As we passed by the way we met with a tall soldier (for so his habit and countenance declared) who with proud and arrogant words spake to my master in this sort: quorsum vacuum ducis asinum? My master somewhat astonied at the strange sights which he saw before, and ignorant of the Latin tongue, road on and spake never a word: the soldier unable to refrain his insolence, and offended at his silence, strake him on the shoulders as he sat on my back; then my master gently made answer that he understood not what he said, whereat the soldier angrily demanded again, whither he rode with his ass? Marry (quoth he) to the next city: but I (quoth the soldier) have need of his help, to carry the trusses of our captain from yonder castle, and therewithal he took me by the halter and would violently have taken me away: but my master wiping away the blood of the blow which he received of the soldier, desired him gently and civilly to take some pity upon him, and to let him depart with his own, swearing and affirming that his slow ass, well-nigh dead with sickness, could scarce carry a few handfuls of herbs to the next town, much less he was able to bear any greater trusses: but when he saw the soldier would in nowise be entreated, but ready with his staff to cleave my master’s head, my master fell down at his feet, under colour to move him to some pity, but when he saw his time, he took the soldier by the legs and cast him upon the ground: then he buffeted him, thumped him, bit him, and took a stone and beat his face and his sides, that he could not turn and defend himself, but only threaten that if ever he rose, he would chop him in pieces. The gardener when he heard him say so, drew out his javelin which he had by his side, and when he had thrown it away, he knocked and beat him more cruelly than he did before, insomuch that the soldier could not tell by what means to save himself, but by feigning that he was dead, then my master took the javelin and mounted upon my back, riding in all haste to the next village, having no regard to go to his garden, and when he came thither, he turned into one of his friend’s house and declared all the whole matter, desiring him to save his life and to hide himself and his ass in some secret place, until such time as all danger were past. Then his friends not forgetting the ancient amity between them, entertained him willingly and drew me up a pair of stairs into a chamber, my master crept into a chest, and lay there with the cover closed fast: the soldier (as I afterwards learned) rose up as one awaked from a drunken sleep, but he could scarce go by reason of his wounds: howbeit at length by little and little through aid of his staff he came to the town, but he would not declare the matter to any person nor complain to any justice, lest he should be accused of cowardice or dastardness, yet in the end he told some of his companions of all the matter that happened: then they took him and caused him to be closed in some secret place, thinking that beside the injury which he had received, he should be accused of the breach of his faith, by reason of the loss of his spear, and when they had learned the signs of my master, they went to search him out: at last there was an unfaithful neighbour that told them where he was, then incontinently the soldiers went to the justice declaring that they had lost by the way a silver goblet of their captain’s, and that a gardener had found it, who refusing to deliver the goblet, was hidden in one of his friends’ houses: by and by the magistrates understanding the loss of the captain, came to the doors where we were, commanded our host to deliver my master upon pain of death: howbeit these threatenings could not enforce him to confess that he was within his doors, but by reason of his faithful promise and for the safeguard of his friend, he said, that he saw not the gardener a great while, neither knew where he was: the soldiers said contrary, whereby to know the verity of the matter, the magistrates commanded their sergeants and ministers to search every corner of the house, but when they could find neither gardener nor ass, there was a great contention between the soldiers and our host, for they said we were within the house: and he said no, but I that was very curious to know the matter, when I heard so great a noise, put my head out of the window to learn what the stir and tumult did signify. It fortuned that one of the soldiers perceived my shadow, whereupon he began to cry, saying: that he had certainly seen me; then they were all glad and came up into the chamber, and pulled me down like a prisoner. When they had found me, they doubted nothing of the gardener, but seeking about more narrowly, at length they found him couched in a chest. And so they brought out the poor gardener to the justices, who was committed immediately to prison, but they could never forbear laughing from the time they found me by my shadow, wherefore is risen a common proverb: “the shadow of the ass.”