This was bad enough, but after all, lions do not climb trees, and
as long as Fortunatus stayed up on his perch, he was quite safe.
But no sooner was the lion out of sight, than his place was taken
by a bear, and bears, as Fortunatus knew very well, are
tree-climbers. His heart beat fast, and not without reason, for
as the bear turned away he looked up and saw Fortunatus!

Now in those days every young man carried a sword slung to his
belt, and it was a fashion that came in very handily for
Fortunatus. He drew his sword, and when the bear got within a
yard of him he made a fierce lunge forward. The bear, wild with
pain, tried to spring, but the bough he was standing on broke
with his weight, and he fell heavily to the ground. Then
Fortunatus descended from his tree (first taking good care to see
no other wild animals were in sight) and killed him with a single
blow. He was just thinking he would light a fire and make a
hearty dinner off bear's flesh, which is not at all bad eating,
when he beheld a beautiful lady standing by his side leaning on a
wheel, and her eyes hidden by a bandage.

‘I am Dame Fortune,' she said, ‘and I have a gift for you. Shall
it be wisdom, strength, long life, riches, health, or beauty?
Think well, and tell me what you will have.'

But Fortunatus, who had proved the truth of the proverb that
‘It's ill thinking on an empty stomach,' answered quickly, ‘Good
lady, let me have riches in such plenty that I may never again be
as hungry as I am now.'

And the lady held out a purse and told him he had only to put his