St. Nicholas Magazine for Boys and Girls, Vol. 5, September 1878, No. 11 | Page 6

But as they persisted in the story that but one
man had passed, he grew angrier than ever. While he was still rating
them, Ranier came up.
"Well, my lord," said the latter, "if you will go or send to examine, you
will find that twenty thousand trees are already cut, squared, and made
ready to be hauled to the king's palace-ground."
The ranger at once rode back into the forest, and, having counted the
number of piles, was much pleased, and ordered Ranier to come that
day week when the timber would be inspected, and if it were all
properly done he would receive the twenty thousand nobles agreed
upon.
"Excuse me, my lord," suggested Ranier, "but the work has been done
in two days instead of thirty; and twenty-eight days off at a hundred
nobles per day makes twenty-two thousand eight hundred nobles as my

due."
"True," replied the ranger; "and if you want money now--"
"Oh no!" interrupted Ranier, "I have three groats in my purse, and ten
more at home, which will be quite sufficient for my needs."
At this the ranger laughed outright, and then rode away.
At the end of a week, Ranier sought the ranger's castle, and there
received not only an order on the king's treasurer for the money, but
also the patent of deputy-ranger of the king's forest, and the allotment
of a handsome house in which to live. Thither Ranier brought his
mother, and as he was now rich, he bought him fine clothing, and hired
him servants, and lived in grand style, performing all the duties of his
office as though he had been used to it all his life. People noticed,
however, that the new deputy-ranger never went out without his ax,
which occasioned some gossip at first; but some one having suggested
that he did so to show that he was not ashamed of his former condition,
folk were satisfied,--though the truth was that he carried the ax for
service only.
Now it happened that Ranier was walking alone one evening in the
forest to observe whether any one was trying to kill the king's deer, and
while there, he heard the clash of swords. On going to the spot whence
the noise came, he saw a cavalier richly clad, with his back to a tree,
defending himself as he best might, from a half dozen men in armor,
each with his visor down. Ranier had no sword, for, not being a knight,
it was forbidden him to bear such a weapon; but he bethought him of
his ax, and hoped it might serve the men as it had the trees. So he
wished these cowardly assailants killed, and when he uttered the
prescribed words, the ax fell upon the villains, and so hacked and
hewed them that they were at once destroyed. But it seemed to the
knight thus rescued that it was the arm of Ranier that guided the ax, for
such was the magic of the fairy.
So soon as the assailants had been slain, the ax came back into Ranier's
hand, and Ranier went to the knight, who was faint with his wounds,

and offered to lead him to his house. And when he examined him fully,
he bent on his knee, for he discovered that it was the king, Dagobert,
whom he had seen once before when the latter was hunting in the
forest.
The king said: "This is the deputy-ranger, Master Ranier. Is it not?"
"Yes, sire!" replied Ranier.
The king laid the blade of his sword on Ranier's shoulder, and said:
"I dub thee knight. Rise up, Sir Ranier! Be trusty, true and loyal."
Sir Ranier arose a knight, and with the king examined the faces of the
would-be assassins, who were found to be great lords of the country,
and among them was Lord Woodmount.
"Sir Ranier," said the king, "have these wretches removed and buried.
The office of chief ranger is thine."
Sir Ranier, while the king was partaking of refreshments at Ranier's
house, sent trusty servants to bury the slain. After this, King Dagobert
returned to his palace, whence he sent the new knight his own sword, a
baldrick and spurs of gold, a collar studded with jewels, the patent of
chief ranger of the forest, and a letter inviting him to visit the court.
Now, when Sir Ranier went to court, the ladies there, seeing that he
was young and handsome, treated him with great favor; and even the
king's daughter, the Princess Isauré, smiled sweetly on him, which,
when divers great lords saw, they were very angry, and plotted to injure
the new-comer; for they thought him of base blood, and were much
chagrined that he should have been made a knight, and be thus
welcomed by