Chapter 44

I STOOD IN THE CENTER of the huge room. A hundred pairs of eyes were on me.

In a group of lounging knights¹, I spotted³ Norcross, the duke's military man, his chatelain. I eyed him tremulously, though he did not look my way. Every sense told me this was the man who had killed my son.

You have all no doubt heard the tale of the cow from Amiens, I crowed.

People looked at one another and shook their heads. We have not, someone yelled out.Tell us ,jester.

These two peasants had a single denier between them. So to enlarge their fortune, they decided⁴ to buy a cow, and every day they would sell its milk. Now, as everyone knows, the best cows in the land come from Amiens.

So they went there, and they traded the denier for the best cow they could find, who yielded lots of milk. And they sold the milk each morning. Soon, one of them said, `If we can mate this fine cow, we'll have two. We can double our milk and our money.' So they searched their village and found the finest bull. Soon, they were going to be rich.

I scanned the room. Everyone seemed to hang on my words. A hundred smiles... knights, ladies-in-waiting, even the duke himself. I had them. I had their ears.

The day of the mating, they brought in the bull. First, he tried to mount the cow from behind, but the cow wiggled away. Then, the bull came at her from the left, but the cow wiggled its rump to the right. If it came from the right, the cow wiggled left.

I spotted an attractive lady and went up to her. I smiled and wiggled my own rump. Just enough to be considered cute. The crowdoohed with delight.

Finally, I said, the peasants threw up their hands in frustration⁵. There was no way this cow from Amiens would mate. But instead of giving up, they decided to consult the smartest person in the duchy. A knight² of such rare wisdom, such vision, he knew why all things were as they were.

I noticed Norcross reclining on his elbow, following the tale. I strode up to him. Someone likeyou , knight, I said.

The crowd cackled. Your story errs⁶ there, said Baldwin, laughing, if it's brains you want.

So I've heard. I bowed to the duke. But for the purpose of the tale, he'll do.

Norcross's amusement began to sour and he glared at me, red faced.

So the peasants came to this very wise knight and they told him of their problem with the cow. They moaned, `What must we do?'

The wise knight replied, `You say if the bull tries to mount it this way, it wiggles left? And from this direction, it wiggles right?'

`Yes!' they cried.

The knight thought it over. `I do not know if I can solve your dilemma,' he said, `but I know one thing. Your cow is from Amiens, is it not?'

`Yes, yes,' the peasants shouted. `It is indeed from Amiens. How could you possibly know?'

I turned back to Norcross. I perched on the table next to him. ` Becausemy wife ,' the knight muttered, `sheis from Amiens as well.'

The hall burst into laughter. The knights, the duke, the ladies. All except Norcross. Then the vast room echoed with applause.

Baldwin came up and slapped me on the back. You are indeed funny, fool. You have other jokes like this?

Many, I replied, to punctuate⁷ the point, I sprang into a forward flip⁸, then one backward. The crowd oohed.

They must laugh well in Bor俥. You may stay, my new companion. You are hired.

I raised my arms in triumph. The large room echoed with applause. But inside, I knew I stood inches from the very men I had sworn to kill.

Palimpost, as of this day you are retired⁹, Baldwin declared. Show the new fool your spot.

Retired? But I have no desire, my liege. Haven't I served you with all my wit?

With what little you have. So you are unretired, then. I grant you a new job. In the graveyard¹⁰. See if you can cheer up the audience there.

1 knights   

骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马

参考例句：

• stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
• He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。

2 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

3 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

6 errs   

犯错误，做错事( err的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Man errs so long as he strives. 人只要奋斗就会犯错误。 来自每日一句
• He that talks much errs much. [谚]言多必有失。

7 punctuate   

vt.加标点于；不时打断

参考例句：

• The pupils have not yet learned to punctuate correctly.小学生尚未学会正确使用标点符号。
• Be sure to punctuate your sentences with the correct marks in the right places.一定要在你文章句子中的正确地方标上正确的标点符号。

8 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

9 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

10 graveyard   

n.坟场

参考例句：

• All the town was drifting toward the graveyard.全镇的人都象流水似地向那坟场涌过去。
• Living next to a graveyard would give me the creeps.居住在墓地旁边会使我毛骨悚然。