Old wom. Once uppon a time there was a King or a Lord, or a Duke, that had a faire daughter, the fairest that ever was; as white 100 as snowe, and as redd as bloud: and once uppon a time his daughter was stollen away, and hee sent all his men to seeke out his daughter, and hee sent so long, that he sent all his men out of his land.
Frol. Who drest his dinner then?
Old woman. Nay, either heare my tale, or kisse my taile. 105
Fan. Well sed, on with your tale, Gammer.
Old woman. O Lord, I quite forgot, there was a Conjurer, and this Conjurer could doo any thing, and hee turned himselfe into a great Dragon, and carried the Kinges Daughter away in his mouth to a Castle that hee made of stone, and there he kept hir I know 110 not how long, till at last all the Kinges men went out so long, that hir two Brothers went to seeke hir.[1039] O, I forget: she (he I would say) turned a proper[1040] yong man to a Beare in the night, and a man in the day, and keeps[1041] by a crosse that parts three severall waies, & he[1042] made his Lady run mad ... Gods me bones, who 115 comes here?
Enter the two Brothers.
Frol. Soft, Gammer, here some come to tell your tale for you.[1043]
Fant. Let them alone, let us heare what they will say.
1 Brother. Upon these chalkie cliffs of Albion[1044]
We are arived now with tedious toile, 120