{"product_id":"2940012844835","title":"Tales from the Old French","description":"¶ Lais\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    THE LAY OF THE BIRD                                   3\u003cbr\u003e    THE WOFUL KNIGHT              _Marie de France_      17\u003cbr\u003e    THE TWO LOVERS                _Marie de France_      26\u003cbr\u003e    ELIDUC                        _Marie de France_      35\u003cbr\u003e    MELION                                               73\u003cbr\u003e    THE LAY OF THE HORN             _Robert Biquet_      93\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  ¶ Fabliaux\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    THE DIVIDED BLANKET                   _Bernier_     111\u003cbr\u003e    OF THE CHURL WHO WON PARADISE                       125\u003cbr\u003e    THE GRAY PALFREY                   _Huon Leroi_     131\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  ¶ Contes dévots et didactiques\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    THE KNIGHT OF THE LITTLE CASK                       173\u003cbr\u003e    THE ANGEL AND THE HERMIT                            207\u003cbr\u003e    THE JOUSTING OF OUR LADY                            228\u003cbr\u003e    THE ORDER OF CHIVALRY                               232\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  ¶ Epilogue                                            249\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  ¶ Bibliography                                        263\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  ¶ Translator's Note                                   264\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLais\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Lay of the Bird\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[Illustration]\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOnce upon a time, a hundred years and more agone, there lived a rich\u003cbr\u003evillein; his name I know not for certain, but he was rich as beseemeth\u003cbr\u003ea great lord in woodland, stream and meadow, and in whatsoever else\u003cbr\u003elongeth to a puissant man. And to tell you the sum thereof, his manor\u003cbr\u003ewas so goodly no town, or burg, or castle hath its like, for to tell\u003cbr\u003eyou true, in all the world is none other so fair and delectable; and if\u003cbr\u003eany were to show you its form and fashion, the tale would seem to you\u003cbr\u003ebut fable, for none, methinketh, could ever make such a keep, or so\u003cbr\u003emighty a tower. Round about it ran a river, encircling all the close,\u003cbr\u003ethat the orchard, which was of great price, was all walled in by wood\u003cbr\u003eand water. Wise was the gentle knight who contrived it, but from him it\u003cbr\u003ewent to his son, who sold it to this villein; so passed it from hand to\u003cbr\u003ehand: and wit ye well, an ill heir ofttimes bringeth thorpe and manor\u003cbr\u003einto dishonour.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFair as man can desire was that orchard, and therein grew many an herb\u003cbr\u003ewhose name I know not; yet may I tell you of a truth there were roses\u003cbr\u003eand flowers that gave forth a strong and pleasant fragrance; and such\u003cbr\u003emanner of spices grew there that if any creature, suffering from\u003cbr\u003esickness and infirmity, were brought thither in a litter, and lay in\u003cbr\u003ethat orchard but for the space of a single night, he would go forth\u003cbr\u003ehealed and strong; so rich it was in goodly herbs. And the meadow was\u003cbr\u003eso level even that in it was neither hill nor hollow, and all the\u003cbr\u003etree-tops were of one height; no other orchard close so fair was there\u003cbr\u003ein all the world. Ask ye not of its fruit, for none such shall ye find;\u003cbr\u003ebut in the garden they ripened in every season. Wise was he who contrived\u003cbr\u003eit, and by enchantment he wrought it, whereof within was many a proof.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFull great was the orchard and wide, like a round ring in its form; and\u003cbr\u003ein its midst was a fountain whose waters were clear and fresh, and ran\u003cbr\u003eso swiftly they seemed to boil in fury, yet was it colder than marble.\u003cbr\u003eA goodly tree gave shade there, wide reaching were the branches and\u003cbr\u003ecunningly trained; good store of leaves there were, for in the longest\u003cbr\u003eday of summer, when came the month of May, ye could not see a ray of\u003cbr\u003ethe sun, so leafy was it. Full dear should that tree be held, for its\u003cbr\u003ekind was such that it kept its leaves in all seasons, and neither wind\u003cbr\u003enor storm had might to strip its bark or its branches.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePleasant and delectable was that green tree; and to it twice each day,\u003cbr\u003eand no more, came a bird to sing, in the morning namely, and again at\u003cbr\u003eeventide. So wondrous fair was the bird it were over long to tell you\u003cbr\u003eall its fashion. More small it was than the sparrow, yet somewhat\u003cbr\u003egreater than the wren, and it sang so sweetly and fairly that know\u003cbr\u003eye of a sooth, not nightingale, nor merle, nor mavis, nor starling,\u003cbr\u003emethinketh, nor voice of lark or calender, were so good to hear as was\u003cbr\u003eits song. And it was so ready with refrains and lays and songs and\u003cbr\u003enew tunes, that harp, or viol, or rebec were as nought beside it.","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47079058735344,"sku":"2940012844835","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940012844835_p0.jpg?v=1763573323","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940012844835","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}