▁ball ad ▁number ▁ 2 6 8 . ▁It ▁is ▁highly ▁possible ▁that ▁the ▁ball ad ▁was ▁popular ly ▁unknown ▁in ▁Scotland , ▁and ▁only ▁known ▁through ▁print . ▁It ▁has ▁since ▁been ▁given ▁the ▁R oud ▁number ▁of ▁ 3 0 3 . ▁ ▁Syn opsis ▁The ▁story ▁belongs ▁to ▁the ▁A ar ne - Th om pson ▁Type ▁ 8 8 2 : ▁the ▁w ager ▁on ▁the ▁wife ' s ▁ch ast ity . ▁ ▁It ▁starts ▁with ▁two ▁best ▁friends , ▁or ▁" bro thers ▁sw orn ": ▁one ▁a ▁kn ight , ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁a ▁s quire . ▁They ▁begin ▁talking ▁about ▁women , ▁and ▁the ▁un wed ▁s quire ▁d our ly ▁decl ares ▁that ▁there ▁cannot ▁be ▁more ▁than ▁nine ▁good ▁women ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁The ▁kn ight ▁decl ares ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁luck y , ▁for ▁his ▁wife ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁them . ▁To ▁test ▁the ▁truth ▁of ▁this ▁claim , ▁the ▁s quire ▁suggests ▁a ▁plan ▁where ▁the ▁kn ight ▁goes ▁off ▁to ▁sea ▁for ▁six ▁months . ▁He ▁w agers ▁his ▁life ▁that ▁he ▁will ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁gain ▁the ▁love ▁of ▁the ▁lady ▁before ▁six ▁months ▁have ▁passed . ▁The ▁kn ight ▁ins ists ▁that ▁they ▁length en ▁the ▁period ▁to ▁nine ▁months , ▁and ▁then ▁w agers ▁all ▁his ▁lands ▁on ▁his ▁wife ' s ▁faithful ness . ▁ ▁Once ▁the ▁kn ight ▁has ▁left , ▁the ▁s quire ▁tries ▁at ▁once ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁love ▁of ▁the ▁"