_A PUZZLING ADVENTURE._
At one time I was greatly in favour with the king, and his Majesty never
seemed to weary of the companionship of the court fool. I had a gift for
making riddles and quaint puzzles which ofttimes caused great sport; for
albeit the king never found the right answer of one of these things in
all his life, yet would he make merry at the bewilderment of those about
him.
But let every cobbler stick unto his last; for when I did set out to
learn the art of performing strange tricks in the magic, wherein the hand
doth ever deceive the eye, the king was affrighted, and did accuse me of
being a wizard, even commanding that I should be put to death. Luckily my
wit did save my life. I begged that I might be slain by the royal hand
and not by that of the executioner.
"By the saints," said his Majesty, "what difference can it make unto
thee? But since it is thy wish, thou shalt have thy choice whether I kill
thee or the executioner."
"Your Majesty," I answered, "I accept the choice that thou hast so
graciously offered to me: I prefer that your Majesty should kill the
executioner."
Yet is the life of a royal jester beset with great dangers, and the king
having once gotten it into his royal head that I was a wizard, it was not
long before I again fell into trouble, from which my wit did not a second
time in a like way save me. I was cast into the dungeon to await my
death. How, by the help of my gift in answering riddles and puzzles, I
did escape from captivity I will now set forth; and in case it doth
perplex any to know how some of the strange feats were performed, I will
hereafter make the manner thereof plain to all.