urgomaster consented heartily, for he was a man to whom treachery
was entirely foreign, and therefore not prone to suspect that vice in
others; nevertheless he took the simple precautions of arming himself
and making his destination known to his friends before he set out.
When he arrived at the monastery resplendent in the rich garments
countenanced by the fashion of the time, he was told that the Archbishop
was in the garden.

"Will you walk in our humble garden with his Highness?" the canons asked
the Burgomaster, and he, a lover of nature, bade them lead the way.

The garden was truly a lovely spot, gay with all manner of flowers and
fruit; but Grein looked in vain for his host. "His Highness," said the
wily canons, "is in the private garden, where only the heads of the
Church and their most honoured guests are admitted. Ah, here we are!
Enter, noble Burgomaster; we may go no farther."

With that they stopped before a strong iron-bound door, opened it, and
thrust the old man inside. In a moment the heavy door had swung to with
a crash, and Grein found himself in a narrow, paved court, with high,
unscalable walls on every side. And from a dark corner there bounded
forth to meet him a huge lion! With a pious prayer for help the
Burgomaster drew his sword, wrapped his rich Spanish mantle round his
left arm, and prepared to defend himself against his adversary. With a
roar the lion was upon him, but with wonderful agility the old man leapt
to one side. Again the great beast sprang, endeavouring to get the man's
head between its jaws. Again and again Grein thrust valiantly, and in
one of these efforts his weapon reached the lion's heart and it rolled
over, dead. Weak and exhausted from loss of blood, the Burgomaster lost
consciousness.

Ere long he was roused from his swoon by the awe-inspiring tones of the
alarm-bell and the sound of a multitude of voices. A moment later he
recalled his terrible struggle with the lion, and uttered a devout
thanksgiving for his escape from death.

Meanwhile the people, growing anxious at his prolonged absence, and
fearing that some ill had befallen him, had hastened to the monastery.
The two canons, seeing the approaching crowd, ran out to meet them,
wringing their hands and exclaiming that the Burgomaster had strayed
into the lion's den and there met his death. The angry crowd, in nowise
deceived by their pretences, demanded to be shown the lion's den.
Arrived there, they broke down