CHAPTER I 

There lived a king hight Donrek, and he was King of Spain, and Hispania, and Cimbria, and Cumbria, and divers other islands and realms: he was passing rich and mighty, what with his folk and a many brave retainers; many a vassal-king and dukes and earls owed him their service and helped him nobly in his land's defence and in achieving treasure. As for him, he was the hardiest fighter, far-seeing, fierce to foes, yet kind and gentle unto friends, and wise of counsel. Great wisdom was lent him. His queen hight Selina; they both were very aged when this saga befell. The king got three sons by his queen; she was daughter of Hawk, King of Holstein, after whom the king's first son was named; the second hight Balant, after the king's father; the third Salman, after King Donrek's foster-father. The brothers were all great warriors, and they were grown up when this saga befell.
 

Now when King Donrek died, the lands were parted into inheritances, and Spain fell to Hawk, Hispania to Balant, while Salman became King of Cimbria. Balant ruled Hispania till his death, and he was a hardy fighter. King Hawk held his heritage but a short while, for a heathen king slew him and usurped his realm; he hight Malpriant, by birth of Scythia; the saga will tell of him anon. Salman was King of Cimbria, the which lieth the east of Valland, and was under Rome at the time; and he there became a fierce- tempered warrior, alike indomitable of will as invincible in warfare, yet therewithal gentle unto friends; his was a righteous rule, and he was beloved of all, the greatest and the least; in battle he never failed of victory. He took to wife a noble dame, Amba by name daughter of the Duke of Burgundy in France. King Salman greatly loved his queen, and suffered her to take no hurt, nor brooked he aught a man might do in her despite: their wedded life was of honourable accord; she was of gentle mood and yielding to her lord, and therewithal of so discerning mind that men deemed her passing wise; all marvelled at her and at her wisdom, and they loved her from their hearts; oft-times she saved the king from error. They had not been together long when the queen bore a man-child, fair and noble, and the child was brought afore the king that he might give it a name; the king let besprinkle it with water in Christian baptism, for the king kept the faith of Christian men after the papal rite, and the boy was given the name of Sigurd, and therewith the lands afore-named, save Spain, the which King Malpriant cowed from Christianity, as has been told.
 

CHAPTER 11
 

Now time passed and the queen was with child a second time. But there in the land of the king was a spae-wife or wise woman, come of high descent; she was not of elfin-kind, but so grim withal that folk were adread of her; and she was eke a great clerk of necromancy and of ancient lore; she was sprung from the eastern realm of Gardar, and had fared through northern lands, and was held in worship of kings and noble chiefs, for she was sought whenas queens and the wives of famous men were a-nigh child-bearing, that she might bespeak the children's fate and fortune, the which men deemed followed her spells mostwhiles at least; wherethrough she grew mightily rich and very masterful. Now when Queen Amba bore the aforenamed son, the witch was not besought to sit by her as was the wont; whereat the witch waxed very wroth, and she enfierced her wrath by magic spells.
 

And when the time was nigh the queen should be abed, the witch betook herself to the palace of the king, till she met the queen within her pleasaunce, when she greeted her thus: " Thy fortune and thy life's delight stand now in fairest bloom, but lay this to heart that ere long thou shalt lose all save life alone Thy king shall be slain in war; of his weapons none shall strike home when he fights against his foes; thy son too shall meet a death of shame, and so hard shall it go with thee that death shall seem thee dearer than life and that son of thine thou goest with shall be of little joy to thee, for all men shall hold him witless. Ofttimes have I met with honour from princes higher than ye be, and the greatest of men and chieftains have ne'er slighted me in anywise, much less my peers, but ye two have done so exceedingly, but your pride shall be brought low."
 

At this foreboding of the witch the queen was sorely troubled, and she went afore the king, and told him of all that had passed. The king grew very wroth, called his men to him, and bade them seize the witch and let her die a wretched death, but the queen spake:-- "Our bale is not thus bettered, for if the witch sees not remedy for our woes none other will avail, and more belike, if some friendliness be shown her.,, The king said: "Dost thou deem that from that evil sprite aught of friendship will be shown us for our son's avail ? " "I will assay it," said the queen, " and let us spread a banquet for the witch with great pomp and largess, and I would now, king, that thou go with me to her on this errand." The king made answer that the worst of sprites might to her in his stead.
 

The queen went then from the king to seek the witch, and made her blithe of speech, though her heart was sad within. As she reached her the witch was journey-bound; the queen said to her: "From my want of wisdom have I done this to put dishonour on thee, and I would fain now make amends, and I offer thee our friendship, and gifts, and feasts, and all the worship we may show thee, and I would that thou bide with us here until my child be born into the world." The witch said: "This I shall not grant, for it will be long time ere thy folly may be mended, but I shall come again when thy child-bed begins, and thou shalt then not
need to seek me out."
 

Thus they spake and the witch went her way. And when the queen knew her sickness near, the witch came again, and she was then otherwise than she was erst, in her temper to wit. The queen gave her a blithe welcoming, and the witch was wondrous tender with her, and placed her on a stately bed. The queen had a long sickness and hard, and bore at length a man-child, the which was very big and unsightly, darkskinned, and with bristle hair, black as coal, yet beautiful by reason of his eyes. The queen had the boy brought afore the king, but he became thereat most cross and heavy, and forthwith bade them take the child away; he would pay the child no heed, nor give it a name, but least would he set eyes upon the witch, or have aught friendly dealing with her; whereat the queen was sore aggrieved, and the witch was filled with grim anger; and all men deemed the king's behaviour was unseemly herein.
 

The witch nurtured the queen with greatest care, and brought her from her bed at the wonted time; she tarried there thereafter for three months, and the queen bade her live there to the day of her death, or so long as she would; the witch said something else was toward. The queen sped her with rich farewell-gifts, and the witch was well content; but the day the witch was going thence she entered the chamber where the queen abode and where the child was fostered; the queen was holding her little son in her arms, at the breast; the witch grew sad, for now she felt tenderly towards the queen; fain would she bid her farewell. Said she to the queen:
 

"To no one have I been angered out of all measure save to thee, and evil have I boded for thee and thine. This may not be bettered, for fate above rules, swayed by Him who is mightier than men, but 'tis meet that I should guerdon thy kindliness, and this son of thine shall profit of thy merit somewhat at least; he shall be the honour of all his race: thou shalt name him after thine own name, for he shall favour thee and his mother's kin."
 

Then she kissed the queen and the boy, weeping the while, and said: "My mere promise will stand him in little stead. She then went her way, but the queen sat still beside the cradle of the child, rocking it to soothe the child; she heaved a deep sigh from her troubled breast and called the boy Ambales.
 

Now the king's sons grew up in the realm each unlike the other in all things. Sigurd was passing fair to look on, and hard- tempered so that he yielded no whit to any man, and in all skill and cunning he was most famed and foremost. Ambales was all unsightly, much bigger than his brother, would hearken unto none, nor learn aught good; but was most stubborn with all men; he was larger-limbed than other folk; in all his ways he seemed to have but few his like, and the courtiers and the king called him Amlode.
 

So time passed till the king's sons were ten and eight years old, and in these years nought befell but what is told....
 
 

Faustinus was standing near, and forbade them to give the king a death-wound, for " Ye shall hang him on a gallows, the very same on which Methulus is hanging." He bade them fetch the sons of the king, and so it was done. Then he had the king hanged on the gallows. Faustinus said to the sons of the king: " Now ye shall have a sight of how lustily the king your father meets death." He had them led up to the gallows. And when Sigurd saw his father die so grievously, he wept sorely, and wrapped the skirt of his cloak around his head, but Ambales went boldly near, and stared at the body of his father while he was in his death- throes. Ambales laughed most gleefully at every pang that stirred his father's body, and he became the gayer the more life waned. At this the heathens wondered so much that they were struck silent. Then Faustinus asked the king's elder son how sorely he took it to look thereon; but he said: "Great grief of heart dost thou cause me with thy cruelty, and if I might have some respite before death, and should fortune help me, as I fain would wish, then shouldst thou have a death threefold worse than this." Thereat Faustinus had him hanged beside his father. All this but added to the sport and jollity of Ambales, so that he laughed loudly. He seized whatever he might lay hands on, and pelted his brother therewith while the life was passing from him. All said that such a dog as he was could not be found. Then the court asked Faustinus whether this fool should be killed, but he said it mattered little; he might as well live and be sport for him and for his lords.
 

Gamaliel did so, and thus swore he to the king oaths of allegiance. Faustinus said: "Thou shalt give us rede, and I shall hearken to thee, as shall my men." Gamaliel said:_ "It shall be so as long as faith does not fail on thy side.'' Thereafter Faustinus bade men take the crown of King Salman and all the kingly gear, and he set on his head the precious crown, and placed the sceptre in his hand, and so made himself king of King Salman's land and empire. He bade them fetch the queen, and when she came she was in sorry plight, and wept so grievously as her heart would all to-break. King Faustinus bade her be of goodly cheer, and said: "I would act kindly toward thee, and thou shalt have from me all that thou wouldst, if thou wilt be called my queen." But this made her grief the greater, and the king saw she would not yield thereto.
 

So the day passed till the time when folk betake themselves to rest. Faustinus lay upon the bed which had been the king's, and he bade the men bring the queen thither by force. His servants did as he bade them. The queen now saw that her will was of no avail: she was carried thither by force and unclad, and thereafter laid down beside the king, weeping aloud. But when the king was wishful to come anigh her with his wooing, a great sickness fell upon him so that he might scarcely hold himself; all strength of being passed away from him.
 

CHAPTER 13
 

WHEN these bridales were over, Faustinus went with his queen to his home in Cimbria, and settled there within his realm. His queen hight Ceta; she was longtime hard in her manner towards him, for she had wedded him maugré her will, but the king loved her well, and did much to please her, and so softened her mood, and moreover, she had converse with Christian men. Their wedded life was fruitless; they had no child. The land was governed with great rigour, and no mercy was shown.  Gamaliel sought to quiet things as best he might, and pleaded for the lives of men, but first for the life of Amba and her son.
 

And now the saga turns to Ambales, who grew up in the court of Faustinus unlike to all men in his conduct; he seemed the ugliest in gait and look and temper. He kept mostwhile in the kitchen-stead, and fed on whatsoever was there, and he stayed there till he was glutted, and folk deemed he made a huge hole in the dish he tasted; but when the maids said aught to him, he bespattered them with fire and with hot swill, and stinted not till he was sated. His face and head were most uncanny, what with dirt and filth; and if a man strove to mend his ways and washed his face and clthes, forthwith he befouled them anew with dirt and filth.  If one spake kindly to him he spake evil in return, but to a man that showed him hate he was passing kind.
 

He plied no other work than the wittling of long wooden spits, and he stuck them with their points into the glowing fire, and none could tell for what these spits were destined. Anigh to the kitchen-stead there was a children's playhouse for the children of the townsmen, and beside it was a wretched hovel belonging unto Ambales, and therein he kept his sticks, and he closed it with a huge stone. He cared greatly for the servants, sports; he said nought when things went amiss; if one hurt himself he laughed right madly, but when things fared well he showed himself full wroth. He seemed withal most like unto fools, yet as to grows and thews he excelled all others of the town; and so time passed till he was twelve years old. He was wont to dress in a blue cloak, with a leathern girdle round his waist, and a hat fitted to his head, as was the guise then in the land.
 

Queen Amba was greatly troubled for her son, and she grieved mightily for him--but through Gamaliel kindness was always shown to her and to her son. Once on a time King Faustinus made a goodly feast at greatest cost, and bade thereto the chieftains of his realm, and all men deemed it a right welcome thing to be bidden of the king. Now when the feast was at its height, the king bade that Ambales should come thither, and servants of the king were sent for him.
 

They saw where a big and broad-shouldered fellow sat by the fire on a chair and eat, and the kitchen-wenches were at quarrel with him, for they would not have him spoil their dishes, and he was pelting them with fire and swill, and they screamed aloud and made for him, and cries and howls and shrieks might then be heard. To the messengers their dealings seemed good sport, and they watched him closely, and deemed he fed for all the world like to an alderman, so that his like could not be found for gluttony. They told him in commanding voice do ... for the king's hall. He growled thereat and his face grew red, and he stood up and sprung before them, and stepped hard upon the earth so that it trembled. He came to the door of the hall and went in, and ashes and filth reeked off him, and men deemed a most foul stench came with him. He greeted no one, but glared about the benches, and when he saw the Count Gamaliel on a high seat there, he sprang thither swiftly and struck him a great blow, and
people judged that in this he had ill repaid his kindly friend. Ambales began then to disport himself in foolish fashion, and folk laughed much at him.
 

Addomolus said to the king:_"The cur is full of guile and falsehood, and hides his anger under wiliness; 'twere best for thee to have him slain with all dispatch, ere he compass thy death." Ambales heard what he said, and ran up to him with all blitheness, even as when a child cheers up unto his mother, and he pranked right merrily before him, and he doffed his hose, and barelegged gambolled upon the floor.
 

At this the folk there in the hall had great delight, and many laughed at his doings, but he paid no heed to the word of any man. The king spake to him and said: " Wilt thou not behave in seemly fashion and remember what becomes thee? I will drink to thee now, and thou shalt drink to me." The king did so: the cup-bearers poured out a costly drink into a large goblet and bore it to the king, who took it, and bade Ambales to take it of him. Ambales did so, but paid no courtesy unto the king, and drank to
half the goblet, and went then to Addomolus, and wth all courtesy and reverence reached him the cup. Addomolus frowned thereat, but yet he took the cup and asked the king if he should drink. The king replied that he might do so. And he drank of the cup and gave it back to Ambales, who took it in his hand with all due courtesy, and held it up and said: "The king may be thankful that there is not in my power that which I wish and he doth merit; without the means a man can do nought though he would."
 

He spat then in the cup and placed it on the board afore the king. The king grew mightily wroth, and seized his sword, and raised it at Ambales, but he sprang away, out of the reach of the blow, so that the sword touched him not, but stuck in the floor. Ambales swung him anon toward the king, seized the sword with his right hand, pulled it from the king, and holding it by the point he reached him the hilt; but soon enough the king deemed he was in jeopardy of death, for Ambales turned the sword.
The king called then for weapons, and bade men come and put Ambales to death, and then Ambales gave back the sword unto the king, and the king doubted whether Ambales was to be slain or not; but the courtiers said 'twere greatest shame to put Ambales to death, since he had had it in his power to slay the king and many others too, for he had had in his grip the naked sword, and it might be said with truth that Ambales had spared the king's life and his men's.
 

The king then sheathed his sword; till then Ambales had stood in reach of it, quiet and of friendly aspect, but when he saw Faustinus sheathe his sword, he grew full sullen. The king said to him:" Where didst thou feel sorest when thou sawest thy father die?" Ambales laughed heartily and answered: "In the buttocks." At this the folk laughed merrily, and there was great glee in the hall. Men said that in word and in deed Ambales was passing droll, but the Christians there were sore aggrieved; they sat together all in a row, and thither Ambales now brought his play, and his sport before them was of the foulest, and thereat the merriment in the hall waxed mightily, though a many wished him dead. But men said he might as well live for the sport of men, and Ambales went from the hall into the kitchen stead.
 

CHAPTER 14
 

Now when Amlode came into the kitchen-stead he found his mother there, and Queen Ceta and her maids sat beside the gleeds on chairs, but the cauldrons were not then a-boiling, and Ambales seized aloft his mother on her chair and placed her on the cauldron-hearth, so that her clothes began to singe. then Quenn Ceta together with her maidens rushed thither and caught up Queen Amba, and bore her to the door, but all the stool was burnt. and now they rushed in great terror to the king's hall, and told of Ambales' doings, all as had befallen, and they all said he was the wretchedest fool, and would never come to the wit of man, or to any breeding, and no one need fear vengeance from him. And then all there agreed that he should live to be the sport of men.
 

Now the king was most stern in his rule, and not the least so with lazy folk and evil-doers; he made slaves of them for the most part, but they that would not bestir themselves he had slain. Once he spake with his courtiers and said: "It seemeth wrong that Ambales with skill and prowess to achieve whatso he lists yet doeth naught of any profit. Wherefore I would try whether he cannot stay with the herdsman and guard the herds.," Gamaliel and the other counsellors said it might well be tried. The herdsmen were told to take him with them.
 

They went to the kitchen-stead where Ambales was whittling at his spits, as was his wont, and they asked him of what use they were. "For father-revenge and not for father-revenge,' he said. They bade him go with them, and told him the king's bidding and his pleasure. He rose swiftly, and went with them; but such was the speed of his walking that they soon lost sight of him; yet he took his course in the right direction toward a certain mountain where the herds were to be sought; when they reached the mountain noonday was passed, and the weather was very hot, with a gentle breeze. There was a water on one side of the mountain, bottomless and very dark. Ambles awaited there his comrades, and there they found him. Swiftly then he went down to the water, and lay flat beside it, turning his ears now here now there, as he listened for something; then he stood up and said to his comrades:_" Into water wind has come, out of water wind will go; " but these words they deemed were madness, and they went up to the mountain; there were six of them, and he was the seventh...
 

CHAPTER 15
 

AMLODE went to the kitchen-stead and sat him down in an unwonted spot, somewhat nearer to the upper end of the place, and the women thought him even more dazed than at other times; they bore to him the meat they knew he best liked, and he fed to his heart's content. The herdsmen were in the king's hall, and told him and his men what great help Ambales had been to them in the fight by reason of his mighty strength. The king asked about his words, or had he said nothing; and they told him all the truth. The king then said: "Amlode's words are wise and witless."
 

The day was then spent, but the storm raged beyond all measure, so that towers fell far and wide. The king said: " Oft in sooth, fools guess truth,' and from the story of the herdsmen, many deemed this true of Ambales, for he would never grow to the wisdom of man, but remain a fool as long as he lived, and none need fear him. The king said he would not again put them to such trials by sending Ambales along with them; the men said 'twas to be hoped so.
 

Then said Addomolus, the steward of the king "Verily, king, thou art foolish to regard this traitor with thy favour, for his treachery will in the end betray thee of thy life, and Queen Amba will join him in that plan, and with their wiles they will encompass thee and bring thy people to destruction, for where is Amlothe wont to bide at night?
 

I shall soon ferret the matter and learn their wicked plans. The king was silent, for he was fond of the earl. He said: "How can it be that Gamaliel hates me, seeing that he has saved me from death this very moment ? He would not have done this had he been wishful of my death." Addomolus said: "Nay, he merits it, but I shall beware they do not easily betray us."
 

CHAPTER 18.
 

One evening Addomolus went to Queen Amba's chamber. and he hid him 'neath the bed. The queen was then asleep, as were her serving-maids, but she awoke anon and bade them kindle light, for she awaited the coming of her son, who was then a-sodding meat in the kitchen-stead. When he had done his toil he entered the king's hall to note what men were seated there, and when he was aware that Addomolus sat not at the king's table, he hied to his mother's chamber, to where his weapons lay heaped all together; and he clutched a huge spear and raged with it at the queen's serving-maids, and thrust it at them in all directions, with hideous jeers and ugly noises, so that they huddled away, and deemed they owed their life then to their feet. He then made wild onsets at his mother, and at whiles pushed at her with the spear, but she kept quiet in her bed, while he thrust his spear here and there and all about, and even through the windows, but in the midst of all his madness suddenly he seemed aware of some thing 'neath a bed there, and he leapt on the bed and thrust the spear right through it, and that same moment the queen heard a cry of  "Ah!" but Ambales strained his voice louder, so that they drowned the cries, and he laid him then on the shaft of the spear, and lay on it as long as he thought would suffice, and then he drew it out and saw blood thereon, and laughed loudly, and put the spear into the bundle where it was wont to lie, and he made mirth out of all measure, and his glee was heard through all the dwelling. A multitude rushed thither, and Ambales welcomed them with blithe cheer, and sported with them, and even where three were matched with him at once, he came off best; but no one knew of the dead man there, and things were thus, until near dawn when men betook themselves to rests.
 

Now when Ambales saw that all men were asleep he group and took the corpse of the dead man, and bore it to the swine- place, and cut it into bits, and put it into the swill with other carcases, and gave it to the swine to eat, so they eat him up to the last morsel; but his clothes he burnt. Afterwards he washed the blood from the spot where he had killed him, and dried the spot with glowing gleeds, and then he went to bed. During the day, when men had gone to their seats, the king missed the steward, and he was sought for all about, but was nowhere to be found. Ambales went to the kitchen-stead to take his meal. As he sat beside the fire. He said: "A man I saw pinned right under a car, I remember it not..Swine did he tend with a dainty morsel, nor did I see that."
 

Then he went into woods and wastes as was his wont. The king was much troubled at the disappearance of Addomolus, and they searched for him a whole month, but no trace of him was found. Word reached the king's ear of what Ambales had spoken in the kitchen-stead, and he had him called to him, and asked him after Addomolus, but he spake the same words as before.
Men thought it all unlikely that he had killed Addomolus, for he was the greatest of warriors, and folk were of one mind in deeming that Drafnar must have murdered him, but that Ambales had given his corpse unto the swine, and so the matter rested.
 

"'Twill come to pass, the king said, " as I have long misdoubted me, that Ambales will be this sprite: his death shall no longer be delayed; his wiliness has availed to put it on. "The queen said: "Dost thou think thou wilt escape thy death thereby, should he be slain? though he die thy bane will live." All men said that the words of the queen were true. Then the king's temper abated, and
he bade Gamaliel give counsel. Gamaliel said: " I counsel thee to send Ambales out of this land unto King Malpriant, and bid him watch him: if he continue in his present ways, Malpriant may let him live for the sport of himself and of his men, but if he change toward wisdom and good sense, bid him have him put to death." The king deemed this counsel most wise, and bade them prepare for the journey.
 

...and he called Cimbal and Carvel before him and bade them to go on this journey: "Ye two," said he, "must stay with King Tamerlan and serve him with the host that I shall send thither.', The king ordained then a thanks giving festival for his gods once more, and there was great joy.
 

CHAPTER 24
 

Now when the messengers were all ready, the king gave them a noble dragon-ship, which had formerly belonged to King Salman. It had golden vanes and wended sails, and was all steel-bound down to the sea-mark.
 

The king placed a letter in the hands of Cimba1 and Carvel, which read as follows:_"Luck and prosperity befall thee and thy folk, King Tamerlaus, my brother! These people send I thee for thy succour, and with them send I eke a fool, begotten of King Salman, and I bid thee observe whether his conduct in word and deed be at all human; an it be, let him be slain, but if thou art convinced 'tis not so, then mayst thou let him live to make sport for thee and for thy men. Farewell!" So they went aboard. Ambales accompanied them, and things fared ill with them; but at last they reached Scythia, and they put in at a rocky strand, for there was no proper harbourage there. They went a-land; a wilderness stretched before them; after a time they found a small farmstead; the carl was standing without; he did not welcome his guests, but they rushed into the dwelling all unbidden. The carlin was sitting in the upper loft, her wenches with her: she on her part gave the guests blithe welcoming: her name was Artes. She set before them on the board flesh of sheep and goats and swine and fowl, cut up ready into portions, there, and after the meal they lay down to sleep.
 

Ambales snored heavily for a while until the others were all fast asleep, when he got up and made their sleep even sounder, and took the letter which Cimbal carried with him, and broke it open and unfolded it, and read it, and thereafter tied it to a string, and threw it into the water, and it sank. He then wrote another letter in its stead, and set the king's seal thereon, and arranged all as before, and laid himself down again and snored wearily. And as the day wore on the Vikings awoke and they went their way, but Ambales remained behind asleep in his lair.
 

He went aboard and put out to sea, and a fair wind brought him under the coast of Cimbria, and held his ship out on the main
all the time till Yule-tide. Now it was the custom of the brothers to invite each other to a Yule-feast, and it was Malpriant's turn to come to his brother Faustinus to a Yule-feast in Cimbria. And he had come thither with a great multitude of men. And when the Yule-feast had ended, the brothers were minded to make a war-raid upon Scythia, in order to seize their patrimony and slay King Tamerlaus.
 

The evening before the eighth day of Yule Ambales brought his ship into the harbour, but he did not moor his vessel there. He went alone a-land, wearing a disguising raiment, the very garment he had formerly worn in Cimbria. He had ordered his men to put off from the land at such a distance that they might not be seen; they were to come to him again when two nights had passed. On the evening of the eighth day Ambales made for the hall; he wore over his clothes the cloak that Drafn had given him; he had silken raiment beneath; on his head he had a grotesque mask, after the fashion of the fools of the time. He went straight to the kennel where he had aforetime stored his spits, and he took them all out, and put them into a leathern bag, which he tied up so that none might be lost. Then he loitered about until he deemed the proper time had come for him to enter the hall.
 

He heard a loud noise of revelling within, as he dragged the load after him to the doors of the hall. The doorkeepers suffered him to enter, but though he himself passed in, the load needed more room than the doorway would allow; then he twisted the rope around his waist and tugged at it with all his might, and at last the load was got through; and when he was well within, he stumbled upon the floor, and gave himself a nasty fall; and thereat there arose great glee in the hall, and men said 'twas good sport, and had come at the right moment. The fool then made vain efforts to get upon his feet again, and staggered with his load up the hall, so that at last he got it beneath the table of the king: no one paid any heed thereto, nor had suspicion that it meant more than they saw. And then, like an ape, he began all sorts of antics, and disported himself strangely, and there was great glee at his pranks, and they gave him good choice of meat and drink. And so he went on unceasingly, but at last he took rest beneath the benches of the hall. Nor was he idle there; stealthily he drew the robes of those who sat on the benches down through the holes, and pinned them to the other side with his spits. He did not stay there long, but came forth again and made sport for them with his fool's tricks. And soon all were so besotted that they were beside themselves with drunkenness and with mirth. When the night was far advanced, the fool made his way to Queen Amba and threw a bundle into her lap; she started thereat and turned red, and flung it to Gamaliel, who undid it, and found therein a letter which he read in a whisper into the ears of the queen; and then she saw what was toward, and she fell a-weeping, and asked leave to go away, and bade Queen Ceta go with her; and so they passed out of the hall, and with them all the Christians who were there but the fool went on with his pranks, so as to turn their minds from the departure of the queen; and when he was nigh bringing his sport to an end, their guest suddenly turned to Gamaliel, and gently carried him in his arms out of the hall, and slammed the door to, and even as he leapt over the threshold, flames burst forth from a bundle which lay there, and the hall was soon all ablaze, and those who would have fled were pinned fast to their seats, and there was great whooping and lamentation, and the hall and all the people therein were burnt: both the kings, and two sons of the King of Spain, lost their lives there, and some two thousand men besides.