"--
"That were against reason," said the king,
"I swear, so mote I thee:
My horse is better than thy mare,
And that thou well may'st see."--
"Yea, sir, but Brock is gentle and mild,
And softly she will fare;
Thy horse is unruly and wild, i-wis;
Aye skipping here and there."--
"What boot wilt thou have?" our king replied;
"Now tell me in this stound."--
"No pence, nor halfpence, by my fay,
But a noble in gold so round."--
"Here's twenty groats of white mon-ey,
Sith thou wilt have it of me."--
"I would have sworn now," quoth the tanner,
"Thou hadst not had one penni-e.
"But since we two have made a change,
A change we must abide;
Although thou hast gotten Brock my mare,
Thou gettest not my cow-hide."--
"I will not have it," said the king,
"I swear, so mote I thee;
Thy foul cow-hide I would not bear,
If thou wouldst give it to me."
The tanner he took his good cow-hide
That of the cow was hilt;
And threw it upon the king's sad-elle,
That was so fairly gilt.
"Now help me up, thou fine fell-ow,
'Tis time that I were gone:
When I come home to Gyllian my wife,
She'll say I am a gentilmon.
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