The poor woman complied with the sentence that she might not lose all; and to avoid danger and silence evil tongues she went away into service. [Sidenote: Lazaro helps at the inn. Takes service with a blind man.] She was employed in the open gallery of an inn, and so she contrived to rear the little brother, though suffering from many difficulties. She raised him until he could walk, and me until I was a fine little boy, who went for wine and lights for the guests, and for anything else they wanted. [Illustration: _Lazarillo helps at the Inn._] FIRST MASTER HOW LAZARO TOOK SERVICE WITH A BLIND MAN At that time a blind man came to lodge at the inn, who, seeing that I would do to lead him, asked for me from my mother. [Sidenote: Lazaro enters the service of a blind man.] She gave me to him, saying that I was the son of a good father, and boasting that he had been killed at the Island of Gelves.[13] She told the blind man that she trusted in God that I would not turn out a worse man than my father, and she begged him to treat me well and look after me, as I was an orphan. He answered that he would do so, and that he received me not as his servant but as his son. Thus it was that I began to serve and to lead my new master. We were in Salamanca for some days, but, as the earnings were not to my master’s liking, he determined to go somewhere else. [Sidenote: Lazaro’s farewell to his mother.] When we were about to depart, I went to see my mother, and, both weeping, she gave me her blessing and said, “I shall see you no more. Strive to be good, and may God direct your ways. You have been brought up, and are now put with a good master. Farewell!” And so I went away to my master who was waiting for me. [13] See note, p. 5. [Sidenote: A cruel trick of the wicked old blind man.] We went out of Salamanca and came to the bridge. There is, at the entrance of it, an animal of stone[14] which almost has the shape of a bull. The blind man told me to go near this animal, and, being there, he said, “Lazaro, put your ear against this bull, and you will hear a great noise inside.” I did so, like a simpleton, believing it to be as he said. When he felt that my head was against the stone, he raised his hand and gave me a tremendous blow against the devil of a bull, so that I felt the pain for more than three days. [Sidenote: Lazaro and the blind man.] Then he said to me, “This will teach you that a blind man’s boy ought to be one point more knowing than the devil himself”; and he laughed heartily at his joke. It seemed to me that, in an instant, I awoke from my simplicity in which I had reposed from childhood. I said to myself, “This man says truly that it behoves me to keep my eyes open, for I am alone and have to think for myself.” [Illustration: “_He answered that he received me, not as his servant but as his son._”]