ad lay out of the forest into the sunlight. As he
approached a small village he heard a great noise as of much shouting
and soon he saw a group of boys who were evidently hooting and laughing
at something in their midst. He rode up to where they were and felt
himself growing indignant as he saw an old, deformed man standing in
their midst, at whom they were jeering. In a moment he sprang from his
horse and pressing through the crowd of boys he stood beside the old
man. On his face was a flush of indignant anger. "How dare you," he
exclaimed, "laugh at or insult an old man like this?" The boys drew
back, frightened. Although he was really no taller than they, he seemed
to tower above them. "My," exclaimed one of them in a whisper, "doesn't
he look like a knight as he stands there?" "I shouldn't wonder if he
were one," said another.

Cedric turned to the old man who was trembling in every limb. "Where
are you going?" asked he kindly. "Only to the next village," said the
old man, "but these boys stopped me on my way. I cannot help my
deformity nor my old age. I wish I could." The tears stood in his eyes
as he spoke. "Come," said Cedric gently, "let me help you upon my horse.
I, too, am going to the next village."

When they had reached the next village Cedric helped the old man from
the horse at his own door. Then, mounting, he thought to himself, "I am
very hungry, I think I will stop at the village inn and get a good warm
supper." "No," said he on second thought, "I cannot stop now. I have had
to travel so slowly because of the old man that I must make up for lost
time." With that he tightened the rein of his beautiful horse, and the
two had soon left the village far in the distance. Cedric reached back
to a leather pouch behind him and took from it a dry biscuit which had
to serve for his supper that night.

Late in the evening he reached the house at which he was to rest his
horse and he himself slept for a few hours. By dawn the next day he was
up and off on his journey. As he was riding by a small stream of water
he noticed a poor, little fish that some thoughtless fisherman had
thrown upon the bank as too insignificant to be taken home for
breakfast. The tiny creature was struggling and gasping for breath as it
vainly tried to get back into the water. "Ah, you poor little thing,"
thought Cedric, "I wish I had time to put you back into the stream, but
I haven't," and so he rode on. Then came the thought, "A knight