The Legend of Ulenspiegel Volume Ii Part 31

"Alas!" said the Stevenyne, "they are going to smash everything here."

And in her fear her two tusks stuck farther still out of her mouth.

And the blood lit up with wrath and fury in the minds of the seven and Lamme and Ulenspiegel.

Then without stopping their monotonous threatening chant all the men at Ulenspiegel's table took their gla.s.ses, and breaking them on the table, keeping time together, they got astride their chairs and drew their cutla.s.ses. And they made such a din with their song that all the window-panes in the house were quaking. Then like a ring of devils they went round about the chamber and all the tables, saying continually: "'Tis van te beven de klinkaert."

And the catchpolls then rose up quaking with terror, and took out their ropes and chains. But the butchers, Ulenspiegel, and Lamme, thrusting their cutla.s.ses back into their sheaths, got up, seized their chairs, and brandishing them like cudgels, they ran nimbly through the room hither and thither, striking right and left, sparing only the girls, smashing all the rest, furniture, windows, chests, dishes, quart pots, bowls, gla.s.ses, and flasks, beating the catchpolls without pity and always singing to the time of the sound of the upholsterer beating mattresses: "'Tis van te beven de klinkaert; "'tis van te beven de klinkaert," while Ulenspiegel had given a blow on the face with his fist to the Stevenyne, had taken her keys from her bag, and by force made her eat her candles.

The beauteous Gilline, tearing at the doors, the shutters, the windows, and the gla.s.s panes with her nails, seemed to want to scratch her way through everything, like a terrified cat. Then, all livid, she crouched down in a corner, with haggard eyes, showing her teeth, and holding her viol as if she must needs protect it at all costs.

The seven and Lamme said to the girls: "We will do you no hurt"; with their help tied up with their own chains and cords the catchpolls shivering in their shoes and not daring to resist, for they perceived that the butchers, picked out among the strongest by the baes of the Bee, would have chopped them to pieces with their cutla.s.ses.

At every candle he made the Stevenyne eat Ulenspiegel said:

"This is for the hanging; that for the cudgelling; this other for the branding; this fourth for my pierced tongue; these two excellent and extra fat ones for the king's ships and the quartering by four galleys; this for your den of spies; that one for your damsel in the brocade dress, and all these others just to please me."

And the girls laughed to see the Stevenyne sneezing with anger and trying to spit out her candles. But in vain, for she had her mouth too full of them.

Ulenspiegel, Lamme, and the seven never ceased singing in time with one another: "'Tis van te beven de klinkaert."

Then Ulenspiegel stopped, making sign to them to murmur the refrain softly. They did so while he held this conversation with the girls and the catchpolls:

"If any one of you cries for help, he will be cut down immediately."

"Cut down!" said the butchers.

"We will hold our tongues," said the girls, "do not hurt us, Ulenspiegel."

But Gilline, huddled in her corner, her eyes starting out of her head, her teeth out of her mouth, could not speak, and clasped her viol tightly to her.

And the seven still were murmuring: "'Tis van te beven de klinkaert!" in measure.

The Stevenyne, pointing to the candles she had in her mouth, made signs that she would hold her tongue likewise. The catchpolls promised the same.

Ulenspiegel continued his discourse:

"Ye are here," said he, "in our power; the night has fallen, we are near the Lys where you drown easily if you are thrust in. The gates of Courtrai are closed. If the night watch have heard the uproar, they will never budge, being too lazy and thinking it is simply good Flemish folk who as they drink are singing merrily to the sound of pots and flasks. Wherefore stay ye still, both men and girls, before your masters."

Then, speaking to the seven:

"Are you going to Peteghem to find the Beggars?"

"We made ready for this at the news of thy coming."

"From thence ye will go to the sea?"

"Aye," said they.

"Do you know among these catchpolls one or two that might be let go to serve us?"

"Two," said they, "Niklaes and Joos, who never hunted down the poor Reformed folk."

"We are faithful!" said Niklaes and Joos.

Then Ulenspiegel said:

"Here are twenty florins carolus for you, twice more than you would have had if ye had taken the vile reward of the informer."

Suddenly the five others exclaimed:

"Twenty florins! We will serve the prince for twenty florins. The king pays ill. Give each of us the half; we will tell the judge whatever you wish."

The butchers and Lamme murmured low:

"'Tis van te beven de klinkaert; 'tis van te beven de klinkaert."

"So that ye may not talk too much," said Ulenspiegel, "the seven will bring you bound as far as Peteghem, to the Beggars. Ye shall have ten florins when ye are on the sea; we shall be certain till then that the camp victual will keep you faithful to bread and soup. If ye are valiant men, ye shall have your share in the booty taken. If ye try to desert, ye shall be hanged. If ye escape, thus avoiding the rope, ye shall find the knife."

"We serve who pays us," said they.

"'Tis van te beven de klinkaert! 'Tis van te beven de klinkaert!" said Lamme and the seven striking upon the table with shards of broken pots and gla.s.ses.

"Ye shall take with you also," said Ulenspiegel, "Gilline, the Stevenyne, and the three damsels. If one of them tries to escape, ye shall sew her up in a sack and throw her into the river."

"He has not killed me," said Gilline, leaping out from her corner, and brandishing her viol in the air. And she sang:

"Of blood was all my dream The dream so near my heart, Of Eve the child I seem, Of Satan, too, a part."

The Stevenyne and the others were like to weep.

"Fear nothing, darlings," said Ulenspiegel, "you are so soft and sweet, that everywhere they will love you, feast you, and caress you. At every war capture ye shall have your share in the booty."

"They will give nothing to me, for I am an old woman," wept the Stevenyne.

"A sou a day, crocodile," said Ulenspiegel, "for thou shalt be serving woman to these four beauteous damsels; thou shalt wash their petticoats, blankets, and chemises."

"I, Lord G.o.d!" said she.

Ulenspiegel replied:

"Thou hast ruled them long, living on the earnings of their bodies and leaving them poor and hungry. Thou mayst whine and bellow, it shall be as I have said."

Thereupon the four girls began to laugh and mock at the Stevenyne, and say to her, putting out their tongues:

"To each her turn in this world. Who would have said it of Stevenyne the miser? She shall work for us as a servant. Blessed be the lord Ulenspiegel!"