"Come, ye children, and hearken unto me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord."
"Slaves fear."
"Ah, but it is not the fear of a slave, but a son of which I speak—that fear which is the beginning of wisdom; and which, indeed, every true knight should possess if he fulfil the vows of chivalry. But I will not say more now. Wander in the woods if you like, just around the cave, or down in the valley; gather nuts or blackberries, but go not far, for fear ye meet men who may ill-treat you."
Then the hermit went forth, and threw the crumbs out of his cave; the birds came in flocks. Evroult caught up a stone.
"Nay, my child, they are my birds; we hurt nothing here. See! come, pet! birdie!" and a large blackbird nestled on his shoulder, and picked at a crust which the hermit took in his hand.
"They all love me, as they love all who are kind to them. Birds and beasts are alike welcome here; some wolves came in the winter, but they did me no harm."
"I should have shot them, if I had had a bow."
"Nay, my child, you must not slay my friends."
"But may we not kill rabbits or birds to eat?"