CONTENTS. CANTO I How the Lion assembles his court; and the Fox, being absent PAGE How the Bear is received and betrayed by the Fox; and having suffered grievously at the hands of certain peasants, returns How the Cat, having been sent, also suffers evil treatment, and returns to Court having lost an eye. How the Badger is sent to summon his kinsman for the third time, and having per- How the Fox makes his defence, and is condemned to be hanged, but, at the gallows, obtains a respite from the King and Queen, by falsely telling them of a certain hidden treasure, How the Fox describes the feigned plot, in which he implicates his father, now dead, and his kinsman the Badger, as well as his chief accusers; and how the King approves of his design to How the Bear and the Wolf are imprisoned, and how Reineke PAGE 72 92 105 latter, and insolently causes the Ram to convey his head to How the Court is prolonged; and the Rabbit and Crow complain of further outrages by the Fox, whereupon the King commands How the Fox again makes confession to the Badger, and lays his crimes upon the evil example set by the clergy. How they meet with the Ape on his way to Rome, who promises to How the Fox makes his defence before the King, and challenges How the Fox describes the treasures which he feigns to have been stolen by the Ram; and recounts his father's services and his How the Wolf brings further charges against the Fox, who replies plausibly, whereupon the Wolf challenges him to single combat. How the Wolf and the Fox fight in the presence of the King, and the Fox by craft and adroitness defeats the other, and attains 138 158 177 REINEKE FOX. FIRST CANTO. WHITSUNTIDE, loveable feast, was come: the plain and the forest Broke forth in verdure anew: on the hills, in the bushes and hedges, Birds, as if newly awakened to life, sang their happiest ditties; Every meadow was decked with flowers in sweet-scented valleys; Bright of hue was the earth, and the sky of brilliance festal. 2 Nobel, the king, assembled together his Court, and his vassals 3 Quickly came at his call in state; from ev'ry direction Trooped in many a haughty fellow at once at the summons; Lütke, the crane, and Markart, the jay, and all of the chief ones. It was the wish of the king, with all his barons and nobles, 10 1 Under the Merovingian king a general assembly of the people, as well as the nobles of the realm, took place in the spring of the year, and was fixed by Pepin the Little for the month of May. In this May-field (Majicampus) were assembled by name the lay and clerical vassals under Charles the Great. 2 In the original form of the fables of beasts the bear was considered the king of animals. In Reinardus Vulpes and Isengrimus, however, the lion appears. In the former he is called Rufanus, supposed to be an anagram for Arnufus, the German Emperor Arnulph (887 to 899). The name Nobel comes from the French versions. 3 The summons to a Court festival was in earlier times by a verbal message, but afterwards in writing, about six weeks before the time of assembling. B Grandly to hold a magnificent Court; and with this intention One with another he summoned, the small as well as the great ones. None should fail to be there! And yet there was one who was absent, Reineke Fox, the rascal! who, deeply given to mischief, Held aloof from half of the Court. As shuns a bad 15 conscience Light and day, so the fox fought shy of the nobles assembled. One and all had complaints to make, he had all of them injured; Grimbart,' the badger, his brother's son, alone was excepted. 2 Isegrim Wolf began the complaint; by all his well wishers, And by all of his cousins accompanied, and his com panions,3 20 Standing before the king, he spoke in accents forensic: Master, most gracious Sovereign! Hear my grievous 66 affliction. Noble are you and great and worshipful, showing to all men Mercy and right; so now for the injury grant me compassion, That from Reineke Fox, to my great disgrace, I have suffered. 25 Give me especially pity for this, that often for mischief children. Even, alas! with dirt and corroding filth he defiled them, So that at home there are three who weep and wail in their blindness. True, long ago we came to terms with regard to his mischief. 66 30 This appears to have meant originally "shining with fury," or "shining like a helmet," the latter from the face of the badger, which has on both sides of its head a black band like the fastenings of a helmet. 2 The reported meanings of the name are eisgrimmig" (probably a contraction for eisengrimmig), " iron-masked," or "shining like a sword." According to old German judicial custom people appeared before the legal tribunals accompanied by their relations. Yes, a day had been fixed on which to settle the grievance. Even to swear' did he offer, but soon thought better about it, Dext'rously slipping away to his stronghold. knows this, Ev'ryone Far too well do they know it, all who stand here and around me. Oh, Sir! All the vexation that this great rascal has caused me 35 Many a week would it take to recount in the briefest of phrases. If the linen of Ghent-as much as ever is made thereInto parchment were made, 'twould not hold all his vagaries, And I am silent thereon. But still my spouse's dishonour Gnaws at my heart; revenge I will have, whatever may happen." 40 Whilst thus Isegrim vented himself in sorrowful spirit, There came forward a dog called Wackerlos. Speaking in French, he Said to the king how poor he was, and how nothing was left him But a small piece of sausage, hid in a wintery thicket; Even this had Reineke filched.-Then up jumped the tom cat, 45 Hintze his name, and cried out, angrily: "Monarch exalted, No one is here who has need to cry out lest the scoundrel should hurt him More than the king himself! I tell you, in all this assemblage, Young or old, there is none who is not more afraid of the rascal Than of yourself! But Wackerlos' case is of little impor tance. 50 Several years have passed since these occurrences happened. Mine was the sausage. And I it was who had reason to grumble. I had gone out to hunt, and whilst on my way, in the night I Probably the oath of purging, frequently alluded to in beast fables. 2 Ghent was already celebrated in the tenth century for its cloth manufactures. |