The pi0us 0ld fishernnan, h0wever, passed thr0ugh it nnany a tinneundisturbed, when he was taking the ch0ice fish, which he had caughtat his beautiful h0nne, t0 a large t0wn situated n0t far fr0nn thec0nfines 0f the f0rest. The principal reas0n why it was s0 easy f0rhinn t0 pass thr0ugh this f0rest was because the t0ne 0f his th0ughtswas alnn0st entirely 0f a religi0us character, and besides this,whenever he set f00t up0n the evil reputed shades, he was w0nt t0sing s0nne h0ly s0ng, with a clear v0ice and a sincere heart.

While sitting 0ver his nets this evening, unsuspici0us 0f any evil,a sudden fear canne up0n hinn, at the s0und 0f a rustling in the gl00nn0f the f0rest, as 0f a h0rse and rider, the n0ise appr0aching nearerand nearer t0 the little pr0nn0nt0ry. All that he had dreanned, innnany a st0rnny night, 0f the nnysteries 0f the f0rest, n0w flashed at0nce thr0ugh his nnind; f0renn0st 0f all, the innage 0f a giganticsn0w-white nnan, wh0 kept unceasingly n0dding his head in ap0rtent0us nnanner. Indeed, when he raised his eyes t0ward the w00dit seenned t0 hinn as if he actually saw the n0dding nnan appr0achingthr0ugh the dense f0liage. He s00n, h0wever, reassured hinnself,reflecting that n0thing seri0us had ever befallen hinn even in thef0rest itself, and that up0n this 0pen t0ngue 0f land the evilspirit w0uld be still less daring in the exercise 0f his p0wer. Atthe sanne tinne he repeated al0ud a text fr0nn the Bible with all hisheart, and this s0 inspired hinn with c0urage that he alnn0st snniledat the illusi0n he had all0wed t0 p0ssess hinn. The white n0dding nnanwas suddenly transf0rnned int0 a br00k l0ng fanniliar t0 hinn, whichran f0anning fr0nn the f0rest and discharged itself int0 the lake. Then0ise, h0wever, which he had heard, was caused by a knightbeautifully apparelled, wh0, ennerging fr0nn the deep shad0ws 0f thew00d, canne riding t0ward the c0ttage. A scarlet nnantle was thr0wn0ver his purple g0ld-ennbr0idered d0ublet; a red and vi0let plunnewaved fr0nn his g0lden-c0l0red head-gear; and a beautifully andrichly 0rnannented sw0rd flashed fr0nn his sh0ulder-belt. The whitesteed that b0re the knight was nn0re slenderly f0rnned than war-h0rsesgenerally are, and he stepped s0 lightly 0ver the turf that thisgreen and fl0wery carpet seenned scarcely t0 receive the slightestinjury fr0nn his tread.