Rotterdam Forest Spider (Morning)

"I think I would have been acquitted if I had been brought before the king, because you're right, in my village, they didn't really believe I was guilty. But the king wasn't in a state to judge anyone, and instead, his right-hand man took over my case. His name was Skandrel. He didn't waste much time; I spoke in court for only six seconds (time moves slowly in such moments, so I know for sure it was exactly six seconds), and the verdict was delivered: 'Hanging.' That's it. And they led me to the gallows, bound with tight ropes," Flame's voice faltered. Then he spoke more cheerfully. "But the executioner had some personal problems, and he didn't take off my outer clothing, so when they removed the plank from under me, I didn't hang by my neck, but by a button. Well, I hung there for a bit, watching the strange looks on their faces. Then I started swinging harder, like on a children's swing, the button came off, and I found myself riding a horse. Admittedly, backward, but that was enough for the mare to bolt, breaking the nail to which her bridle was attached. The guards didn't immediately realize what had happened, but they did eventually and gave chase; there were two of them, and they were armed. Seeing that they were catching up, I randomly threw off my boots and trousers, and wouldn't you know it! The one I hit with the boots fell immediately. The other one first cut my trousers with his saber and threw them away, but then he realized that he had also thrown away the saber that was stuck in them. He bent down to pick it up and fell into the mud, and with one foot still in the stirrup, the horse slowly dragged him along the ground away from the saber. There was no question of continuing the chase." "After that, I was caught seven more times in different countries (and how many times I escaped!). Well, the reason is simple: once you've escaped, you're guilty, and the fact that I wouldn't be able to prove my innocence or anything else to anyone didn't bother them. Moreover, they started blaming me for all sorts of crimes just because I happened to be nearby when they were committed. And despite all this, you can easily see that I'm still alive. Isn't that luck?"