nquerable, so that I was almost afraid of my temerity and
would gladly have turned back if my promise and also the
circumstance that the elders stood about me and were waiting to
see what I would do, had allowed me to give up. In great
confidence I approached the lion in his den and began to caress
him, but he looked at me so fiercely with his brightly shining
eyes that I could hardly restrain my tears. Just then I remembered
that I had learned from one of the elders, while we were going to
the lion's den, that very many people had undertaken to overcome
the lion and very few could accomplish it. I was unwilling to be
disgraced, and I recalled several grips that I had learned with
great diligence in athletics, besides which I was well versed in
natural magic [magia] so I gave up the caresses and seized the
lion so dextrously, artfully and subtlely, that before he was well
aware of it I forced the blood out of his body, yea, even out of
his heart. It was beautifully red but very choleric. I dissected
him further and found, a fact which caused me much wonder, that
his bones were white as snow and there was much more bone than
there was blood.

[7]. Now when my dear elders, who stood above around the den and
looked at me, were aware of it, they disputed earnestly with each
other, for so much I could infer from their motions but what they
said I could not hear since I was deep down in the den. Yet as
they came close in dispute I heard that one said, "He must bring
him to life again, else he can not be our colleague." I was
unwilling to undertake further difficulties, and betook myself out
of the den to a great place, and came, I know not how, on a very
high wall, whose height rose over 100 ells towards the clouds, but
on top was not one foot wide. And there went up from the
beginning, where I ascended, to the end an iron hand rail right
along the center of the wall, with many leaded supports. On this
wall I came, I say, and meseems there went on the right side of
the railing a man several paces before me.

[8]. But as I followed him awhile I saw another following me on
the other side, yet it was doubtful whether man or woman, that
called to me and said that it was better walking on his side than
where I went, as I readily believed, because the railing that
stood near the middl