tones, and over against him eight horses,
four destriers, and four hackneys, and four squires withal. So they
came and stood before their father, waiting for his word, and wondering
what it would be.

Now spake King Peter: "Fair sons, ye would go on all adventure to seek
a wider land, and a more stirring life than ye may get of me at home:
so be it! But I have bethought me, that, since I am growing old and
past the age of getting children, one of you, my sons, must abide at
home to cherish me and your mother, and to lead our carles in war if
trouble falleth upon us. Now I know not how to choose by mine own wit
which of you shall ride and which abide. For so it is that ye are
diverse of your conditions; but the evil conditions which one of you
lacks the other hath, and the valiancy which one hath, the other lacks.
Blaise is wise and prudent, but no great man of his hands. Hugh is a
stout rider and lifter, but headstrong and foolhardy, and over
bounteous a skinker; and Gregory is courteous and many worded, but
sluggish in deed; though I will not call him a dastard. As for Ralph,
he is fair to look on, and peradventure he may be as wise as Blaise, as
valiant as Hugh, and as smooth-tongued as Gregory; but of all this we
know little or nothing, whereas he is but young and untried. Yet may
he do better than you others, and I deem that he will do so. All
things considered, then, I say, I know not how to choose between you,
my sons; so let luck choose for me, and ye shall draw cuts for your
roads; and he that draweth longest shall go north, and the next longest
shall go east, and the third straw shall send the drawer west; but as
to him who draweth the shortest cut, he shall go no whither but back
again to my house, there to abide with me the chances and changes of
life; and it is most like that this one shall sit in my chair when I am
gone, and be called King of Upmeads.

"Now, my sons, doth this ordinance please you? For if so be it doth
not, then may ye all abide at home, and eat of my meat, and drink of my
cup, but little chided either for sloth or misdoing, even as it hath
been aforetime."

The young men looked at one another, and Blaise answered and said:
"Sir, as for me I say we will do after your commandment, to take what
road luck may show us, or to turn back home again." They all yeasaid
this one after the other; and then King Peter said: "Now before I draw
the cuts, I shall tell you that I have appointed