lest he grieve or annoy me."

Then said Christopher to him: "Fearest thou the devil? Then is the devil
more mighty and greater than thou art. I am then deceived, for I had
supposed that I had found the most mighty and the most greatest lord in
all the world! Fare thee well, for I will now go seek the devil to be my
lord and I his servant."

So Christopher departed from this king and hastened to seek the devil.
And as he went by a great desert he saw a company of knights, and one of
them, a knight cruel and horrible, came to him and demanded whither he
went.

And Christopher answered: "I go to seek the devil for to be my master."

Then said the knight: "I am he that thou seekest."

And then Christopher was glad and bound himself to be the devil's
servant, and took him for his master and lord.

Now, as they went along the way they found there a cross, erect and
standing. And anon as the devil saw the cross he was afeared and fled.
And when Christopher saw that he marveled and demanded why he was
afeared, and why he fled away. And the devil would not tell him in no
wise.

Then Christopher said to him: "If thou wilt not tell me, I shall anon
depart from thee and shall serve thee no more."

Wherefore the devil was forced to tell him and said: "There was a man
called Christ, which was hanged on the cross, and when I see his sign I
am sore afraid and flee from it."

To whom Christopher said: "Then he is greater and more mightier than
thou, since thou art afraid of his sign, and I see well that I have
labored in vain, and have not founden the greatest lord of the world. I
will serve thee no longer, but I will go seek Christ."

And when Christopher had long sought where he should find Christ, at
last he came into a great desert, to a hermit that dwelt there. And he
inquired of him where Christ was to be found.

Then answered the hermit: "The king whom thou desirest to serve,
requireth that thou must often fast."

Christopher said: "Require of me some other thing and I shall do it, but
fast I may not."

And the hermit said: "Thou must then wake and make many prayers."

And Christopher said: "I do not know how to pray, so this I may not do."

And the hermit said: "Seest thou yonder deep and wide river, in which
many people have perished? Because thou art noble, and of high stature
and strong of limb, so shalt thou live by the river and thou shalt bear
over all people who pass that way. And this thing will be plea