37 The king tooke the tanner by the leg, and lift him vp a loft; The tanner girded out a good round fart, his belly it was so soft. 38 ‘You make great waste,’ said our king, ‘your curtesie is but small;’ ‘Thy horse is so high,’ quoth the tanner againe, ‘I feare me of a fall.’ 39 But when the tanner was in the saddle the steede began to blow and blast, And against the roote of an old tree the tanner downe he cast. 40 ‘Abide, good fellow,’ said our king, ‘ye make ouer great hast;’ ‘Thou shalt haue thy horse, with a vengeance, againe, for my necke is well nigh brast.’ 41 ‘Why then we must change,’ said our king, ‘as me thinke needs thou woot; But if you haue your mare againe I will looke to haue some boote.’ 42 ‘What boote wilt thou haue?’ quoth the tanner, ‘tell me in this stound; ‘Neuer a groat nor pennie,’ said our king, ‘but of thy gold twentie pound.’ 43 ‘Nay, here is thy noble,’ quoth the tanner again, ‘and Christ’s blessing and mine; ‘Yea, here is twentie good groats more, goe drinke them at the wine.’ 44 ‘So mote I thee,’ then said our king, ‘it shall not slacke my woe; For when a noble is in small monie full soone it is agoe.’ 45 ‘Dost thou loue to keepe gold?’ quoth the tanner, the king answered and said, Ye; ‘Then I would thou were my neere kinsman, for I thinke thou wilt thriue and thee.’ 46 Now hath the tanner Brocke, his mare, and vnder him his good cowhide, Our noble king his horse againe, which was a well faire steede. 47 ‘Now farewell, good fellow,’ quoth the tanner, ‘I will bide no longer with thee;’ ‘Tarrie yet a little while,’ said our king, ‘and some pastime we will see.’ 48 Our king set a bugle to his mouth, and blew a blast lowd and small; Seuen score lords, knights, squires and yeome_n_ came riding ouer a dale. 49 ‘Now out alas!’ quoth the tanner, ‘that euer I saw this tide; Thou art a strong thiefe, yonder be thy fellowes, will haue my mare and my cowhide.’ 50 ‘They are no theeues,’ then said our king, ‘I tell you, so mote I thee; It is my lord of Drayton Basset is come a hunting to me.’ 51 But when before the king they came, they fell downe on their knees; The tanner had leuer than a thousand pound he had beene from their companies. 52 ‘A coller! a coller!’ our king gan call, quoth the tanner, It will breede sorrow; For after a coller commeth a halter, I trow I shall be hangd tomorrow. 53 ‘Be not afraid, tanner,’ said our king, ‘I tell thee, so mote I thee; Lo, here I make thee the best esquier in all the North Countrie.