324 Collectanea.
just as well as the first one. So the other Lords-in-Waiting, see- ing this wonder, took counsel together to decide how they could wrong Peter. One of them said :
"Here! Do you know what? Let's go to the Emperor, and tell him that Peter boasts, saying that he can fetch the bird to whom the golden feather belongs."
"We'll do so!" cried the others, and so they went to the Emperor and told him.
As soon as the Emperor heard of this, he called Peter and told him to bring the bird, or he'd be killed. The poor, wretched Peter said that he didn't know where the bird was, neither could he bring it to the Emperor. But all was in vain.
So Peter, much worried, went to the Horse and told him all. The Horse said :
"Didn't I tell you that you'd be sorry if you took the feather? But never mind now, we'll bring the bird. Go to the Emperor, and ask for three oven-fulls of bread, three roasted oxen, three bags of corn and some money. Then we'll go, trusting in Good Luck."
Peter did as he was bid, asking the Emperor for all these things, and they went in search of the bird.
They went as much as they went, no one knows how much, until they came upon a field. When they got to about the middle of the field, they came upon a lot of men who were eating each other.
Lord ! Who had ever seen such a man-eating affair ?
When Peter saw them, he called to them, asking them why they were eating each other. Because they were hungry, was their reply. Peter then gave them the three oven-fulls of bread. When the men had eaten, they said :
" Master, whenever you think of us, we will be with you."
Peter went further with his Horse, until they came to a sea. What the name of that sea was I have forgotten, for it was long ago; anyway, I think that sea has dried up since, for at one time there was no rain for three days and seven nights. So Peter came to that sea. When he got to about the middle of it, he noticed that it was boiling dreadfully. Peter asked the Horse why the water was boiling. The Horse answered :
" Because the fishes are quarrelling."
