ery day to view the
preparations, and praised the skill and forethought of Slyboots. Besides
all this, several dozen bakehouses were built in the open air, and a
special guard of soldiers was stationed before each. They slaughtered
for the feast a thousand oxen, two hundred calves, five hundred swine,
ten thousand sheep, and many more small animals, which were driven
together in flocks from all quarters. Stores of provisions were
constantly brought by river in boats and barges, and by land in waggons,
and this went on without intermission for several weeks. Seven thousand
hogsheads were brewed of beer alone. Although the seven hundred
assistants toiled late and early, and many additional labourers were
engaged, yet most of the toil and trouble fell upon Slyboots, who was
obliged to look sharply after the others at every point. He had warned
the cooks, the bakers, and the brewers, in the most stringent manner,
not to allow any strange mouth to taste the food or drink, and any one
who broke this command was threatened with the gallows. If such a greedy
stranger should make his appearance anywhere, he was to be brought
immediately to the superintendent of the preparations.

On the morning of the first day of the feast, word was brought to
Slyboots that an unknown old man had come into one of the kitchens, and
asked the cook to allow him to taste a little from the soup-kettle with
a spoon, which the cook could not permit him to do on his own
responsibility. Slyboots ordered the stranger to be brought before him,
and presently he beheld a little old man with grey hair, who humbly
begged to be allowed to taste the food and drink prepared for the
banquet. Slyboots told him to come into one of the kitchens, when he
would gratify his wish if it were possible. As they went, he scanned the
old man sharply, to see whether he could not detect something strange
about him. Presently he observed a shining gold ring on the ring-finger
of the old man's left hand. When they reached the kitchen, Slyboots
asked, "What security can you give me that no harm shall come of it if I
let you taste the food?" "My lord," answered the stranger, "I have
nothing to offer you as a pledge." Slyboots pointed to the fine gold
ring and demanded that as a pledge. The old fellow resisted with all his
might, protesting that the ring was a token of remembrance from his
dead wife, and he had vowed never to take it from his hand, lest some
misfortune should happe