The following day Ralph loaded his mare with two large baskets of coal and set off to Court. When he arrived there he asked for one Uzmond, but no one knew of such a person. The King had given orders that he should be admitted into the Palace, and at length he came to a splendid hall, where Charlemagne sat at dinner with his nobles. The poor charcoal-burner at once pointed at His Majesty, exclaiming, "See, there sits Uzmond, but truly he must be a greater man than he said!"
At this His Majesty burst into a loud laugh, and rising from his seat he told the whole company how he had fared at Ralph's cottage. The lords all laughed heartily, but some of them would have had Ralph punished for having boxed the King's ears.
"Nay," said Charlemagne, "Heaven forbid I should harm him. He is an honest man who can strike a hard blow, and I shall make him a knight instead."
Transcriber's Note:
The original did not have a List of Stories, one was added to this version.