Ix REYNARD THE FOX 57

and after him a world of people, whom | led to
the place where /segvim was, and there | let
the hen fall, for it was too heavy for me (yet
much against my will), and then springing
through a hole, I got into safety. Now as the
priest took up the hen, he espied S/segrzm, and
then cried out, ‘ Strike, friends, strike, here is
the wolf, by no means let him escape.” Then
the people ran all together with clubs and staves,
and with adreadful noise, giving the poor wolf
many a deadly blow, and some throwing stones
after him, hit him such mortal blows on the
body that the wolf fell down as if he had been
dead, which perceived, they took him and
dragged him by the heels over stocks and
stones, and in the end threw him into a ditch
without the village, and there he lay all night,
but how he got thence I know not. Another
time I led him to a place where I told him were
seven hens and a cock, set on a perch, all lusty
and fat, and hard by the place stood a fall door,
on which we climbed; then I told him if he
would creep in at the door he should find the
hens. Then Jsegrim with much joy went
laughing to the door, and entering in a little,
and groping about, he said, ‘“Reyzard, you abuse
me, for here is nothing.’ Then replied I,