“Who is Satan?” asked Offero.

“He is a wicked monarch,” replied the king, “wicked but powerful.”

“More powerful than thou art?”

“Aye, verily.”

“And fearest thou that he hurt thee?”

“That do I, and so do all.”

“Then,” cried Offero, “is he more mighty and greater than thou art.  I will go seek him.  Henceforth he shall be my master for I would fain serve the mightiest and the greatest lord of all the world.”

So Offero departed from the king and sought Satan.  Everywhere he met people who had given themselves over to his rule and at last one day as he was crossing a wide desert he saw a great company of knights approaching.  One of them, mounted upon a great black horse, came to him and demanded whither he went, and Offero made answer, “I seek Satan, for he is mighty, and I would fain serve him.”

Then returned the knight, “I am he whom thou seekest.”

When Offero heard these words he was right glad and took Satan to be his lord and master.

This king was indeed powerful and a long time did Offero serve him, but it chanced one day as they were journeying together they came to a place where four roads met and in the midst of the space stood a little cross.  As soon as Satan saw the cross he was afraid and turned quickly aside and fled toward the desert.  Offero followed him marvelling much at the sight.  And after, when they had come back to the highway they had left, he inquired of Satan why he was thus troubled and had gone so far out of his way to avoid the cross.  But Satan answered him not a word.

Then Offero said to him, “If thou wilt not tell me, I shall depart from thee straightway and shall serve thee no more.”

“Know then,” said Satan, “there was a man called Christ who suffered on the cross and whenever I see his sign I am sore afraid and flee from it, lest he destroy me.”

“If then thou art afraid of his sign,” cried Offero, “he is greater and more mighty than thou, and I see well that I have labored in vain, for I have not found the greatest lord of the world.  I will serve thee no longer.  Go thy way alone, for I will go to seek Christ.”

And when he had long sought and demanded where he should find Him, he came at length into a great desert where dwelt a hermit, a servant of the Christ.  The hermit told him of the Master whom he was seeking and said to him, “This king whom thou dost wish to serve is not an earthly ruler and he requireth that thou oft fast and make many prayers.”

But Offero understood not the meaning of worship and prayer and he answered, “Require of me some other thing and I shall do it, but I know naught of this which thou requirest.”

Then the hermit said to him, “Knowest thou the river, a day’s journey from here, where there is neither ford nor bridge and many perish and are lost?  Thou art large and strong.  Therefore go thou and dwell by this river and bear over all who desire to cross its waters.  That is a service which will be well pleasing to the Christ whom thou desirest to serve, and sometime, if I mistake not, he whom thou seekest will come to thee.”