"Leave me in peace," said Lamme; "a fig for you, your vierpannen,the Tower-without-Nails, and the rest of your nonsense. Leave me tomy sauces."
"Beware," said Ulenspiegel. "The barkings cease not to reecho; theybecome louder; the dogs are roaring, the bugle is sounding. Bewareof the stag. You are taking flight! The bugle sounds."
"It is the death quarry," said the old man, "come back, Lamme, toyour fricassees, the stag is dead."
"It will be a good meal for us," said Lamme. "You will invite me tothe feast, because of the trouble I am taking for you. The sauce forthe birds will be good: it crunches a little, however. That is thesand on which they fell when that big devil of a stag tore my doubletand me all together. But are you not afraid of the foresters?"
"We are too numerous," said the old man; "they are afraid and donot disturb us. It is even the same with the catchpolls and thejudges. The inhabitants of the towns love us, for we do no harm to anyman. We shall live some time longer in peace, unless the Spanish armysurrounds us. If that happens, old men and young men, women, girls,lads, and lasses, we will sell our lives dear, and we will kill oneanother rather than endure a thousand martyrdoms at the hands of thebloody duke."
Ulenspiegel said:
"It is now no longer the time to combat the murderer by land. It ison the sea that we must ruin his power. Go to the Zealand Islands,by way of Bruges, Heyst, and Knoeke."
"We have no money," said they.
Ulenspiegel replied:
"Here are a thousand carolus from the prince. Follow along thewaterways, canals, rivers, and streams; when you see ships carryingthe sign 'J. H. S.,' let one of you sing like a lark. The clarion ofthe cock will answer him. And you will be in friends' country."
"We will do this," said they.
Soon the hunters, followed by the dogs, appeared, pulling after themthe dead stag with ropes.
Then all sate down round about the fire. There were full sixty, men,women, and children. Bread was pulled out from satchels, knives fromtheir sheaths; the stag, cut up, stripped, disembowelled, was put onthe spit with small game. And at the end of the meal Lamme was seensnoring with his head drooped on his breast and sleeping proppedagainst a tree.
At nightfall, the Brothers of the Wood went back into huts constructedunderground to sleep, and Lamme and Ulenspiegel did the same.
Armed men kept watch, guarding the camp. And Ulenspiegel heard thedry leaves protest under their feet.
The next day he departed with Lamme, while the men of the camp said:
"Blessed be thou; we will make towards the sea."
XXXV
At Harlebek, Lamme renewed his stock of olie-koekjes, ate twenty-sevenand put thirty in his basket. Ulenspiegel carried his cages in hishand. Towards evening they arrived in Courtray and stopped at the innof in de Bie, the Bee, with Gilis van den Ende, who came to his dooras soon as he heard someone sing like the lark.
There it was all sugar and honey with them. The host having seen theprince's letters, handed fifty carolus to Ulenspiegel for the prince,and would take no payment for the turkey he served them, nor for thedobbel-clauwert with which he washed it down. He warned them, too,that there were at Courtray spies of the Court of Blood, for whichcause he ought to well keep his tongue as well as his companion's.
"We shall reconnoitre then," said Ulenspiegel and Lamme.
And they went out from the inn.
The sun was setting, gilding the gables of the houses; the birds weresinging under the lime trees; the goodwives gossiped on the thresholdsof their doors; the children rolled and tumbled about in the dust,and Ulenspiegel and Lamme wandered haphazard through the streets.
Suddenly Lamme said:
"Martin van den Ende, asked by me if he had seen a woman like mywife--I drew him my pretty portrait,--told me that there were at thehouse of the woman Stevenyne, on the Bruges road, at the Rainbow,outside the town, a great number of women who gather there everyevening. I am going there straightway."
"I shall find you again presently," said Ulenspiegel. "I wish to paythe town a visit; if I meet your wife I will presently send her toyou. You know that the baes has enjoined on you to be silent, if youhave any regard for your skin."
As Ulenspiegel wandered at his will, the sun went down, and the dayfalling swiftly, he arrived in the Pierpot-Straetje, which is the laneof the Stone Pot. There he heard the viol played upon melodiously;drawing near he saw from afar a white shape calling him, gliding awayfrom him and playing on the viol. And it sang like a seraph a sweetslow song, stopping, turning back, still calling him and fleeingfrom him.
But Ulenspiegel ran swiftly; he overtook her and was about to speakto her when she laid on his mouth a hand perfumed with benjamin.
"Art thou a rustic or a nobleman?" said she.
"I am Ulenspiegel."
"Art thou rich?"
"Enough to pay for a great pleasure, not enough to ransom my soul."
"Hast thou no horses, that thou goest afoot?"
"I had an ass," said Ulenspiegel, "but I left him in the stable."
"How is it thou art alone, without a friend, in a strange city?"
"Because my friend is wandering on his own side, as I am on mine,my curious darling."
"I am not curious," said she. "Is he rich, your friend?"
"In fat," said Ulenspiegel. "Will you soon have finished questioningme?"
"I have done," said she, "now leave me."
"Leave you?" he said; "as well bid Lamme, when he is hungry, leavea dish of ortolans. I want to eat you."
"You have not seen me," she said. And she opened a lantern whichshone out suddenly, lighting up her face.
"You are beautiful," said Ulenspiegel. "Ho! the golden skin, thesweet eyes, the red mouth, the darling body! All will be for me."
"All," she said.
She brought him to the woman Stevenyne's, on the Bruges road, at theRainbow (in den Reghen-boogh). Ulenspiegel saw there a great numberof girls wearing on their arms armlets of a colour different fromthat of their fustian dress.
This one had an armlet of silver cloth on a robe of cloth of gold. Andall the girls looked at her jealously. Coming in she made a sign tothe baesine, but Ulenspiegel never saw it. They sat down togetherand drank.
"Do you know," said she, "that whoever has loved me is mine forever?"
"Lovely fragrant girl," said Ulenspiegel, "'twould be a deliciousfeast to me to eat always of this meat."
Suddenly he perceived Lamme in a corner, with a little table beforehim, a candle, a ham, a pot of beer, and not knowing how to rescue hisham from the two girls, who wanted perforce to eat and drink with him.
When Lamme perceived Ulenspiegel, he stood up and leaped three feetinto the air, crying:
"Blessed be God, that restoreth my friend Ulenspiegel to me! Somethingto drink, baesine!"
Ulenspiegel, pulling out his purse, said:
"Bring to drink till this is at an end."
And he made the carolus clink.
"Glory to God!" said Lamme, craftily taking the purse in his hands;"it is I that pay and not you; this purse is mine."
Ulenspiegel wished to get back his purse from him by force, but Lammeheld on tenaciously. As they were fighting, the one to keep it, theother to get it back, Lamme speaking disjointedly, said in low tonesto Ulenspiegel:
"Listen: ... catchpolls within ... four ... little room with threegirls ... two outside for you, for me ... would have gone out... prevented.... The brocade girl a spy ... a spy, Stevenyne!"
While they were struggling, Ulenspiegel, listening with all his ears,cried out:
"Give back my purse, rascal!"
"You shall never get it," said Lamme.
And they seized each other by the neck and the shoulders, rolling onthe ground while Lamme gave his good advice to Ulenspiegel.
Suddenly the baes of the Bee came in followed by seven men, whom heseemed not to know. He crowed like a cock and Ulenspiegel whistledlike a lark. Seeing Ulenspiegel and Lamme fighting, the baes spoke:
"Who are these two fellows?" he asked the Stevenyne.
The Stevenyne answered:
"Rogues that it would be better to separate rather than leave themhere to make such an uproar before going to the gallows."
"Let him dare to separate us," said Ulenspiegel, "and we will makehim eat the tiled floor."
"The baes to the rescue," said Ulenspiegel in Lamme's ear.
Hereupon the baes, scenting some mystery, rushed into their battle,head down. Lamme threw these words into his ear.
"You the rescuer? How?"
The baes pretended to shake Ulenspiegel by the ears and said to himin a whisper:
"Seven for thee ... strong fellows, butchers ... I'm going away ... toowell known in town.... When I am gone, 'tis van te beven de klinkaert... smash everything ..."
"Aye," said Ulenspiegel, getting up and fetching him a kick.
The baes struck him in his turn. And Ulenspiegel said to him:
"You hit thick and fast, my belly boy."
"As hail," said the baes, seizing Lamme's purse lightly and givingit to Ulenspiegel.
"Rogue," said he, "pay for me to drink now that you have been restoredto your property."
"Thou shalt drink, scandalous rascal," replied Ulenspiegel.
"See how impudent he is," said the Stevenyne.
"As insolent as thou art lovely, darling," answered Ulenspiegel.
Now the Stevenyne was full sixty years old, and had a face like amedlar, but all yellowed with bile and anger. In the middle of it wasa nose like an owl's beak. Her eyes were the eyes of a flinty-heartedmiser. Two long dog-tusks jutted from her fleshless mouth. And shehad a great port-wine stain on her left cheek.
The girls laughed, mocking her and saying:
"Darling, darling, give him somewhat to drink"--"He will kiss you"--"Isit long since you had your first spree?"--"Take care, Ulenspiegel, shewill eat you up"--"Look at her eyes; they are shining not with hatebut with love"--"You might say she will bite you to death"--"Don'tbe afraid"--"All amorous women are like that"--"She only wants yourmoney"--"See what a good laughing humour she is in."
And indeed the Stevenyne was laughing and winking at Gilline, thegirl in the brocade dress.
The baes drank, paid, and went. The seven butchers made faces ofintelligence at the catchpolls and the Stevenyne.
One of them indicated by a gesture that he held Ulenspiegel for aninny and that he was about to fool him to the top of his bent. Hesaid in his ear, putting out his tongue derisively on the side ofthe Stevenyne who was laughing and showing her fangs:
"'Tis van te beven de klinkaert" ('tis time to make the glasses clink).
Then aloud, and pointing to the catchpolls:
"Gentle reformer, we are all with thee; pay for us to drink andto eat."
And the Stevenyne laughed with pleasure and also put out her tongueat Ulenspiegel when he turned his back to her. And Gilline of thebrocade dress put out her tongue likewise.
And the girls said, whispering:
"Look at the spy who by her beauty brought to cruel torture and morecruel death more than twenty-seven of the Reformed faith; Gilline isin ecstasy thinking of the reward for her informing--the first hundredflorins carolus of the victim's estate. But she does not laugh whenshe thinks that she must share them with the Stevenyne."
And all, catchpolls, butchers, and girls, put out their tongues tomock at Ulenspiegel. And Lamme sweated great drops of sweat, and hewas red with anger like a cock's comb, but he would not speak a word.
"Pay for us to drink and to eat," said the butchers and the catchpolls.
"Well, then," said Ulenspiegel, rattling his carolus again, "give usto drink and to eat, O darling Stevenyne, to drink in ringing glasses."
Thereupon the girls began to laugh anew and the Stevenyne to stickout her tusks.
Nevertheless, she went to the kitchens and to the cellar; she broughtback ham, sausages, omelettes of black puddings, and ringing glasses,so called because they were mounted on felt and rang like a chimewhen they were knocked.
Then Ulenspiegel said:
"Let him that is hungry eat; let him that is thirsty drink!"
The catchpolls, the girls, the butchers, Gilline, and the Stevenyneapplauded this speech with feet and hands. Then they all rangedthemselves as well as they could, Ulenspiegel, Lamme, and the sevenbutchers at the principal table, the great table of honour, thecatchpolls and the girls at two small tables. And they drank and atewith a great noise of jaws, even the two catchpolls that were outside,and whom their comrades made come in to share the feast. And ropesand chains could be seen sticking out from their satchels.
The Stevenyne then putting out her tongue and grinning said:
"No one can go without paying me."
And she went and shut all the doors, the keys of which she put inthe pockets.
Gilline, lifting her glass, said:
"The bird is in the cage, let us drink."
Thereupon two girls called Gena and Margot said to her:
"Is this another one that you are going to have put to death,wicked woman?"
"I do not know," said Gilline, "let us drink."
But the three girls would not drink with her.
And Gilline took her viol and sang, in French:
"To viol's tone I sing 'Neath night or noonday skies, A gay, mad, wanton thing Who sell Love's merchandise.
"Astarte traced aright My hips in lines of flame: Were shoulders ne'er so white And God's my lovely frame.
"Oh tear each purse's sheath And let its money glow: Set tawny gold beneath My milk-white feet aflow.
"Of Eve the child I seem, Of Satan too a part; As fine as is your dream, Come seek it in my heart.
"My mood is cold or burning, Or fond with careless ease, Mad, mild, or melting turning, My man, your whim to please.
"See every charm that cheers, Soul, eyes of blue, for hire; Delights and smiles and tears, And Death, if you desire.
"To viol's tone I sing 'Neath night or noonday skies, A gay, mad, wanton thing Who sell Love's merchandise."
As she sang her song, Gilline was so beautiful, so sweet, and so prettythat all the men, catchpolls, butchers, Lamme, and Ulenspiegel werethere, speechless, moved, smiling, captivated by the spell.
All at once, bursting into laughter, Gilline said, looking atUlenspiegel:
"That is the way birds are put in the cage."
And the spell was broken.
Ulenspiegel, Lamme, and the butchers looked at one another.
"Now, then, will you pay me?" said the Stevenyne, "will you pay me,Messire Ulenspiegel, you that grow so fat on the flesh of preachers?"
Lamme would have spoken, but Ulenspiegel made him hold his tongue,and speaking to the Stevenyne:
"We shall not pay in advance," said he.
"I will pay myself afterwards then out of your estate," said theStevenyne.
"Ghouls feed on corpses," replied Ulenspiegel.
"Aye," said one of the catchpolls, "those two have taken the preachers'money; more than three hundred florins carolus. That makes a finetithe for Gilline."
Gilline sang:
"Seek such in other spheres Take all, my loving squire, Pleasures, kisses, and tears, And Death, if you desire."
Then, laughing, she said:
"Let's drink!"
"Let's drink!" said the catchpolls.
"In God's name," said the Stevenyne, "let us drink! The doors arelocked, the windows have stout bars, the birds are in the cage,let us drink!"
"Let's drink," said Ulenspiegel.
"Let's drink," said Lamme.
"Let's drink," said the seven.
"Let's drink," said the catchpolls.
"Let's drink," said Gilline, making her viols sing. "I am beautiful;let us drink. I could take the Archangel Gabriel in the nets ofmy singing."
"Bring us to drink then," said Ulenspiegel, "wine to crown the feast,wi
ne of the best; I would have a drop of liquid fire at every hairof our thirsty bodies."
"Let us drink!" said Gilline; "twenty gudgeons more like you, andthe pikes will sing no more."
The Stevenyne brought wine. All were sitting, drinking and eating,the catchpolls and the girls together. The seven, seated at the tableof Ulenspiegel and Lamme, threw, from their table to the girls, hams,sausages, omelettes, and bottles, which they caught in the air likecarps snatching flies on the surface of a pond. And the Stevenynelaughed, sticking out her tusks and showing packets of candles,five to the pound, that hung above the bar. These were the girls'candles. Then she said to Ulenspiegel:
The Legend of Ulenspiegel, Volume 2 (of 2) Page 12