Chapter 40 Chapter Forty

Ghosts go away King Richard is at it again. "Richard III" [Note: Shakespeare's historical play. 】 Now we must come back to the knight in black armor, who, after leaving the dating tree of the green men of the forest, went straight to a nearby monastery, not large and profitable, called the monastery of St. Bodolph; After the fall of Quilstone Castle, the wounded Ivanhoe was transferred there under the escort of the loyal Ge Si and the selfless Wang Ba.As for the affairs between Ivanhoe and his rescuers during this time, there is no need to mention them now; Some messengers, by the next morning, the knight in black armor was ready to embark on a journey, and the clown Wang Ba as his guide, set off with him.

We can meet at Fort Coning, the castle of the late Althelstan, he said to Ivanhoe, your father Cedric will hold a funeral feast for his noble relatives there, I would like to take this opportunity to get to know a little more Your Saxon kinsmen, Sir Wilfred, get to know each other a little better.I will meet you there, and I am obliged to mediate between you and your father. He said this as he bid Ivanhoe farewell, and Ivanhoe expressed his wish to go with his rescuer, but the black knight would not agree. Today you have to rest, and tomorrow your body may not be able to hurry.I just need the honest Wang Ba to guide me. He can be a priest and a clown at the same time, which is perfect for me.

I'll serve you with all my heart, said Wang Ba, and I'd like to see how the banquet at Athelstan's funeral is going. If it's not rich enough, he'll get up and swear at the cook, the butler, and the cupbearer. Don, it's well worth a look.I have always trusted your courage, my lord knight, and if my wit should fail, I know you will intercede for me before Cedric's master. What's the use of my courage, Mr. Clown, when your wit is useless?You explain it to me. Wit can do a lot, lord knight, replied the clown. He is a quick-witted man who can see the weaknesses of others, and knows how to get into a safe haven when someone loses his temper.But courage is a strong and unyielding tough guy who is good at overcoming obstacles and opening up roads.He is not afraid of wind and waves, and dares to sail against the wind.Therefore, my lord knight, when my master is in peace, I may take advantage of the calm weather to win him;

Lord of the Shackles, since you like that title, I will call you that, Ivanhoe said, fearing that you may have picked a loquacious, troublesome fool as your guide.But he knows every road and byway in the woods, like a hunter who haunts there; and, as you have probably seen, the poor fool is as solid as steel. Nothing, said the knight, as long as he has the ability to lead me the way, he will joke and joke, and I will not vomit with him.Good-bye, my dear Wilfred; I ask you to rest and not start until tomorrow at the earliest. Saying so, he stretched out his hand to Ivanhoe, let him raise it to his lips and kissed it, then bid farewell to the elder of the monastery, got on the horse, and took his companions away like a bastard.Ivanhoe watched them until they disappeared deep into the surrounding woods before returning to the hermitage.

But shortly after morning prayers, he asked to see the elders.The elder came quickly and asked about his health with concern. Very good, he said, better than my most optimistic estimate, maybe my injury was not serious at first, but I thought it was serious because of the bleeding, or maybe the ointment had a magical effect on it.Now I already felt as if I could wear armor; and it was very good, for some facts worried me, and I thought twice about going. Listen, that's what the saints can't do, says the elder, and the son of Cedric the Saxon leaves our hermitage before his wounds are healed!It would be remiss of me if I did not discourage it.

I don't want to leave your hospitable monastery either, venerable elder, Ivanhoe replied, but I think I can afford the long journey, and I have urgent business to do, so I have to leave now. What's your hurry and you have to leave immediately?said the elder. Elder, have you ever had a feeling that something bad is coming, but you can't explain why?Do you sometimes feel a shadow over your heart, as if a dark cloud suddenly floated over the sun-drenched land, heralding the coming of a storm?I think this kind of mood is worth noting. It seems that our patron saint is reminding us to guard against the emergence of danger. Don't you think so?

I do not deny that there is such a thing, said the elder, that the sign of the cross upon the breast is a warning from heaven; but its presence always has an evident practical purpose and inclination.What's more, you are so wounded, even if you follow the person you want to help, how can you save him when he is attacked? Elder, Ivanhoe said, you guessed wrong, I am quite strong enough to deal with anyone who dares to challenge me.And even if it were not so, should he be in danger, should I have no other means of helping him than by force?It is well known that the Saxons do not like the Normans, and if he intrudes among them, they are very angry at the death of Athelstan, and have drunk enough wine at the funeral feast, and their heads are hot. , who knows what they will do?I always feel that it is very dangerous for him to run among them at this time. I must share or prevent this danger; in order to better accomplish this task, I ask you to lend me a horse. The horses run more smoothly.

Of course, replied the good old man, you may ride my own little Spanish pony, who loves to skate, and I hope it will be as comfortable for you as the horse of the Abbess of St. Alban's Abbey. of.About Malkin, that's his name, I must say, unless you can borrow a juggler's horse, the kind that can walk among eggs with a whistle, you will never find a better horse. A tamer, smoother mount.Many of my sermons, written on its back, have been very instructive to the minds of my cloistered brethren, and of many unfortunate Christians. Dear priest, Ivanhoe said, please make Malkin ready immediately, and order Ge Si to take my weapon and go with me on the road.

But, my brother, said the elder, you must remember that Malkin is as ignorant of war as his master, and I cannot guarantee that he will be indifferent to your armor and its weight.Oh, seriously, Malkin is a brainy beast, and he will not submit to any overburden.Once I borrowed a "Summa of Knowledge" from the priest of St. Beese's Abbey. When it saw it, it just stood at the gate and refused to move a step, until I replaced this large volume with my little prayer book. It just started. Don't worry, Father, said Ivanhoe, I won't burden him too much; but if he gets in trouble with me, he'll probably have to suffer.

When he made this answer, Ge Si was fastening a pair of large gilt spurs on his heels, which were enough to convince any restless horse that it was the safest course to obey the wishes of its rider. The cogs on the spurs were long and sharp, and Ivanhoe's heel was now equipped with this weapon, and the good old man, regretting his kindness, cried out: "Oh wait, my good boy, Come to think of it, my Malkin couldn't take spurs.You'd better wait a little while, I'll have the mare we are in charge brought to you from the farm, it's only an hour or so, she is obedient, and will carry firewood for us in winter, and she can pull as much as you want. No need to eat wheat.

Thank you, my lord priest, but keep the original arrangement, because Malkin is led to the gate, I see.Ge Si will carry the armor for me. As for the rest, you just have to rest assured that I won't crush Malkin's back, and he won't make trouble with me.now, bye! So Ivanhoe, regardless of his injuries, ran down the steps quickly and ran towards the Spanish pony, trying to get rid of the elder's entanglement as soon as possible, lest he drag his old and fat body, try to follow him as closely as possible, and sing praises for Malkin later , for a while remind the knight to be careful, don't let the horse get hurt. Like the little girl, it is at the time when it needs the most attention, said the old man, laughing at his own joke, and he is not yet fifteen years old. But Ivanhoe was preoccupied with other things, and had no time to discuss the horse's gait with the elder. He didn't hear his serious admonitions and humorous jokes, so he jumped on the horse and ordered his followers (Ge Si) That’s how I call myself now) followed closely, and then ran into the forest along the route of the black-armored knight.The elder had no choice but to stand at the door of the hermitage, watching him leave, and sighing: Holy Mary!These soldiers are so impatient, so edgy!I regret lent Malkin to him; I've got rheumatism, and I can't walk, and what should I do if something happens to him.However, he calmed down again, and said that I would not even care about this old bone for the just cause of old England, so it is right for Malkin to take some risks for this great matter.Perhaps when the time comes for meritorious deeds, they will think of our poor hermitage, and perhaps reward us well, or give its elder a tame pony.But they might as well give nothing, because what big people do to little people is always easy to forget, and that's all right, since I did the right thing, I should think I got paid.Now it was nearly time, and it was time to summon the brothers to the dining hall for breakfast.well!It always seems to me that they are more eager to hear the call for supper than to hear the bells for morning prayers and morning lessons. So the elder of St. Bodolphe's monastery limped back to the dining hall to preside over the monks' breakfast.Just as the codfish and ale had just been brought to the table, he took his place breathlessly and solemnly, and said many cryptic words, as if the hermitage had expected a large bounty, and he himself had completed it. A monumental feat; these words would naturally interest the monks at other times, but now the cod is too salty, and the ale is too strong, and they are using their mouths with all their might, let them not use them too much and, as far as we know, none of the monks, except Father Digory, who was suffering from severe orthodontic pain and could only use one side of his The gums eat. At this moment, the knight in black armor and his guide were walking leisurely through the quiet paths in the forest. His garrulous mouth was idle; and their conversation, therefore, became a mixture of songs and jokes, which we would like to give the reader an idea of.You may wish to imagine this knight. His appearance is what we have already described: he is strong and strong, with broad shoulders, and he is really a tiger. His mount is a tall black war horse, which seems to be God. Created specifically for his weight, so it's easy to carry him around.The visor on the knight's helmet was lifted to make him breathe easier, but the lower half of the visor remained intact, so that only half of his face was exposed, but the tanned and rosy cheekbones were clearly visible, and the pair of His large, bright blue eyes also gleamed in the shadow of the raised mask; his whole posture and expression were carefree, bold and confident, a mood that never fears danger, even when it comes to sight, but as a A man of war and adventure, yet his mind never loses sight of danger. The jester still wore his usual grotesque clothes, but recent events had caused him to abandon his wooden sword for a sharp curved sword and a small shield to go with it; At that time, although he was not made for war, he was very proficient in using these two weapons.Indeed, the main problem with Wang Ba's mind is that he can't settle down for a moment. He can react sensitively to the things to be done or the problems to be considered in front of him in just a few minutes, but he can't maintain a posture for a long time , and cannot maintain a certain train of thought for a long time.Because of this, he was always swinging back and forth on the horse, throwing himself on the horse's ears for a while, lying on his back suddenly on the horse's buttocks; grimacing, and putting on a thousand falsehoods, until at last his horse grew impatient with his tricks, and threw him off his back, leaving him stretched out on the grass. His partner has since stabilized a little. When we met them, they were still traveling, and the two were happy, singing as they walked, this is a French folk song called Villeret, and the clown sings the refrain in a round voice, matching the better trained knight in chains .That song is this: Anna, Mary, dear, the sun has risen, Anna, Mary, dear, the morning begins, The fog is lifting, dear, the birds are singing, It's time to get up in the morning, my dear, Anna, Mary. Anna, Mary, dear, rise to the morning light, The hunter blew his sweet trumpets into the air, Rocks and trees send joyful echoes, It's time to get up, my dear, Anna, Mary. Wang Ba sings: Oh Tibbert, dear, don't wake me up, Sweet dreams are lingering on my soft pillow, Oh Tibbert, the joy of waking How can it be compared with these visions in dreams? Let the birds shriek to the rising mists, Let the hunter blow his horn aloud on the mountain, Softer voices, sweeter joys in my dreams, But Tibbert, dear, don't think I'm dreaming of you. After they finished singing, Wang Ba said: This is a good song, I swear by my clown scepter, it contains beautiful meanings!I used to sing it with Gessy, who was once my playmate, and now, thanks to God and his master, he is quite free; one day we were drunk with this song, two hours after the sun rose, He was still lying on the bed and refused to get up, humming this song while half asleep and half awake, but was beaten with a stick. From then on, whenever he thought of this song, his bones ached.But I dressed up Anna, Mary, and sang this song for you, my lord knight. Then the jester hummed another tune, a farcical one, and the knight joined him in his tune. The knight and Wang Ba chorus: Three merry lads from South, West and North, Humming their tunes, going to Wycombe to propose to a widow, How could the widow say no to them?The first was a knight from the Vale of Tyne, He sang his song on and on; God bless, his ancestors are rich, How can you tell a widow to say no to him?His father was a lord, his uncle a squire, He blew his way in the tune; but she told him to go back to the fire, Because she, a widow, dared to ask him not to open his mouth. Wang Ba solo: The second claimed he was from a noble family, Singing his song with triumph; he was born of a gentleman's line in Wales, How can you say no to him if you call him a widow?His father was Sir David, David's father was Morgan, And Griffey and Xu.Duofeng and Rice; she said how a widow could marry so many men, It's better to ask him to find another Gao Ming, she dare not climb high.But then came a yeoman in Kent, He sang melodiously; he talked to the widow about his life and income, How could the widow say no to him? The two sing together: So the knight and squire stood dumbfounded, Had to find someone else to continue singing their songs; For the Kent yeoman has that yearly income, What widow would say no to him? Wang Ba, you sing so much about our rough and straightforward yeoman, said the knight, how happy they would be if our master of the dating tree, or his chaplain, the merry monk, heard it. I don't want them to hear it, Wang Ba said, but there is something interesting about the horn hanging on your shoulder strap. Yes, said the Cavaliers, this is a guarantee of Locksley's friendly wishes, and I don't necessarily need to use it.It is said that when necessary, I only need to use this trumpet to blow three notes, and immediately a group of honest yeomen will come to support us happily. God bless, said the Clown, I'd rather not have that guarantee, and they'll let us pass without a hitch. what do you mean?Said the knight, do you mean to say that without this assurance of friendship they will attack us? No, I don't want to say more, Wang Ba said, you must know that the wall has ears, and the woods also have ears.I just want to ask you a question; when, you say, is it better to have empty wineskins and purses than full? I don't think there will ever be a time like this.replied the knight. You answer so simply, you are never worthy to go out with a full booze and purse!You'd better drink your flagon before you hand it to the Saxon, and you'd better leave your money at home before you set off in the woods. So you think our friends are all bandits?said the Shackled Knight. I don't say that, Sir Knight, said Wang Ba, when a man is going on a long journey, it is better to take off his armor, so that his horse will not be overburdened; I don't have a lot to worry about when I'm in it; so I don't curse people who do that kind of business, I just keep my wallet at home until I meet the good guys, and it saves them a lot of trouble. But we should pray for them, my friend, in spite of all the bad things you say about them. Pray for them, I fully agree, replied Wang Ba, but it was in the city, not in the forest, like the elders of St. Beese Abbey, shut up in a big hollow oak tree and prayed for them. Say what you like, wow, answered the knight, for the yeomen have been very kind to your lord Cedric in the attack on Torquaystone Castle. That's right, Wang Ba replied, but they were making a deal with God. Make a deal, Wang Ba!What do you mean by that?said his companion. Still don't understand?Said the clown, they settled their accounts with God, as our tavern keeper settles his accounts, every penny is clear, as the Jew does his debtors; What was received was a large profit.No doubt they were looking out for themselves, because, as the Bible promises, your good deeds will be reaped sevenfold. Give me an example of what you mean, Wang Ba, I don't know how to calculate accounts, or how to calculate interest.said the knight. Well, said Wang Ba, since you are such a stupid warrior, please listen carefully: Those honest guys are offsetting one good thing with another not so good thing; He extorted a hundred gold coins there, gave a gold coin to a begging monk, kissed a little girl in the woods, and rescued a poor widow in the village. So, which ones are good and which ones are bad?asked the knight. You make fun of me!Good joke!Wang Ba said that being with smart people will always give people a lot of inspiration.I can swear, sir knight, that you never said such a fine thing when you drank all night with that reckless monk in lieu of vespers.But let me go on.Those merry angels of the woods burn a castle, build a farmhouse, rob a church, fix a choir roof, kill a haughty official, set a prisoner free, or something closer Some of our topics burnt a Norman nobleman and rescued a Saxon manor.In a word, they were sensible gangsters, polite robbers; and it was the luckiest thing in the world to meet them when they were fresh off their feet. Why, Wang Ba?asked the knight. Why?For they are being condemned by conscience and need to do something to settle their accounts with God.But if their account has been settled, then, God bless, who knows what to do!The first travelers who met them after their good deed at Torquaystone must be flayed.However, Wang Ba walked up to the knight and said, for travelers, it is not bad to meet those robbers, and there are guys more dangerous than them. Who is that, because of course you don't mean jackals, I suppose?said the knight. Of course, my lord, I am referring to Malvorsin’s soldiers, Wang Ba said, let me tell you, in times of war, you only need to meet a dozen of such people, and you will suffer. They are more terrifying than a pack of wolves Woolen cloth.Now these guys are counting on a good harvest, and the mercenaries who escaped from Torquaystone are now joining them, so if we meet these people, it seems that we will have to pay the price for the victory of the castle .Now I want to ask, my lord knight, what would you do if we met two such people? As long as they dare to stop us, I will use the tip of my spear to drive them into the ground, Wang Ba. But what if four come? They will also drink the same bitter wine.The knight replied. So what if six?Wang Ba continued, you know there are only two of us now; don't you want to use Locksley's horn? Come on!The knight shouted, for the sake of ten or twenty such little thieves, do you still need to use the trumpet to call for rescue?Any qualified knight can sweep them away like the autumn wind sweeps away fallen leaves! Well then, Wang Ba said, give me this horn, let me take a closer look, why it has such a loud sound. The knight unbuttoned his shoulder straps and complied with his traveling companion, who immediately hung the horn around his neck. Tralilala, Wang Ba blew these notes on the horn, look, I can play this tune, and I can also play other tunes. bastard, what do you mean?"Give me back the horn," said the knight. Don't worry, sir, you are safe with me.The brave travel with the fool, and the fool shall keep the horn, for he is best suited to blow it. No, you liar, said the black knight, too presumptuous.Be careful not to overwhelm me. Don't force me, Mr. Cavalier, said the jester, and keep a distance from the impatient warrior, or the fool will run away, and let you wander the woods yourself, brave man, to see what you do. Well, I've taken advantage of you, replied the knight, and I don't have time to quarrel with you, to tell you the truth.You can keep the horn, but we must go on. So you won't hit me?Wang Ba said. I won't hit you, you bastard! You'll have to pledge me with chivalry.Wang Ba said, walking over cautiously. I assure you with my chivalry; but go, you fool. Well, the brave and the fool are good friends again, said the clown, and walked honestly to the knight, but seriously, I don't want to be like a rash monk, and I don't want to be hit by your fist and see the saint roll on the ground, I was terrified.Well, the horn's there for fools, Brave men brace up and get ready for battle; for if I guess right, there seems to be someone in the bush yonder looking at us. On what basis do you say that?asked the knight. For I noticed that the crown of the helmet flashed two or three times there among the leaves.If they are decent people, they should be on the road.That grove was a good hiding place for the disciples of St. Nicholas. I believe, said the knight, with the visor on, that you have a point. He pulled down the mask just in time, because three arrows shot at his head and chest from that suspicious place, and one of them would have penetrated his head if it hadn't been blocked by his steel visor.The remaining two throatplates and the shield hanging around his neck fended him off. Thanks to my trusty armorer, said the knight, wow, fuck them!He galloped off to the bushes.Six or seven soldiers raised their spears and rushed towards him from there.The three guns broke as soon as they touched him, as if they were piercing a copper wall and an iron wall, and they had no effect at all.Through the holes in the visor, the eyes of the black knight still blazed like fire.He straightened himself up from the pedals, looked very dignified, and cried: "What's the matter, gentlemen!"The fellows didn't answer, but quickly drew their swords and attacked him from all sides, shouting: Tyrant, your end is here! ha!My St. Edward!ha!My St. George!Every time the black-armored knight yelled, he cut down one. I was fighting a traitor, right? Although his opponents were fierce, they had no choice but to retreat step by step under the constant pressure of one knife and one life. Seeing that he alone could beat them to pieces, a blue knight came out. He had been hiding behind the others. He raised his gun and slapped the horse forward, and came straight towards him, but the point of the gun was not aimed at the rider, but at the horse, so that the mighty war horse was mortally wounded. That was an insidious shot!cried the black knight, but the horse had fallen, and its rider followed. It was at this critical juncture that Wang Ba blew the horn, because the whole process was moving so fast that he hadn't had time to do so just now.The sudden sound of the trumpet made the gangsters retreat a little more; despite the lack of weapons, Wang Ba took the opportunity to rush forward without hesitation and helped the black armored knight. You vile and shameless cowards!He yelled at the knight in blue armor, who seemed to be the leader of the attack, and would be scared to run for his life if only a clown blew his horn? At his words, they took courage again, and closed round him again; and he had no way out, but leaned his back against a hazel tree, and defended himself with his sword.The insidious knight, having taken another lance, saw the moment when his formidable foe was surrounded, and leaped forward, intending to nail him to a tree with his lance, but again his purpose was thwarted. Wang Ba's obstruction.The jester, though weak, was very nimble, and while the cavalry were busy with their main target and not paying attention to him, he slipped behind them, raised his sword and cut off a leg of the blue knight's horse, thus effectively Stopped his unexpected attack.Both the man and the horse fell to the ground; however, the Knight in Shackles was still in a very dangerous situation. He was surrounded by several armed men, and in order to resist their repeated attacks, he was already somewhat exhausted and unable to parry.At this critical moment, a gray-white goose-feather arrow suddenly shot, causing the strongest person on the other side to fall to the ground; then, a group of farmers rushed from the woods, led by Locksley and Happy monk.As soon as this group of fresh troops arrived, the battle was immediately resolved, and all the thugs lay down on the ground, either dead or seriously injured.The knight in black armor thanked them for their rescue, but with an air of majesty such as they had never seen in his manner before, when he was just a rough and gallant common soldier, and saw nothing noble status. But one thing that mattered to me, he said, even more so than sincere thanks to friends who rushed to help, was to find out, as far as possible, who these unprovoked enemies were.Wang Ba, take off the mask of the blue armored knight, he seems to be the leader of this gang of gangsters. The clown immediately went to the side of the assassin, who was injured when he fell down, and was pinned down by the wounded horse, unable to escape or resist. Come, brave warrior, said Wang Ba, I must be your armorer and horse trainer.I got you off the horse, and now I have to unhook your visor. As he spoke, he took off the blue knight's helmet with force; as it rolled to the far grass, the chained knight saw locks of gray hair and a face he didn't expect to see on this occasion . Waldemar.Fizzy!He was taken aback, and said, you have such a high status and have always been dignified, why did you do such a despicable and shameless thing? Said Richard, the captive rider with his head thrown back, Thou knowest not man, nor what path ambition and hatred lead each of Adam's children. Hate!The knight in black armor replied, I have always treated you well, what hatred do you have for me? Richard, is it not an insult to a Norman that you despise my daughter as unworthy of you?Know that my blood is as noble as yours. your daughter!The black-armored knight replied, this is also a legitimate reason, and you actually embarked on the road of assassination for this!Stand back, strong men, I have to speak to him alone.Listen, Waldemar.Fizzy, tell me the truth, tell me, who sent you to this treasonous business? Your father's son, replied Waldemar, did this only to avenge you for disobedience to your father's orders. 】. Richard's eyes were burning with anger, but he tried his best to restrain himself.He put one hand on his forehead, squinted his eyes, and looked at the disgraced nobleman for a while, only to see that the expressions of arrogance and shame on his face were at odds. Waldemar, don't you want to beg for your life?said the king. Now that he has fallen under the lion's paw, he knows that begging for mercy is unnecessary.Fizzy replied. Then there's no need to beg for mercy, said Richard, for lions don't like to eat dead bodies.I spare your life, but on one condition: you must leave England within three days, and your shameful deeds may be buried forever in your Norman castle, and no mention of John of Anjou is allowed. Prince John, the royal family at this time belonged to the Anjou family. ] have any connection with your treason.If after the time I have appointed you, I find you still on English soil, you shall die; and if you say a word against the honor of my family, by St. George not even the church can save Your life, I'll hang you on the top of your castle to feed the crows.Locksley, give this knight a horse, for I saw your fellows catch some stray horses.I don't want to punish him, let him go. Had it not seemed to me that the voice I heard commanded unconditional obedience, I would have sent him an arrow, and spared the scheming wretch from the long journey.Locksley said. You have an English heart, Loxley, said the black knight, and you feel right, and you should obey my orders; I am King Richard of England! At these words, with a solemn tone befitting the Lionheart's nobility and eminence, the peasants fell on their knees before him.They pledged their allegiance to him, asking forgiveness for their past offenses. Rise up, my friends, said Richard, in a kind voice, for the look of rage had faded from his face, and his usual lightness and vivacity had returned; There is nothing left but a blush. Arise, my friends!Your deeds of loyalty in the rescue of my stricken subjects before Torquilstone Castle, and your support of your king today, have more than offset any carelessness in the woods or in the fields. words and deeds.Arise, my loyal people, may you remain my loyal people in the future.As for you, brave Locksley Don't call me Locksley again, Your Majesty, my name is widely spread, and I am afraid Your Majesty has already heard it. I am Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest. You are the king of the green forest and the lord of the good farmers!The king said, your name has spread to far away Palestine, who has not heard it?But you may trust, valiant men, that nothing you do during my absence, and the resulting confusion, will no longer affect you against them. Wang Ba interjected again, but he was not as unruly as usual; he said: The old saying is true: Once the cat runs away, The mouse is unscrupulous. What, Wang Ba, where are you?Richard said, I haven't heard your voice for so long, I thought you had deserted. . I'm deserting!Wang Ba said, when have you ever seen a fool leave a warrior?Over there lies my prize, a fine gray warhorse, and I wish I hadn't cut off his leg but his master's, and that would be fine.Indeed, I fled a few steps at first, for my colored coat was not made of steel, and could not withstand the point of a gun.But though I did not fight with the sword, you must admit, I attacked with the trumpet. And the effect is not bad, honest Wang Ba, answered the king, I will not forget your merits. I'm guilty!Damn me!一個謙卑的聲音突然從國王身邊發了出來，不過我只會這句拉丁文，只得用英語接著講了：我承認我罪該萬死，但要求陛下開恩，在處死我以前，給我個懺悔的機會！ 理查回頭一看，只見快活的修士跪在地上，正手拿念珠禱告，那根在戰鬥中從不離身的鐵頭木棍，現在已躺在他旁邊的草地上。他的臉顯得誠惶誠恐，似乎他認為這才能最好地表現他深切的悔改心情，他的眼睛望著天上，嘴角垂了下來，用江八的話說，便是像錢袋口上的穗子。不過這副惶恐不安的悔罪表現，卻給隱藏在他粗獷相貌中的滑稽含義破壞了，它似乎在宣告，他的畏懼和悔改只是裝裝樣子的。 你這個瘋子，你這副可憐相裝給誰看？理查說，你怕你的主教知道，你是怎麼向聖母和聖鄧斯坦虔誠祈禱的嗎？算了，你這小子！不要怕，英國的理查王是不會洩漏飲酒中的祕密的。 不，最仁慈的君王，修士答道（應該讓好奇的讀者知道，在羅賓漢故事的廉價書刊中，這個人是名叫塔克修士），我怕的不是主教的牧杖，是國王的權杖！我從沒想到，我這犯上作亂的拳頭會打在上帝任命的國王的臉上，真是糟糕！ Ha ha!理查答道，是這麼回事嗎？其實我早把那一拳忘記了，雖然在那以後，我的耳朵響了整整一天。但是如果那一巴掌真的厲害，我要請如今在場的各位評判一下，它有沒有得到相應的回敬；或者如果你認為我還欠你什麼，那麼你不妨站出來，我們重新較量一下 這可萬萬使不得，塔克修士答道，您欠我的賬您已還清，而且增加了一大筆利息，我相信，陛下還債還從沒這麼大方過！ 要是我的巴掌可以還債，國王說，我的債主就永遠不用擔心我的國庫會空虛了。 不過我還是擔心，修士說，又裝出了那副一本正經的表情，不知道我該怎麼辦，才抵消得了那大逆不道的一拳所犯下的罪！ 不要再談這事了，老兄，國王說，穆斯林和異教徒的拳頭，我都挨過不少，沒有必要為科普曼赫斯特的聖徒那一拳生氣。不過，我的好修士，我想，對教會和你本人而言，最好還是讓我替你申請還俗；你就在我的衛隊中當一名衛士，待在我身邊當差，就像你以前在祭臺旁邊侍候聖鄧斯坦一樣。 我的國王，修士答道，這事務必請您原諒，要是您知道，我一向犯有懶惰的罪，您就一定會寬恕我的無禮了。聖鄧斯坦願他保佑我們安安靜靜待在神龕裡，哪怕我為了殺一頭肥鹿，忘了向他做禱告，他也不致罵我；有時我為了辦一點私事，整夜都不待在隱修室裡，聖鄧斯坦從不埋怨我，他是一個溫厚的主人，一向心平氣和，完全符合木雕聖像的身分。然而作一名衛士，侍候國王您老人家，毫無疑問，這體面是夠體面的，可萬一我得走開一步，在某個地方跟一位寡婦談談心，或者上另一個地方殺一頭鹿，那可不得了，一個人說：這狗教士跑哪兒去啦？另一個人說：誰看到該死的塔克啦？一個管林子的說：這個還俗的混蛋，他把全國一半的鹿都吃掉了！另一個又說：他恨不得把每一隻母鹿都殺死才好呢！總之，我的好國王，您還是饒了我吧，讓我本來怎樣就怎樣；如果您想到科普曼赫斯特的聖鄧斯坦隱修所，要給它的窮修士賞賜點什麼，那麼不論多麼微不足道，在下也會感恩不盡的。 我了解你，國王說，我特准你這位聖徒，在我的旺恩克利夫森林中有權採伐樹木和獵取鹿肉。不過注意，我只准你每三個月殺三隻雄鹿；但我敢保證，這一定會成為你殺三十隻的藉口，否則我就不是真正的國王和基督教騎士。 請您老放心，修士答道，在聖鄧斯坦的保佑下，我一定會找到辦法，把您仁慈的恩賜擴大幾倍的。 我毫不懷疑這點，老兄，國王說，不過鹿脯是乾燥的食物，因此我要命令管酒窖的官吏，每年給你一大桶白葡萄酒，一小桶甜酒，三大桶一級淡啤酒。如果這還不夠，你只得到宮裡來找我的膳食總管了。 但是給聖鄧斯坦什麼呢？修士問。 一件斗篷，一身聖衣和一套祭臺桌罩，國王繼續道，在身上劃了個十字，但是我們可不能把玩笑當真，要不然，上帝會懲罰我們，認為我們只知道胡鬧，不知道敬畏和禮拜他老人家呢。 我會替我的保護聖徒承擔責任的。修士嬉皮笑臉地說。 還是為你自己負責吧，修士，理查國王說，嚴肅了一些，但馬上向修士伸出了手，後者有些不好意思，跪下一條腿吻了手，你對我伸出的手還不如對我握緊的拳頭恭敬呢；對我的手只跪了一下，對我的拳頭卻全身都撲到了地上。 但修士也許怕繼續開玩笑，難免觸怒國王凡是與國王談話的人都得格外小心，別犯這種錯誤。於是他深深鞠了一躬，退到後面去了。 就在這時，又有兩個人來到了這裡。