The noise
which they made awakened the Cid, and he saw the lion coming towards
him, and he lifted up his hand and said, What is this?... and the lion
hearing his voice stood still; and he rose up and took him by the mane,
as if he had been a gentle mastiff, and led him back to the court where
he was before, and ordered his keepers to look better to him for the
time to come. And when he had done this he returned to the hall and
took his seat again; and all they who beheld it were greatly
astonished.
III. After some time Ferrando Gonzalez crept from under the seat where
he had hidden himself, and he came out with a pale face, not having yet
lost his fear, and his brother Diego got from among the lees: and when
they who were present saw them in this plight you never saw such sport
as they made; but my Cid forbade their laughter. And Diego went out to
wash himself and change his garments, and he sent to call his brother
forth, and they took counsel together in secret, and said to each
other, Lo now, what great dishonour this Ruydiez our father-in-law hath
done us, for he let this lion loose for the nonce, to put us to shame.
But in an evil day were we born if we do not revenge this upon his
daughters. Badly were we matched with them, and now for the after-feast
he hath made this mockery of us! But we must keep secret this which we
bear in mind, and not let him wit that we are wroth against him, for
otherwise he would not let us depart from hence, neither give us our
wives to take with us, and he would take from us the swords Colada and
Tizona which he gave us.... We will therefore turn this thing into
merriment before him and his people, to the end that they may not
suspect what we have at heart. While they were thus devising their
uncle Suero Gonzalez came in, and they told him of their intent. And he
counselled them to keep their wrath secret, as they said, till this
stir of the Moors from beyond sea was over, and then they should demand
their wives of the Cid that they might take them to their own country;
This, said he, the Cid can have no reason to deny, neither for
detaining ye longer with him, and when ye are got away far out of his
land, then may ye do what ye will with his daughters, and ill will ye
do if ye know not how to revenge yourselves; so shall ye remove the
dishonour from yourselves, and cast it upon him and his children. This
wicked counsel did Suero González give unto his nephews, which he might
have well excused giving, and then both he and they would not have come
off so badly as the history will in due season relate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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