The Legend of Ulenspiegel Volume I Part 21

At the noise they were making, an old man-at-arms came out from the artillery room and showing his nose above the wall:

"Porter," said he, "you are all wrong, it is our Emperor yonder; I know him well, though he has aged since he took Maria van der Gheynst from here to the Castle of Lallaing."

The porter fell down stiff as death with terror, and the man-at-arms seized his keys and went to open the gate.

The Emperor asked why he had been forced to wait so long: the man-at-arms having told him, His Majesty ordered him to shut the gate again, and to fetch him the reiters of Kornjuin, whom he commanded to march before him beating their tambourines and playing their fifes.

Soon one by one the bells awoke to sound full peal. Thus preceded, His Majesty came with an imperial din to the Great Marketplace. The burgomasters and sheriffs were all a.s.sembled there; the sheriff Ian Guigelaar came out at the noise. He went back into the council chamber saying:

"Keyser Karel is alhier! The Emperor Charles is here!"

Sorely affrighted to hear these tidings, the burgomasters, sheriffs, and councillors came out from the Townhall to go in a body to greet the Emperor, while their men ran throughout the whole town to have the fireworks got ready, to put the chickens to the fire, and to broach the casks.

Men, women, and children ran everywhere crying:

"Keyser Karel is op't groot marckt! The Emperor is in the Great Market!"

Ere long great was the crowd in the square.

The Emperor, in deep anger, asked the two burgomasters if they did not deserve to be hanged for thus failing in respect to their sovereign.

The burgomasters replied that they deserved hanging indeed, but that Ulenspiegel, the trumpeter of the tower, deserved it much more, seeing that upon the rumour of His Majesty's coming he had been stationed there, equipped with a good pair of barnacles, with express instructions that he should sound his trumpet three times as soon as he should see the imperial convoy approaching. But he had done nothing of this.

The Emperor, still angry, asked them to send for Ulenspiegel.

"Why," said he, "having such clear spectacles, didst thou not blow a point on the trumpet at my coming?"

So saying, he pa.s.sed his hand over his eyes, because of the brightness of the sun, and looked at Ulenspiegel.

Ulenspiegel also pa.s.sed his hand over his eyes, and replied that since he had seen His Sacred Majesty looking between his fingers, he had no longer desired to make use of the spectacles.

The Emperor told him he was to be hanged, the town porter said it was well done, and the burgomasters were so terrified at this sentence that they made no word of answer, neither to approve it nor to oppose it.

The executioner and his a.s.sistants were sent for. They came carrying a ladder and a new rope, seized Ulenspiegel by the collar, as he walked in front of Kornjuin's hundred reiters, keeping very quiet and saying his prayers. But they mocked him bitterly.

The people who were following said:

"It is a great cruelty to put to death a poor young man in this way for so small a fault."

And the weavers were there in great numbers and under arms, and they said:

"We shall not leave Ulenspiegel to be hanged: it is contrary to the law of Audenaerde."

By now they were come to the gallows field, Ulenspiegel was hoisted up on the ladder, and the executioner put the rope on him. The weavers flocked up around the gallows. The provost was there on horseback, resting the rod of justice on his horse's shoulder, the wand wherewith at the Emperor's word he should give the signal for the execution.

All the a.s.sembled people cried out:

"Mercy! mercy for Ulenspiegel!"

Ulenspiegel upon his ladder said:

"Pity! gracious Emperor!"

The Emperor lifted his hand and said:

"If this rascal asks me for something I cannot do, he shall have his life!"

"Speak, Ulenspiegel," cried the people.

The women wept and said:

"He can ask for nothing, poor fellow, for the Emperor can do all things."

And all said:

"Speak, Ulenspiegel!"

"Sacred Majesty," said Ulenspiegel, "I shall ask thee neither for money, nor for lands, nor for life, but only one thing, for which thou must not, if I dare to say it, have me whipped nor laid on the rack, before I depart to the land of spirits."

"I promise thee this," said the Emperor.

"Majesty," said Ulenspiegel, "I ask that before I be hanged, you shall come and kiss the mouth with which I speak no Flemish."

The Emperor, laughing like all the people, replied:

"I cannot do what thou dost ask, and thou shalt not hang, Ulenspiegel."

But he condemned the burgomasters and sheriffs to wear spectacles on the back of their heads for six months, in order, said he, that if the Audenaerde folk do not see in front, they may at least see behind.

And by imperial decree, these spectacles are still seen in the arms of the town.

And Ulenspiegel went away modestly, with a little bag of money the women had given him.

XLIII

Ulenspiegel being at Liege, in the fish market, he followed after a big young man who with a net bag under one arm filled with every kind of poultry was filling another with haddocks, trout, eels, and pike.

Ulenspiegel knew Lamme Goedzak.

"What are you doing here, Lamme?" said he.

"You know," said he, "how many Flanders folk have come to this kind country of Liege; for me, I follow my love here. And you?"

"I seek a master to serve for my bread," replied Ulenspiegel.