At this, the valet announced the celebrated and aristocratic talking-fox-about-town, Baron Château-Renard and his friend Meurtrier Morrie.
"Permit me," said the vulpine Baron, "to present to you M. le capitaine des Uruc-haïs, my friend, and more: my savior. For the rest, the man presents himself quite well without my aid." As indeed he did, with his splendid uniform, half-Shiré, half-Orcois, and admirably decorated with the Red Arrow.
"Mon cher monsieur," said Réginard. "I am dying of a curiosity far sharper than any épée de Morgoule."
"Oh, it's hardly worth the bother of telling, and monsieur exaggerates," said Morrie.
"What!" cried the fox. "The life is not worth the bother of telling! Par les cheveux de Luthienne! We were fighting for Rohan in the war against Saroumand, and my horse had been killed by rogue huornes; I was retreating by foot; six Druadains came galloping after me to slay me with their poisoned darts; I drove two away with bright iron, and two others with my blondrebousse. But two remained: one seized me by my tail, the other placed the point of his ghambourighan on my neck, and I already felt the cruel cold of the blade when monsieur, whom you see, charged them from a nearby cave, crying Ckasâde aïménou! (There's a very amusing story behind that, involving entwash; my friend will tell that on some other occasion.)"
