The Beginning of the Road To Utterbol


Early next morning Ralph arose and called Bull Shockhead to him
and said: "So it is, Bull, that thou art my war-taken thrall."
Bull nodded his head, but frowned therewithal. Said Ralph:
"If I bid thee aught that is not beyond reason thou wilt do it,
wilt thou not?" "Yea," said Bull, surlily. "Well," quoth Ralph,
"I am going a journey east-away, and I may not have thee with me,
therefore I bid thee take this gold and go free with my goodwill."
Bull's face lighted up, and the eyes glittered in his face; but he said:
"Yea, king's son, but why wilt thou not take me with thee?"
Said Ralph: "It is a perilous journey, and thy being with me will
cast thee into peril and make mine more. Moreover, I have an errand,
as thou wottest, which is all mine own."

Bull pondered a little and then said: "King's son, I was thinking at first
that our errands lay together, and it is so; but belike thou sayest true
that there will be less peril to each of us if we sunder at this time.
But now I will say this to thee, that henceforth thou shalt be as a brother
to me, if thou wilt have it so, and if ever thou comest amongst our people,
thou wilt be in no danger of them: nay, they shall do all the good they
may to thee."

Then he took him by the hand and kissed him, and he set his hand
to his gear and drew forth a little purse of some small beast's
skin that was broidered in front with a pair of bull's horns:
then he stooped down and plucked a long and tough bent from
the grass at his feet (for they were talking in the garden