This is a book I enjoyed as a child, about a rather shabby but honorable knight coming back from the wars who recruits a troop of performing animals and eventually a young woman who becomes his wife (after he briefly is tempted by a more aristocratic lady). In a second part, he has to recue his former commander from a bandit. The setting is presumably 15th century Holy Roman Empire since he fought for the Emperor Sigismund. As with many good children's fantasies of this era, Blegvad's line drawings add to the enjoyment. ( )