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FOLK TALES OF
FLANDERS
" HE TORE A RIB FROM HIS SIDE AND CUT OFF MY EAR "
[See page 21]
FOLK TALES OF
FLANDERS
COLLECTED AND
, ILLUSTRATED BY
JEAN DE BOSSCHERE
NEW YORK
DODD, MEAD & COMPANY
1918
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PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN
AT THE COMPLETE PRESS
WEST NORWOOD I.ONDON
CONTENTS
UPS AND DOWNS
THE THREE MONKEYS
HOW THE GOLDFINCH GOT HIS COLOURS
THE COCK AND THE FOX
THE MOST CUNNING ANIMAL
SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT
WHY CATS ALWAYS WASH AFTER EATING
THE CHORISTERS OF ST. GUDULE
THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX
THE MAGIC CAP
SUGAR-CANDY HOUSE
POOR PETER
THE PEASANT AND HIS ASS
I
5
10
H
'9
22
40
41
5°
83
9i
95
103
vii
CONTENTS
PAGB
THE KING OF THE BIRDS 109
A DRUM FULL OF BEES 116
THE DRUNKEN ROOKS 131
THE BATTLE OF THE BIRDS AND BEASTS 133
THE END OF THE WORLD 139
THE REWARD OF THE WORLD 147
ONE BAD TURN BEGETS ANOTHER 153
THE PEASANT AND THE SATYRS 159
THE TWO FRIENDS AND THE BARREL OF GREASE i63
WHY THE BEAR HAS A STUMPY TAIL 168
THE WITCH'S CAT i73
Vlll
J-B.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
IN COLOUR
"HE TORE A RIB FROM HIS SIDE AND CUT OFF MY EAR"
" I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY YOUR DRINK. GOOD-BYE I "
ALL THE BIRDS WERE VERY PROUD OF THEIR APPEARANCE
"WHAT ELSE CAN I DO 1 " ASKED CHANTICLEER
THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE Fox
"YOU HAVE MERITED DEATH A HUNDRED TIMES "
JAN AND JANNETTE
BIRDS GOING TO THE RACE
THE BATTLE OF THE BIRDS AND BEASTS
AN IMMENSE DRAGON LYING BY THE WATER-SIDE
THE SATYRS' VILLAGE
" ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TO SIT ON THE ICE "
Frontispiece
Factng
page
2
12
44
68
80
90
112
132
148
160
170
IX
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
IN BLACK AND WHITE
PAGE
THERE HE MET MISTRESS GOAT i
THE FARMER PUT HER IN THE FOLD 3
UP AND DOWN 4
THREE FRIENDS 5
LITTLE JAMES GOT PUSHED OVER THE SIDE 7
" PULL, BROTHER, PULL, AND WE'LL SOON HAVE HIM OUT " 8
HE HAPPENED TO LOOK IN THE MlRROR 9
BIRDS 10
THE ANGEL WHOSE MISSION IT WAS TO COLOUR THE BIRDS n
HE TOOK A PLACE AMONG THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF THEM ALL 12
SONG OF GRATITUDE 13
THE Fox WAS NOT A LITTLE FRIGHTENED 14
" DON'T GO AWAY, MY DEAR FRIEND," SAID THE FOX 17
" THAT is TRUE," SAID THE COCK TO HIMSELF 18
THE SOLDIER, THE Fox, AND THE BEAR 19
THERE WAS A FLASH, A LOUD REPORT ... 21
THE TWO HEROES OF THE STORY 22
SPONSKEN, THE GIANT, AND THE PRINCESS 25
HE TOSSED THE BlRD INTO THE AlR 27
" THE THREE ANIMALS ARE A BEAR, A UNICORN, AND A WILD BOAR " 28
THE BEAR FOLLOWED HIM INTO THE HOLLOW TRUNK 29
WITH A MIGHTY CRASH HE RAN FULL TILT INTO THE TREE 31
SPONSKEN, THE PRINCESS, THE GIANT 33
ALL THE ATTENDANTS FLED AT ONCE 37
MARRIED A GIRL 39
THE CAT AND THE SPARROW 40
"I'VE JUST BEEN TURNED OUT OF HOUSE " 4!
" THEY LAUGH AT ME " 43
" HUSH ! " SAID CHANTICLEER 45
BREAKING THE GLASS TO SMITHEREENS 47
THE ROBBERS LOST NO TIME IN DECAMPING 49
THE KING 50
AT THE HEAD OF THE PROCESSION MARCHED CHANTICLEER 53
THE Fox's CHATEAU 55
THE POOR BEAST ROARED WITH PAIN 57
HE IMMEDIATELY CALLED A COUNCIL OF HIS MINISTERS 59
" TAKE ME TO THIS HOUSE " 61
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PACK
" TYBERT AND BRUIN ARE BADLY KNOCKED ABOUT " 63
" AND CAUSED HIM TO JUMP AT LEAST TWENTY FEET INTO THE AIR " 64
" I WAS MISCHIEVOUS AND UNRULY " 67
" AND PEARLS TOO ? " SHE WHISPERED 69
" I SAW HIM STOP AT THE FOOT OF A GREAT TREE " 71
THE CONSPIRACY GAINED ADHERENTS EVERY DAY 73
THE SUIT OF GOLDEN ARMOUR EMRIK WORE 75
THEY WALKED IN SILENCE 77
REYNARD SPRANG AT HIS THROAT 79
THE KING OF THAT LAND CAUGHT HIM 82
CALF AND GOAT 83
" YOU WERE BEING MADE A FOOL OF " 85
JAN AND THE THREE STUDENTS 87
TWIRLED THE CAP ROUND THREE TIMES ON HIS FINGER 89
AND DIPPED THEM INTO THE HORSE-TROUGH 90
WERE CARRIED SAFELY OVER TO THE OTHER BANK 91
" GR-R-R, I'LL EAT THEM UP ! " 93
WOLF'S HEAD 94
JACO PETER AND HIS FRIEND 95
" SMEAR YOURSELF FROM HEAD TO FOOT " 97
REYNARD SEIZED THE OPPORTUNITY TO WARN HIS FRIEND 99
AN EXCLAMATION OF ASTONISHMENT 100
AWAY WENT THE COACHES 102
" OH DEAR ME, THAT'S TWICE ! " 103
" HALLO, MY MAN," CRIED THE LORD 105
" I CAN'T GET UP, BECAUSE I'M DEAD ! " 107
SENT HIM SPRAWLING FROM TOP TO BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS 108
THE EAGLE AND THE KINGLET 109
" IS OUR KING THEN ONLY TO BE LOOKED AT ? " HI
THERE WAS THE SOUND AS OF A RUSHING MIGHTY WIND 113
HE IS KNOWN AS THE KlNGLET 115
DONATUS Il6
THERE WAS A KNOT-HOLE IN THE WOODEN FLOOR 119
" I DID NOT HEAR YOU KNOCK " 121
THE SWARM OF BEES WITHIN BEGAN TO BUZZ ABOUT IN GREAT COMMOTION 123
BEATING ANOTHER TATTOO UPON THE DRUM 124
THE BEADLE, TOO, STUMBLED AND FELL 125
HE HAD FAITHFULLY CARRIED OUT ALL HIS INSTRUCTIONS 127
IT WAS THE LABOURER DRESSED IN THE DRUMMER'S CLOTHES 128
xi
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
RODE STRAIGHT INTO A MARSH 130
WHEN THE FIFTY ROOKS BEGAN TO PLY HE COULD NOT GET FREE 131
THE ROOKS 132
FIGHTING 133
THE KINGLET WARNED HIM TO BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BUZZ 135
THE GREAT OFFENSIVE BEGAN 137
THE Fox 138
THE CAT RUSHED OUT OF THE ROOM 139
THE CAT, THE DOG, THE COCK, THE RABBIT, AND THE GOOSE 141
" SEE IF YOU CAN ESPY A HOUSE " 142
" JUMP ON TO MY BEAUTIFUL CURLY TAIL " 143
THE OTHER FOUR GOT ON TO THE DOG'S BACK 145
SENT ME FLYING THROUGH THE AIR 146
THE DRAGON 147
" MY SIGHT IS SO WEAK AND MY POWERS SO FEEBLE " 149
" DOES THE DRAGON MIND GETTING UNDER THE STONE AGAIN ? " 151
Two FOXES 152
NOTHING WAS LEFT OF THE FISHES 153
THE BIGGEST AND FATTEST FlSH 155
STRETCHED HIMSELF OUT AT FULL LENGTH 156
" I WILLINGLY GIVE YOU YOURS ! " 158
" WHY ARE YOU BLOWING YOUR SOUP ? " 159
" THERE is NO PLACE IN MY HOUSE FOR A MAN WHO CAN BLOW HOT
AND COLD " 161
SATYR 162
THE Two FRIENDS 163
" WHERE HAS ALL OUR GREASE GONE ? " 165
BEGUN, HALF-DONE, ALL-DONE 167
MRS. BRUIN AND REYNARD 168
" AFTER A TIME THE FISH WILL COME TO BITE AT IT " 169
" ONE, TWO, THREE . . . ! " 171
BORN WITH A LITTLE STUMPY TAIL 172
MARGOT AND THE CAT 173
SHE MEANT TO KEEP HER THERE UNTIL SHE HAD GROWN BlGGER AND FATTER 175
PADDLING WITH HER BROOM 177
HE WAS REALLY A PRINCE 179
Xll
THERE HE MET MISTRESS GOAT
UPS AND DOWNS
HE summer had been very hot. Not a drop of
rain had fallen for many weeks, and there was
drought in the valley where the animals lived.
The streams had dried up and the springs had
ceased to flow. Master Fox took up his pipe
and went out to take a walk under the lime-
trees to think things over. There he met Mistress Goat,
all dressed up in her Sunday clothes.
" Good morrow, cousin," said he. ' You are very fine
to-day."
" Yes," she answered, " I put on my best dress because
it helps me to think. What we are to do for water I do not
know. We have finished all that we had in the barrel, and
unless we can find some more very quickly I and my children
will die of thirst."
" To tell you the truth," said the Fox, " I was thinking
the same thing. I am so dry that my tongue is sticking to
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
the roof of my mouth, and I cannot even smoke my pipe
with pleasure. What do you say to going together in search
of water ? Four eyes are better than two, any day in the
week."
!< Agreed," said the Goat ; and away they started together.
For a long time they looked everywhere, but not a trace of
water could they find. All of a sudden the Goat gave a
cry of joy, and running up to her the Fox saw that she had
discovered a well, on the brink of which she was standing
gazing at the cool water far below.
' Hurrah ! " cried the Fox. " We are saved ! "
' Yes," answered the Goat, " but see how far down the
water is ! How are we to get at it ! '
" You just leave that to me," said the Fox. " I know all
about wells — Fve seen them before. All one has to do is
to get into the bucket which is hanging by the rope and
descend as smoothly and as safely as you please. I'll go first,
just to show you the way."
So the Fox got into the bucket, and the weight of him
caused it to descend, while the empty bucket at the other
end of the rope rose to the top of the well. A minute
afterwards he was at the bottom, leaning over the side of
the pail and greedily lapping up the water. Nothing had
ever tasted so delicious. He drank and drank until he could
hold no more.
"Is it good ? rt cried Mrs. Goat from above, dancing
with impatience.
" It is like the purest nectar ! " answered the Fox. " Get
into the bucket quickly and come down and join me."
So the goat stepped into the bucket, which immediately
began to descend with her weight, while at the same time
the bucket with Master Fox in it began to rise to the surface.
The two met half-way.
" How is this ? ' asked Mrs. Goat in surprise. " I
thought you were going to wait for me ! '
" Ah, my dear friend," answered Reynard with a
wicked grin, 'it is the way of the world. Some go
2
"I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY YOUR DRINK. GOOD-BYE!'
THE FARMER PUT HER IN THE FOLD
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
up and some go down. I hope you will enjoy your drink,
Good-bye ! '
And as soon as he got to the top he jumped out of the
bucket and ran off at top speed.
So poor Mrs. Goat had to stay there at the bottom of
the well until the farmer came and found her, half dead
with cold. When at last she was rescued she found that
she had only exchanged one prison for another, for the
farmer put her into the fold with his own sheep and goats,
and so she lost her liberty for ever.
THREE FRIENDS
THE THREE MONKEYS
HERE were once three monkeys who were going
for a voyage in a balloon. (This was in Monkey-
land, far, far away and ever so long ago.) The
three were so much alike that it was impossible
to tell one from the other, and to make matters
worse each of them answered to the name of
James. Such a thing would never do in the crew of a balloon,
so the old monkey who was in command decided that each
of the three should have a different name. The first was to
be called James, the second Jemmy, and the third Little
James.
So far so good. The three monkeys climbed into the
balloon, the ground ropes were untied, and the voyage was
begun. When they had reached a height of some hundreds
of feet, the captain wished to give an order, so he called to the
first monkey : " James ! '
" Aye aye, sir," said all the three, running up to him.
5
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
" I called James," said the captain, looking from one to
the other.
" Well, I am James," answered the first monkey.
' No, no. James is my name," said the second.
" And mine too," said the third.
" How can you be James if I am he ? " cried the first
angrily.
" I tell you James is my name ! " cried the second.
" No, mine ! '
And so the three monkeys began to quarrel and dispute.
Words led to blows, and soon they were tumbling about all
over the car of the balloon, biting, scratching, and pummelling
while the captain sat in his chair and bawled to them to stop.
Every minute it seemed as though the car would overturn,
and the end of it was that Little James got pushed over the
side. He turned a beautiful somersault, and fell down,
down, down through the air, landing in a soft bed of mud,
into which he sank so that only his face and the top of his
yellow cranium were visible.
" Help ! help ! " bawled Little James at the top of his voice.
Up ran a pair of monkeys belonging to the neighbourhood
and stood looking at him.
' He's in the mud, brother," said one.
" Up to his neck," said the other. " How silly ! ' And
they both began to grin.
4 Help ! " cried Little James again, more faintly, for he
was sinking deeper, and the mud was nearly at the level of
his mouth. " Pull me out ! Pull me out ! "
' Ah, but how ? " asked the first monkey, looking at him
gravely.
' Wait a minute," cried the second, " I have an idea ! '
and he pulled out of his pocket one of those leather suckers
on a string which boys use to lift stones. Moistening the
disc, he clapped it on to Little James's head, and began to
tug on the cord with all his might.
' Hey ! ' cried the other monkey, running to help.
" Pull, brother, pull, and we'll soon have him out ! '
6
LITTLE JAMES GOT PUSHED OVER THE SIDE
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
Crack ! The cord snapped suddenly, and the two monkeys
tumbled head over heels. Never mind ; they got another
cord to repair the damage, and this time they succeeded in
pulling Little James clear of the mud.
Did I say Little James ? Alas ! it was only half of him !
His rescuers had pulled so hard that he had broken off short
in the middle, and
his two legs were left
embedded in the
mud.
" Dear me ! " said
the first monkey,
scratching his head.
" This is very sad.
The poor fellow has
lost his legs. What
shall we do ? "
:' Let us make him
some wooden ones ! "
said the other.
So said, so done.
They made him a
beautiful pair of
wooden legs, and
Little James hobbled
painfully home. By
the time he reached
his house he felt so
ill that he went
straight to bed. ' I believe I am going to die," he said to
himself. ' I must make my will and set down the cause
of my death."
So he sent for pen and paper and began to write. Before
very long, however, he stopped and began to scratch his
head in perplexity. "If I am going to die," he thought,
' I must be going to die of something ! Now, what am
I going to die of ? This must be carefully considered,
8
PULL, BROTHER, PULL, AND WE'LL SOON HAVE
HIM OUT"
THE THREE MONKEYS
for above all one must write the truth in one's last
testament ! '
So he pondered and pondered, but he could not make up
his mind as to the cause of his death. Was he going to die
of the fall from the balloon, or of his broken legs, or what ?
Just then he happened to look in the mirror by the bedside,
and saw that there was a lump on his forehead, which he had
got while fighting with James and Jemmy in the balloon.
' Why, of course," cried he, " I am going to die of that
big bruise on my forehead ! ' So he wrote it down in his
will, and then, happy at having solved the difficulty, turned
over on his side and died.
And, as I said before, this all took place in Monkey-land,
ever so long ago.
BIRDS
HOW THE GOLDFINCH GOT
HIS COLOURS
HEN the Angel whose mission it was to colour
the birds had finished his work, he began to
scrape his palette and to make ready for depar
ture. He had done his task well, for the plumage
of the feathered creatures all around him glowed
with a thousand glorious colours. There was
the lordly eagle, arrayed in a robe of golden brown. The
peacock had a tail of shimmering blue and green that looked
as if it were studded with precious stones. The crow's black
coat shone in the sun with a kind of steely radiance, very
wonderful to behold. The canary was as yellow as a butter
cup ; the jay had a spot of blue sky on either wing ; even the
humble sparrow wore a handsome black neck-tie; while
10
THE ANGEL WHOSE MISSION IT WAS TO COLOUR THE BIRDS
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
Chanticleer, the cock, was resplendent in yellow, black, and
red. All the birds were very proud of their appearance, and
they strutted about here and there, gazing at their reflections
in the water and calling upon their neighbours to come and
admire their beauties.
Alone among the birds the little goldfinch took no part
in the rejoicing. Somehow or other the Angel had over
looked him, so that he remained uncoloured, a drab little
HE TOOK A PLACE AMONG THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF THEM ALL
creature, in his sober grey dress, among the gaily clothed
throng. More than once he had tried to draw the Angel's
attention to himself, and now, seeing him cleaning his
palette in readiness to depart, he stepped forward and said :
'* Have pity on me, good Angel, and paint my plumage as
you have painted that of the others, so that I may walk among
them unashamed. I have nothing to commend me — no
beautiful song like the nightingale or the throstle, no grace of
form such as the swallows have. If I am to go unadorned,
nothing remains for me but to hide myself among the leaves."
Then the Angel took pity on the little creature, and would
gladly have painted him with glowing colours, but alas, he
had scraped his palette clean. Therefore he took up a brush,
and going from bird to bird took from each a spot of colour,
which he laid upon the goldfinch, blending a score of brilliant
hues with marvellous skill. When he had finished, the
12
ALL THE BIRDS WERE VERY PROUD OF THEIR APPEARANCE
HOW THE GOLDFINCH GOT HIS COLOURS
tiny bird was transformed, and from being the saddest in
that brilliant company he took a place among the most
beautiful of them all.
It is not possible, by means of words, to describe the beauty
of the colouring which the Angel gave to the goldfinch, but
you may see him any day you like, sitting on a thistle, and
chirping his song of gratitude and praise.
THE Fox WAS NOT A LITTLE FRIGHTENED
THE COCK AND THE FOX
HIS is the story that the old woman who was
called Tante Sannie told to the little boy who
would always be talking :
A long time ago (she said) there lived in a
farmyard a Cock who was very proud of himself,
and with reason, too, for he was, indeed, a
plump and handsome bird. Nothing could have been finer
than his appearance when he strutted through the yard, lifting
his feet high as he walked, and nodding his head at each
step. He had a magnificent comb of coral-red, and blue-black
plumage streaked with gold, which shone so brilliantly when
the sun flashed on it that it was a joy to see him. No
wonder that his twenty wives gazed at him admiringly and
followed him wherever he went, and were quite content to
let him hustle them about and gobble up all the fattest
worms and the finest grains of corn.
«4
THE COCK AND THE FOX
If this Cock was proud of his appearance, there was one
thing of which he was even prouder, and that was his voice.
He was a famous songster ; he could crow you high and he
could crow you low ; he could utter tones as deep as the
pealing of the organ in church or as shrill as the blast of a
trumpet. Every morning, when the first streak of dawn
appeared in the sky, he would get down off his perch, raise
himself on his toes, stretch out his neck, close his eyes and
crow so loudly that he roused people who were sleeping in
the next parish. And this he loved to do, because it was
his nature.
Now in the forest close to the farmyard there lived a Fox
who had often gazed with longing eyes upon the plump and
handsome bird. His mouth watered every time he thought
of him, and many were the artful tricks he played to try and
catch him for his dinner. One day he hid himself among
the bushes in the garden by the farmyard and waited
patiently until the Cock happened to stray his way. After
a time the bird came along, pecking here and pecking there,
wandered through the gate into the garden, and made
straight for the bush under which Master Fox was hidden.
He was just going to run into the bush after a butterfly
which was fluttering about, when he caught sight of Rey
nard's black snout and cunning, watchful eyes, and with a
squeak of alarm he jumped aside, just in time, and hopped
on to the wall.
At this the Fox rose to his feet. " Don't go away, my
dear friend," said he in honeyed tones. * I would not for
the world do you any harm. I know that it is my bad
fortune to be disliked by your family — I can't for the life
of me think why, and it is a pity, because I have to hide
myself for the pleasure of hearing you sing. There is no
cock in all these parts has such a magnificent voice as yours,
and I simply do not believe the stories they tell about you."
4 Eh, what is that ? " said the Cock, stopping at a safe
distance and looking at the Fox with his head on one side.
" What do they say ? '
15
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
" Why," Reynard went on, edging a little nearer, " they
tell me that you can only crow with your eyes open. They
say that if you were to shut your eyes, that clarion call of
yours would become only a feeble piping, like the clucking
of a new-born chick. But of course I don't believe them.
Any one can see they are merely jealous."
* I should think so," cried the Cock, bristling with anger.
* Crow with my eyes shut, indeed ! Why, I never crow in
any other way. Just look here — I'll prove it to you ! '
And he raised himself on his toes, stretched out his neck,
closed his eyes, and was just going to crow, when, Snap !
the Fox sprang upon him and caught him in his teeth !
Then began a great to-do ! The poor cock flapped his
wings and struggled as the Fox ran off with him. The hens
ran about the yard clucking and squawking, and the noise
they made alarmed the farmer's wife, who was cooking in the
kitchen. Out she came running, with the rolling-pin in her
hand, and, seeing the fox with the cock in his mouth, gave
chase, shrieking as she ran. The farm-hands tumbled out
of barn and byre armed with pitch-forks, spades, and sticks.
All the beasts began to raise a clatter, and what with the
shouting of the men, the squealing of the pigs, the neighing
of the horses, and the lowing of the cows, to say nothing of
the clucking of the hens and the old woman's screaming, one
would have thought the end of the world was at hand.
The Fox was not a little frightened by all this clatter,
but he was not so frightened as the Cock, who saw that
only cunning would save his life.
" They will catch us in a minute/' he said to the Fox,
* and, as likely as not, we shall both be killed by a single
blow. Why don't you call out and tell them I came with
you of my own accord ? '
" A good idea," thought the Fox, and he opened his
mouth to call out to his pursuers, thereby loosening his grip
on the Cock's neck. Then, with a squirm and a twist and
a flutter of his wings, the wily bird wrenched himself free
and flew up to the branches of a tree near by.
16
" DON'T GO AWAY, MY DEAR FRIEND," SAID THE FOX
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
The Fox cast a look at him and saw that he was out of
reach ; then he glanced over his shoulder at his pursuers,
who were getting perilously near. " It seems to me," he
said, grinning with rage, " I should have done better to
hold my tongue."
1 That is true," said the Cock to himself as he smoothed
his ruffled feathers. " And I would have been better advised
to keep my weather-eye open."
THE SOLDIER, THE Fox, AND THE BEAR
THE MOST CUNNING
ANIMAL
NE day the Fox and the Bear began to argue as
to which was the most cunning animal. The
Bear said that he thought foxes and bears took
first place.
[ You are wrong, my friend," said Reynard.
' We are clever, you and I, but there is one
animal that is as far above us as we are above the rest of
creation."
" Oh, indeed," sneered the Bear, " and what is the name
of this marvellous creature ? '
' He is called the man -animal," answered Reynard,
" and he goes on two legs instead of four, which is a wonder
ful thing in itself. Here are some of the cunning things he
can do ; first, he can swim in the water without getting wet ;
when he is cold he makes yellow flowers grow out of sticks
19
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
to warm himself ; and he can strike at an enemy a hundred
yards away ! '
" I do not believe you," answered the Bear. " This is a
fairy-tale you are telling me. If such a creature as the man-
animal really exists, it is very strange that I have never seen
him ! '
" Strange, indeed ! ' grinned the Fox, " but soon
remedied. Would you like to see the man-animal ? '
" It would be a sight for sore eyes," said the Bear.
" Very well," said the Fox, " come along with me." And
he led the Bear through the forest until they came to a road lead
ing to a village. " Now, then," said he, " let us lie down in the
ditch and watch the road, and we shall see what we shall see."
Presently a child from the village came along.
4 Look ! Look ! ' whispered the Bear. ;* An animal
walking on two legs ! Is this the creature we seek ? '
' No," answered the Fox, " but one of these days it will
become a man-animal."
Shortly afterwards there came along an old woman, all
bent and wrinkled.
" Is that one ? " asked the Bear.
' No," said the Fox again, " but once upon a time that
was the mother of one ! '
At last there came the sound of brisk footsteps on the
road, and peeping out between the bushes the Bear saw a tall
soldier in a red coat marching towards them. He had a
sword by his side and a musket over his shoulder.
1 This must surely be the man-animal," said the Bear.
" Ugh ! what an ugly creature ! I don't believe he is
cunning in the least ! ' But the Fox made no answer, for
at the first sight of the soldier he had fled into the forest.
' Well, well," muttered the Bear, " I don't see anything
to be afraid of here. Let us have a talk with this wonder ! '
And hoisting himself clumsily out of the ditch he lumbered
along the road to meet the soldier.
' Now then, my fine fellow," he growled, " I have heard
some wonderful stories about you. Tell me . . ."
20
THE MOST CUNNING ANIMAL
But before he could get another word out of his mouth
the soldier drew his sword and struck him such a shrewd
blow that he cut off his ear.
" Wow ! ' cried the Bear, " what's that for ? Tell
me . . ." But then, seeing the gleaming steel flash once
again, he turned tail and ran off as fast as he could go. Just
as he reached the edge of the wood, he looked backward and
saw the soldier raise his gun to his shoulder. There was a
flash, a loud report, and the Bear felt a terrific blow against
his side. Down he went like a ninepin, but fortunately for
him the bullet had merely glanced off his hide, and he was
not seriously hurt. Picking himself up, he lost no time in
gaining the shelter of the trees, and presently came limping
painfully to the place where the Fox was waiting for him.
* Well, my friend," said Reynard, " did you see the man-
animal ? And what did you think of him ? "
' You were right," answered poor Bruin sadly. " He
is certainly the most cunning creature in the world. I went
up to speak to him and he tore a rib from his side and cut off
my ear. Then I ran away, but before I could reach the trees
he picked up a stick and pointed it at me. Then there came
thunder and lightning, and a piece of the earth heaved itself
up and knocked me spinning ! Beyond all doubt the man-
animal takes the palm for cunning, but I never want to see
him again, for I shall carry the marks of our first meeting to
my dying day."
And Reynard grinned, and said : " I told you so ! '
JJL
SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT
HERE was once a lad whose face was so badly
pitted by the smallpox that everybody called him
Sponsken, which means little Sponge. From the
very day of his birth Sponsken had been a great
cause of anxiety to his parents, and as he grew
older he became more trouble still, for he was so
full of whims and mischief that one never knew where one
had him. He would not learn his lessons, nor work at any
serious task for ten minutes on end. All he seemed to think
of was cutting capers and playing practical jokes on people.
At last, in despair, his parents told their trouble to the village
sexton, who was a great friend of the family, and often came
to smoke his pipe with Sponsken 's father in the chimney
corner.
" Don't worry, my friends," said the sexton. " I've seen
young men like your son before, and they are quite easy to
manage if one only goes about it the right way. Just leave
22
SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT
him to me. What he wants is a good fright, and I'll make it
my business to see that he gets it."
So far so good. Sponsken 's parents were only too glad
to fall in with any plan which seemed likely to reform their
unruly son, so the sexton went off to make his arrangements.
That night he whitened his face with flour, covered himself
in a white sheet, and hid behind a tree on a road along which
he knew Sponsken would have to pass.
It was the dark of the moon, and the place the sexton
had chosen was very lonely. For a long time he waited ;
then, hearing Sponsken coming along whistling a merry tune,
he sprang out suddenly from behind his tree and waved his
arms in a terrifying manner.
' Hallo ! " said Sponsken. " Who are you ? '
The sexton uttered a hollow groan.
" What's the matter ? " said the boy. " Are you ill ?
If you can't speak, get out of my way, for I am in a hurry."
The sexton groaned again, louder than before, and waved
his arms wildly.
" Come, come," cried Sponsken, " I can't stay here all
night. Tell me what you want at once and let me pass."
Then, as the ghostly figure made no answer, he struck it a
blow with the stout ash-stick which he carried, and the poor
sexton fell, stunned, to the ground. Sponsken stayed long
enough to take a glimpse of the ghost's face and to recognize
the features of the sexton beneath the flour ; then he went on
his way homeward, whistling as merrily as before.
When he reached home his parents gazed at him uneasily.
They were very anxious about the success of their friend's
plan, but Sponsken did not look at all like a lad who had
been frightened — quite the contrary in fact, for he drew his
chair up to the table and set to work upon his supper with
an excellent appetite.
" A funny thing happened to me to-night," he said
carelessly between two bites of an onion. '* As I was walking
along the lonely road by the cemetery a white figure jumped
out at me."
23
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
:< A wh- white figure ! ' stammered his father. " How
terrifying ! And what did you do, my son ? '
* Do ? " said Sponsken cheerfully. ' Why, I fetched him
a crack on the skull with my staff. He went down like a
ninepin, and I warrant he won't try to frighten travellers
again ! '
' Base, ungrateful boy ! " cried his father, rising to his
feet. * It was my dear friend Jan the sexton you struck.
All I hope is that you have not killed him."
* Well, if I have, it is his own fault," answered Sponsken.
' He should not play tricks on me." But his father continued
to rage and grumble so long that Sponsken got tired of hearing
him at last, and flung off to bed in a sulk.
' I'll stand no more of this," he said to himself. * Since
my own people do not appreciate me, I'll go out and seek
my own fortune in the world, and they may go on as best
they can."
The next morning, therefore, having packed a loaf of
bread and a piece of cheese in a bag, Sponsken set off on his
travels, telling nobody where he was going, and taking nothing
else with him except a sparrow which he had tamed and
kept since it was a fledgling. After walking for a long time
he came to a forest, and feeling rather tired he sat down on
the trunk of a fallen tree to rest.
Now in this forest lived a giant who was the most hideous
creature one could possibly imagine. From his forehead
jutted a pair of horns ; his features were more like those of a
beast than a man, and his finger-nails grew long and curved
like the claws of a wild animal. The giant considered himself
lord of the whole wood, and was very jealous lest anybody
should enter his domain. When, therefore, he saw Sponsken
he was very angry, and having pulled up a young tree by the
roots to serve him as a club, he approached the young man,
who was sitting with his eyes closed, and struck him a heavy
blow on the shoulder.
In spite of appearances, Sponsken was not asleep ; he
was far too wary a person to be caught napping under such
SPONSKEN, THE GIANT, AND THE PRINCESS
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
conditions. As a matter of fact, he had seen the giant before
the giant saw him, and he knew that his only chance of
escape was to remain unperturbed and calm. When, there
fore, the giant struck him on the shoulder, he opened his
eyes sleepily, rubbed the place, and said with a yawn: "A
pest on these flies ! They bite so hard that a fellow can't
sleep for them."
' You shall sleep soundly enough in a minute ! " muttered
the giant, who was enraged at Sponsken's nonchalance.
* See how you like this ! ' And he gave the lad a blow on
the other shoulder, harder than before.
! There they are again ! " cried Sponsken, rubbing the
place. ' My word ! They bite even harder on this side
than on the other. It is time I was going ! ' And he rose
from his seat, starting back with surprise as he affected to
see the giant for the first time.
" So it's you, is it ? " he cried. " What do you mean by
tickling me when I am trying to sleep ? If I were not so
kind-hearted I'd break your neck for you ! '
' Have a care what you say," cried the giant. ' Do you
know that I have the strength of twenty men and could
crush you between my hands like a kitten ? '
" Pooh ! ' said Sponsken. " Words are windy things.
I have no doubt you could kill a whole regiment with your
breath. But words won't go with me, my man ; you must
give me some proof of your prowess."
' Proof ! " roared the giant. "See here ! I can throw a
stone so high into the air that it will not come down for a
quarter of an hour." And he was as good as his word,
for, picking up a large stone, he flung it with all his strength,
and it was more than a quarter of an hour before it fell again
at their feet.
' Can you match that ? " asked the giant with a grin.
" Easily," said Sponsken. " I will throw a stone so high
that it will not come down at all ! ' Bending to the ground
he picked up a pebble and showed it to the giant, but very
cleverly he managed at the last moment to exchange it for
26
SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT
the sparrow which he carried in his pocket, and this he was
able to do because the giant was rather short-sighted, and,
if truth be told, slow-witted as well.
HE TOSSED THE BlRD INTO THE AlR
" One, two, three ! " cried Sponsken, and he tossed the
bird into the air, and of course it flew up and up and never
came down at all.
" Well, well," said the giant, " I never saw such a thing
as that in my life before. You are certainly a wonderful
stone-thrower, little man. But can you do this ? ' And
27
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
picking up another stone, he squeezed it so hard between
his immense fists that he crushed it into a fine powder.
' Yes, that is hard to do," said Sponsken, " but I think I
can go one better. Any oaf, if he be strong enough, can
crush a stone to powder, but it requires skill as well as strength
to wring the juice out
of one. Watch me ! '
So saying, Sponsken
adroitly slipped out his
piece of cheese, and
squeezed it until the
whey dripped from be
tween his fingers.
" Marvellous ! " said
the giant. " I confess
myself beaten. Let us
go into partnership, for
there cannot be two
others like us in the
whole world."
"Willingly," an
swered Sponsken, " but
what are we to do ? '
• " Why, as for that," said the giant, " the King of this
country has promised his daughter's hand in marriage, and
a great treasure besides, to anybody who can destroy three
ferocious beasts which are devastating his realm. It seems
to me that this is a task we can quite well do together. You,
with your quickness and skill, can trap the beasts, and I can
kill them with my club. That done, we will divide the
spoils."
So it was agreed, and without wasting a moment the
two took the wood together. Before very long they reached
the King's palace, and sent up a message by one of the
lords in waiting that they would like to see His Majesty.
" And do you mean to tell me," asked the King, when
he had heard the giant's tale, " that you can overcome the
28
" THE THREE ANIMALS ARE A BEAR, A UNICORN,
AND A WILD BOAR "
SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT
three fierce animals by the help of this ugly little pock-marked
fellow."
" Hush ! Not so loud, for the love of heaven ! " whis
pered the giant. " My
friend is very touchy
about his appearance,
and if he hears you
making such slighting
remarks it is very likely
he will bring the whole
of your palace down
about your head ! '
" You don't say so !"
whispered the King in
reply, glancing fearfully
at the terrible little
man. * Well, you are
at liberty to try your
luck. The three ani
mals are a bear, a uni
corn, and a wild boar,
and at present they are
hidden in the wood
close by. There you
will find them, but take
care of yourselves, for
they have already killed
scores of my men."
" Don't be afraid,
answered the giant, " for us this is as easy as playing a
game."
After having partaken of a good meal the two made their
way towards the wood in which the animals were hidden.
' We must make a plan," said Sponsken. " Listen to
what I propose. You go into the middle of the wood while
I remain here on the outskirts ; then when you drive the
beasts out I will see that they do not escape."
29
> ' THE BEAR FOLLOWED HIM INTO THE HOLLOW TRUNK '
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
So it was arranged. The giant went forward into the
wood, while Sponsken remained outside, waiting to see what
would happen. He had not to wait long, for presently there
was a crashing and a tearing of undergrowth and a great
bear came lumbering towards him. Sponsken did not like
the look of the creature at all, and decided to put as much
space between them as possible. Looking here and there
for a refuge, he spied a big oak-tree, and quickly climbed its
trunk and ensconced himself among the branches. Unfor
tunately the bear had already seen him, and, raising himself
on his hind legs with a dreadful roar, he rushed to the tree
and began to climb. In another moment Sponsken would
have been lost, but by good chance the tree happened to
be hollow, so without hesitation the lad let himself down
into the trunk, and finding at the bottom a small hole which
led to the open air, he was just able to wriggle through it
and escape. The bear followed him into the hollow trunk,
but the hole at the bottom was too small for him to get out
by, and as there was hardly room to move inside the trunk,
the angry creature had to stay where he was, waking all the
echoes in the forest with his growling.
The next minute the giant came running out of the forest.
" Have you seen the bear ? ' he cried. " I drove him
towards you ! '
* Don't worry," answered Sponsken coolly ; ' I've shut
him up in the tree there to keep him safe."
The giant rushed to the tree and dispatched the bear with
one blow of his great club. Then, pulling out the carcass, he
shouldered it, and the two went back to the palace, congratu
lating each other on the excellent beginning of their enterprise.
There remained now the unicorn and the wild boar.
Next day Sponsken and the giant went to the forest again,
and since their first plan had been so successful, it was
arranged that they should follow exactly the same course.
The giant went into the depths of the wood to find the
unicorn and drive him out, while Sponsken remained on the
borders to capture the animal when he came.
30
SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT
This time the period of waiting was longer, and Sponsken,
leaning against the oak-tree, had almost fallen asleep when
a clattering of hoofs awakened him, and he sprang aside just
WITH A MIGHTY CRASH HE RAN FULL TILT INTO THE TREE
in time to escape the unicorn, who, breathing fire from his
nostrils, charged down upon him. So great was the impetus
of the beast's charge that he could not stop himself, and
with a mighty crash he ran full tilt into the tree, driving his
horn so far into the trunk that, although he pulled and
struggled, he could not wrench himself free.
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
When the giant came up, Sponsken showed him the
animal, which was quickly killed with a single blow of the
club.
" Didn't I manage that affair well ? ' asked Sponsken
as they went back to the palace.
" You are a wonder ! " answered the giant, and he really
believed what he said.
Now only the wild boar remained, and on the following
day the two went to the forest to capture him also. Once
again the same plan was followed, but this time Sponsken
kept his eyes wide open, and when the ferocious beast broke
cover he ran as fast as he could in the direction of the royal
chapel. The wild boar followed him, and a fearsome creature
he looked, I assure you, with his wicked little eyes and his
great curved tusks and the hair on his back bristling like the
quills of a porcupine.
Through the open door of the chapel Sponsken ran, and
the boar, snorting with fury, followed him. Then began a
fine chase, round and round the aisles, over the pews, and
in and out of the vestries. At last Sponsken seized a chair,
and dashing it against a window broke several panes, and
so made good his escape. While the boar was still standing
stupidly staring at the hole through which he had gone out,
Sponsken ran round to the door, which he closed and locked.
Then, having broken one or two more panes of glass, he
sat down quietly by the chapel wall and began to pare his
nails.
A short time afterwards the giant came rushing up.
" Where is the boar ? Have you let him get away ? '
he cried.
" Don't get so excited," answered Sponsken. " The boar
is safe enough. He's in the chapel there. I had no other
place to put him, so I flung him through the window ! '
" What a wonderful little man you are ! " said the giant
gleefully, and he ran off to kill the boar with one blow of his
club. This done, he hoisted the carcass on to his shoulders
and took the road to the palace. Half-way there the weight
32
SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT
of the boar began to tell, for it was a massive beast, and the
giant was forced to stay and rest.
"It is all very well," said he, mopping his streaming
brow, " but I think you ought to take a turn with me in
carrying this carcass."
" Not I," answered Sponsken. ' We made an agreement
that my work was done when I captured the beast, and I
intend to keep to it."
SPONSKEN
THE PRINCESS
THE GIANT
So the giant had to struggle on as best he could for the
rest of the way, grumbling at every step, while Sponsken
followed, laughing up his sleeve, and exceedingly thankful
that he had escaped the task.
When they reached the palace the two presented them
selves before the King and claimed the promised reward.
But now a difficulty arose. It was quite easy to divide the
treasure, but which of them was to have the Princess ?
" I think it should be I," said the giant, " for I killed the
three animals."
" Not at all," said Sponsken. " The Princess should be
given to me, for I captured the beasts."
" A lot of good your capturing them would have been if
I had not killed them ! " said the giant.
' How could you have killed them if I had not caught
them first ? " answered Sponsken. And so the two began
to quarrel, and neither would give way, and high words
passed between them. Truth to tell, the King was not at
all sorry that the dispute had arisen, for he did not very
c 33
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
much relish the idea of his daughter marrying either the
bestial giant or the pock-marked, ugly little fellow who was
his companion.
' There is only one way out of the difficulty," said the
King at last. * We must let fate decide. Listen to the plan
I propose. You shall both of you sleep in the Princess's
chamber to-night — the giant in a bed on one side of her
couch, and Sponsken on the other. I also will remain in
her chamber and watch her carefully. If she spends most
of the night with her face turned towards Sponsken, it shall
be a sign that she is to marry him ; if, on the other hand,
she favours the giant, he shall be her husband ; but if she
sleeps all night with her face towards neither of you, then
you must both give her up, and be satisfied with the treasure."
So it was agreed, and that night the trial took place.
Sponsken, however, did not by any means intend that blind
chance should settle so important a matter, and he spent
the intervening time in making certain preparations. First
of all he went to the palace gardens, from which he gathered
certain herbs having an aromatic and beautiful perfume ; these
he placed in a bag and hid under his clothes. Then from
the woods he gathered all the herbs he could find which
had a disagreeable smell, such as garlic and stinkwort and
poisonous fungus ; these also he placed in a bag, and seized
an early opportunity, when they came to the Princess's
chamber, of hiding the bag under the pillow on which the
giant's head was to rest.
The Princess well knew the fateful issue which was to
be decided in the night, and as she had firmly made up her
mind not to marry either the one or the other of her suitors,
she determined to remain awake all night and to take care to
keep her face turned towards the ceiling. For a time she
managed to do so, but before long drowsiness overcame her,
and she slept. Presently she turned over on her left side
and lay with her face turned towards the giant, who began
to chuckle to himself.
" Wait a minute," thought Sponsken. :' I don't think the
34
SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT
Princess will keep that position long ! ' And sure enough,
the horrible stench of the herbs in the bag beneath the giant's
pillow penetrated even to her dreams, and the Princess turned
over hurriedly on the other side. What a change was there !
Instead of a disgusting smell which made her dream of gloomy
caverns and noisome things, she found now a delicious
perfume that brought pictures of sunlit gardens all glowing
with flowers and bright-winged butterflies flitting over them.
The Princess gave a little sigh of content, and for the rest of
the night she remained with her face turned towards Sponsken,
so that the King had no choice but to declare the little man
the winner.
The Princess, however, refused to abide by the judgment.
* I will not marry that vulgar fellow," she cried. " I will
die first ! Oh, father, if you love me, think of a means
of escape ! '
" Do not be afraid, my child/' answered the King. " I
will arrange something." And the next day he took the
giant aside and proposed to him that he should rid him of
Sponsken, promising a rich reward for the service. The
giant's greed was aroused, and being very jealous of his
companion's success, he was the more ready to fall in with
the King's suggestion.
Fortunately for himself, Sponsken's quick wits made him
suspicious. He guessed that some treachery was afoot, and
in order to be prepared for emergencies he took a heavy
hammer with him when he retired to bed at night. His
suspicions were justified, for towards midnight the door of
his room opened and the giant entered on tiptoe, carrying a
heavy axe with which he intended to dispatch our friend.
No sooner was his foot inside the door, however, than
Sponsken jumped out of bed and sprang at him, looking so
fierce that the giant, who was a coward at heart, and had
besides a healthy respect for his companion's powers, turned
and fled in dismay. Then Sponsken lifted his heavy hammer
and struck three resounding blows upon the floor. The
noise awoke everybody in the palace, and servants, guards,
35
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
and lords in waiting came flocking to the room to discover
the cause. The King came last of all, a little anxious about
the success of his fine plot, and when he found Sponsken
sitting up in bed, quite unharmed, his face fell.
" What is the matter ? " he stammered.
" Matter ? " answered Sponsken. " Nothing very much !
Some person wandered into my room, so I just gave three
taps with my fingers on the wall. It is lucky for you all
that I did not strike the blows with my fist, for had I done
so I am afraid there would have been nothing left of your
palace but a heap of dust ! *
At these words everybody turned pale, and the King
made haste to protest his undying friendship for his terrible
guest.
As for the giant, he was in such fear of encountering
Sponsken 's resentment that he fled, and nobody ever saw
him again.
Now the poor King did not know what to do, for his
daughter still persisted in her refusal to marry Sponsken,
and he was torn two ways by love and fear. Just at that
time, however, a neighbouring monarch, who was an old
enemy of the King's, declared war upon him, and this offered
another opportunity for delay. Calling Sponsken before him,
the King proposed that he should prove his valour by chal
lenging the enemy king to mortal combat. Sponsken agreed ;
but his fame had already been noised abroad, and the challenge
was refused.
" Very well," said the King, who was at the end of his
resources. " As my prospective son-in-law you ought to
lead my armies into battle. I will place my own charger at
your disposal, and I look to you to save my country from
defeat."
Here was a pretty kettle of fish ! Sponsken had never
ridden a horse in his life, and he had not the slightest know
ledge of warfare. To make matters worse, the steed in
question was a notoriously vicious brute who would allow
nobody but his own master to mount him. Already he had
36
ALL THE ATTENDANTS FLED AT ONCE
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
accounted for several grooms and stablemen, whom he had
kicked to death.
Sponsken commanded that the steed should be led to the
borders of the forest and tied by the bridle to a tree. He
had not the slightest intention of trying to mount the brute,
and his plan was to wait until the attendants had gone away
and then to slip off unobserved. Fate, however, was too
much for him, for hardly was the horse safely tied up than
couriers came spurring along the road to say that the enemy
king was advancing at the head of his army, and was at that
very moment less than half a mile away.
All the attendants fled at once, and Sponsken himself was
so overcome by terror that, without thinking what he was
doing, he jumped upon the back of the steed, and, forgetting
that it was tied to the tree, dug his sharp spurs into its side.
The horse plunged and reared, champing at the bit and
doing its best to dislodge Sponsken from the saddle, but the
lad clung on for dear life. At last, finding all its efforts
unavailing, the horse dragged the tree up by the roots and
charged forward in a straight line towards the advancing
enemy. Almost dislodged from his seat by the sudden jerk,
Sponsken stretched out his hand and grasped the branches
of the tree, which swung in a terrifying manner at his side,
promising every moment to hurl him from the saddle, and
the result was that to the enemy army it appeared as though
he were charging down upon them at full speed, bearing a
tree as a club. Filled with dismay at the terrifying sight,
the soldiers of the enemy king fled in all directions and hid
themselves in the woods and in the crevices of the rocks.
Sponsken rode on for the simple reason that he could do
nothing else, right into the enemy's camp, where the steed
came to a standstill and our hero was able to jump down
from its back. Entering the king's tent, he helped himself
to all the documents and articles of value he could find ;
then, having cut the tree from the bridle, he remounted the
horse, which was now quite tame and docile, and rode back
to the palace.
38
SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT
When the King heard that the enemy was routed he was
overjoyed, and he recognized that a man who could perform
such a feat single-handed was not to be treated lightly. His
daughter, however, was still firm in her refusal to marry
Sponsken, and so the King made him an offer of half his
kingdom if he would release him from his promise and allow
the Princess to go free. Sponsken accepted his terms and
married a girl who, although she was not a princess, was
nevertheless very pretty. Their wedding was celebrated with
great pomp and they lived together very happily for the rest
of their lives.
THE CAT AND THE SPARROW
WHY CATS ALWAYS WASH
AFTER EATING
LONG time ago a cat caught a sparrow, and
licked his lips in anticipation of the delight he
would feel in devouring it. After playing with
it for a time, as cats will, he was going to eat it,
when the sparrow spoke to him.
4 The Emperor's cat," said the sparrow, "and
all his family, never begin a meal without washing themselves
first. Everybody knows that such is the custom in polite society."
* Really," answered the cat, " well, I will do as the
Emperor's cat does ! " And he let go the sparrow and began
to wash his face. Feeling itself free, the sparrow flew away,
and alighted safely on the branch of a tree well out of reach.
* It serves me right," muttered the cat, " for being so
easily taken in."
And ever since that time cats have always washed them
selves after their meals.
40
"I'VE JUST BEEN TURNED OUT OF HOUSE"
THE CHORISTERS OF ST.
GUDULE
HE miller of Sandhills had a donkey which had
served him well in its time, but was now too
old to work. The miller was a careful man,
who did not believe in feeding useless mouths,
so he decided that he would sell the donkey
for the price of its skin. " I do not suppose
I shall get very much for the wretched beast," he said,
regarding poor Greyskin as he stood with hanging head in
his stall, " but I shall save the cost of his corn anyhow,
and that is always something."
Left alone, Greyskin reflected sadly upon the fate in
store for him. " Such is the way of the world," he thought.
" When I was young and hearty nothing was too good for me ;
now I'm old and useless I am to be cast out. But am I so
useless after all ? True, I can no longer pull a cart to market,
but I have a magnificent voice still. There must be a place
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
somewhere for one who can sing as beautifully as I. I'll
go to the Cathedral of St. Gudule, in Brussels, and offer
myself as a chorister."
Greyskin lost no time in acting upon his resolve, but left
his stable immediately and set out on the road to Brussels,
Passing the Burgomaster's house he saw an old hound
sitting disconsolately on the doorstep.
' Hallo, friend ! " said he. * What is the matter with you ?
You seem very sad this morning."
" The matter is that I am tired of life," answered the dog.
* I'm getting old and stiff and I can no longer hunt hares
for my master as I used to do. The result is that I am
reckoned good for nothing and they grudge me every morsel
of food I put into my mouth."
* Come, come, cheer up, my friend," said Greyskin.
' Never say die ! I am in a similar case to yourself and have
just left my master for precisely the same reason. My plan
is to go to the Cathedral of St. Gudule and offer my services
to the master of the choir. If I may say so without conceit,
I have a lovely voice — one must make the most of one's gifts,
you know — and I ought to be able to command good pay."
" Well, if it comes to that," said the dog, " I can sing too.
I sang a lovely song to the moon last night, and if you'll
believe me, all the people in our street opened their windows
to listen. I sang for quite an hour, and I'd have gone on
longer if some malicious person, who was no doubt jealous,
had not thrown an old boot at my head."
* Excellent," said Greyskin. ic Come along with me. You
shall sing tenor and I'll sing bass. We'll make a famous pair."
So the dog joined company with Greyskin, and they
went on together towards Brussels. A little farther down
the road they saw a cat sitting on the rubbish-heap outside
a miserable hovel. The creature was half blind with age,
and had a face as long as a fiddle.
" Why, what is the matter with you ? " asked Greyskin,
who had a tender heart.
" Matter enough," said the cat. " I've just been turned
42
THE CHORISTERS OF ST. GUDULE
out of house and home, and all because I took a little piece
of bacon from the larder. Upon my honour, it was no bigger
than a baby's fist, but they made as much fuss as though it
"THEY LAUGH AT ME"
had been a whole gammon. I was beaten, and kicked out
to starve. If I could catch mice as I used to do, it would not
matter so much, but the mice are too quick for me nowadays.
They laugh at me. Nothing remains for me but to die, and
I hope it may be soon."
43
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
' Nonsense," said Greyskin. " You shall live to laugh
at all your troubles. Come along with us and sing in the
choir at St. Gudule. Your voice is a little too thin for my
own taste, but you'll make a very good soprano in a trio.
What do you say ? '
1 You give me new hopes," answered the cat. " Of course
I'll join you," and so the three went on together.
Towards nightfall they arrived at a farmyard, on the gate
of which a cock was crowing lustily.
' Hallo ! " said Greyskin. " What's all this about ? "
* I am singing my last song on earth," said the cock.
!' An hour ago I sang a song, although it is not my usual
custom to crow in the afternoon, and as I ended I heard the
farmer's wife say : ' Hearken to Chanticleer. He's crowing
for fine weather to-morrow. I wonder if he'd crow so loudly
if he knew that we had guests coming, and that he was going
into the pot to make their soup ! ' She has a horrid laugh,
that woman. I have always hated her ! '
:< And do you mean to tell me," said Greyskin, " that you
are going to stay here quite contentedly till they come to
wring your neck ? '
1 What else can I do ? " asked Chanticleer.
;< Join us, and turn your talents to account. We are all
beautiful singers and we are going to Brussels to offer our
selves as choristers at St. Gudule. We were a trio before.
With you we shall be a quartet, and that's one better ! '
Chanticleer was only too glad to find a means of escape,
so he willingly joined the party, and they once more took
the road. A little while afterwards they came to a thick
wood, which was the haunt of a notorious band of robbers.
There they decided to rest for the night, so Greyskin and the
dog lay down beneath the shelter of a large beech-tree, while
the cat climbed on to one of the branches, and Chanticleer
perched himself at the very top. From this lofty post
he could see over the whole wood, and it was not long
before he espied a light twinkling among the trees not far
away.
44
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO ? " ASKED CHANTICLEER
"HUSH!" SAID CHANTICLEER
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
' There must be a house of some sort over there/' he said
to his companions. c Shall we go and see ? We may find
something to eat."
' Or some straw to lie upon, at any rate," said Grey skin.
1 This damp ground gives me rheumatics in my old bones."
* I was just thinking the same thing," said the dog.
" Let us go."
So the four choristers, led by the cock, walked in the
direction from which the light came, and before long they
found themselves in front of a little house, the windows of
which were brilliantly lighted. In order to reach to the
windows the animals made a tower of their bodies, with
Greyskin at the bottom and Chanticleer at the top.
Now this house was the abode of a band of robbers, who,
at that very moment, were seated before a table laden with
all kinds of food. There they sat and feasted, and poor
Chanticleer's mouth watered as he watched them.
1 Is there anybody inside ? ' asked the dog, who was
impatient.
" Hush ! " said Chanticleer. " Men ! They're eating their
dinner ! '
* I wish I was," said the dog. ' What are they eating ? '
' All sorts of things — sausage, and fish ..."
1 Sausage ! " said the dog.
' Fish ! " said the cat.
' And ever so many other delicacies," Chanticleer went on.
' Look here, friends. Wouldn't it be a fine thing if we could
get a share of their meal ? I confess that my stomach aches
with hunger."
' And mine too," said the dog. " I've never been so
hungry in my life. But how are we to get the food ? '
' Let us serenade them, and perhaps they'll throw us
something as a reward," said Greyskin. " Music, you know,
has charms to soothe the savage breast."
This seemed such a good idea that the choristers lost no
time in putting it into execution. All four began to sing.
The donkey hee-hawed, the dog howled, the cat miaued, and
THE CHORISTERS OF ST. GUDULE
the cock crowed. From the noise they made one would have
thought that the heavens were falling.
The effect of this marvellous quartet upon the robbers
was instantaneous. Leaping from their seats, they ran from
place to place in mortal terror, tumbling over one another,
oversetting chairs and adding to the racket by their shrieks
and cries. At that moment the cock fell against the window,
breaking the glass to smithereens ; the donkey gave the
frame a push, and all the four precipitated themselves into
the room. This was the last straw ; the robbers could stand
no more ; half mad with fear they rushed to the door and
fled into the forest.
Then our four choristers drew up to the table and set to
work upon the food with which it was laden. Their long
walk had given them a good appetite, so that there was little
left by the time they had finished. Feeling drowsy after their
meal, they then settled themselves to sleep. The donkey
made himself a bed on a heap of straw in the yard ; the dog
stretched himself out upon the mat by the house door ; the
cat lay among the warm cinders on the hearth ; and the cock
47
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
perched upon the roof-top. A few minutes more and they
were all fast asleep.
Meanwhile the robbers, who had retreated some distance
into the forest, waited anxiously for something dreadful to
happen. An hour passed by and there was neither sight nor
sound to alarm them, so they began to feel a little ashamed
of their cowardice. Creeping stealthily nearer to the cottage,
they saw that everything was still, and that no light was
showing from the windows.
At last the robber chief sent his lieutenant to spy out the
land, and this man, returning to the cottage without mishap,
found his way into the kitchen and proceeded to light a
candle. He had no matches, but he saw two sparks of fire
among the cinders on the hearth, so he went forward to get
a light from them.
Now this light came from the cat's eyes, and as soon as
puss felt the robber touch her, she sprang up, snarling and
spitting, and scratched his face. With a scream of terror,
he dropped his candle and rushed for the door, and as he
passed the dog bit him in the leg. By this time the noise
had awakened Grey skin, who got upon his feet just as the
man ran by, and helped him forward with a mighty kick,
which sent him flying out into the roadway. Seeing this,
the cock on the housetop spread his wings and crowed in
triumph, " Cock-a-doodle-doo ! '
I wish you could have seen the way that robber ran !
He covered the ground so quickly that he seemed like a
flying shadow, and I am perfectly certain that not even a hare
could have overtaken him. At last, panting for breath, he
rejoined his comrades in the forest, who were eagerly awaiting
his return.
" Well," cried the chief, " is the way clear ? Can we go
back ? '
' Not on any account," cried the robber. " There's a
horrible witch in the kitchen. Directly I entered she sprang
at me and tore my face with her long claws, calling out at the
same time to her creatures to come and devour me. As I ran
THE CHORISTERS OF ST. GUDULE
through the door one of them buried his fangs in my leg,
and a little farther on, in the yard, a great black monster
struck at me with an enormous club, giving me a blow that
nearly broke my back-bone. On the roof a little demon with
wings and eyes that shone like coals of fire cried, ' Stop him !
Eat him ! Stop him ! Eat him ! ' You may guess that
I did not wait for more. It is a miracle that I have escaped
with my life ! '
When they heard this terrible story the robbers lost no
time in decamping, and such was their terror that they
deserted the forest altogether and went away to another part
of the country. The result was that our four friends were
left to dwell in the cottage, where they lived happily for the
rest of their lives, and as they had now everything they
wanted, they quite gave up their idea of going to St. Gudule.
THE KING
THE TRIAL OF REYNARD
THE FOX
I. HOW CHANTICLEER THE COCK MADE
COMPLAINT AGAINST REYNARD
HERE was rejoicing among the animals, for it
was said that Reynard the Fox— sly, spiteful
Reynard— had at last repented him of his mis
deeds and resolved to lead a new life. Such
a thing was, indeed, very hard to believe, but
nevertheless everybody said that it was true.
Certainly he was seen no more in his usual haunts, or about
the Court of King Lion. The news went round that he had
put on the robe of piety and had become a hermit, en
deavouring to atone, by fasting and prayer, for all the sins
of which he had been guilty.
At the Court of King Nobel, Reynard's change of heart
was the one topic of conversation. A few of the animals
5°
THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX
frankly expressed their doubts of the sincerity of such a
tardy repentance, but the majority were quite willing to
accept it, for, as a rule, one believes what one wishes to
believe.
While the subject was still being eagerly discussed by the
animals around the Lion's throne, the sound of wailing was
heard, and a strange procession was seen making its way
towards the King's throne. At the head of the procession
marched Chanticleer the Cock, dressed in the deepest
mourning and sobbing miserably, with bowed head. Behind
him, borne by two hens, was a bier on which was stretched
the headless body of a beautiful fowl, one of his daughters,
and all the other hens of his family followed the bier, raising
their voices to heaven in grievous lamentation. At this sad
sight the whole Court stood in amaze, and many of the
animals wept in sympathy with the bereaved father, who
advanced towards the King's throne, crying for justice.
' Whom do you accuse ? " asked the Lion.
' Whom should I accuse but that accursed Reynard,
the source of untold misery to me and mine ? You know,
O King, none better, how we have suffered from his cruelty
in the past. The tale I now have to tell is a tale of wrong
that would bring tears to the eyes of a stone image — a tale
of treachery such as would abash the Evil One himself, a
tale so base that I can hardly bring myself to utter it ! '
" Say on," said the King, " and rest content, for if what
you say be true, the Fox shall receive his due reward — I
swear it by my crown ! '
" Lord," continued Chanticleer, " I had six sons and
fourteen daughters. We all dwelt together in the farmyard,
a peaceable and happy family. The rigours of the winter
were spent ; spring had come again with its flowers and
perfumes. The sun shone brightly, and insects abounded
in the farmyard. We dwelt in the midst of abundance ;
we were happy, and as we thought, safe, for the farmer's
six faithful dogs guarded us from danger. Alas, for our
beautiful hopes ! A few days ago Reynard appeared — cruel,
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
black-hearted Reynard — and at one fell blow changed our
happiness into misery.
" This is how it all happened, Sire. Reynard came to the
farmyard one fine morning and brought me a letter bearing
your Majesty's own seal. I opened it, and read that your
Majesty had commanded that all the animals should hence
forward live together in peace. A noble ordinance, Sire,
such as would make the world a beautiful place — were it not
for villains. I gave the document back to Reynard, ex
pressing my joy at the news it contained, whereupon he said :
* My heart is full, Cock, when I think of the cruelty with
which I have treated you and your family in the past, but
you need have no further fear, I have seen the error of my
ways. Henceforth my life shall be given up to repentance
and prayer. I have renounced all worldly pleasures. Even
now I am on my way to a remote hermitage where, in fasting
and solitude, I shall endeavour to atone for my sins.'
1 Then the hypocritical wretch stretched his paw over
my head and gave me his blessing and departed, reading
his Book of Hours.
" Thinking no evil, and full of joy at the news, I called
my children around me and cried : ' Rejoice, my dear ones.
No more will you live in daily terror of your lives. Our
noble King has given us his protection and has commanded
the Fox to leave us alone. Reynard himself has just brought
me the news, so I know it is true, and he himself has gone
away to become a holy hermit ! '
* My children danced with glee when they heard my
words, and I danced with them, O King ! We danced in the
farmyard and in the garden, and in the kitchen garden, for
it was as though a black cloud had vanished from over us.
1 This was the very moment Reynard had been waiting
for. He had not gone far away — no farther in fact than the
shelter of the wall by the kitchen garden, and as soon as we
reached there, he rushed out, fell upon the finest of my
daughters and slew her before my eyes. It all happened in
a flash ! We ran hither and thither, trying to escape, but
52
AT THE HEAD OF THE PROCESSION MARCHED CHANTICLEER
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
all in vain. Before we had gone a dozen steps the Fox was
among us again, and killed fifteen of my children. Last
night he returned, and slew her whose body now lies upon
the bier. I have brought her here to show you, O King,
that the sight of her corpse may strike pity into your heart,
for I claim justice upon her murderer ! '
So saying, the Cock bowed his head again and wept
bitterly into his handkerchief, and pitiful sobs echoed from
among the beasts around. Even the King could hardly
restrain his emotion.
;< A terrible tale, indeed," said he. " Our hearts are
heavy for you, Cock, and it will go hard with this Reynard
when he falls into our hands ! ' Then, addressing his
courtiers, he asked for volunteers to go to the Fox's retreat
and bring the murderer to justice. For a time there was no
response, for few of the animals relished the task, but at
last the Bear, who had an old grudge against Reynard,
offered to go. " Leave this to me/' said he. "If the Fox
won't come quietly, I'll drag him here by his tail. He shall
not escape ! '
So the Bear set off to find Reynard, who had retreated to
one of his chateaux — a veritable fortress — situated many miles
away in the mountains at the very end of the kingdom.
To reach it the Bear had to travel over lonely paths, and
through dark woods, where he lost his way a hundred times,
but at length he arrived at Reynard's house, only to find the
massive door locked, and the walls so high that he could not
climb them.
II. HOW BRUIN THE BEAR WAS SENT
TO BRING REYNARD TO COURT
' Open, in the name of the King ! " cried Bruin, ham
mering at the door. " Come out, Reynard ! I have been
sent to bring you up for trial. You have come to the end of
your rope at last ! Open the door, I say, or I'll batter it
down ! '
54
THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX
From his safe retreat in the very heart of the fortress
Reynard heard Bruin's clamour. He stretched himself
lazily and yawned. " Now who is this pestilent fellow
making such a din ? " said he to his wife. ' Well, I suppose
I'd better go and see." So he made his way through the
labyrinth of passages which led from his burrow to the open
THE Fox's CHATEAU
air, and peeped through the crack of the door. There was
Bruin, hammering away at the massive oak, and roaring :
" Come out, Reynard. Come out and be hanged ! '
" What ! is that you, Uncle Bruin ? ' said Reynard,
opening the wicket. " You are in a noisy mood this morning.
What is the matter ? '
" The matter is that the King has sent me to bring you
to Court," growled the Bear. " And you had best come
quietly, for I represent the law."
" By all means," answered Reynard, opening the door.
" My word, but I'm glad to see you, uncle ! And an
ambassador, too — such an honour ! How are you, and what
sort of a journey have you had ? Very trying, I'm afraid.
55
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
Really it was a shame to impose upon your good nature and
send you all this way ! *
So saying the Fox led the way into his castle, keeping up
a continual patter of talk, so that Bruin could not get a word
in edgeways.
"I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting at the gate,"
Reynard went on. " The fact is, I was dozing and did not
hear you at first. I rarely sleep in the afternoon, but to-day
I had such a heavy dinner that I felt extremely drowsy ! '
* What did you have ? " asked the Bear with interest.
" Oh, a simple meal enough. I am not rich, you know,
and I have to eat what I can find. To-day it was a big
comb of honey — not very much to my taste, but I was hungry
and I ate it ! "
Bruin pricked up his ears. " Eh ? " said he. " Did you
say honey ? '
" Strange food for a fox, isn't it ? " said Reynard. " I
wish I hadn't touched the stuff now, for, to tell you
the truth, it's lying on my chest like a load of lead. I swear
never to eat it again, although I know a place, not far from
here, where there are immense quantities of it ! '
By this time Bruin was all agog with excitement.
" Nephew," said he, laying his paw on Reynard's shoulder,
" show me the place where that honey is. My mouth is
watering at the very thought of it. I love honey better than
anything else in the world, and I'd give all I possess for a
taste of it ! "
" You are joking, no doubt," said Reynard laughingly.
* How can any one like such stuff ? '
" Joking, am I ? " growled Bruin. " Just lead me to the
honey and I'll show you whether I'm joking. I tell you
I'd give my eyes and ears for a taste ! '
" Well, if that's the case," said Reynard, " you shall be
satisfied. There's a carpenter not far from here who keeps
bees, and from time immemorial his family have been noted
for the excellence of their honey. I'll take you there, and
I'm very glad to be able to render you this little service.
THE POOR BEAST ROARED WITH PAIN
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
In return, all I ask of you is that you will speak up for me
when I come before the King."
' Of course I will," answered Bruin. " Let us go at
once. I can hardly contain myself for impatience."
Reynard called upon Bruin to follow him and led the way to
the carpenter's yard. The afternoon was very hot, and the car
penter was taking a nap after dinner. His yard was empty and
in the middle of it was the trunk of a great oak-tree which
he had laid out ready to be cut up into planks. The trunk was
split down the middle, and kept open by two wedges of wood.
' Here you are ! " said Reynard, going up to the tree-
trunk. ! This is the place where the carpenter keeps his
honey. Put your muzzle in and root it out from the bottom.
Don't eat too much ! '
" Never fear," answered Bruin. " I'll be moderate."
And he plunged his head and his two front paws into the
crack. The next moment Reynard knocked out the wedges
which kept the two halves of the trunk apart. They sprang
together with the force of a steel spring, catching Bruin
firmly by the nose and paws.
The poor beast roared with pain, making a din that
echoed back like thunder from the mountains. The car
penter woke up from his slumber, and seizing an axe,
ran out into the yard. His wife came tumbling out of
the scullery with a broom in her hand, and people from
the neighbouring village came running to see what all
the noise was about. When they saw that the Bear was a
prisoner they fell upon him and began to belabour him with
mighty blows, while the unhappy creature gave himself up
for lost. Maddened with pain, he redoubled his efforts to
tear himself free, and at last succeeded in getting away,
although he left most of the skin of his nose and paws behind.
With the blood flowing from his muzzle, and his eyes shining
red with rage, he made such a terrible picture that the people
fled hither and thither, leaving him a free passage, and he
limped off into the shelter of the woods, moaning and
breathing out threats against his betrayer.
58
THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX
From a safe distance Reynard watched him go, with a
malicious grin. " Farewell, Uncle Bear," said he. * I hope
you found the honey good ! '
III. TYBERT'S MISSION AND HOW HE FARED
King Lion was furious when he saw the miserable state
in which his ambassador returned. He immediately called a
HE IMMEDIATELY CALLED A COUNCIL OF HIS MINISTERS
council of his ministers, to whom Bruin related all that had
happened.
" This recreant must be punished," said the King when
the tale was ended. " It is a disgrace to our kingdom that
he remains at large. Somebody else must go to bring him
here. Who shall it be ? '
After a good deal of discussion it was decided that Tybert
the Cat should undertake the task, for he was reputed to be
59
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
as cunning and artful as Reynard himself. " Do not be
deceived by his wiles," said the King. " No doubt he will
try to flatter you, or to play upon your weaknesses, but pay
no attention to his words. You must take this mission very
seriously and not allow yourself to be led aside by anything.
On your head be it ! '
The Cat promised to be very circumspect, and set off at
once. He travelled quickly, and soon arrived at the door of
Reynard's castle, where he found the Fox playing with his
cubs on the grass, tumbling them over and over, and having
fine fun. It was a touching spectacle of domestic bliss.
Reynard jumped to his feet when he saw Tybert.
1 Why, cousin," said he, " this is a pleasant surprise !
What makes you desert the gaieties of the Court for my
poor home ? '
' I come in the King's name," answered the Cat sternly.
' He has sent me to bring you to Court, where you are to
answer for your revolting crimes. The Bear returned
yesterday, and the tale he told has stiffened the King's anger
against you. I am to say that if you refuse to accompany
me, your house shall be destroyed and your family wiped off
the face of the earth ! '
1 Refuse," said Reynard, " whoever thought of refusing ?
I am sure the King has no more obedient subject than I.
As for that Bruin, he is a bad subject, and I expect he has
been telling a pack of lies about me. Do I look as if I could
do anybody any harm ? As a matter of fact I spend all my
time here in meditation and prayer. But come in, come in !
You must have a meal, for you have had a long journey.
To-morrow we will set out together."
* It seems to me," said the Cat, " that it would be better
if we started at once."
' Nonsense, my dear fellow," said Reynard. " It is bad
to make a journey on an empty stomach. What difference
will an hour or two make ? We shall travel all the faster
if we start in good condition."
* Well, there's something in that," said Tybert, who, to
60
THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX
tell the truth, was not sorry of an excuse to break a fast of
many hours. ' What have you got for dinner ? " ^
" What would you like ? " asked Reynard. " Shall we
say a comb of honey ? '
;' Bah ! " cried the Cat. " Honey indeed ! I loathe the
stuff. Now if you had a nice fat mouse . . . ! '
* Happy thought," said Reynard. " As it happens, I
know a house close by where there are hundreds of mice,
the fattest and sleekest creatures you ever saw in your life,
and so tame that one can literally scoop them up by the score.
I often catch a few myself
when I am hungry and
other game is scarce."
" Take me to this
house," said Tybert.
! Tame or not, I'll catch
the mice if they are there.
I love the creatures." And
he licked his lips and
stretched out his paws.
Now Reynard had
spoken the truth when he said that he knew a house where
mice abounded, and it was true also that he often went
there — not in search of mice, but of chickens. The last
time he had paid a visit he had found that the farmer had
put a string noose over the hole by which he was used
to enter, but fortunately for himself Reynard had discovered
it in time.
Towards this house he now led the unsuspecting Tybert,
and having shown him the hole, bade him enter and take
his fill of the mice. Tybert obeyed, but no sooner had he
got his head through the hole than the trap was sprung,
and there he was, caught. He gave a scream of pain and
fear, and from behind Reynard answered mockingly : " Sing
away, cousin. I love to hear your voice. But mind you
don't frighten the mice ! ' Then he took to his heels and
ran back to his castle.
61
TAKE ME TO THIS HOUSE
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
A minute or two later the farmer, having heard the
Cat's miaulings, arrived armed with a heavy stick. " Ah,
you thief," he cried, "I've got you at last, have I ? " And he
began to lay the stick on the Cat's back with all his might.
Tybert kicked and struggled, and managed at last to get
free, but he was more dead than alive when he went limping
back to the King's Court.
IV. HOW BLAIREAU THE BADGER BROUGHT
REYNARD TO TRIAL
" This is monstrous," said King Nobel when he had
heard Tybert 's piteous tale. ' It is no use paltering any
longer. We must burn this caitiff's castle about his ears."
" One moment, Sire," said Blaireau the Badger, who was
a great friend of Reynard's. " Our ancient laws demand
that any person accused of crime shall be called three times
before extreme measures are taken against him. Now Rey
nard has only been called twice. I propose, therefore, that
he be given one more chance to render himself peacefully
before your Majesty, and to defend himself. There are two
sides to every story, and so far we have only heard one."
" That is all very well," said the King, " but who will
be the messenger ? It seems to me that the experiences of
the other two will be little encouragement for a third."
" If no one else will go," answered Blaireau, " I will go
myself. Reynard has been a very good friend of mine in the
past, and I may be able to appeal to his better self."
" I doubt it," said the King ; " but go by all means, and
bring him back if you can. Should you fail, I will batter
down his castle stone by stone."
So Blaireau went off on his mission, and arriving at the
chateau, found Reynard in the midst of his family.
" Look here, uncle," said he, " there must be an end to
all nonsense. The King is at the end of his patience, and
unless you obey his commands he is determined to stick at
62
THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX
nothing with you. Tybert and Bruin are both badly knocked
about, and the sympathy of all the animals is with them. But
for my pleadings the King would have sent an army to burn
your castle about your ears. Be sensible now, and come
back quietly with me. You have wits enough to defend
"TYBERT AND BRUIN ARE BADLY KNOCKED ABOUT"
yourself against all accusations and need not fear the issue.
I tell you frankly, delay will be dangerous."
' Ah," said Reynard, " if those others had only spoken
to me as you have spoken, my dear nephew, things would
have been very different. They were insolent and they paid
the price, but nobody shall say that Reynard the Fox was
impervious to good counsel. Of course I will go with you
—the sooner the better. I have no fear of being able to
silence my calumniators. The King can't live without me
—he knows it very well, and that fact alone will provide him
with a good motive for giving me a free pardon."
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
Then Reynard took a tender farewell of Hermeline, his
wife, and Reynkin, his eldest son, and all the other children,
and set off with Blaireau towards the King's Court.
On the way Rey
nard said : " My dear
Blaireau, this is a very
solemn moment of
my life ! I cannot
help feeling that I
have not, perhaps,
always lived as right
eously as I might
have done. It will
relieve my mind
somewhat if I might
make confession of
some of the
heinous of
crimes. Will
hear me ? '
" Certainly," an
swered Blaireau. " I
am glad to hear you
have a contrite heart,
uncle. Speak on by
all means. Confes
sion is the first step
towards repentance."
" I have been a
sad sinner," Reynard
went on. " My
heart fails me when
I think of all the
misery I have caused ! I weep for the poor Bear, whose nose
and paws are skinless because of me, and for the Cat, who
suffered a terrible beating at the hands of the farmer. Then
there was the Wolf — did I ever tell you about the Wolf ? '
most
my
you
"AND CAUSED HIM TO JUMP AT LEAST TWENTY
FEET INTO THE AIR "
THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX
" No," said Blaireau, " you did not."
* Well," continued Reynard, " the Wolf and I were one
day walking along the road when we came to a monastery,
It was the time of evensong, and the sound of the bells made
such a sweet music in the air that I felt my soul grow full
of enthusiasm. ' Ah,' said I, 'if I were only one of the
monks in that monastery, with what joy would I sound the
bells ! ' Isengrim thought the idea a splendid one, and
wished to carry it into practice, so, as he was not a monk,
I took it upon myself to introduce him into the monastery
at dead of night. There I tied him to the bell-rope and bade
him pull, for the good of his soul. He pulled — ah, nephew,
how enthusiastically he pulled ! The bells rang as they had
never rung before, and all the monks in the monastery came
running to see what was the matter. Isengrim would have
run away if he could, but alas, I had tied him so firmly to
the rope that he could not escape, and he got a sound beating
for his pains.
' Another time, still under the influence of his monastic
ideas, Isengrim proposed to me that I should shave his head.
I agreed, and when I had him in the chair, to my eternal
shame be it said, I planted a burning firebrand on his pate,
and caused him to jump at least twenty feet into the air.
Ah, I am a miserable sinner." And Reynard broke into
sobs and lamentations.
* Never mind," said Blaireau consolingly, " since you
are truly repentant, all will be forgiven you. See, there are
the towers of the King's palace. We shall soon be there.
Get ready to make your speech of defence, for you will need
all your eloquence this day."
V. HOW REYNARD TOLD THE KING OF A
HIDDEN TREASURE
When Reynard arrived at the court he found all the
animals assembled to witness his trial. King Nobel sat on
his throne, with the Queen by his side, and very cold and
E 65
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
stern was the glance which the monarch cast upon Master
Fox as he stepped up and made his obeisance. " Reynard,"
said the King, " you have been accused of crimes so many
and so grievous that if only the half of all the accusations
are true, you have merited death a hundred times. What
have you to say ? '
Reynard put a paw up to his face and brushed away a
tear ; then, with his voice broken with emotion, he answered :
" My lord the King, I have been a miserable sinner, and
there is nothing left for me to do but to cast myself upon
your royal mercy. Where King Nobel sits, there justice
and mercy sit also. I am sure of the one ; therefore I make
bold to plead earnestly for the other. Perhaps, O King, I
am not so bad as I have been painted. The tongues of
enemies have uttered slanders before to-day, and brought
upright men to ruin. All I ask, O King, is that you will
let me state my case, and, when I shall have finished my
tale, judge me according to my deserts. I will keep nothing
back, for in this serious hour I wish to speak nothing but
the naked truth. Listen to me, O King, and let these others
listen also. Perchance the sad story of my wrongdoings,
and of my gradual fall from righteousness, may be a lesson
to many here, and by serving as an example help to keep
them upon the strait and narrow path."
" You have a glib tongue, Reynard," said the King.
" It has saved you before to-day, but this time the count
is too serious to be hidden by a mist of words. Yet speak
on. The accused has a right to make his own defence, and
that right I should be the last to deny, even to one forsworn
and treacherous, as you have proved yourself to be."
Reynard sobbed aloud. " Hard words, O King," said
he, " and harder still because of the truth that is in them.
I do not complain. Meekly I bow the head and make
confession of my sins."
At this all the animals settled themselves comfortably
to listen. The idea of Reynard the Fox confessing anything
was so new that not one of them would willingly have missed
66
THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX
a word. Those of the animals who knew Reynard well
regarded him a little uneasily, but nobody broke silence.
Reynard remained for a time sobbing quietly with head
bowed upon his paws, then, in a broken >voice, he began to
speak :
" From my very
earliest years, O King,"
said he, "I was mis
chievous and unruly. Had
there been anybody to
give me counsel and guid
ance I might perhaps have
outgrown the errors of my
youth and become a
worthy subject. Unfortu
nately I fell into bad com-
pany, and, under the
influence of evil companions
went rapidly from bad to
worse. Isengrim the Wolf
was my friend in those
early days. He it was who
taught me to steal and to
prey upon the defenceless
creatures of the woods and
fields. My first victim, I
well remember, was a
young lamb which had
strayed from the fold . Isen
grim led me to her and persuaded me to kill her, and
afterwards, in the same way, a goat and two young deer fell
victims to my raging thirst for blood. Soon not a hen
house, not a fold was safe from my depredations. I killed
for the sake of killing, and that part of the meat which I
could not devour I gave to the Wolf, who was only too
willing to take it, or hid it in certain holes and crannies
in the wood."
67
I WAS MISCHIEVOUS AND UNRULY
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
All the time that Reynard had been speaking Isengrim
had been making frantic efforts to speak, but a glance from
the King had kept him silent. Now he could contain him
self no longer. Trembling with fury, he rose to his feet
and cried : " Lies ! All lies, O King ! Will your Majesty
believe anything it pleases this slanderous dog to say ? '
" Silence ! ' cried the King. " Your turn will come
later. For the present let the accused speak without interrup
tion ! '
' Thanks, O King," said Reynard. ' I can well under
stand the Wolf's wrath when his connexion with so vile
a creature as I is thus brought to light. Yet I have sworn
to tell the truth, and the truth I will tell without regard
to persons. Sorry as I am to say it, the Wolf was not the
only one to lead me into bad ways. Among my companions
of those early days were also the Bear and the Cat. They
made me hunt for them when I was young, and such was
their voracity that there was little left for myself, and I
should have died of hunger were it not for the fact that I
was fortunate enough to discover a hidden treasure ! '
" Eh, what's that ? " said the King. " Did you say a
treasure ? '
" Aye," answered Reynard, * a treasure of gold, my
lord ; so great a treasure that it would take your servants
many days even to count it all. And not gold alone, but
precious gems — diamonds of the purest water, rubies red
as blood, and emeralds green as the sea when the sun shines
upon it ! '
The Queen leaned forward upon her throne and fixed
Reynard with burning eyes. ;* And pearls too ? ' she
whispered.
" Pearls too, O Queen. Ropes of pearls that well would
adorn your Majesty's fair neck. And jewelled crowns worthy
of a royal brow ! Hidden deep in the earth they lie, all
those riches, and now they will lie there for ever, for nobody
knows of them but myself. Perhaps it is as well. The
lust of gold is the motive of many crimes, and this treasure
68
THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX
. '. ,' I
THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX
has already been the cause of a serious attempt against the
throne and the life of the King ! But all this has nothing
to do with my confession. With your Majesty's leave I
will go on with what I was
about to say."
" One moment," said
the Queen. ; Those
crowns you spoke of — de
scribe them more fully.
What stones had they, and
how set ? '
" Time enough for
that," cried the King.
' You shall try the crowns
upon your head before all
is done. Let the Fox tell
us where this treasure is
hidden ; that is the impor
tant thing ! '
" I had thought to carry
the secret with me to the
grave," said Reynard, " but
in this solemn hour I can
hide nothing. If it is your
Majesty's will, I will tell
all."
" Beware, O King ! "
cried the Bear. " He will
deceive you now as he has deceived others. Believe not
his lying words ! '
" Silence ! ' cried the King. " This matter concerns
me, and me alone. Let Reynard speak ! '
Reynard cast a look of triumph at Bruin and Isengrim,
and, smiling faintly, went on with his tale.
" The treasure was discovered €rst of all by my father.
He came upon it one day when he was hunting in the
forest, among the ruins of a palace that once belonged to
69
AND PEARLS TOO ? " SHE WHISPERED
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
an ancient king. There, in a deep hole, under a big
stone, he found the gold and gems, and for ever after
wards he was a changed creature. No longer blithe and
care-free, he slunk about as though overburdened with
responsibility. He knew himself rich beyond compare
— richer than any king in all the world, and gradually into
his heart there crept the desire to win, by means of his riches,
a place of power.
;< At that time, O King, my father was bitter against
your Majesty because of your disapproval of his manner of
life, and I am sorry to say that he determined to wrest you
from the throne and to set up another in your place. Full
of this project, he took Tybert the Cat into his confidence.
The two met together secretly in the forest of the Ardennes,
and after much discussion they decided to offer the throne
to Bruin the Bear ! '
[< Ah ! ' ejaculated the King, turning his gaze upon
Bruin, who was too furious to speak. " So now we know
why you wished to still Reynard's tongue."
' The Bear was delighted with the prospect," Reynard
went on, " and strutted about the forest as though he were
already crowned. He was always talking of the fine laws
he would make and the splendid time he would have, but
he was too stupid to be of much use as a plotter. Indeed,
it was for reason of his stupidity that my father and Tybert
chose him as king, for they thought they could make of him
a useful tool. They had, however, to lay their plans without
him, and the better to carry them out, they called Isengrim
the Wolf, and Grimbard the Ape, into conference. The
five met together at a certain place between Heyst and Gand,
and it was there, O King, that your death was decided upon.
Each of the conspirators took a solemn oath not to divulge
the proceedings to a living soul, and having settled the very
hour and day of your Majesty's assassination, they departed
to their homes.
' Now, like all apes, Grimbard was a chatterer, and no
sooner was he within his house than he told his wife all
70
I SAW HIM STOP AT THE FOOT OF A GREAT TREE"
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
that had happened, explaining to her that it was a great
secret and she was not to tell a soul. Of course she promised
faithfully to keep a still tongue in her head, and as a matter
of fact I believe she did manage to keep the secret for a
whole day. Then she happened to meet my wife in the
woods, and having sworn her to secrecy, told her the whole
thing. My wife, out of a feeling of love and regard to your
Majesty, thought it her duty to inform me, which she did,
immediately she returned home, without keeping back a
single detail.
" I could not believe my ears at first. * What ! Bruin,
king ! ' I cried. ' That great fat lump of hairy stupidity,
king of the animals ! Is the world going mad ? Would
they dethrone our loved and gracious lord in favour of so
base a beast ? ' There and then, O King, I raised my hand
above my head and swore to defend your Majesty's life to
the last. ' While Reynard lives/ I said, * the King's throne
shall be secure, cost what it may ! '
" From that moment I thought of nothing else but how
best to thwart my father's base plans. It seemed to me that
if I could only discover the treasure I might stop the whole
thing, for the conspirators relied upon the gold to pay the
armies they intended to raise. For days, therefore, I lurked
about the woods, following my father wherever he went, in
the hope that, sooner or later, he would betray the treasure's
whereabouts. But he was far too wary to go near it, and
had it not been for the stupidity of the Ape I might have
remained none the wiser. One day I noticed Grimbard
wheeling a barrow through the forest with an air of great
secrecy, and following him unseen, at a safe distance, I saw
him stop in the midst of the ruins of that ancient palace in
the forest. There, at the foot of a great tree, he lifted a
heavy stone, discovering a deep hole, from which he took
several vases filled to the brim with golden coins. These
he placed upon his barrow, and having carefully covered up
the hole again, trundled off into the forest.
" No sooner had he disappeared amid the shade of the
72
THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX
trees than I ran forward and lifted the stone. What a sight
met my eyes ! There lay the treasure — chest upon chest of
shining gold, and heaps of jewels flashing with rays of many-
THE CONSPIRACY GAINED ADHERENTS EVERY DAY
coloured light. My eyes were nearly blinded by the
splendour.
" Even as I stood gazing in a sort of dazed trance, I
realized what I must do. If I could get this treasure away
from the place where it was hidden, and, unknown to the
73
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
conspirators, transport it somewhere else, their plot would
be strangled at its birth. Unfortunately the treasure was
heavy and I had no means of conveyance — not even a barrow,
but I took counsel of Hermeline, my wife, and she, noble
soul as she is, strengthened me in my resolve. ' Though
we wear our paws to the bone/ said she, ' we must take the
treasure away and save the life of our noble and our beloved
King/ That very night we began our task, and little by
little we moved the treasure, hiding it in a safe place known
only to ourselves. For the best part of a month we laboured,
working only at night, and fearful every moment that we
should be discovered. At last everything was finished, and
the whole of the treasure removed.
' In the meantime, the conspiracy gained adherents
every day. My father was the life and soul of the plot.
He sent messengers far and near, into every corner of the
land, to win the animals over to his side. * Those who enrol
under my banner/ said he, ' shall receive a large sum of
money paid in advance. I do not ask them to trust my
word, but to come to me and let me pour the money into
their hands.' In such circumstance what wonder that his
supporters grew every hour. Before long he had gathered
together an immense army, which was increased by troops
raised by the Bear, the Wolf, and the Cat. Bruin, in par
ticular, was very proud of his success in raising soldiers.
He already fancied himself king, and walked about giving
orders to everybody who crossed his path.
;* Now the time for payment had come, so my father,
accompanied by Grimbard and the Cat, made his way to the
hiding-place of the treasure to bring out the gold. I watched
them from afar, and saw them uncover the hole, and never
to my dying day shall I forget the scream my father uttered
when he saw that the treasure was no longer there. Franti
cally the two of them dug up the soil around the place in
the hope that they were mistaken, but not a single gold piece
could they find. At last Grimbard, chattering with fear,
turned and slunk away, while my father crept home and
74
hanged himself with a cord to a nail just outside the back
door. A terrible end, O King, but though he was my
father, I cannot help
feeling he deserved
the misery he had
brought upon him
self. As for Bruin,
he found himself
faced with the ne
cessity of explaining
to the soldiers that
no money was forth
coming, and being
a coward at heart,
he shirked the task.
He, too, fled secretly,
and Tybert the Cat
soon followed. To
day, sire, these three
stand among the
foremost of my
accusers. If I have
sinned, have they
not sinned too, and
in greater measure ? "
The King waved
his paw impatiently.
" We will deal with
them presently,"
said he. " For the
present, keep to your
tale. Where is the
treasure hidden?
Speak, and lie not,
on your life ! '
" Why should I lie, O King ? ' asked Reynard in an
aggrieved tone. " Have I not sworn to tell the truth ? In
75
THE SUIT OF GOLDEN ARMOUR EMRIK WORE
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
Western Flanders there is a little wood called Husterloo. In
the midst of that wood lies a pool, which is known by the
name of Krekelput.* It is a dreary place, O King, and
solitary, for it lies among marshes where no man can pass.
No sound is heard in that place save only the call of the
carrion-crow by day, and the dismal hooting of the owl by
night. There, close to that pool, I hid the treasure, in a
hole in the earth which I covered with soil, marking the
place with three great stones. Remove those stones, and dig
up the soil, and you will discover three enormous golden
vases, beautifully carved and modelled. In the first is the
royal crown of the ancient King Emrik, which Bruin thought
to wear. In the second is the crown of Emrik's queen —
a thing of wonder, flashing with splendid gems ; and in the
third is the suit of golden armour Emrik wore. Beneath
these three vases lies the rest of the treasure — chest after
chest of golden coins, ropes of pearls, necklaces of diamonds
and rubies, so many gems that I cannot describe them all.
If your Majesty will send trusty messengers to Krekelput,
they can easily prove the truth of what I say ! '
During this recital the King had raised himself from his
throne in his excitement, and now he turned to the assembled
animals and cried : " Which of you knows Krekelput ? Who
will go and fetch the treasure ? '
Nobody answered, for, as a matter of fact, not a soul
present had ever heard of Krekelput before Reynard
mentioned the name.
" Come, come," cried the King. " One of you must
know the wood of Husterloo and the pool of which Reynard
speaks ! '
' Be patient with them, Sire," said Reynard. " They are
afraid to speak. The Hare knows the place very well.
Do you not remember, friend," said he, fixing the Hare
with a menacing glance, " you took refuge in the wood of
Husterloo one day when the hounds were after you ! '
" I cannot remember very well," stammered the Hare,
* Snail's well.
THEY WALKED IN SILENCE
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
who was nearly out of his senses with fright. " Perhaps I
did ! "
' Of course you did," said Reynard, " and you could
find the place again, no doubt ? '
* I am not sure," said the poor Hare, who indeed had
never heard of Husterloo.
" A truce to all this ! " cried the King impatiently. " If
you cannot remember, Reynard shall go with you to refresh
your memory, and Bellyn the Ram shall accompany the
two of you to see that you do not run away. Be off with
you at once, and bring back the treasure as quickly as you
can, for my eyes are aching for a sight of Emrik's crown
and the suit of golden armour Emrik wore."
" And forget not the ropes of pearls and the jewelled
coronet ! " cried the Queen. " Bring those first ! '
* I will bring everything in good time," said Reynard ;
1 trust me for that. But before I set out on this journey
I must go to Rome to ask absolution of the Pope for all the
sins I have committed. Suffer me first of all to go on this
pilgrimage, O King, and, if you will, send Bellyn and the
Hare with me to see that I do not escape. Nothing is further
from my thoughts, but after what has happened I cannot
expect your Majesty to trust my word, and I am content
to go in ward."
' Be it so ! " said the King. " Set off at once and return
as soon as may be. And now there is another little affair
to settle ! Where is Bruin, our would-be king. Stand
forth, Bruin, with your precious conspirators, the Wolf, the
Cat, and the Ape." But nobody answered, for seeing how
affairs were going all the four had quietly slipped away,
fearing to stay and face the vengeance of the King.
Reynard smiled maliciously as he put on a pilgrim's
cloak and marched away with Bellyn and the Hare along the
road that led from the Court.
For several miles they walked in silence. Then Reynard
sighed and said : " Ah, friends, how I long to see my dear
wife and children just once more before I go on this long
78
THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX
journey that lies before us. Let us take the road that leads
past my castle of Malpertuis. It is not much out of our
way, and we can enter there and refresh ourselves."
The Hare was too frightened to dispute the matter, and
Belly n on his part good-humouredly agreed, so the three
REYNARD SPRANG AT HIS THROAT
of them took the road to Malpertuis, and before long came
to the gate of Reynard's castle.
" Here we are at last, Cousin Bellyn," said Reynard.
" Did you ever see such fine pastures ! You must be famished
after our long tramp. Take a rest a while and eat some of
this sweet grass, while I and the Hare go into the house and
console my wife for the long separation that is before her.
We shall not stay more than a few minutes."
* Well, hurry up," said Bellyn, who had already begun
to graze. " I will wait for you, but don't stay talking all
day ! '
79
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
So Reynard and the Hare went into the house, where
they were met by Hermeline, Reynard's devoted spouse.
* What, husband," said she, " are you back already ?
How did things go at Court ? '
' Just as I said they would," answered Reynard. " When
the King heard my tale he acquitted me of the charges that
had been brought against me, and allowed me to return
here in honour. The Wolf, the Bear, and the Cat, who
were my most powerful enemies, have fled the Court, so
that, for the time being, they have escaped my vengeance;
but I have brought with me this fellow \vhom you see at
my side, for he was among the foremost of my accusers ! '
When he heard these words the poor Hare trembled
with fright, and turned to flee, but in a moment Reynard
sprang at his throat. One loud cry he gave for help, but
Bellyn, peacefully cropping the grass outside, did not hear,
and the next moment the Hare was dead. Then Reynard
and Hermeline and all the little foxes had a splendid feast,
and in less than half an hour nothing was left of the Hare's
carcass but the head.
While they were still feasting there came a loud knocking
at the door. It was Bellyn, who, having eaten his fill, was
now impatient with waiting.
Snatching up the head of the Hare Reynard put it into
a bag, which he carefully sealed. Then, running to the
door, he threw it open.
" You have been a long time ! ' grumbled Bellyn.
" Where is the Hare ? '
* Oh, he is just inside, playing with my little ones,"
said Reynard. * He's a merry fellow, that one, and so fond
of children that it is beautiful to watch him. Leave him
alone for a time. He'll be out presently. While you are
waiting, you might run back to the King with this bag,
which he asked me to send him. It contains papers referring
to the conspiracy — papers which involve a great many people
at Court, in fact nearly all of the animals except yourself.
Hurry off with it, and give it into the King's own hands,
80
YOU HAVE MERITED DEATH A HUNDRED TIMES "
THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX
and, as you value your life, do not open the bag upon the
road, or the King will suspect that you also are involved
and have erased your name on the way."
' Did the King say I was to take back the papers ? '
asked Bellyn.
' Of course he did ! " answered Reynard. ' Send them
back by my trusty Bellyn ' — those were his very words,
and he whispered in my ear that you were the only one
among the whole court that he could trust. I should not
be surprised if he gave you a handsome reward, and perhaps
made you a peer of the realm ! '
" Give me the bag ! " cried Bellyn. " I'll take it to the
King. I shall not be long. Wait until I come back, and
tell the Hare that he is on no account to set out without
me.':
' Never fear," said Reynard. * He'll not stir a step out
of my castle — I'll answer for that. Farewell, good Bellyn.
I will be waiting here when you return ! '
Full of pride at his important mission, Bellyn trotted off
down the road, bearing the bag very carefully with him,
and Reynard, with a spiteful smile, stood and watched him
till he was out of sight.
In good time Bellyn returned to the Court and handed
to the astonished King the bag which Reynard had sent.
The King broke the seal, and gazed inside, while the Queen
pressed close to him, peering over his shoulder. The next
moment he gave a cry of horror, as he drew forth the head
of the poor Hare. The Queen fell to the ground in
a dead faint, and for a time the King remained holding
the head in his hands, gazing at it vacantly. Then he cast
it from him, and without a word turned his steps towards
his palace, where he immediately took to his bed, for the
shock of the thing had made him ill. Not for several weeks
afterwards, when he had somewhat recovered, was he able
to turn his thoughts to vengeance. Then he gave orders
for a large army to march to Reynard's castle of Malpertuis
to raze it to the ground, and bring back the Fox in chains.
F 81
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
The army set out, but when they arrived at Malpertuis
they found the birds had flown. Reynard and Hermeline
and all the little foxes had left the country, and were never
seen again.
Some people say that they took up their abode in a distant
land, where Reynard soon began once more to play his old
tricks, until the King of that land caught him one day red-
handed, and hanged him on the nearest tree without giving
him a chance to say a word. I do not know whether this
story is true, although I hope it is. All that I can say for
certain is that Reynard and his family were never seen in
King Nobel's dominions from that day on.
CALF AND GOAT
THE MAGIC CAP
HERE was once a poor countryman, of whom
his neighbours said that he had no more wits
than he was born with, and that was not many.
He was, indeed a simple-minded fellow, and
anybody could get the better of him. One
day the countryman 's wife said to him :
;< Jan, put on your best smock and your soundest clogs,
and go to the market to try and sell our calf. She is a
good calf and you ought to get at least a hundred francs
for her."
Away went Jan, along the road to the market town, with
the^calf behind him. He felt quite glad to be out on this
fine spring day, and he hummed a merry tune as he plodded
along. Three students who were lounging at the door of an
inn saw him pass, and, marking his air of simplicity, thought
it would be good fun to play a joke upon him, so one of them
went up to him and said :
83
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
* Good-morning, friend ! How much are you asking for
your goat ? '
' Goat ? ' answered the peasant in surprise. " This
is not a goat, but a calf ! '
1 Indeed ! " said the student politely. " And who told
you that ? "
' It was my wife," answered the peasant. " ' Jan,' she
said, ' go to the market and try to sell our calf/ I am sure
she said calf. I could not make a mistake about such a
thing ! '
' Your wife was playing a joke on you," said the student.
:< Anybody can see that is a goat. If you don't believe me,
ask the next person you meet on the road." And he went off,
laughing.
Jan continued his walk, a little troubled in his mind,
and before very long he saw the second of the students
coming towards him. " Stay a minute, sir," he cried.
' Do you mind looking at this animal of mine and telling me
what sort of a creature it is ? '
1 Why, a goat, of course," answered the student.
1 You're wrong," said the peasant. "It's a calf. My
wife says so, and she could not be mistaken ! '
' Have it your own way ! " replied the student, " but if
you'll take my advice you won't pretend that animal is a
calf when you get to the market, unless you want to be hooted
out of the town ! '
:< Ah ! " said Jan, and he went on his way, muttering
to himself, and casting many a troubled glance at the innocent
calf who ambled along peacefully behind him. ' If it is a
goat it ought to have horns," he said to himself. ;< And it
hasn't got any horns. But if it is a calf it will have horns
when it grows to be a cow. Perhaps it is a goat-calf. I
wonder whether goat-calves have horns ! " And he continued
to puzzle his poor brains about the matter until he was
suddenly interrupted by a shout from the side of the road.
The shout came from the third student, who had been
waiting for him.
THE MAGIC CAP
' Hallo, you there ! " cried the student. " How much
do you want for your goat ? '
' Goat ? Goat ? ' murmured the peasant in dismay.
* Here, take the thing. If it's a goat, I don't want it, for I
was sent to market to sell a calf. You may have it for nothing
—I'll make you a present of it ! ' And so saying, he pushed
the cord into the student's
hand. Then turning his
back without another word,
he retraced his steps to
wards his home.
When his wife heard
what had happened she was
furious . * ' You stupid lout ! ' '
she cried, " could you not
see that you were being
made a fool of ? ' And
she called him all the names
she could lay her tongue to,
until the poor fellow blushed
and hung his head for
shame. Her anger did not
last long, however, for she
was a good woman and she
knew that her husband's
simplicity was not his fault, but his misfortune. Fortunately,
she had quite enough wits for them both, and instead of
wasting more time in reproaches, she set to work to think
how she might pay back the practical jokers in their own
coin. It did not take her long to think of a plan, and as
the first step towards carrying it out, she put on her bonnet
and went off to the town, where she called at three inns,
paying at each of them for a dinner for four persons, the
dinner to be eaten on the next market day. Returning
home, she explained the plan to her husband and gave him
very exact instructions as to the part he was to play.
When the next market day came round Jan set off for
85
YOU WERE BEING MADE A FOOL OF
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
the town, and by the door of the very first inn on the road he
met the three students. They exchanged a sly smile when
they saw him, and one of them said : ' Good morning, good
fellow. And how do you find yourself to-day ? I notice
that you have no goat with you this time."
' Ha, ha, ha ! " laughed Jan, " that was a good joke you
played on me, but I bear you no ill-will for it. Come in
and drink a glass of wine. I'm in funds this morning and
I'll willingly stand treat."
The students accepted Jan's offer with enthusiasm, for
they belonged to that class of men who are always thirsty.
Accordingly the four went into the tavern ; and Jan called
for wine. When the time came to pay for it, he called the
serving-maid, and taking off his cap, spun it round three
times on his finger. " Madam," said he, " everything is
paid for, isn't it ? '
1 Yes, sir, and thank you very much," answered the
serving-maid.
The three students watched this procedure with a
good deal of surprise, but Jan carried off the whole affair
as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
" Now, my friends," said he, " the doctors say it is bad to
drink on an empty stomach. What do you say to a good
meal ? '
'* Excellent," cried the students.
' Very well then, come along with me to the next inn,
and you shall have one."
Laughing in their sleeves at the peasant's simplicity, the
students followed. Arrived at the inn, Jan ordered dinner
for four, and a heap of good things were put upon the table.
After the repast, he called the serving-maid to him, took off
his cap as before, and twirled it round three times on his
finger. " Now then," said he, " everything is paid for, isn't
that so ? "
" Certainly, sir," answered the serving-maid, " and lam
very much obliged to you."
At this the three students opened their eyes even wider
86
JAN AND THE THREE STUDENTS
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
than before, but Jan took not the slightest notice of their
astonishment.
" What do you say, friends," he asked, " shall we go
on to the town together and wash the dinner down with a
glass of ale apiece ? '
" As many as you please," answered the students joyfully,
and so they followed Jan to the town, where he entered a
third tavern and ordered drinks all round. Then, taking
off his cap once again, he twirled it round three times on his
finger, and said to the innkeeper : ' Everything is paid for,
isn't it, my good man ? '
* Certainly, sir," said the innkeeper, bowing.
But this was more than the curiosity of the students
could stand.
" Look here, gossip," said one of them, " how is it
that you are able to get food and drink for nothing everywhere
you go, simply by twirling your cap in people's faces ? '
" Oh, that's easily explained," answered Jan, " This
cap of mine is a magic cap, which was left to me by my
great-great-grandmother, who was a witch, so I have heard
say. If I twirl it on my finger, and say, ' Everything is
paid for,' — well, everything is paid for ! You understand
me?'
" Perfectly," said the student. " My faith, but that is a
wonderful cap — the very thing to have when one goes a
journey ! Will you sell it to me ? '
' How much will you give me for it ? " asked Jan.
" Two hundred francs ! '
' Nonsense ! Do you think I am going to brave my
wife's anger for a paltry two hundred francs ? '
" Well then, three hundred."
1 Not enough ! My wife says it is worth a fortune."
" Four hundred."
Jan shook his head doubtfully, and, seeing his hesitation,
the student cried :
'* Come now, we'll give you five hundred, and not a penny
more. You'd better accept, or you'll lose your chance."
88
THE MAGIC CAP
" Well then, hand over the money. I don't know what
my wife will say, but ..."
" She'll give you a kiss for making such a splendid bar
gain," cried the student, pushing a bag of coins into Jan's
hand and snatching the magic cap. ' Hurry off home as
fast as you can to tell her the good news ! ' Then the three
went away, laughing, slap
ping each other on the back
in their joy at having got
the better of the simple
peasant.
That afternoon the stu
dents, eager to take ad
vantage of the qualities of
the magic cap, invited about
fifty of their friends to a
splendid feast at the largest
inn in the town. Every
body who was invited came,
as you may imagine, and
the resources of the inn
keeper were taxed to the
utmost to supply the hungry
and thirsty crowd with all
TWIRLED THE CAP ROUND THREE TIMES ON
HIS FINGER
that they wanted. When
the feast was ended, the student who had Jan's cap called
the host, and twirling it three times round his finger, said :
" Now, sir, everything is paid for, isn't it ? '
' Paid for ? ' cried the innkeeper. " What do you
mean ? I've not seen the colour of your money yet."
At this reply the student's face fell, but one of his com
panions snatched the cap from his hands. " Idiot," said he,
* you twirled the cap the wrong way ! I was watching the
peasant carefully, and he twisted it like this." So saying,
he gave the cap a twirl and said : " Now then, my good sir,
I think you will agree that everything is paid for."
' I don't know whether you are trying to play a joke on
89
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
me ? " answered the innkeeper grimly, " but your idea of
humour is not mine. You had better pay up at once, before
I call the police ! '
' Here, let me try/' cried the third ; and in his turn he
twirled the cap, and, fixing the host with his eye, repeated
that everything was paid for.
At this the innkeeper flew into a passion, and made such
a fuss that the room was in an uproar. It was only by promis
ing to pay him at once that the innkeeper could be quietened
down, and prevented from putting his threat of calling the
police into execution. The banquet cost a good round sum,
and as the three students had no money left, their invited
guests were obliged to subscribe the money between them,
which they did with much grumbling. Afterwards they
took their three hosts outside and dipped them into the
horse-trough to punish them for their bad taste in playing
practical jokes on their friends.
And a few miles away, in their little cottage, Jan and
his wife sat counting the five hundred francs he had got for
his greasy old cap, which indeed had not been left him by
his great-great-grandmother, but which was as old and
ragged as though it had !
90
JAN AND JANNETTE
WERE CARRIED SAFELY OVER TO THE OTHER BANK
SUGAR-CANDY HOUSE
AN and Jannette were brother and sister.
They lived near a big wood, and every day
they used to go to play there, fishing for stickle
backs in the streams, and making necklaces of
red berries. One day they wandered farther
from their home than usual, and all of a sudden
they came to a brook crossed by a pretty red bridge. On
the other side of the bridge, half hidden among the trees,
they espied the roofs of a little pink cottage, which, when they
came closer, they found to be built entirely of sugar-candy !
Here was a delightful find for a little boy and girl who loved
sweetstuff ! They lost no time in breaking off pieces of
the roof and popping them into their mouths.
Now in that house there lived an old wolf whose name
was Garon. He was paralysed in one leg, and could not
run very fast, but in all other respects he was as fierce and
9'
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
strong as he had been in his youth. When he heard Jan
and Jannette breaking off bits of his roof he growled out,
* Who is touching my Sugar- Candy House ? ' Then he
came limping out to see who it was, but by that time the
children were safely hidden in the woods.
* Who dares to touch my Sugar-Candy House ? " roared
the wolf again.
Then Jan replied :
' It's the wind so mild,
It's the wind so mild.
That lovable child ! '
This satisfied the old wolf, and back he went to his house,
grumbling.
The next day Jan and Jannette once again crossed
over the little red bridge, and broke some more candy from
the wolf's house. Out came Garon again, bristling all over.
4 Who is touching my Sugar-Candy House ? " he roared.
And Jan and Jannette replied :
' It's the wind so mild,
It's the wind so mild,
That lovable child ! '
' Very well," said the wolf, and he went back again,
but this time there was a gleam of suspicion in his eye.
The next day was stormy, and hardly had Jan and
Jannette reached the Sugar-Candy House than the wolf
came out, and surprised them in the very act of breaking
a piece off his window-sill.
' Oho ! " said he. 'It was the wind so mild, was it ?
That lovable child, eh ? Precious lovable children, I must
say ! Gr-r-r, I'll eat them up ! ' And he sprang at Jan
and Jannette, who took to their heels and ran off as fast
as their legs could carry them. Garon pursued them at a
good speed in spite of his stiff paw, and although he never
gained upon them, yet he kept them in sight, and refused
92
;< GR-R-R, I'LL EAT THEM UP ! "
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
to give up the chase. The children looked back once or
twice, and saw that the wolf was still following them, but
they were not very much afraid, because they were confident
of their ability to outrun him.
All of a sudden they found their way barred by a river.
There was no bridge across it, and the water was very deep.
What were they to do ? Nearer and nearer came the wolf !
In the middle of the river some ducks were swimming,
and Jan called out to them : " Little ducks ! Little ducks !
Carry us over the river on your backs, for if you do not
the wolf will get us ! '
So the ducks came swimming up, and Jan and Jannette
climbed each on to the back of one, and were carried safely
over to the other bank.
Presently the wolf, in his turn, came to the river. He
had seen how the children had managed to cross, and he
roared out at the ducks in a terrible voice, u Come and
carry me over, or I'll eat you all up ! '
" Very well," answered the ducks, and they swam to
the bank, and Garon balanced himself on four of them,
one paw on the back of each. But they had no intention
of carrying the wicked old wolf to the other side, for they
did not love him or any of his tribe, and, moreover, they
objected to his impolite way of asking a favour. So, at a
given signal from the leader, all the ducks dived in mid
stream, and left old Garon struggling in the water. Three
times he went down and three times he came up, but the
fourth time he sank never to rise any more.
That was the end of old Garon, and a good job, too, say I.
I don't know what became of his Sugar-Candy House, but
I dare say, if you could find the wood, and the sun had
not melted the candy, or the rain washed it away, you might
break a bit of it off for yourselves.
JACO PETER AND HIS FRIEND
POOR PETER
HERE was once a man named Jaco Peter who was
so poor that he had not two sous to rub together.
His clothes were rags, his boots were shocking,
and as for his house, it was nothing but a
miserable hovel hardly fit for a dog. The only
friend poor Peter had in the world was a big
fox who was called Reynard the Red because of the colour
of his hide.
One day as Poor Peter was walking along the road looking
out for stray scraps of food which he could pick up for his
dinner, whom should he meet but Reynard, who was going
off to spy round a farmhouse where, he had been told, there
were some fine fat chickens.
* How now, Peter," said Reynard, " you look very miser
able to-day ! What is the matter ? v
" I have fallen on bad luck," answered Peter gloomily.
* I have found nothing to-day but two cabbage-stalks and a
95
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
half-gnawed bone, and to make matters worse, the bone has
no marrow in it."
" Why do you eat such stuff ? " asked Reynard disgustedly.
" Look at me — I am just as poor as you, yet I live on the fat
of the land ! And how do I do it, Peter ? Why, by using
my wits ! Cheer up, my friend, you shall be a man of fortune
yet, for I'll take your case in hand myself ! '
Reynard was as good as his word. The same day he called
at the King's palace and asked if he might borrow a bushel
measure. Such an unusual request from a fox caused some
amazement and the matter was brought to the notice of the
King himself, who sent for Reynard and asked him what he
wanted with such a thing.
" The fact is," answered Reynard, " that a friend of mine,
a certain Lord Jaco Peter, has come by a good deal of money,
and he wishes to measure it."
" Very well," said the King, " you may take the measure,
but I would like to have it back when you have done with it,
if you do not mind."
Off went Reynard with the bushel basket, and the same
night, having stuck a couple of sous to the bottom of it with a
bit of grease, he sent it back with a message to say that it
was not large enough, and might he have another ? In
reply, the King sent a two-bushel measure, and after a time
Reynard sent this back also, with a request for a larger one
still. " If I have to measure the money with a thing like
this," said he, " I shall be a month over the task."
That friend of yours must be an enormously wealthy
man," said the King. " Let me see — what did you say his
name was ? Lord Jaco Peter ? I do not seem to remember
a lord of that name in my dominions ! '
1 He is a foreign noble," said Reynard glibly, " who has
only lately arrived in this country. He will shortly be coming
to pay his respects to your Majesty, for it is his intention
to ask for the hand of the Princess, your daughter, in
marriage."
" That is a thing one must consider," replied the King,
96
POOR PETER
' but in the meantime I will gladly give your noble friend an
audience."
Away went Reynard in high feather and recounted to
" SMEAR YOURSELF FROM HEAD TO FOOT "
Poor Peter all that had happened. " The affair is as good as
finished," said he, " you shall marry the Princess and sit^at
the King's right hand ! "
Peter looked down at his clothes, which indeed, were too
well ventilated to be quite seemly, and made a grimace. ;< A
G 97
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
fine lord I shall look ! " said he, " with my toes sticking out
of my boots and holes in my breeches."
' Never mind about that," Reynard answered. " Just
leave everything to me, and all be well."
The next day, when the time came for the pair to set out
for the palace, Reynard said to his friend : " Now pay great
attention to what I have to say. Close by the King's palace
there is a big muddy puddle in the middle of the road. When
you come to that puddle I want you to trip over yourself
and fall plump into it. Don't let there be any half measures !
Get right into the mud — wallow in it, and smear yourself
from head to foot ! '
* But why . . . ? " asked Peter.
" Never mind about why. Do as I tell you ! "
Poor Peter carried out his directions to the letter. When
they reached the puddle he pretended to slip, and fell souse
into it, covering himself with a thick layer of mud. At sight
of the disaster Reynard began to cry out in dismay, and the
guards at the King's palace, who had seen the accident, came
running up to offer their aid.
' Did you fall down ? ' asked one of them politely.
Peter was wiping the mud out of his mouth and could not
answer, but the fox cried : " Of course he has fallen down,
oaf ! Do you think he sat in the puddle for amusement.
Don't stand gaping there, but run to the palace quickly,
and borrow a change of clothes, for this is Lord Jaco Peter
who is on his way to visit the King. And look you," he
added, as the guards ran off, " see that you bring some robes
worthy of my lord's great estate, or it will be the worse for
you ! '
Away went the guards, and told the King's Chamberlain
about the catastrophe. A few minutes later they returned
bearing with them a magnificent robe of cloth-of-gold,
beautifully embroidered and sewn with precious stones.
Then they led Peter to a chamber, where he bathed himself
and donned his new finery. Unfortunately the Chamber
lain had forgotten to send any shoes, so there was Peter
POOR PETER
with his toes sticking out of his boots under his magnificent
gown.
1 Never mind," said Reynard, " you must keep your
REYNARD SEIZED THE OPPORTUNITY TO WARN HIS FRIEND
feet out of sight," and he led him before the King, who was
immensely taken with his appearance.
' Tell me," he said to Reynard, after greetings had been
exchanged, " why does your friend keep staring at his clothes.
One would think he was not used to them ! '
Reynard smiled. " As a matter of fact, your Majesty,"
99
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
he answered, " he is not. This dress of his came out of your
Majesty's wardrobe, for he had the ill-fortune to spoil his
own on the way here, by falling into a puddle. The gown is
good enough, as it goes, of course ; but my friend is used to
something far finer. I would wager a thousand crowns he is
thinking this very
moment that he has
never been so poorly
clad before in his
life ! Is it not so,
my lord ? " he added,
turning to Peter.
Peter gave a grin
and a nod of the head,
and the affair passed
without further com
ment, but on their
way in to dinner
Reynard seized the
opportunity to warn
his friend against
further faults of de
portment. But, as
the saying goes, it is
no use trying to make
a silk purse out of a
sow's ear, and no
sooner were they seated at table, and Peter saw the magnificent
golden dishes, the delicate cut glass, and the fine candle
sticks, than he opened his eyes wide, and gave an exclamation
of astonishment.
" What is the matter now ? " asked the King, staring at
him.
" I crave your Majesty's pardon," said Reynard. ' My
friend is a little overwhelmed, for your customs are new to
him. In his own palace, you see, he is used to a certain
degree of luxury — such a service of plate, for instance, as this
100
AN EXCLAMATION OF ASTONISHMENT
POOR PETER
on the table, would there only be found in the servant's
quarters. Come, come, my lord," he added, clapping Peter
on the shoulder, " it will do you good to live the simple
life. Spartan fare, my lord, Spartan fare ! '
Peter rolled his eyes and grinned again, before falling to,
with a fairly good appetite, upon the rich food spread before
him.
" This lord must certainly be of enormous wealth,"
thought the King. True, he has certain curious tricks of
manner, such as supping his gravy with a table-knife, but
what does a little thing like that matter ! In other countries,
other ways ! That is a very good proverb."
After dinner was over Reynard broached the matter of
Peter's marriage with the King's daughter, and the King
gave his consent. He begged Reynard and his friend to
remain at the palace as his guests until the ceremony should
take place, and apportioned to them a magnificent suite of
rooms. A week later Peter and the Princess were married.
The poor man could hardly believe his good luck as he stood
before the altar dressed out in gorgeous robes. All he
could do was to stare like one who is dazed, and Reynard had
to nudge him from behind to get him to make the responses.
After the wedding a splendid feast was held, to which all the
greatest and wealthiest lords in the kingdom were invited,
and then the King's carriages arrived to conduct the happy
pair to Peter's castle.
Now what was to be done ? Peter's castle was a broken-
down hovel at the edge of the forest. He shivered with fear
when he thought of what the Princess would say when she
saw it, with its mud floor, and its furniture consisting of one
chair with no back, one battered table, and a heap of brush
wood covered with a ragged pallet which served as a bed.
Could Reynard overcome this difficulty as he had overcome
all the others ?
Of course he could, and he did ! Away went the coaches,
with Reynard sitting proudly on the box of the foremost, and
presently the whole cortege halted before the gates of an
101
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
enchanted castle, which Reynard had borrowed from the
fairies of the forest. There Lord Jaco Peter and his bride
lived for many happy years. They had six children, three
boys and three girls, and Reynard was the friend of
them all.
J.B.
OH DEAR ME, THAT'S TWICE ! "
THE PEASANT AND HIS ASS
HERE once lived a poor peasant. I do not know
his name, but he earned a living by gathering
dead wood in the forest, and he had a donkey who
was no bigger ass than himself. Perhaps by this
you will be able to recognize him.
One day the peasant hitched his donkey into
the shafts of his little cart and went off as usual to the wood
for his day's toil. Arrived there, he tied the donkey to a
tree and then, by way of the cart, climbed the trunk in order
to break off some dead branches which he had noticed above.
As he sat there, legs astraddle on the branch, busily breaking
away the dead wood, along through the forest came a lord
dressed in fine clothes, with his manservant behind him.
" Hallo ! my man," cried the lord, " if you don't come
down from that tree pretty soon you'll get a tumble. The
branch you are sitting on is cracked.5
" Cracked, is it ? " answered the peasant.
Well, so
103
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
much the worse for me." And he went on calmly with
his work.
The lord went away shrugging his shoulders at the peasant's
stupidity ; and, sure enough, before he had gone very far,
crack ! crack ! the branch broke, and down fell the peasant to
the foot of the tree, giving himself a fine blow on the nose,
which immediately swelled almost to the size of a turnip.
" My word/' muttered the peasant, tenderly feeling the
sore place, " that man must have been a sorcerer ! He can
foretell the future ! He said I'd fall and I certainly have fallen!
I must run after him and ask him to tell me something else.
This is a chance not to be missed ! '
So off he ran as fast as his bruised limbs would allow, in
pursuit of the lord, and presently came up with him. "Hi,
sir, wait a minute ! " he cried. ' You told me the truth
about the tree. The branch broke right enough and I fell
on my nose. Won't you tell me something else ? '
" Willingly," answered the lord, " and I hope this time
that you will pay heed to what I say. Take care not to load
your ass too heavily, for if you do so he will bray, and if he
brays three times running I predict that you will suddenly
die."
" Oh dear me ! " sighed the peasant. " I am the most
unfortunate of men. Each prediction about my future seems
to be an unhappy one. Nevertheless, I am very much
obliged to you, sir. Good day." And he took off his cap
to the lord and bowed, and lurched off back to his tree.
For a long time he worked busily, and found so much
wood that his little cart soon became full. Then he remem
bered what the lord had told him about loading his ass too
heavily, but he was so avaricious that he could not make
up his mind to stop. ' One more branch won't make any
difference," he kept on saying as he piled more and more
wood into the cart. At last the poor donkey could stand
no more and, lifting his head, he uttered a loud " Hee
haw ! '
At this the peasant turned pale with fright. " Stop, stop,
104
j
afWk
ff
' HALLO MY MAN," CRIED THE LORD
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
what are you doing ? " he cried. " Oh, my dear little ass,
I beg you not to bray again. I will not put another branch
into the cart. We will go home straight away and you shall
have carrots for supper ! '
So saying, he climbed to his seat and shook the reins as
a signal for departure. The donkey pulled and pulled, but
not an inch would the cart budge, although he strained his
muscles to the utmost. Finding all his efforts vain, he turned
his head and once again gave utterance to a loud bray of
protest.
" Oh, dear me, that's twice ! " cried the peasant, jumping
down from his perch. " If he brays once more I'm a dead
man. Do you hear that, little ass ? For goodness' sake,
remain dumb until we reach home, and I'll help you pull the
cart ! ' Freed of the peasant's weight, the load for a time
was easier to pull, but at the end of another ten minutes the
weight began to tell again. The ass stopped and brayed
loudly for the third time.
" That's finished it ! " cried the peasant. " I am dead ! '
And he fell flat to the ground.
Left to himself, the ass wandered slowly on, dragging
the load behind him. Soon he came to the gates of the
town, and the guard took him and put him into the pound.
After a time, as nobody claimed him, he was sold.
Meanwhile the peasant lay where he had fallen. Presently
a carriage drove up, and the coachman was forced to pull in
his horses because of the body that lay stretched across the
road.
" Come," he cried, thinking that the peasant was drunk,
* rouse yourself, swill- tub ! Get up, unless you want to be
run over ! '
" I can't get up ! " moaned the peasant.
" Why not ? "
" Because I'm dead ! '
" Dead, are you ? " cried the coachman, jumping from
his seat in anger. " Well I've something here that will bring
you to life again ! " And he took his whip and laid on to the
1 06
THE PEASANT AND HIS ASS
peasant with such a will that in less than ten seconds the
fellow was capering about all over the road. Having thus
effectively brought the dead man to life, he remounted his
box and drove off grumbling.
In the roadway the peasant continued to dance about until
the pain of his beating had somewhat subsided. Then he
looked around, and for
the first time missed his
donkey.
" Dear, dear, dear ! '
he cried, ' one trouble
after another ! When I
was dead I wished I was
alive ; now I'm alive I
wish I was dead again,
for I'm sore all over, and
I've lost my donkey.
Whatever shall I do ? '
And, groaning and grum
bling, he set off along the
road in search of his
beast.
After a time he came
" i CAN'T GET UP, BECAUSE I'M DEAD 1 '
to the gates of the town, where a sentry was standing with
his pike on his shoulder. " Good morning, good man," said
the peasant. ' Have you seen my little ass ? '
' Your ass ! " answered the sentry, smiling. ' The only
ass that has passed through these gates to-day is already
become burgomaster ! '
" What ! Burgomaster ! " cried the peasant. ' My ass
Burgomaster ! Tell me quickly, where does he live ? I must
go to him at once ! '
Hardly able to control his amusement, the sentry pointed
out the way to the Burgomaster's house, and thither went
the peasant in all haste. Arrived at the door, he sounded
the great bell — Darlindindin ! — and a maidservant appeared.
' Is the Burgomaster at home ? " asked the peasant. Yes,
107
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
he was at home, and the maidservant led the peasant to the
room where he sat behind a big table loaded with documents.
* Good morning, Ass ! " said the peasant, with a grin of
delight that twisted his swollen and discoloured features.
* Eh ! what, what ! " stammered the Burgomaster, turning
purple with anger.
* I beg your pardon," said the peasant, " I should have
said, * Good morning, Mr. Ass, Esquire/ for you have become
a great man now, while I am still a poor woodcutter. I
don't envy you your good fortune, I am sure, although your
promotion has left me without a donkey. Since you have
become such a great lord, won't you give me back the ten
florins you cost me, so that I may buy another ? '
At this the Burgomaster's rage exploded. Leaping over
the table with one bound, he seized the hapless peasant by
the collar of his coat, threw open the door, and, with one
mighty kick, sent him sprawling from top to bottom of the
stairs.
THE EAGLE AND THE KINGLET
THE KING OF THE BIRDS
T one time the birds, like the four-footed
animals, were ruled over by the lion, who is
the King of the Beasts, but they grew dis
contented with his dominion and decided to
have a king of their own. It was the eagle's
idea : he thought of it one day when he was
standing on the lofty crag by his nest, gazing out upon the
plain below, and he saw the lion, no bigger than a mouse
in appearance, slinking beside a dried-up stream. ' Earth-
bound creature ! " thought the eagle scornfully. * Who are
you to reign over us, who cleave the air with wings and
fly in the face of the sun ! He who is lordliest among
the birds should rule the feathered creatures, and surely I
am he ! '
So thinking, the eagle spread his wings and soared high
into the air, and then swooped suddenly down upon the
lion, casting sand into his eyes with a harsh scream of defiance.
109
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
Having thus relieved his feelings, he sent messengers near
and far to assemble all the birds that he might unfold his
plan to them.
Such a scurry of wings as there was when the birds
came to answer the summons ! The sky was black with
them, so that the animals on the earth below, fearing a
dreadful storm, took shelter in their caves and holes. From
north, south, east, and west they came ; over mountain,
valley, and plain ; birds of all sorts and sizes, from the
little humming-bird to the condor and the vulture. The
ostrich left the burning plains where he loves to roam, and
flapping his ridiculous wing, for he could not fly, raced to
the meeting-place. All those birds that dwell in the tropical
forests, and flash from tree to tree like living jewels in the
green twilight ; the penguins and skua-gulls from the icy
north ; the cormorants and shags, and all the hosts of the
birds of the sea — if I were to go on naming them I should
fill every page of this book and never even begin my story.
And as they flew each uttered his own cry, so that what
with the calling and the screaming, the whistling, warbling,
chirping, and chattering, the air was filled with a mighty sound
that echoed to the very ends of the world.
When all the birds were duly assembled the eagle addressed
them thus : " Listen, brothers," said he, "I have called
you together in order that we may choose a king, for it is
not fitting that the lion, that earth-bound creature, should
continue to reign over the free company of the birds. We
are distinguished from the beasts by our power of flight, and
it therefore seems to me that the crown of sovereignty should
be given to the one amongst us who possesses that power in
the fullest degree. What do you say ? Shall we test this
matter, and let him who can fly nearest to the sun be king ? "
A confused chorus of cries answered his question, one
bird speaking against another.
' What is flight compared to song ? " asked the nightingale.
' Let the sweetest singer among us reign."
The canary and the throstle and the blackcap all agreed
with the nightingale, but they were shouted down,
no
THE KING OF THE BIRDS
" Beauty, beauty ! "
cried the peacock.
" That is the test ! A
king should be re
splendent in gay
robes ! ' And he
spread his gorgeous
tail.
" Aye, there speaks
wisdom," gobbled the
turkey, turning red in
the face, and strutting
up and down. * What
do you say, brother,"
he asked the cock.
" Shall we arrange it
so ? "
' A fig for gay
feathers ! " cackled the
ostrich. ' Is our king
then only to be looked
at, or is he to do
nothing all day but
chirp and twitter foolish
songs ? As for flying,
I found my wings of
so little use that I gave
up using them long
ago. My idea is that
we should settle this
matter by a running
race ! '
And so the birds
went on quarrelling
and disputing until at
last the eagle called for
silence, and, address
ing the company again, « is OUR KING THEN ONLY TO BE LOOKED AT ? "
in
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
insisted upon the adoption of his own plan. He spoke
sternly and menacingly, and as all the birds went in fear of
his curved beak and sharp talons, no further objections were
raised.
It was agreed that the trial should take place at once,
and the cock was chosen to give the signal for the start.
Very proud of the honour, he stationed himself on a little
grassy knoll, and having ascertained that everybody was
ready, gave a loud and clarion call. There was the sound
as of a rushing mighty wind as all the birds sprang into the
air. Only the eagle remained in his place, looking after
the others a little contemptuously. So confident did he
feel in his ability to outfly them all, that he allowed them
at least five minutes start. Then, very leisurely, he spread
his wings and soared. Up, up, up he went ; he overtook
the stragglers on the fringe of the crowd, passed through the
thickest press, outdistanced the foremost flyer of them all.
Still up and up he soared, exalting in his strength and power,
until the birds flying far below were hidden by the clouds.
Then he hung for a moment, motionless on extended wings,
for he was a little wearied by his efforts.
All of a sudden he heard, above his head, a tiny twit,
twit, twit, and looking up, saw, to his surprise, the golden-
crested wren, one of the smallest of the birds, flying merrily
above him.
* I have outdistanced you. I am king ! I am king ! '
cried the wren in his joy.
* We will see," said the eagle grimly ; and once again
he beat his mighty wings and soared.
At the end of a further five minutes, he stopped again,
only to hear, as before, the wren's cheerful twitter above
him. Again and again the same thing happened. Try as
he might, the eagle could not outdistance the tiny bird, and
at last, worn out with his exertions, he was obliged to give
up the contest, and to descend, crestfallen, to the earth
again.
And how did the little wren, which is certainly not famed
112
BIRDS GOING TO THE RACE
**_•*•" *JP p «i* * •• •• ^
3K9K%%
THE KING OF THE BIRDS
for its powers of flight, come to be able to defeat the mighty
eagle ? By a very simple trick ! When the eagle started
on its flight the wren was safely perched upon his back.
There he clung until the eagle stopped flying, when it was
an easy matter to rise from his place and fly a yard or two
higher. When the eagle began to fly again, the wren again
THERE WAS THE SOUND AS OF A RUSHING MIGHTY WIND
took its place on his back, and this continued time after
time until the great bird was exhausted.
Although nobody suspected the trick which the wren had
played, the other birds were very indignant when they heard
the wren declare that he had won the contest. " You,
king ! " they cried. :< An insignificant thing like you ! It
would be a disgrace to us if we were to suffer it. We would
rather be ruled by the lion ! At any rate, he had majesty
of deportment and dignity. You have neither grace nor
wisdom, strength nor beauty. Away with you before we
tear you to pieces ! '
The wren was as perky as you please, and for only answer
he flew to the boughs of a tree, whence he looked down
113
H
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
on them all with his head on one side, chirping, " I am king !
I am king. Bow down and make obeisance ! '
A great cry of anger arose. * Kill him ! Kill him ! '
screamed the hawk. ' Tear him to pieces ! '
" You will have to catch him first ! " twittered the wren,
and as the hawk made a rush at him, he popped into a hole
in the trunk of a tree — a hole so small that nobody could
get at him. From the shelter of that safe retreat he con
tinued to gibe at the birds, issuing commands, and asserting
that he was their king.
What was to be done ? Nobody could get at the wren,
and yet all the birds felt that he should be punished for his
impudence. A consultation was held, and it was finally
decided to set the owl as a guard at the mouth of his hole.
" Sooner or later," said the eagle, " he will have to come
out in order to get food, and then we will have him. If,
however, he elects to stay where he is, let him ; either way
our purpose will be served."
So the owl mounted guard by the hole in the trunk of
the tree, and having given him the most careful instructions
not on any account to let the wren escape, the other birds
flew away. All that day the owl remained vigilant at his
post, and though the wren put his head out of the hole a
hundred times, he always found his guard keeping careful
watch. Night fell, and a great silence fell upon the woods,
but still the owl kept awake for hour after hour, watching
with unwinking eyes. At last, towards morning, his vigilance
relaxed a little. His head sank forward on his breast ; and
he fell fast asleep. Hardly had his eyes closed than, rip !
the wren darted out of his hole, and the next moment he
had vanished among the trees.
When the birds returned the next morning they were
furious to find that their prisoner had escaped. ' Unfaithful
servant," they cried, " you have betrayed your trust ! '
And they fell upon the owl to put him to death. With some
difficulty he managed to escape, but ever since that time
the birds chase the owl wherever they see him, for they are
114
THE KING OF THE BIRDS
still angry with him. To keep out of their way he has to
hide during the day and venture out only at night, when all
the other birds are fast asleep.
As for the golden-crested wren, he is known as the
Kinglet, or little king, to this day.
J.6.
DONATUS
A DRUM FULL OF BEES
CERTAIN regiment had for its drummer an old
man named Donatus. He was a good-for-
nothing rascal, who spent most of his time in
the tavern drinking and playing cards, but he
was an excellent drummer for all that, and it
was a fine sight to see him on parade days,
marching along with the band, and playing on his drum
with a flourish that was the envy of all the boys in
the town. None of his companions in the regiment liked
Donatus, because of his fondness for playing practical jokes.
There was hardly one of them whom at some time or another
he had not hoaxed, and as most of his jokes were spiteful
ones, nobody pretended to be sorry when one day the
drummer was found cheating at cards, and being brought
before the Captain, was dismissed from the regiment. It was
in vain that he pleaded for mercy, with the tears running
down his face. The Captain had forgiven him many times,
and was determined not to do so again.
116
A DRUM FULL OF BEES
" Well," said Donatus at last, " if I must go, I beg you,
Captain, to let me keep my drum. I have played on it since
I was a lad of fourteen, and I know no other trade. If you
take it away from me, I don't know how I am going to live,
but with it I may perhaps manage to turn an honest penny
or two."
" Very well, you old scoundrel," answered the Captain.
" Keep your drum and take yourself off ; only be quick
about it, or you shall be soundly thrashed."
So away went Donatus with his drum on his back, and
not having any particular place to go to, he just took the first
road that came, and marched along it all day until he was
forced to rest because his legs were so tired. Setting his
drum down in the middle of the road he sat upon it and began
to wonder what he should do for food and a bed for the night.
First of all he turned out his pockets to see what he could
find, but there was nothing there except two sous and a pack
of very greasy playing cards. Donatus put them back again,
with a sigh, and fell again to wondering how he was going
to fare.
Now the road along which he had been walking was
bordered by a dense forest, and suddenly Donatus thought
that if he were to get among the trees he could at least find
shelter. So he shouldered his drum again and entered the
wood. Hardly had he done so than he heard a loud hum
ming noise, and proceeding in the direction from which
it came, he saw a swarm of bees hanging to the branch of
a big tree.
" Here's fine fruit ! " said he to himself, laughing. ' I'll
pluck them. They may come in useful one of these days !
So he took off the top skin of his drum, and having skilfully
caused the swarm to drop inside the instrument, replaced
the skin and went on his way.
Presently he came to a little house in the wood, and
knocked at the door to ask for shelter for the night. The
door was opened by a peasant woman of comely appearance,
but with a very disagreeable expression of face. She looked
"7
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
the drummer up and down very sourly. " Be off with you ! '
she said, " we want no soldiers here. We have seen your
kind before, my man, and do not like them." And so saying,
she very rudely shut the door in his face.
" Now what am I to do ? " thought Donatus ruefully.
" Night has fallen, and I am too weary to wander any farther.
A plague take that hard-hearted vixen, who will not take pity
on my misfortunes ! '
Thus reflecting, he cast his eye about to look for a corner
in which he might rest, and suddenly spied a heap of faggots
piled up against the cottage wall. Climbing to the top of the
heap, he found that it was possible to reach the window of the
attic, which fortunately stood open, so he lost no time in
crawling inside, where he stretched himself out upon the
planks to sleep.
Now the attic happened to be directly above the kitchen,
and as there was a knot-hole in the wooden floor, the
drummer could see everything that was going on in the room
below. There was the peasant-woman busily preparing the
supper, and the fragrant fumes which rose from the viands
tickled the drummer's nose, and made the water run out of
the corners of his mouth.
After a time there was a loud knock at the house door,
and the woman hurried to open it, admitting a man dressed
in a long cloak. He was the village beadle, and a nephew
of the woman's husband, but that good man had such a
hatred of beadles that he could not bear to look at one, and
his nephew never dared to come to the house while the
husband was at home. His visits therefore were few and far
between, but when he did come his aunt always feasted him
right royally. This time she bade him welcome with great
tenderness, helped him off with his cloak and sat him down at
the table, upon which she placed a fine roast fowl, with a
gammon of bacon and a bottle of wine.
" Ha, ha ! " cried the beadle, rubbing his hands. " You
are a famous hostess, aunt ! My walk has given me an appe
tite, and I am just in a condition to do justice to your good
118
A DRUM FULL OF BEES
victuals. Here's health ! ' And he filled a glass with wine
and drained it to the dregs.
" Gr-r, you greedy fellow ! " muttered the drummer, who
was lying full length in the attic above with his eye to the
THERE WAS A KNOT-HOLE IN THE WOODEN FLOOR
knot-hole. " I hope it may choke you ! ' And he watched
eagerly while the beadle began to fall to upon the roast fowl.
Suddenly the feast was interrupted by another loud knock
at the door.
" My husband ! ' cried the woman in great agitation.
119
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
" He has come back unexpectedly. If he finds you here,
something terrible will happen, for he cannot bear the sight
of a beadle. Quick ! jump into this chest and pull down the
lid, while I clear away all signs of the supper ! '
The beadle, who was just as frightened as his hostess,
lost no time in doing as she bade him. He hopped into the
chest and pulled down the lid, while she hurried to clear the
table. All this time the husband was thundering at the door,
very impatient at being kept waiting. When at last his wife
let him in, he flew into a temper and began to scold her.
" I am very sorry, good man," she answered, " but I did
not hear you knock, I was hard at work in the scullery."
" Bring me something to eat ! " growled the man.
• " Just as you like," answered his wife. " But if I were
you I would not sup so late — you know how it always gives
you indigestion. Wouldn't it be better to go straight to
bed ? '
" Hold your peace, woman," said her spouse. " I am
not sleepy ! ' And he sat himself down at the table.
Hardly had he done so than there came a loud knocking
on the floor of the attic above his head.
" What is that ? v he cried, jumping up. "Is there
somebody in the attic ? '
" Not that I know of," answered his wife. " Nobody
has been here all day except a soldier with a most villainous
face, who came begging. I sent him away with a flea in his
ear, I assure you."
" Did you so ? " said her husband. " Well, I believe he
has managed to get into the attic. I remember now that I
forgot to fasten the window." Off he went upstairs to see,
and sure enough, there was the drummer, who was not slow
in explaining his presence.
" Well, come along downstairs and warm yourself," said
the peasant. ' My wife is just about to get my supper, and
I expect there will be enough for two."
Nothing loath, the drummer accompanied his host to the
kitchen, and sat down at the table, paying no heed to the
120
A DRUM FULL OF BEES
venomous glances which the woman of the house cast at him as
she slammed down a loaf of black bread and a bowl of milk.
" Ho, ho," said the drummer to himself. " There is
" I DID NOT HEAR YOU KNOCK
fowl for the beadle and dry bread for the good man and his
guest. Well, we shall see ! ' And he gave a kick with his
foot to the drum which was under the table.
" What have you there ? " asked the peasant, starting up
at the sound.
121
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
* Oh, that is my oracle," answered the drummer coolly.
" Your oracle ! Does he, then, speak to you ? "
' Certainly," answered the drummer. " He speaks to
me three times a day."
" Faith," said the peasant, " I should very much like to
hear him."
So the drummer picked up his drumsticks and beat a
lively tattoo upon the drum, and, aroused by the noise and
vibration, the swarm of bees within began to buzz about in
great commotion.
" Wonderful ! Wonderful ! ' cried the peasant de
lightedly, as he listened to the humming. " And do you
really understand that language ? What does the oracle say ? "
' He says," answered the peasant, " that there is no need
for us to drink sour milk, because there is a bottle of wine
standing by the wall, just behind the big chest."
' Ha, ha, ha 1 that is a good joke ! " roared the peasant.
" Wine in my house, indeed ! I only wish it were true ! "
" Tell your wife to look behind the chest, and I'll warrant
you she will find it."
Very unwillingly the dame went to the place indicated,
and came back with the bottle of wine. She tried to look as
surprised as her husband, but only succeeded in pulling a
very wry mouth.
1 Bring glasses, wife ! " cried the peasant in great good
humour. * We must drink the health of this famous oracle.
Do you think you can make him speak again, friend ? '
" Certainly," said the drummer, beating another tattoo
upon the drum. Once again the bees began to hum loudly,
and he leant down, pretending to listen to what they had to
say.
1 Well ? Well ? " cried the peasant impatiently.
' He says that if your wife will look in the cupboard, she
will find a roast fowl and a gammon of bacon, which we can
eat instead of this dry bread."
' Upon my word, that is a wonderful oracle ! " cried the
peasant. * Make haste, wife, and look in the cupboard."
122
THE SWARM OF BEES WITHIN BEGAN TO BUZZ ABOUT IN
GREAT COMMOTION
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
The dame could not refuse to obey, so she brought the
good things and set them on the table, but if looks could have
killed anybody the drummer would have been a dead man
that day. Little heed he paid to her evil glances, however,
but applied himself to the food with a good appetite. Before
very long, between
the two of them,
there was nothing
left of the chicken
but the bones, and
of the gammon but
the scrag-end.
" Faith," said the
peasant, unbuttoning
his waistcoat, " that
was a better meal
than I expected to
get this night. Has
your oracle any more
agreeable surprises
for us, good sir. I
pray you, make him
speak again."
" With all the will
in the world," an
swered the drummer,
" but this will be the
last occasion, for he only speaks three times a day." Taking
up his sticks, he played the war-march of Napoleon on the
drum, and the bees accompanied him as before with their
loud humming. The peasant leaned forward eagerly to listen,
while his wife stood by trembling with fear.
:< Ah," said the drummer at last, looking at them both
with a grave face. ' This time my oracle tells me of a very
serious matter. He says that in the big chest over there a
big black demon is hidden ! '
' What ! What ! " cried the peasant, jumping up from his
124
BEATING ANOTHER TATTOO UPON THE DRUM
A DRUM FULL OF BEES
chair as though he had been stung. " A demon, did you
say ? '
" Precisely," answered the drummer. * But don't be
THE BEADLE, TOO, STUMBLED AND FELL
alarmed. I will get rid of him for you. Open the door and
the windows and then place yourself here, by my side."
The peasant made haste to do what he was told, and
marching boldly up to the chest, the drummer seized the
heavy lid and threw it open. Immediately the beadle, who
had heard everything and was not a little afraid of his own
125
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
skin, jumped up, his figure entirely covered with the folds of
his black mantle, and ran for the door. So sudden was his
appearance, and so hasty his flight, that he ran with full force
into the peasant, who had no time to get out of his way,
and knocked that worthy man flying head over heels. The
beadle, too, stumbled and fell, but quickly recovering him
self, made blindly for the door, fell over the folds of his cloak,
and tumbled head foremost into the ditch by the side of the
road. There was a sudden splashing sound, a muffled mur
mur, and then silence.
" Poof ! " said the peasant, when he had picked himself
up and rubbed his limbs. " That was a^ narrow escape !
I saw the demon quite plainly — he was all black, with fiery
eyes, and a forked tail ! Thank heaven that your oracle
warned us, good sir, or he would have devoured us as we
slept ! '
The next morning, as the drummer and the peasant sat
at breakfast, the latter said :
* Will you sell me that oracle of yours, drummer ? '
' TJiat depends," answered his guest. ' You know it
is worth a great deal of money."
" I will give you a hundred crowns," said the peasant,
" and that is all I have in the world."
' Very well," said the drummer. * It is little enough for
such a wonderful oracle as this is, but I have taken a fancy
to you, and I cannot refuse. Give me the money." So the
bargain was concluded. Donatus received the hundred
crowns, and in return handed over the drum. Then he bade
farewell to his host and was just going out of the door when
the latter called after him : " Stay a moment — I have just
thought of something. How am I to understand the language
which the oracle speaks ? '
" Oh, that is easy enough," answered Donatus. " Listen
while I tell you what to do. At ten o'clock, precisely, not a
minute before or a minute afterwards, go and plant your
wife in the ground up to her armpits, then smear her face and
shoulders with honey. That done, take the oracle with you
126
A DRUM FULL OF BEES
into the attic where you found me, and having first bandaged
your eyes, remove the top skin of the drum. Wait for a
quarter of an hour ; then replace the skin, and take the
drum with you to the place where you left your wife. In
that very moment the meaning of the oracle's language will
be revealed to you, and you
will know as much as I
know myself ! '
" Many thanks ! " cried
the peasant delightedly.
" Good day to you, soldier,
and good luck ! '
" And to you ! ' an
swered the drummer, and
he went away laughing up
his sleeve at the fellow's
simplicity.
About a mile farther
along the road he saw a man
working in the fields, and
went up to him.
" If you like, gossip,"
said he, " I'll do a bit of
that digging for you."
"With all my heart,"
answered the labourer,
giving up his spade.
"Very well, but let us
change clothes, for I do not
wish to soil my uniform.
Here is a crown for you. Go to the inn and buy yourself
a glass of wine. When you return you will be surprised
to see how much I have done."
The exchange was made and the labourer departed. Less
than half an hour afterwards the sound of hoofs was heard
on the road, and looking up, the drummer saw his late host,
mounted on horseback, spurring furiously towards him. The
127
HE HAD FAITHFULLY CARRIED OUT ALL
HIS INSTRUCTIONS
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
man's face was purple with fury and he was muttering threats
as to what he would do to the drummer when he caught him.
He had faithfully carried out all his instructions, and had
truly enough learnt the meaning of the humming noise
within the drum. So had his wife ; for when he went to her
in the garden, he found her
with her face and shoulders
black with bees !
Abreast of the place
where the drummer was
working the peasant reined
in his horse, and cried out,
' Hallo, you there. Have
you seen a soldier pass by
this way ? '
' A man, master ? '
mumbled the drummer.
* I said a soldier, you
stupid oaf ! A man in a
red coat with a most villain
ous face. Have you seen
him, I say ? '
" Why, yes," the drum
mer answered. " He went
past here about a quarter of
an hour ago, and made his
way into the wood yonder.
You'll never find him, mas
ter !' he added, with a
grin.
;< And why won't I ? "
1 Because he's gone by a secret way. I saw the road he
took, and I know how he means to go, but even if I were to
show you the way, you would never overtake him, for you
would lose yourself in the wood."
1 I'll give you a crown if you'll help me to find the rascal,"
cried the peasant.
128
IT WAS THE LABOURER DRESSED IN THE
DRUMMER'S CLOTHES
A DRUM FULL OF BEES
' A crown ! Come now, that's high pay. You must
want him very badly ! '
* I do indeed, and I'll break every bone in his body when
I catch him."
* Here, lend me your horse, master," said the drummer.
' I'll catch him for you, and not for a crown neither, but for
nothing. I'd like to see him get a good thrashing, for he
called me names as he passed by."
4 But can you ride ? " asked the peasant.
* Can a duck swim ? " answered the drummer scornfully.
" Dismount quickly or the scoundrel will get away. Wait
here for me," he added, as he rode off, "I'll be back in less
than half an hour." Off he went at a gallop, smiling to him
self. ' First of all a hundred crowns, and now a fine steed,"
thought he. ' Come Donatus, your luck is standing you
in good stead. It's odds but you'll win through yet ! ' He
reached the wood, entered it, and the peasant waiting by the
roadside, heard the sound of his horse's hoofs grow fainter
and fainter until at last they died away.
A quarter of an hour passed, half an hour, an hour, but
the labourer did not return. The peasant, fuming with
impatience, strode up and down the road, slashing at the
grass and bushes with his stick. Suddenly he heard foot
steps, and saw a man in a red coat approaching It was the
labourer dressed in the drummer's clothes, who had drunk,
not one, but several glasses of wine, and was now returning
very pleased with himself and all the world. As he came he
trilled out a merry song.
[ You knave ! You villain ! " cried the peasant, throwing
himself upon him. u Where are my hundred crowns ?
What ! you would teach me the language of the bees, would
you? — and my poor wife is stung all over, and cannot see
out of her eyes. Rascal ! Scoundrel ! Oh, you scum ! Take
that, and that, and that ! ' And with each word, he lifted
his heavy stick and brought it down heavily upon the
shoulders of the unfortunate labourer.
* Here, hold hard, master ! " cried the man, twisting and
i 129
turning to get away. " What's the meaning of this ? I'll
have the law on you if you don't leave me alone ! Ouch,
give over I tell you ! What do I know about your hundred
crowns or your wife ? "
' What ! " cried the peasant, laying on harder than before.
" Do you add lying to your other crimes ? You will tell me
next you have never seen a drum ! ' And with one last
mighty cut he stretched the unfortunate fellow at his feet.
Then, for the first time, he had a full view of his face, and
saw that he was not the man he took him for.
* Was there ever such an unlucky man in all the world
as I ? " he moaned, as he turned wearily homeward, pursued
by the curses and threats of the man he had beaten. ' First
I lose a hundred crowns, and then the love of my wife, who
will never forgive me her injuries ; and now, into the bargain,
I have lost my horse ! God forgive that drummer, and pro
tect him if ever he falls into my hands ! '
I wish I could tell you that the unlucky peasant's desire
was fulfilled, and that the drummer met with his deserts.
Unhappily my story ends here, and I do not know for certain
what happened to him, but people do say that he never
came out of the wood, but rode straight into a marsh and was
drowned. If this is true, I am sure that nobody will be sorry !
J-B.
WHEN THE FIFTY ROOKS BEGAN TO FLY HE COULD NOT GET FREE
THE DRUNKEN ROOKS
T was the middle of winter and the ground was
covered with snow. Along the high road came
Mynheer Van Ash, the well-known merchant of
Alost, driving to the town with two immense casks
of the liquor known as Hollands, in which he traded.
All unknown to the merchant, one of the casks had
a hole in it, and as he drove along the liquor leaked out, and
sank into the snow.
In a field close by the roadside were a flock of fifty rooks,
who were eagerly turning up the snow and pecking at the
ground beneath in search of food. Attracted by the strong
and heady smell of the spilt liquor, they flew across to in
vestigate, and having tasted some of the gin-sodden snow,
liked it so well that they followed in the train of the cart,
eating more and more of it, until at last they were so drunk
131
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
that they could hardly stand on their feet. Away they went
to the fields again, and very soon afterwards the whole flock
of them was fast asleep.
Presently, Little Pol, a peasant who worked in the neigh
bourhood, happened to cross the field on his way homeward,
and saw the crows lying stiff and silent on the snow.
"Ah!" said he to himself. "Here is a funny sight!
Fifty crows frozen to death with the cold. * I'll take them
home with me and pluck them. Rook-pie is excellent eating,
and such a find is welcome these hard times ! ' So, taking a
cord from his pocket, he set to work to gather up all the
rooks, and tie them together by the legs. This done, he
proceeded on his way, dragging the rooks behind him.
The roughness of the motion and the friction of the
snow very soon aroused the rooks from their slumber. They
all woke up, and finding their legs tied, began to flap their
wings together with admirable precision. Unfortunately for
Little Pol, he had taken the precaution of fastening the
cord to the belt round his middle, so when the fifty rooks
began to fly he could not get free, and found himself being
lifted into the air.
Up went the fifty rooks cawing and crying, and up too went
Little Pol, calling in vain for help. They reached the clouds ;
they penetrated the clouds ; they disappeared from sight.
And since that day not a sign has ever been seen either
of the fifty rooks or of Little Pol.
THE BATTLE OF THE BIRDS AND BEASTS
FIGHTING
THE BATTLE OF THE BIRDS
AND BEASTS
NE day as Bruin the Bear and Isengrim the Wolf
were taking a walk in the woods they came to a
big elm-tree with a hollow trunk. Peering
within in the hope of rinding something to eat
they espied a little nest supported by two
notches in the bark. It was the tiniest and
neatest little house one could wish to see, made of fresh green
moss, with a small opening in the middle for a door, and was,
in fact, the home of a little bird called the Golden-crested
Wren. Now among the country people the golden-crested
wren is often known by the name of the Kinglet, and being
aware of this, Isengrim saw a chance of playing a joke upon
his companion. * Look at this nest, Bruin," said he.
1 What would you say if I told you it was a King's palace ? '
' That a King's palace ! ' laughed Bruin scornfully.
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
" A handful of moss in a hole ! Why, with one tap of my
paw I could smash it to fragments ! '
" I should not advise you to do any such thing," said
Isengrim. " The King who lives in that palace is much more
powerful than you think, and unless you are looking for
trouble it would be best to leave his home alone."
" What ! " cried Bruin, in a rage. " Am I to be defied by
a miserable little fowl in my own forest ? That for your
King ! ' And with one sweep of his paw, he reduced the
nest to a shapeless heap of moss. " Now let him revenge
himself if he can," he roared. " I hereby declare war upon
him and upon all his tribe. Fur against feather ! The four-
legged animals against those that go on wings. We will
put this matter to the test ! '
When the Kinglet came home and found his nest destroyed
he danced and chattered with anger. Isengrim lost no time
in letting him know who was responsible for the mischief,
and took a spiteful joy in telling him of the Bear's challenge.
" Very well," said the little wren. " Kinglet is my name,
and King shall be my nature. I will call all the winged
creatures together and we will settle the matter by the test of
arms."
During the next two or three weeks there was a great
coming and going in the forest as the two armies assembled.
The air was full of the whirl and rustle of wings. From the
nests under sunny banks came the wasps in thousands, each
with his shining cuirass of black and yellow, and his deadly
sting. The gadfly came too, and the tiny gnat, and
the mosquito from the stagnant pools, with insects of every
other sort and kind — more than one could count in a day.
From his eyrie on the mountain crags the lordly eagle came
swooping to take his place beside the nightingale and the
sparrow. In that hour of need all rivalries were forgotten ;
the falcon and the hawk took their place in the ranks with the
thrush and the robin.
The Bear, on his side, was not idle. Swift-footed
messengers were sent to every part of the land to summon
'34
BATTLE OF THE BIRDS AND BEASTS
the four-legged animals to arms. Slinking through the under
growth came Isengrim's kin, the grey wolves, with lean flanks
and fierce eyes shining. Reynard brought his troop of foxes.
THE KINGLET WARNED HIM TO BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BUZZ
Crashing through the trees came the mighty elephants,
waving their trunks and trumpeting defiance to the foe. Out
of the mud of river-beds, from the grassy plains, and the
densest thickets of the forest, the animals came flocking —
lions, tigers, camels, bulls, horses — if I were to name them
135
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
all I should fill this book with their names. Never had so
many animals been brought together since the days of Noah's
Ark
When everything was ready, the Kinglet, who was a
prudent leader, sent out a spy to try to gain information
about the enemy's plans. For this purpose he chose the
mosquito, who, as you may imagine, was neither easily seen
nor easily caught, particularly as the Kinglet warned him to
be very careful not to buzz. Under cover of the darkness he
flew to the Bear's camp, and succeeded in discovering the
headquarters of the general staff, where the leaders of the
animal army were conferring. Just as the mosquito arrived,
the Bear and the Fox were speaking together.
"So it is settled," the Bear was saying. " Our great
offensive will begin to-morrow. Each of you knows what to
do, I think ? We have discussed everything, and nothing
remains to do, but to press forward to a glorious victory."
' You are right, my lord," said Reynard, " but there is
just one thing you have forgotten. How are we to know
when the victory is won ? We must have a standard-
bearer."
' Of course," answered the Bear, " we must have a
standard-bearer. I was just going to say so. Who shall it
be?"
1 With all respect, my lord," answered Reynard, "fl
propose that it should be I. My beautiful bushy tail will
serve as a battle-flag. I will walk at the head of the army and
hold my tail straight up in the air, as stiff as a poker. So
long as I keep it like that, you will know that all is well ; but
if anything disastrous should happen, I will let it droop to
the ground, so that our troops may have ample warning to
take refuge in flight."
' Excellent," said Bruin. " You have heard what Rey
nard proposes. Take notice that I hereby appoint him
standard-bearer to our armies."
So it was agreed, and having learnt all that he wished to
know, the mosquito flew back to the Kinglet with his news.
136
'vl^p^'-'!^V-
THE GREAT OFFENSIVE BEGAN
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
The Kinglet said nothing, but sent for the wasp, and gave
him certain orders.
At dawn the next morning the great offensive began, and
from the very beginning things went rather badly for the
armies of the winged animals. At two points of the line
the Bear and the Tiger led dashing attacks against divisions
commanded by the eagle and the hawk, and after long and
fierce fighting, forced them to retire. High upon a knoll
commanding the battlefield, in full view of the troops, stood
the Fox, with his bushy tail held proudly in the air. As he
watched the struggle his lips curled in a grin of triumph.
Suddenly there was a piercing yell that rang out clear
above the noise of battle. It came from the Fox, who drooped
his tail to the ground, and ran, howling with pain, to the rear.
" We are lost ! We are lost ! " cried the animals, seeing
the standard lowered. " Traitors are amongst us ! Fly
for your lives ! ' From point to point of the swaying battle-
line the panic spread, throwing the army into hopeless con
fusion. Before long the whole of the Bear's troops were in
retreat, and the victorious army of the winged-creatures
swept on and over them.
Late that night Bruin the Bear and Isengrim the Wolf,
both of them very bedraggled and wearied with much
running, sat together gloomily in a distant part of the wood.
Presently they saw Reynard the Fox limping towards them,
and immediately they rose and began to heap reproaches
upon him.
" Traitor ! ' said Bruin. " Why did you lower the
standard ? In another hour we should have won."
The Fox looked at them sulkily. " Why did I lower the
standard ? " said he. " Because a wasp came and stung me
right at the root of my tail ! '
THE CAT RUSHED OUT OP THE ROOM
THE END OF THE WORLD
NCE upon a time an old woman sat spinning in
a room at the top of a high tower. Beneath
her chair Chaton, her cat, lay peacefully sleep
ing. All of a sudden the spinning-wheel jarred
and made a loud creaking sound. Startled
out of his sleep, Chaton the Cat rushed out of
the room and bolted down the stairs as though a thousand
demons were at his heels.
In the yard he passed the house-dog who was sitting in
front of his kennel. " Hallo, Chaton ! ' cried the dog.
"4 Where are you going to in such a hurry ? '
' I am fleeing the country," answered Chaton. " I have
just heard the sounding of the last trump ! The end of
the world is at hand ! '
* If that is so," said the dog, " I would like to run away
too. May I come with you ? '
139
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
' Certainly," answered Chaton. " Seat yourself on my
beautiful curly tail." So the dog perched himself on the
cat's tail, and off they went together.
A little farther on they came to the farm-gate, and there,
perched on the topmost rail, was the cock.
' Whither away, Chaton ? " asked the cock. " You seem
to be in haste."
' Yes," said Chaton. ' I have heard the last trump,
which proves that the world is coming to an end, and I want
to get safely away before that happens."
1 Take me with you, Chaton dear," said the cock.
11 By all means," answered the cat. " Jump on to my beau
tiful curly tail beside the dog." So the cock perched himself
on Chaton 's tail, and now there were two passengers.
Away went the cat even faster than before, so as to make
up for lost time, and presently they passed a rabbit who was
nibbling the grass in a field.
" Chaton, Chaton," cried the rabbit, " why are you
running so quickly ? "
' Don't stop me ! " answered the cat. " I've heard the
last trump ! The end of the world is coming ! '
' Oh, dear me ! " cried the rabbit. ' What an unfor
tunate thing ! Don't leave me here, Chaton, for I am afraid
to face the end of the world."
' Very well," said Chaton. " Jump on to my beautiful
curly tail with the dog and the cock, and I'll take you with
me." So the rabbit also perched himself on the cat's tail,
and now there were three of them riding there.
Off went the cat again, but not so quickly this time,
because of the weight on his tail, and before very long he
came to a pond by the side of which a goose was standing.
* Now then, now then, what's the hurry ? " asked the
goose. ' If you run so fast you'll overheat your blood and
die of a fever."
' It's all very well to scoff," answered the cat, " but you
must know that the end of the world is coming. I have heard
the last trump sound ! '
140
THE CAT THE DOG, THE COCK, THE RABBIT, AND THE GOOSE
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
" My goodness ! " said the goose. ' This is dreadful !
Take me with you, Chaton, and I'll be grateful for ever."
" Very well," said the cat. ' Jump on to my beautiful
curly tail with the dog and the fox and the rabbit." So the
goose also perched herself on the
cat's tail, so now there were four
passengers, and that made five
altogether who were running
away to escape the end of the
world.
All that day the cat kept on
running, and towards dusk they
came to a forest.
' This seems a good place to
rest," said Chaton. " Now then,
master cock, fly to the top of a tree
and see if you can espy a house
in which we can take shelter."
The cock flew to the top of a
high tree and from there he saw
a number of lights twinkling in
the distance. The five fugitives
thereupon set off in the direction
from which the lights shone, and
before long they came to a little
village. All the people of the
village had left their houses and
were gathered together in the
square, round a man dressed all in red, with a big red
feather in his cap, who was addressing them.
Chaton and his companions pressed close to the edge
of the crowd and were just in time to hear these words :
" Whoever finds the ring," said the man with the red
feather, " and places it on the table in my palace to-morrow
before dawn, shall have the five bags of gold which hang on
my saddle bow." Having said this, the man in red mounted
his horse and rode away.
142
" SEE IF YOU CAN ESPY A HOUSE
"JUMP ON TO MY BEAUTIFUL CURLY TAIL
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
Chaton went up to a little peasant who was standing in
the crowd. " Tell me, gossip," said he, "who is the man
with the red feather, and what's all this about a ring and five
bags of gold ? '
" Why," said the peasant, " the man in red is the King
of this country. He had a valuable ring which was kept in a
tiny wooden case on the table by his bed. This afternoon a
magpie flew in through the window, snatched up the case,
and bore it away to its nest in the topmost boughs of the
walnut tree on the village green. The King wants his ring
back again, and will give the five bags of gold to anybody
who will recover it for him."
" I see," said Chaton; " and why don't you climb the
walnut-tree and get the ring ? '
" Because I have too much respect for my neck," answered
the peasant, " and so has everybody else here. The boughs
at the top of the tree where the nest is are so thin and slender
that they would not bear the weight of a child, let alone a
grown man. Gold is good, but whole limbs are better, that's
what I say ! "
" And I ! " " And I ! " echoed other villagers who had
been listening to this conversation.
" In my belief you are quite right," said Chaton seriously.
* Let the King risk his own life if he is so anxious to recover
his ring." But afterwards, when he had withdrawn with his
companions to the shelter of the wood, he sang a different
tune.
" My friends," said he, " our fortunes are made ! As
soon as all is quiet I will climb the tree and get the ring ;
then you shall sit on my tail again and we'll all go off together
to the King's palace and get the bags of gold ! " He danced
for joy, and the dog and the cock and the goose and the
rabbit danced with him.
An hour afterwards the cat climbed the tree and came
down safely with the little wooden box. The rabbit gnawed
it open with his teeth, and sure enough there was the ring
inside it.
144
THE END OF THE WORLD
" Now," said Chaton, " we will all go to the King's
palace, but I am very tired with running all day. I propose
that the dog takes a turn at carrying us." This was agreed.
The other four got on to the dog's back and clung there while
he ambled off as fast
as he could along the
road towards the
palace.
Just before dawn
they came to a wide
river. Now it was
the turn of the goose
to work for the
common good. She
was quite used to the
water, and one by
one she took the
other animals across
on her back . Short
ly afterwards they
arrived at the King's
palace, and the cock
flew up through the open window of the King's room with
the ring in his beak, and'placed it on the table by the bed.
Then he awoke the King with a loud crow and claimed the
reward, which was willingly given.
In great glee at their good fortune the animals went on
their way, each with his bag of gold, and every one of them
had by this time quite forgotten his fear about the coming
of the end of the world. They went on and on until they
came to a place where five ways met. Then Chaton said :
" Here we are at the parting of the ways. Let us each choose
a road, and part good friends."
At this moment there came along a pig with a knife and fork
stuck in his back. In his right ear was salt ; in his left ear pepper,
and mustard was on his tail, so that everybody who was hungry
had only to cut themselves a slice of meat and sit down to feast.
THE OTHER FOUR GOT ON TO THE DOG'S BACK
K
F%OLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
Our friends gladly availed themselves of this good chance,
and I who tell you this story would willingly have done the
same, but as soon as I went up to the pig, he ran at me with
his head down and sent me flying through the air, and through
the window of my house, where I fell into the chair in which
I am now sitting, finishing this story of the wonderful adven
tures of Chaton, the Dog, the Cock, the Rabbit, and the
Goose.
THE DRAGON
THE REWARD OF THE
WORLD
N days of old, when there were dragons in the land,
a youthful knight was riding along the high road. It
was a beautiful summer day, and the sun shone so
warmly that the rider presently began to feel thirsty, so
coming to a clear stream of water, he swung himself
from the saddle and went to drink. As he parted the
bushes to get to the water he heard a strange rumbling and
roaring sound, and looking quickly in the direction from which it
came he saw to his horror an immense dragon lying by the
water-side pinned down by a huge mass of rock which had
rolled down upon the creature as it came to drink.
The knight's first impulse was to flee, for it is better
not to meddle with dragons, even when accident has rendered
them helpless, but before he could regain his horse the
creature saw him, and cried, " Good knight, come and help
H7
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS ANp MEN
me, I pray you, to escape from my miserable position. This
rock upon my back is slowly crushing me to death."
The knight hesitated, and was in two minds what to do
between his fear of the dragon and his pity for its unfortunate
plight. Seeing this, the creature called out again, saying,
" If you will only set me free I will repay you richly, for I
will give you The Reward of the World."
" The Reward of the World" thought the knight, " that
will indeed be worth having ! " for he had often heard that
dragons were the guardians of immense treasures. So, over
coming his fright, he went up to the creature, and at the
cost of great exertion managed to roll away the stone that
was pressing on its back.
" Poof ! That's better," said the dragon, blowing a
cloud of smoke out of its nostrils. " I had begun to think
I was doomed to stay in that place for ever ! ' He rubbed
his sore back reflectively with one scaly paw, and looked at
the knight, who stood waiting.
" Well ? " said he.
" You promised me The Reward of the World ! " said the
knight.
" Did I so ? " asked the dragon, still tenderly stroking
his back. * Well, you shall have it ! ' And suddenly he
launched himself upon the knight, winding his horrible
coils around his body, and almost crushing him to death.
The unfortunate young man struggled feebly, but he was
powerless in the grip of the monster.
" Your promise ! " he gasped. ' Is this my reward for
having saved your life ? '
" Certainly," replied the dragon. : This is The Reward
of the World. I am keeping my word ! '
" I don't believe you," said the knight. ' It is a trick
to excuse your treachery. What a fool I was to trust a
dragon's word ! '
" It is just as I say," the dragon replied. " But I confess
I owe you something, and I should hate to eat you feeling
that you had a grievance. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll
148
AN IMMENSE DRAGON LYING BY THE WATER-SIDE
THE REWARD OF THE WORLD
submit this question to the first three people we meet along
the road, and if they decide in my favour you must accept
the verdict. Is it agreed ? '
' Agreed," said the knight, who was glad of any chance
to escape from the dragon's
coils, so the creature re
leased him, and the two
set off together down the
road.
They had not gone far
before they met the dog.
* Stay a moment, mas
ter dog," said the knight.
* What do you understand
by The Reward of the
World?'
The dog replied,
' When I was young I was
a splendid watch-dog, and
guarded my master's
house against all comers.
In those days everybody
made a fuss of me. I had
plenty of good food to eat,
and my own particular
place before the fire. Now,
alas ! I am old. My sight
is so weak and my powers
so feeble that I can no
longer work for my living, and in consequence everybody
kicks me out of their way. I eat what I can get, which is
not much. Even the children throw stones at me, knowing
that my teeth are not sharp enough to bite, and wherever
I go people say, ' There is that beastly hound again !
Chase him away with a stick ! ' That is The Reward of the
World."
There was little comfort for the knight in this, nevertheless
149
MY SIGHT IS SO WEAK AND MY POWERS
so FEEBLE"
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
he did not give up hope, but accosted the next creature
they met, which happened to be a horse.
" What is The Reward of the World? " the knight asked
him.
* Listen," said the horse bitterly, " and I will tell you.
All my life I have laboured diligently for one master. Day
in and day out I dragged his cart to market, working myself
to skin and bone in his service. Now I am grown old and
my strength begins to fail, so that I can no longer earn my
keep. To-day I heard him say that he was going to send
me to the knackers' yard and sell my poor old carcass for
a couple of crowns. That is The Reward of the World y
young master, and may heaven preserve you from it ! '
: You see ! " said the dragon, as the two went on, " my
words are already justified. Come, be sensible and let me
eat you without further ado ! '
' No," said the knight, " we have still one person to
ask. Here comes a fox. Let us see what he has to say
about the matter. Reynard, what do you understand by
The Reward of the World? '
' How do you mean ? " asked the fox. " What is the
case in point ? '
" Well, you see," explained the knight, " I found this
dragon in a position of uncommon peril, and he promised,
if I would rescue him, to give me The Reward of the World.
The question now arises as to what The Reward of the World
"I see," said Reynard thoughtfully. " His life was in
danger, you say ? How was that ? '
' A huge stone had fallen on to his back, pinning him
down so that he could not move. I rolled the stone away,
and set him free."
The fox scratched his head and pondered. " If you
don't mind," said he, " I'd rather like to have this matter
made a little clearer. Where did all this happen ? '
' A little farther back along the road, by the side of the
stream."
150
DOES THE DRAGON MIND GETTING UNDER THE
STONE AGAIN?"
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
" I'll come and look at the place ! '
So the knight led Reynard to the banks of the stream,
where he stood gazing for a time at the big stone.
" I want to be quite sure I understand all the circum
stances," said he at last. " Does the dragon mind getting
under the stone again for a moment, so that I can see exactly
how he lay ? '
" Not at all," said the dragon politely, and he lay down
on the bank, while the knight and the fox together rolled
the stone on top of him.
" Splendid ! " said Reynard, when the dragon was safely
pinned down. " Now everything is as it was before ! "
Then turning to the knight, he added, " If you, knowing
what you know now, care to release him again, you are at
liberty to do so, but . . ." And he winked slyly. There
was no need to say more.
" I am really very much obliged to you," said the knight,
as he walked off down the road with Reynard, leaving the
dragon still under the stone. That was a capital idea of
yours, and it certainly saved my life. I would like to show
my gratitude in some way, and I shall be honoured if you
will accept my hospitality for a few days."
Reynard needed no pressing, but went home with the
young man there and then, and thoroughly enjoyed the good
fare with which he was provided. Since, however, a fox is
always a fox, no matter what company he is in, Master
Reynard could not forbear from stealing, and every night
he crept into the hen-house and killed one or two chickens.
When the knight discovered this he was very angry, and
picking up a big stick he gave the fox a good thrashing
and drove him forth.
" That is The Reward of the World" he said to himself,
as he watched Reynard disappearing into the distance. But
whether he was referring to the way the fox had treated
him, or to his own treatment of the fox, I cannot say.
J.B.
NOTHING WAS LEFT OF THE FISHES
ONE BAD TURN BEGETS
ANOTHER
YBERT the Cat and Courtoys the Dog were
very great friends — that is to say they were as
friendly as their natures would let them be.
Both of them were exceedingly greedy and
selfish. The Cat was spiteful and the Dog was
sullen. Master Tyb was always willing to
give up to the dog what he did not need himself, and on his
part, Courtoys never stole the cat's food while the cat was
looking. Neither was loath to play a mean trick upon the
other if he could do so without injury to himself, but except
for these little matters they were quite in accord, and very
friendly, as I said before, and on the whole they got on very
well together.
There came a time when, in spite of Tybert's shyness and
Courtoys' strength, they could by no means find anything to
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
eat. For two days not a morsel of food had passed the lips
of either ; and this made them very bad tempered.
" I wish I'd never seen you," said Courtoys to Tyb.
" A fine partner you are, upon my word, when you can't
find food for us. Where are those wonderful wits of yours,
of which you are always boasting."
* In my head," answered Tyb spitefully. " And such
as they are, they have to do duty for two. If you'd talk less,
and think more, and use your eyes, we would be better off.
Here is a cart coming along the road ; perhaps we shall find
our dinner inside it ! '
Sure enough, a heavy wagon was rumbling along the road
towards them, driven by a peasant with a round and rather
stupid face. As it came nearer, Tyb and Courtoys sniffed
the air, and the water ran out of the corners of their mouths.
' Fish," said Tybert ravenously.
' Fish ! " echoed Courtoys. " Here's a chance to exercise
those wits of yours. How can we get it ? '
* I have a plan," answered the Cat. ' Come quickly and
hide yourself with me in the ditch until the wagon has passed,
and I will tell you all about it ! '
So it was done. The wagon rumbled by, the scent of
the fish with which it was laden filling the air, and the driver
went on calmly smoking his pipe, little dreaming that four
hungry eyes were gazing at him through the bushes that
bordered the side of the road.
* Now then," cried Tybert, " our time has come. Follow
the wagon and don't let it out of your sight for a moment,
but take care that the driver does not see you. I shall go
on in front and stretch myself out on the road, pretending
to be dead. It's odds but what the driver, seeing me lying
there, will covet my skin, and will pick me up and throw me
into the cart. Once there, I'll throw the fish out to you, and
you will know what to do with it."
1 Oh, yes, I'll know what to do with it," said Courtoys to
himself, with a grin, and, keeping well out of sight of the
driver, he followed the wagon.
THE BIGGEST AND FATTEST FISH
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
Tybert 's plan worked to perfection. He ran on for about
a quarter of a mile, keeping to the fields bordering the road,
and then stretched himself out at full length, with his mouth
open as though he were dead.
* Oho ! " said the peasant, as he drove up. * What's
this ? A dead cat ! I'll take him with me, and sell his skin
for a few sous. This time next week some fine lady will be
wearing him round her neck, thinking he's sable." And
with that he dismounted,
picked up the cat and slung
him carelessly into the
wagon on top of the heap
offish.
Hardly was he back in
his place, than Tybert
arose and began to pick
out the biggest and fattest
fish and throw them into
the road. He had to be
very careful in doing this,
because now and again the
peasant turned his head.
Once when a very big fish
was tumbled out, the noise
of its fall aroused the peasant, who swung round sharply,
and Tybert was only just in time to avert discovery by
laying himself out and pretending to be dead as before.
When he had thrown out what he considered was a
sufficient quantity, Tybert rested awhile, so that the dog
could collect the spoils, and then jumped from the wagon
to go and claim his share. When he came up to Courtoys,
however, he found to his dismay that nothing was left of the
fish but a heap of bones.
" That was a splendid plan of yours, brother," said
Courtoys, licking his lips. ' The fish were delicious, and I
hardly feel hungry at all now ! Do make haste and take your
share ! ' And he waved his paw invitingly towards the heap
156
STRETCHED HIMSELF OUT AT FULL LENGTH
ONE BAD TURN BEGETS ANOTHER
of bones. Tybert gave him one look, and then grinned as
though in enjoyment of an excellent joke. Not by word or
action did he give any sign of the anger which was consuming
him, but he determined to have his revenge.
A day or two later his chance came. Lurking in his usual
stealthy way in a farmyard, he saw the farmer go into the
house with a fine big ham, which he hung by a cord on a nail
in the kitchen wall. Away he ran to Courtoys and told him
what he had seen.
' Well," said Courtoys surlily, " and what about it ? '
" Why," answered Tybert. " There is no reason why
we should not feast on that ham, you and I. It will be the
easiest thing in the world to steal it. The latch of the kitchen
window is broken, and it cannot be locked. All you have to
do is to go there to-night, creep through the window, pull
down the ham, and throw it out to me."
' Why can't you get it yourself ? " asked Courtoys sus
piciously.
' Ah," said the cat, " I am not strong enough to pull it
down."
' And what about the farmer's dogs ? I seem to re
member hearing they are savage brutes ! '
1 Well, of course, if you're afraid ..." answered the
cat disdainfully.
" Afraid yourself ! ' cried Courtoys. " You leave this
to me.'
So that very night, when the moon had set, the two crept
into the farmyard, and the dog managed to get through the
window into the kitchen unobserved. The next moment
he had pulled down the ham and had thrown it out of the
window to Tybert, who was waiting below. Tybert seized
it in his mouth and ran off, but as soon as he reached the gate
he gave a series of such blood-curdling miaows, that he
roused every dog on the farm. Out they came, hair bristling,
and teeth flashing, just in time to catch our friend Courtoys
as he jumped down from the window.
Then occurred a ferocious fight. With his back to the
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
wall Courtoys put up a sturdy resistance, but he was very
badly mangled indeed before he managed to escape. With
one ear torn off and one eye closed, bleeding from many
wounds and panting with his exertions, he limped painfully
up to where the cat awaited him.
" My poor friend," cried Tybert. " Are you badly
hurt ? Never mind, the ham was worth it — it simply melted
in the mouth. I have already eaten my share, and I willingly
give you yours ! ' So saying, he pointed to the greasy string
by which the ham had been suspended, and which was now
all that remained. Courtoys gazed at it blankly.
1 You see," explained Tybert calmly, as he prepared to
take his departure, " a cord is worth a good many fish
bones ! "
" WHY ARE YOU BLOWING YOUR SOUP ? "
THE PEASANT AND THE
SATYRS
NE cold winter's day a peasant set out on a
journey which led him through the depths of a
forest into which he had not hitherto been.
The result was that he lost his way, and after
wandering about for many hours in the hope of
finding it again, he found himself, just as dusk
was coming on, in a little clearing where he was overjoyed to
see a small house with a cheerful light in the window. ' Here
is a chance of supper and a bed," thought the peasant, and
he made haste to go up to the cottage door.
Now this house in the clearing was not inhabited by men,
but by some strange forest folk who were called satyrs. If
you want to know what they were like, you must look at the
pictures. Certainly the peasant had never seen anything
like them before, although he had often heard of them, and
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
when he nearly tumbled over the little satyr children who were
playing in the snow outside the house door, he was the most
surprised man in all those parts. It was too late to draw
back however, so he went boldly up to the door and gave a
loud knock.
* Come in ! " cried a gruff voice, and the peasant accord
ingly went in and found himself facing the Father of all the
Satyrs, who had a long beard and a pair of horns jutting from
his forehead. The poor fellow's knees trembled underneath
him for fright, especially when he saw all the other satyrs,
the mother and the uncles and the aunts, glowering at him.
" Please forgive me for my intrusion," said he, " but I
have lost my way in the woods, and I am half dead with
hunger and cold. It would be an act of great kindness if
you would give me some food and allow me to take shelter
for the night." So saying, to give point to his remarks, he
set to work to blow upon his chilled fingers, which indeed
were blue with the cold.
" Why are you blowing your fingers ? " asked the Father
of all the Satyrs curiously.
" Why, to warm them," answered the peasant, and he
blew harder than before.
" Well, sit down," said the Satyr. " As it happens we
are just about to have supper, and you are welcome to share
it with us."
So the peasant sat down to supper, and all the Satyr
family sat down too, and watched him with big unblinking
eyes, so that he felt very uncomfortable. A big basin of soup
was set before him, and finding it very hot, he began to blow
upon it.
At this all the Satyr family cried out in surprise, and the
Father Satyr said, " Why are you blowing your soup ? '
" To cool it," answered the peasant. " It is too hot, and
I am afraid it may scald my mouth."
Another and a louder cry of surprise came from all the
Satyrs, but the Father cried out loudest of all, and seemed
very indignant. * Come," he said, advancing to the peasant
160
THE SATYRS' VILLAGE
tf-
*
'f
'
"Jk;
i. *^
* »
.• *
" THERE IS NO PLACE IN MY HOUSE FOR A MAN WHO
CAN BLOW HOT AND COLD "
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
and taking him by the collar. * Out you go ! There is no
place in my house for a man who can blow hot and cold
with the same breath. That smells too much of sorcery or
magic. Out you go, I say, and practise your spells in the
forest."
So the poor peasant had to go supperless and spend the
night in the woods, with no shelter but the trees, and the
snow for coverlet.
And, if you wish to know when all this happened, all I
can tell you is that it was a very long time ago, in the days
when fishes flew, and cats had wings.
v
THE Two FRIENDS
THE TWO FRIENDS AND
THE BARREL OF GREASE
DOG and a wolf who were very great friends
set up house together, and agreed to share
equally any food they might obtain. One day
they managed to steal a barrel of grease from the
house of a countryman who lived close by, and
having no immediate need of it, they decided to
put it away until the winter, when they might be glad of
anything they could get to appease their hunger. So the
barrel of grease was carefully hidden away in the cellar.
All went well for some time, and then the wolf began to
think longingly of the hidden store. Every time he thought
of the grease he imagined himself licking it up, and at last he
could withstand the temptation no longer, so he went to the
dog and said : ' I shall be out all day to-morrow. A cousin
163
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
of mine has just had a little son, and he has sent for me to go
and be godfather at the christening."
" Very well, my friend," answered the dog. " Go by all
means. They have paid you a great honour by asking you,
and of course you cannot refuse."
The wolf departed, but he went no farther than the
cellar, where he spent the whole of the day by the barrel of
grease, eating and eating until he could hold no more. Late
at night he returned, licking his chops, and the dog said :
" Well, my friend, did everything go off well ? '
" Splendidly, thank you ! " answered the wolf.
* Good ! And what name did they give the child ? '
* Oh," said the wolf, thinking of the barrel of grease,
" they called him Begun"
" What a strange name ! " cried the dog, " I never heard
the like of it in my life. However, every one to his taste ! '
A day or two later the wolf once again began to think of
the delicious food in the cellar, so he told the dog that he had
just received another summons from a different cousin, who
also had a baby to which she wished him to stand godfather.
* I wish to goodness they would leave me alone ! " he said,
pretending to be very much annoyed. " Anybody would
think that I had nothing else to do but to stand godfather to
other people's brats ! '
" You shouldn't be so good-natured," laughed the dog.
" It is clear that you make a very good godfather, or you would
not be so much in demand."
Away went the wolf and spent a second satisfying day with
the barrel of grease. When he returned the dog asked him
the name of the child.
•' Half-Done" said the wolf.
' Bah ! " cried the dog, " that is an even sillier name
than the other. I can't think what parents are coming to
rn my time plain Jean or Jacques was good enough for any
body."
The wolf made no reply, being in fact fast asleep, for he
had dined very well, and was drowsy. A day or two after-
164
"WHERE HAS ALL OUR GREASE GONE?"
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
wards, however, he played the same trick again, and devoured
the last of the fat in the barrel. This time, when asked the
name of the child to whom he had stood godfather, he
answered : * ' A ll-done . ' '
The dog had no suspicion of the way he had been de
ceived, and all went well until the winter came and food
became difficult to procure. Then one day the dog said :
" It seems to me that the time has come to tap our barrel of
grease. What do you say, friend ? Weren't we wise to put
it away for a time like this ! '
' I believe you," answered the wolf.
* Come then, let us go to the cellar and enjoy the fruits of
our prudence."
So off they went to the cellar, where they found the
barrel in the very place they had left it, but with nothing
inside it. The dog looked at the wolf, and the wolf looked
at the dog, and of the two the wolf seemed the more surprised.
" What's this ? " cried the dog. " Where has our grease
gone ? ' Then, looking at the wolf suspiciously : " This
is some of your work, my friend ! '
' Oh, indeed ! " said the wolf, " and since when has it
been proved that dogs do not like grease ? '
1 You mean to accuse me of stealing it ? " cried the dog
angrily.
" One of the two of us must have taken it, for nobody else
knew it was here ! '
' It was certainly not I."
' Well," said the wolf, " it is no use squabbling over the
matter. Fortunately there is a way of discovering which of
us is the culprit. Obviously the one who has eaten all that
grease must be absolutely full of fat. Let us both go to
sleep in the sunshine. At the end of an hour or two the
heat will melt the grease which will soak through and show
on the body of the one who is the thief."
Feeling quite secure in his innocence, the dog willingly
agreed to this plan, and the two went out and lay down
in a sheltered place, where the heat of the sun was strong.
1 66
THE BARREL OF GREASE
After a time the dog began to yawn, and in less than
half an hour he was sound asleep, but the wolf had a
good reason for not following his example, and although he
closed his eyes to deceive his friend, he remained wide awake.
Presently, having made sure that the dog was slumbering
peacefully, he arose and tiptoed softly down to the cellar.
There he collected with his long tongue, every bit of the
grease that still remained sticking to the sides and bottom of
the barrel, and returning to the sleeper, carefully smeared the
grease over his jaws, back, and thighs. Several times he did
this, until the dog was covered with a thin greasy film.
Then he lay down again and once more pretended to sleep.
A little while afterwards the dog woke up, and found the
grease all over his body. He could not make out how it got
there, and while he was still regarding himself with a look of
blank surprise, the wolf cried : " Ah, now we know who
was the thief ! The grease has betrayed you, my friend ! '
The poor dog looked very sheepish, and had not a word to
say for himself. He puzzled over the matter until his head
ached, and at last he came to the conclusion that he must
have been sleep-walking and have stolen the grease without
knowing it — a conclusion with which the wolf entirely agreed.
MRS. BRUIN AND REYNARD
WHY THE BEAR HAS A
STUMPY TAIL
~|NE very cold winter, when the ground was covered
with snow and the ponds and rivers were
frozen hard, Reynard the Fox and all the other
animals went out to enjoy themselves by sliding
f and skating on the ice. After a time Reynard
began to feel hungry, so he wandered off by
himself in search of something to eat. He nosed about here,
and he nosed about there ; he lay in wait behind bushes in
the hope of being able to catch a bird ; he lurked by the walls
of farmhouses ready to spring out upon any unsuspecting
chicken that might show itself, but all in vain. The
birds were wary, and the fowls were all safe in the hen
houses.
Disappointed with his lack of success Reynard betook
himself to the river, now covered with a glistening sheet of
1 68
"AFTER A TIME THE FISH WILL COME TO BITE AT IT"
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
ice, and there, under the shelter of a bank, he found a hole in
the ice which had not been frozen over. He sat down to
watch the hole, and presently a little fish popped up its head
for a breath of air. Reynard's paw darted, and the next
moment the unfortunate creature lay gasping on the ice.
Fish after fish the fox caught in this way, and when he had
quite satisfied his hunger he strung the remainder on a stick
and took his departure, not forgetting first of all to offer up a
prayer for the repose of his victims.
He had not gone far before he met Mrs. Bruin, who had
also come out in search of something to eat. When she
saw Reynard with his fine catch of fish, she opened her eyes,
I can tell you, and said : " Wherever did you get all
those fine fishes from, cousin ? They make my mouth
water ! I am so hungry that I could bite the head off an
iron nail ! '
' Ah," said Reynard slyly, " wouldn't you just like to
know ! '
"It is what I'm asking you," said Mrs. Bruin. " You
would surely not be so mean as to keep the good news to
yourself ! '
* I don't know so much about that," answered Reynard,
' but I have a certain fondness for you, cousin, so come
along with me and I will show you the place where I caught
the fish."
Nothing loath, the bear followed, and presently they came
to the hole in the ice.
' Do you see that hole, cousin ? " said Reynard. " That
is where the fish come up to breathe. All you have to do is
to sit on the ice and let your tail hang down into the water.
After a time the fish will come to bite at it, but don't you
move. Sit quite still until the evening ; then you will find a
score of fishes on your tail and you can pull them out
all together."
Mrs. Bruin was delighted with the plan and immediately
sat down and dipped her tail into the water.
" That's the way," said Reynard. " Now I'll just be
170
•i
WHY THE BEAR HAS A STUMPY TAIL
walking home to see to my dinner, but I'll be back presently.
Be careful to keep quite still, or you'll spoil everything ! '
So for the next three hours Mrs. Bruin sat on the ice with
her tail in the water, and very cold it was, but she consoled
herself with the thought of the delicious meal she would have
when the fish were landed.
Reynard returned. " Well,
afternoon
how do
Late in the
cousin," said he,
you feel ? "
"Very cold," said Mrs.
Bruin, with her teeth
chattering. " My tail is
so numb that I hardly
know I've got one ! '
" Does it feel heavy?"
asked Reynard anxiously.
' Very heavy," said
Mrs. Bruin.
There must be hun
dreds of fish on it ! " said
Reynard. He left the
bank and walked round
the bear, observing that
the water in the hole had frozen over, and that Mrs. Bruin's
tail was held firmly in the ice.
* I think you may safely pull up now," he went on, " but
you must be careful to land all the fish together. There is
only one way to do that : you must give a strong, sharp,
sudden pull and take them by surprise. Now then, are you
ready ? One, two, three . . . ! '
At the word three Mrs. Bruin rose on her hind legs and
gave a mighty jerk, but her tail was so firmly embedded in
the ice that it would not come out.
' My word," cried Reynard, " you have caught the whole
river-full. Persevere, cousin — now then, a long pull and a
strong pull ! '
" Ouf ! ' grunted Mrs. Bruin, " ouf, ouf . . . ah ! '
171
ONE, TWO, THREE
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
And then she suddenly tumbled head over heels on the ice,
as with one mighty jerk, she snapped her beautiful bushy
tail clean off close to the roots.
When she had gathered her scattered wits together well
enough to understand what had happened, she went to look
for Reynard, but he had suddenly remembered an important
engagement elsewhere, and was not to be found. And from
that time down to this every bear has been born with a little
stumpy tail.
MARGOT AND THE CAT
THE WITCH'S CAT
NCE upon a time there was a wicked old witch
who lived all alone in the topmost chamber of
a tall and gloomy tower. There she sat day
after day with her ugly head resting on her
hands, peering out through a slit in the wall
upon the countryside. Her only companion was
a big black tom-cat, who sat by her side in the darkened
chamber, his eyes shining like green fire in the gloom.
One day as the witch sat there, she saw a little girl gather
ing berries in the wood. The sight made her show her
toothless gums in a malicious grin and she muttered to
herself : ' Wait there, wait there, my ducky, my darling,
till I come to you, for your flesh will be very sweet." Then
she put on a long cloak and took a walking-staff in her hand
and went down the stairs.
Now the little girl, whose name was Margot, had strayed
very far from home in her eagerness to gather the ripe berries,
173
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
and she was in a part of the country which was quite strange
to her. Had she happened to meet anybody on her way
they would have warned her not to go near the witch's tower,
but she had not met a soul all day, and so she had no idea of
the dreadful danger that was threatening her. She went on
gathering her berries, light-heartedly humming a tune,
until her basket was nearly full, and then she sat down at the
foot of a tree to rest.
Presently she saw an old woman coming towards her.
It was the witch, who had muffled herself up in her cloak, so
that her face could not easily be seen
' Good-day, my dear," said the witch. " Will you give
me a few of those ripe berries ? '
" Of course I will," answered Margot. " Take as many
as you like, I can easily gather some more." So the witch
took a handful of berries, and sat down by Margot 's side to
eat them. And all the time she was eating she was gazing
greedily at the little girl's white neck and rosy cheeks, but
Margot could not see the hateful look in the witch's eyes
because the cloak hid her face.
" Where do you live, little girl ? " asked the witch after a
while.
Margot told her, and the witch said : " You must be
very tired with walking all that way. If you will come to my
house I will give you a bowl of milk and a slice of currant
cake, and you shall see all the wonderful things that I keep
in my cupboards."
So Margot went with the witch into the gloomy tower,
not so much because she wanted the milk or the cake, but to
see the pretty things in the cupboards, and no sooner was she
within than the witch fell upon her, and bound her fast with
a cord, and carried her up to the topmost room, where the
cat was sitting blinking its green eyes. Then the old witch
opened the door of a dark cupboard, and pushed poor Margot
inside, for she meant to keep her there until she had grown
bigger and fatter, so that she would make a more satisfying
meal. To this end the witch brought her plenty of rich
THE WITCH'S CAT
food every day, and from time to time she would feel Margot's
arm to see whether she was plump enough to go into the pot.
SHE MEANT TO KEEP HER THERE UNTIL SHE HAD GROWN BlGGER AND FATTER
Poor child, how frightened she was, and how miserable at
being kept in that dark cupboard all alone. She cried nearly
all day long, but there was nobody to hear her except the
witch's big black cat, and he was a silent animal who did not
show his feelings. Margot was almost as sorry for him as
she was for herself, for the witch often beat him unmercifully,
and the girl tried to comfort him by giving him pieces from
175
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
her dinner, which she pushed out through the crack under
the door.
One day when the old witch had gone out as usual, leaving
Margot a prisoner, the girl was surprised to hear a voice
speaking to her from the room beyond. " Margot, Margot,'*
said the voice, " don't cry any more, but listen to me."
" Who are you ? " asked the little girl.
" I am the witch's cat," the voice went on. "I am going
to push the key of the cupboard underneath the door. Take
it and let yourself out, but make haste, for you have no time
to waste ! '
" Thank you, thank you," said Margot, when she found
herself free. * But how is it that you are able to talk ? I
did not know that cats could speak."
" They can't, as a rule," said the witch's cat, " but never
mind that now. The witch may return at any moment, and
we must get you safely out of her reach."
" Yes, yes," said Margot, " I must go at once. I will
run like the wind ! '
" That is no use," said the cat. " Before you had got
half-way home the witch would overtake you."
" Then what must I do ? Is there anywhere I can
hide?"
' When she returns and finds you gone she will ransack
every corner of the tower. Not even a mouse could escape
her keen eyes."
"Oh dear! oh dear!' said Margot, beginning to cry
again. " Do help me to escape, kind cat, and I will be grateful
to you all my life."
" Of course I will help you," answered the cat, " that is
why I let you out of the cupboard. Take this piece of carpet,
and when the witch has almost overtaken you, throw it on to
the ground and it will turn into a wide river. That will
delay her for some time, because she cannot swim, but if she
manages to get across, and overtakes you again, throw down
this comb, which will immediately change into a dense
forest. You may plunge into it without fear, for a way will
176
THE WITCH'S CAT
open before you between the trees, but the witch will have
to cut a way through, foot by foot, with her knife ; and long
before she has done that you will be safely home."
PADDLING WITH HER BROOM
Margot thanked the cat, and having taken the carpet and
the comb, she fled swiftly down the stairs.
A short time afterwards the witch came home, and when
she discovered that her prisoner had escaped she howled with
rage. Mounting to the very roof of the tower, she gazed out
upon the countryside, and soon descried the figure of the
177
M
FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN
little girl, running as fast as she could in the direction of her
home.
* I'll have you yet," muttered the witch, and away she
went after her.
Margot saw her coming, and redoubled her speed, but
all to no avail, for the witch gained upon her rapidly. Soon
she heard her hissing breath, and looking fearfully over her
shoulder, saw the baleful look of triumph in her eyes.
Quickly then, Margot took out the strip of carpet and laid
it upon the ground. Immediately it turned into a wide and
swiftly flowing river. The witch gave a cry of rage, and tried
to wade after her, but the flood mounted swiftly, first to her
knees, and then to her waist. Another moment and she
would have been swept away, but taking a nutshell from her
pocket she set it afloat upon the waters, muttering a charm
as she did so. Then the nutshell turned into a little boat,
into which the old crone pulled herself, and, paddling with
her broom, made shift to cross the river.
The delay had given Margot a good start, but the witch
wore enchanted boots which enabled her to cover the ground
at a wonderful rate. Ten minutes more and she was once
again at Margot 's heels.
Then the little girl drew out the comb and flung it behind
her. Immediately a dense forest sprang up, and Margot
fled into it, through an alley that opened itself before her.
Spluttering with anger, the witch drew her knife to hack her
way through the wood, but long before she had cut a dozen
yards Margot was safely home and in her mother's arms.
The old witch made her way back to the tower, and the
things she said were so terrible that the very air was poisoned,
and the grass by the roadside withered and turned black.
No sooner had she set foot within her doorway, however,
than she crumbled to dust, and a wind arose and blew the
dust to all quarters of the heavens.
So that was the end of the old witch, for her power ceased
as soon as one of her victims managed to escape. As for the
black cat, nobody ever saw him again, but it was whispered
178
THE WITCH'S CAT
that he was really a Prince whom the wicked old crone had
captured years before, and given the shape of a cat by en
chantment. By helping Margot to escape he had released
himself from the spell that bound him, and was enabled
to return to his father's kingdom.
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