Ah, a tale of cleverness indeed. The chronicles from the 14th‑century annals of the Abbey of Saint Marcel mention a similar ruse. They describe a rogue scholar who, weary of a basilisk’s deadly glare, lured it with a trail of sage and rosemary—herbs believed to calm the beast’s wrath. The creature, drawn by scent, followed the path and, when the herbs were left at the threshold, it turned its gaze away, allowing the villagers to slip it into a deeper hollow. It’s a reminder that even the fiercest monsters can be tamed by a touch of patience and the right fragrance.