ce, it was _he_ who would have been slain, and not the lion. He
swelled with pride and conceit at the ease with which he had won the
victory, and never noted that the clue of thread was no longer in his
hands.

'Ah, lovely princess, I come to seek my reward,' cried he to himself,
and turned his face towards the palace. But a little way on he spied
seven trees, very fair to view, all covered with fruit that shone
temptingly in the sun. He gathered a cluster that hung just above his
head, and when he had eaten that, he thought that it tasted so delicious
he really must have another, and another also.

He was still eating when three men passed by, and asked him what he was
doing there. The knight was so puffed up that he did not answer them
civilly after his manner, but gave them rude words, for which in return
he received buffets. In the end, the men dragged him away from the tree
and flung him into a ditch that was full of water, and his armour
weighed him down, so that he could not get out. Then at last he
remembered his clue, and felt for it, but it was not there, and his
pride broke down, and he saw that he had brought his ruin on himself.
And in despair he lifted up his voice and cried, 'O Lady of Solace, help
me, I beseech you, in my great need, for I am nigh dead.' He shut his
eyes for very misery, but opened them again in a moment, for a lady
stood by him, and she said:

'Did not I tell you that if you lost the clue you could never more find
your way out of the garden? I will lift you out of the ditch, but, for
the clue, you must seek for it yourself till you find it.' And with that
she vanished.

* * * * *

Not that day did the knight find the clue, nor the next, nor the next.
Faint and weary was he, but he dared not eat of the fruit that was
around him, some hanging from the boughs of trees and some growing on
the ground. At length he wandered back to the spot where he had fought
with the lion, and there, covered with blood, lay the clue he had so
long sought. By its help he was led to the tree with the golden fruit,
which stood at the far end of the garden, and plucking one of the boughs
he turned to retrace his steps, wondering, now that he held the thread,
at the shortness of the way.

'Here is the branch, O Emperor! and now give me the princess,' he said,
kneeling and laying the bough down on the steps of the throne. And the
emperor could not gainsay him, but bade his of