Ran he to call the peasants, who still in the tavern together Were carousing. 120 "Come out," he exclaimed; "entrapped in my courtyard, There is a bear. I tell you the truth." Then they followed him running, Each one speedily arming himself as he could. Now the first one Took his fork in his hand, and the second wielded his hay rake: Likewise the third and the fourth, equipped with spit and with mattock, 125 Came with a leap and a run; the fifth with a flail was provided. Even the pastor and sexton, each with his own apparatus Came; and the parson's cook, Frau Jutte, skilled as no other In the preparing and cooking of groats, remain'd not behindhand : Came with her distaff running, by which she had sat in the daytime, All to wash the hide of that luckless creature. Brown one Heard in his terrible strait how the noise was increasing, 130 The ever And with violence tore his head from the cleft; in the tree still Hair and skin from his face as far as his ears were left sticking. No more piteous beast had ever been seen, for there trickled Blood from over his ears. head loose, 135 What availed his getting his For his paws still stuck in the tree? Then hastily backing, Senselessly raving, he tore them out, and still, with the tree-cleft Holding them tight, his claws remained and the skin of his fore-paws. Little, alas! had this of that sweet flavour of honey 140 Ill-advised was the journey, And become a perilous trip for Brown. He was bleeding Both from his beard and feet: to stand he hardly was able, Nor could he crawl nor walk. And Rüsteviel hastened to beat him. All fell upon him at once, who with the master had come there, 145 All their desire his death. A long stout staff had the parson Brought along with him there, with which he struck from a distance. Painfully turned Brown hither and thither, the mob on him pressing: Some of them here had their spits, and others there had their axes. Hammer and tongs brought the smith, and others came with their shovels ; 150 Others, again, with spades. With cries they ran at and beat him, Till from his painful distress in his own uncleanness he wallowed. All set upon him at once, not a man of them lagging behindhand. Bandy-legged Schloppe was there, and Ludolf, he with the broad nose: They were the worst of all. And the flail of Gerold was busy 155 'Twixt his fingers bent; and his brother-in-law was along side, Kückelrei namely, the fat; these two did most of the drubbing. Abel Quack' and Frau Jutte, too, they neither were wanting. Talke Lorden Quacks the poor wretch struck with her basket. And not those alone who are named, for both men and women, 160 All of them ran to the spot, and all of them longed for the bear's life. Kückelrei made the most noise, he thought himself of importance, Abel Quack and Talke Lorden Quacks are women's names. For Frau Willigetrud, on the seamy side of the blanket, Was his mother, they knew, but no one knew of his father; Yet the peasants surmised that black Sander, the mower of 165 stubble, Might very well be the man, they said; he was a îne fellow, When by himself he was. The stones came with violence flying; These from all sides and quarters the desperate Brown were distressing. Rüsteviel's brother sprang forward, and he had a long, thickish bludgeon; This on the head of the bear he struck, so that hearing and seeing 170 Vanished together, and yet from this mighty blow he recovered. Raging among the women he rushed, who one on another Staggering, fell, and shrieked, and some plunged into the water, And the water was deep. Then the parson, crying aloud, said: "Look, men! below, there swims Frau Jutte, the cook, in her fur coat, 175 And her distaff is here. give you Oh! help, my good men, and I'll Two casks of beer as reward, with grace and the great absolution." All left the bear lying there as if dead, and rushed into the water After the women, and hauled out the five of them on to the dry land. In this way on the bank, meanwhile, as the men were all busied, 180 Crept the bear in his misery into the water, and bellowed In his desperate pain. For drowning seemed to him better Than to put up with such shameful blows. He had never attempted Swimming, and fully hoped that at once his life would be ended. Quite against surmise he felt himself floating, and safely Borne along by the stream: he was seen by all of the 66 peasants. 185 This," they cried, "will certainly be a scandal for ever," And they were grievously vexed, and began abusing the 66 women. Better had they remained at home! There, look how he's floating Down on his way!" Thereon they proceeded the block to examine, 190 Where still some of the skin and hair from his head they detected, And from his feet, whereat they laughed, and shouted; For certain Thou wilt return again, for we hold thy ears pledges!" as the Thus to his injuries insult was added, and yet was he happy, If only thus to get out of the scrape. He swore at the peasants, 195 Who had so drubbed him, the pain in his ears and feet he lamented, Reineke, who had betrayed him, he cursed. And with such maledictions Down he floated along with the stream, which was mighty and rushing, Almost a mile below in the space of a very few minutes. Then he crept out on to land on the selfsame bank, and lay panting. 200 No more bedraggled beast had the sun in his course ever look'd on! Till the morrow he did not hope to survive, but expected There and then to die. "O Reineke, falsest of traitors, Shameless wretch!" he exclaimed. peasants who beat him, He thought of the And he thought of the tree, and cursed all Reineke's cunning. 205 Reineke Fox, however, when thus with thoughtful in tention, He had led his uncle to market, to get him his honey, Ran to a place that he knew for fowls, and seized upon one there, And with his booty ran off and dragged it down to the river. Then he ate it at once, and to other business proceeded, 210 wager, Taste well his hatchet. The bear has always unfriendly intentions Tow'rds me displayed, and this is the way I have managed to pay him. 215 I have always called him my uncle, and now in the tree there Lying dead is he left: as long as I live this will please me. No more complaints or harm from him."-And while he thus wanders, Down the bank he happens to look, and sees the bear rolling. Then was he grieved at the heart that Brown had living escaped him, 220 “Rüsteviel,” cried he, "thou careless wight! thou indolent fellow ! Dost thou despise such food, so fat and of excellent flavour, Such as an honest man might wish for himself, that so nicely Into thy hands had come? And yet for thy good enter tainment Honest Brown has left thee a pledge!" "Twas thus he reflected, 225 When he had seen how Brown was distressed, and bleeding, and weary. Ere long he shouted aloud: "Again do I find you, Sir Uncle; Let me know if aught with Rüsteviel you have forgotten, Then I can tell him where you are staying. Yet thus much I must say, You must I think from the man much honey have certainly stolen 1; 230 Or did you pay for it honestly? Tell me now, how has it happened? |