When I saw in the case of my fellow-traveller
the outcome of the plans I had formed I made
up my mind to bear my present plight bravely
and plod on with spirit, for I was in hopes that I
might chance on my roses at any turn, and by
their means be restored to myself. And I heard
the robbers saying our journey was almost done,
and that they would stay at their next haltingplace. Accordingly, we carried all that burden at
a quick pace, and before evening we came to their
house. An old woman was sitting inside, where
a great fire was burning. The robbers took all the
things we had been carrying and set them inside.
Then they asked the old woman, “Why in Heaven's

 

name are you sitting like this instead of getting our supper ready?"
"Why, everything is ready for you," said the
hag. "Plenty of bread, jars of old wine, and
some game that I have cooked for you.”
Then they fell to praising her, and, taking off
their clothes, anointed themselves before the fire.
There was a jar in the house full of warm water,
from which they drew and poured over themselves,
thus taking a hasty bath. A little later a number of young men arrived, bringing as much gold
and silver and clothing as they could carry, and a
great deal of jewelry, women's and men's. These
were accomplices of the others, and when they
had bestowed their booty within they, too, bathed
in the same manner. After this they had a bountiful supper, and there was a great deal of conversation among the cutthroats over their wine. The
old woman put barley before me and the horse,
and he set to and gulped it down in a hurry, fearing, probably, that I would share it.
But for my
part, whenever I saw the old woman go off I devoured the masters' bread.
The next day one young man was left behind
with the old woman, and all the others went off
on professional business. I bewailed my fate
and this strict guard, for I could despise the old
woman and run away under her very eyes, but the
young man was tall, and had a dangerous look,


 



moreover, and he always carried a sword and fastened the door every time he went out. 
Three days after this, almost at midnight, the
robbers came back, bringing no gold or silver or
anything else except a very beautiful young girl.
She was in tears, and her clothes were torn and
her hair dishevelled. They deposited her in the
house on the mattresses, bade her cheer up, and
told the old woman to stay inside all the time,
and keep watch over her. The girl would neither eat nor drink; she did nothing but weep
and tear her hair, so that I myself, standing near
by at the manger, wept in sympathy with the beautiful maiden. In the mean time the robbers were
supping in the vestibule. Towards morning one
of the spies, who had been chosen by lot to watch
the roads, came and reported that a stranger was
going to pass that way carrying a great deal of
treasure. The robbers rose up just as they were,
armed themselves, saddled both me and the horse,
and drove us off. I, poor wretch, knew that we
were marching out to battle and murder, and I
advanced reluctantly, whereupon they beat me
with a stick to urge me on. When we came to
the road by which the stranger was to drive, the
robbers fell upon his carriages with one accord,
killed his servants, selected the most valuable articles, and placed them on the horse and me, and
hid the rest of the things there in the wood.


 


Then they drove us homeward thus laden, and I,
being urged on and beaten with a stick, struck
my foot on a sharp stone, and received a painful
wound from the blow, which made me limp as I
paced the rest of the journey. The robbers said.
to each other, "Why do we keep this ass who
stumbles on everything? Let us throw him over
the precipice, he brings us bad luck." "Yes," said
another, "let us throw him over to be a scapegoat for the gang." And they formed to attack
me. But I, hearing their talk, walked the rest of
the way on my wounded foot as though it belonged to somebody else, for the fear of death
made me insensible to the pain of it.