told me that for fear of this monster 'twas often many years that no one came near that place, save some stranger that had lost his way and came thither by chance. The story went, they said, that an iron trough full of money lay within guarded by a black dog, and also a maiden that had a curse upon her; and to follow the old story they had themselves heard from their grandsires, there should come into the land a stranger nobleman that knew neither his father nor mother, and should rescue the maiden, and open the trough with a key of fire, and carry off the hidden gold. And of such foolish fables they told me many more; but because they are but ill to hear, I here cut them short for briefness. Thereafter I did ask them what they too had been about, since at other times they dared not go into the ruin. They answered they had heard a shot and a loud cry; and had run up to see what was to do. But when I told them 'twas I that shot in the hope that people would come into the ruin, because I too was pretty much afeared, but knew nought of any cry, they answered, "There might be shots enough heard in that castle before any of our neighbourhood would come thither; for in truth 'tis so ghostly beset that we had not believed my lord if he had said he had been therein, an we had not ourselves seen him ride out thence." So then they would know many things of me, especially what manner of place it was within and whether I had not seen the damsel and the black dog sitting on the iron trough, so that if I had desired to brag I could have put strange fancies into their heads: but I said not the least word, not even that I had gotten the costly treasure, but rode away to my quarters and looked upon my find, which mightily delighted me. _Chap. xiii._: OF SIMPLICISSIMUS' STRANGE FANCIES AND CASTLES IN THE AIR, AND HOW HE GUARDED HIS TREASURE