'I am a priest and as such I beseech you, in the name of Him who by dying on the cross sacrificed Himself for us, to speak with me a little.' 'Speak? Hellfire! Me? What about?' The Knight and the Barrel ( Le Chevalier au barisel ) is an Old French story dating from the beginning of the thirteenth century. It tells the tale of depraved and godless baron who is persuaded by his knights to visit a hermit for confession. Stubbornly refusing the conventional acts of penance, the baron finally agrees to fill a small barrel at a stream, only to discover that the task is much more difficult than he had imagined. An established part of the Old French canon, The Knight and the Barrel is a brutally intimate portrait of conversion. It draws from numerous traditions, including epic, romance, comedy, pious materials and miracle stories. This first English translation preserves the humour and liveliness of the original, making it suitable for students, scholars and the general reader. It is presented in a facing-page format for easy reference, with detailed notes and a rich introductory essay that explores the internal struggles of the protagonists, highlights existing research and suggests future lines of enquiry.