But though Theodorus had been so foolish he was not quite without sense , and set about getting work at once . His wife , too , instead of reproaching him sent away the servants and sold their fine horses , and did all the work of the house herself , even washing the clothes of her husband and child . Thus time passed till Fortunatus was sixteen . One day when they were sitting at supper , the boy said to Theodorus , ` Father , why do you look so sad ? Tell me what is wrong , and perhaps I can help you . ' ` Ah , my son , I have reason enough to be sad ; but for me you would now have been enjoying every kind of pleasure , instead of being buried in this tiny house . ' ` Oh , do not let that trouble you , ' replied Fortunatus , ` it is time I made some money for myself . To be sure I have never been taught any trade . Still there must be something I can do . I will go and walk on the seashore and think about it . ' Very soon -- sooner than he expected -- a chance came , and Fortunatus , like a wise boy , seized on it at once . The post offered him was that of page to the Earl of Flanders , and as the Earl 's daughter was just going to be married , splendid festivities were held in her honour , and at some of the tilting matches Fortunatus was lucky enough to win the prize . These prizes , together with presents from the lords and ladies of the court , who liked him for his pleasant ways , made Fortunatus feel quite a rich man . But though his head was not turned by the notice taken of him , it excited the envy of some of the other pages about the Court , and one of them , called Robert , invented a plot to move Fortunatus out of his way . So he told the young man that the Earl had taken a dislike to him and meant to kill him ; Fortunatus believed the story , and packing up his fine clothes and money , slipped away before dawn . He went to a great many big towns and lived well , and as he was generous and not wiser than most youths of his age , he very soon found himself penniless . Like his father , he then began to think of work , and tramped half over Brittany in search of it . Nobody seemed to want him , and he wandered about from one place to another , till he found himself in a dense wood , without any paths , and not much light . Here he spent two whole days , with nothing to eat and very little water to drink , going first in one direction and then in another , but never being able to find his way out . During the first night he slept soundly , and was too tired to fear either man or beast , but when darkness came on for the second time , and growls were heard in the distance , he grew frightened and looked about for a high tree out of reach of his enemies .
Hardly had he settled himself comfortably in one of the forked branches , when a lion walked up XXXXX a spring that burst from a rock close to the tree , and crouching down drank greedily .
During Like about as at from in though to without