“‘I will tell you what I think,’ said the jolly harper man, with wonderful confidence. ‘I think that there has been a rogue in the town.’
“The king, with equal wisdom, favored the idea, and the jolly harper man made an early escape that morning from the palace.
“Then the jolly harper man went as fast as he could to Striveling. Of course, he found his fine gray mare in the lot with her foal, and the king’s horse tied to her halter; and, of course, he rode the noble animal into Carlisle; and presenting himself before the two knights, Sir Roger and Sir Charles, claimed his five ploughs of land and five thousand pounds.
“‘Go to! go to!’ said Sir Roger, pointing at him in derision; and Sir Charles laughed a mighty laugh of scorn. ‘The man does not live who could ride away the king’s Brownie! Go to!’
“‘The king’s Brownie stands in your own court!’ cried the jolly harper man; and Sir Roger and Sir Charles paid their forfeits without another word.
“Then the jolly harper man returned the king’s horse to the royal owner: and who ever heard of such a thing as a king breaking his promise? Not the jolly harper man, you may be sure.”
“Is the story a true one?” asked Tommy Toby.
“The story, as I heard it, was acknowledged to be considerably embellished; and I have tried to make it as attractive as possible. You should always remember this, that a good historic story gathers color by time. The stories of Faust, Macbeth, King Lear, William Tell, Robert the Devil, and many others I might name, have but meagre facts for a starting point.”
“I know a story of Nottingham, that I think as funny as that,” said Tommy. “It is about the Wise Men of Gotham.”
“We will hear it when we go to Nottingham,” said Master Lewis. “I think we will go there at once, after an excursion to the English Lakes.”