he (the Bishop) was very
hungry, not having broken his fast all that day.

His servant obeyed him, and went to the market, and to all the
fishmongers in the town, to procure some fish, but, to make the story
short, not a single fish, in spite of all the efforts made by the
steward, could be found.

But, on returning to the inn, he met a countryman, who had two fine
partridges which he would sell very cheaply. The steward thought he
would secure them, and they would serve to make the Bishop a feast on
Sunday.

He bought them, a great bargain, and came to his master with the two
partridges in his hand, all alive, and fat, and plump, and told him of
his failure to get any fish, at which my Lord was not best pleased.

"And what can we have for supper?"

"My Lord," replied the steward, "I will get them to prepare you eggs in
a hundred thousand different ways, and you can have apples and pears.
Our host has also some rich cheese. We will do our best; have patience,
a supper is soon over, and you shall fare better to-morrow, God willing.
We shall be in a town which is much better provided with fish than this,
and on Sunday you cannot fail to dine well, for here are two partridges
which are plump and succulent."

The Bishop looked at the two partridges, and found them as the steward
said, plump, and in good condition, so he thought they would take the
place of the fish which he had lost. So he caused them to be killed and
prepared for the spit.

When the steward saw that his master wished to have them roasted, he was
astounded, and said to his master;

"My lord, it is well to kill them, but to roast them now for Sunday
seems a pity."

But the steward lost his time, for, in spite of his remonstrances, they
were put on the spit and roasted.

The good prelate watched them cooking, and the poor steward was
scandalized, and did not know what to make of his master's ill-ordered
appetite.

When the partridges were roasted, the table laid, the wine brought in,
eggs cooked in various ways, and served to a turn, the prelate seated
himself, said grace, and asked for the partridges, with mustard.

His steward wished to know what his master would do with these birds,
and brought them to him fresh from the fire,