a terrible beast ready to gobble me up. It was as big as a dog, and
had a tawny coat with black on his ears and on the tip of his tail,
and, though I have never seen such an animal, the minute it turned
its eyes on me I was all of a tremble with fright." "Shame on you!"
cried Pertelot. "You a man, and frightened by a dream! Do you think
any woman will respect you if you do not show yourself more
courageous? We like our husbands to be something of heroes. Besides,
dreams are nonsense. They are no guide to the future, unless it be to
tell you what medicine you need. For if a man be over-choleric, then
he dreams of fires and red beasts, and if melancholy, of black bears.
I will undertake to prescribe for you as there is no doctor in the
town. Groundsel grows in our yard and hellebore. Peck them up, and
take a few worms, and that will be the end of your dreams." "Peace,
wife!" returned Chanticleer. "What do you know of such things? Would
you go against the authority of Holy Writ? Did not Joseph dream
dreams? Was not Pharaoh instructed by them? Look at classical
authors, Cato, Seneca, Cicero. Dreams were ever revered. Do you not
know how by a dream a foul murder was discovered? Shame on you, to
talk of medicines and groundsel! But still, though my dream is
surely prophetic, I can forget it when I look upon your beauty, my
love. 'Tis gone from my mind at a glance of your eye. So now let us
out of doors."

With these words he flew down from the beam and went out into the
yard, and all the hens followed him. There he stalked up and down
trying to forget the terrors of the night. He was so proud he could
scarce set foot to earth. All his wives ran after him to eat the
grains of corn he found. When the sun rose higher Chanticleer sang
his morning carol, and his wives settled down to have dust baths in
the warmth.