Overs Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029932617 Gfi Uniform with this Volume CHRISTMAS TALES OF FLANDERS With Plates in Colour and many Black and Wbite Illustrations by JEAN DE BOSSCHERE "This handsome and well-illustrated book is one of the most attractive we have seen this season. It gives us renderings of the popular fables and legends current in Flanders and Brabant which have a colour and quaintness of their own, yet combines adventures with an unobtrusive and so more effective moral." Saturday Review. "There are delightful stones; even more attractive than /the letterpress are M. de Bossch&'e's illustrations. Conceived with inexhaustible fancy, full of quaint detail, and set down with a fascinating naivete they embody the characters and scenes' of the tales with a fullness of particularism that should provide endless entertainment to youthful readers. They are the best and most complete series of designs yet produced by the artist." — Connoisseur. "The illustrations by Jean de Bossch&e are of a droll fancy. The artist has a notable power of the grotesque, and both in colour and black and white he uses it." Daily Telegraph. LONDON: WmiAM HEINEMANN FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN t t HE TORE A RIB FROM HIS SIDE AND CUT OFF MY EAR" [See page 21] BEASTS & MEN FOLK TALES COLLECTED IN FLANDERS AND ILLUSTRATED BY JEAN DE BOSSCHfeRE LONDON WILLIAM HEINEMANN NEW YORK- DODD.MEAD ^COMPANY r. cu ^S.S-JS*} London t William Heinemann, 1918 CONTENTS UPS AND DOWNS THE THREE MONKEYS HOW THE GOLDFINCH GOT HIS COLOURS THE COCK AND THE FOX THE MOST CUNNING ANIMAL SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT WHY CATS ALWAYS WASH AFTER EATING THE CHORISTERS OF St! GUDULE THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX THE MAGIC CAP SUGAR-CANDY HOUSE POOR PETER THE PEASANT AND HIS ASS PAGE I s 10 H 19 22 40 5° 83 91 95 103 vii CONTENTS PAGE THE KING OF THE BIRDS 109 A DRUM FULL OF BEES 116 THE DRUNKEN ROOKS 131 THE BATTLE OF THE BIRDS AND BEASTS 133 THE END OF THE WORLD 139 THE REWARD OF THE WORLD 147 ONE BAD TURN BEGETS ANOTHER 153 THE PEASANT AND THE SATYRS ' 159 THE TWO FRIENDS AND' THE BARREL OF GREASE 163 WHY THE BEAR HAS A STUMPY TAIL 168 THE WITCH'S CAT 173 Vlll LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUE " He tore a rib from his side and cut off my ear " " i hope you will enjoy your drink. good-bye 1 " All the Birds were very proito of their Appearance "What else can I do I" asked Chanticleer The Trial of Reynard the Fox "You have merited death a hundred times" Jan and Jannette Birds going to the Race The Battle of the Birds and Beasts An immense Dragon lying by the Water-side The Satyrs' Village "All you have to do is to sit on the ice" Frentispieu Facing page 2 12 44 68 8o 90 112 133 148 160 170 IX LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN BLACK AND WHITE PAOB There he met Mistress Goat i The Farmer put her in the Fold 3 Up and Down 4 Three Friends 5 Little James got pushed over the Side 7 " Pull, brother, pull, and we'll soon have him out " 8 He happened to look in the Mirror 9 Birds io The Angel whose Mission it was to colour the Birds ii He took a Place among the most Beautiful of them all la Song of Gratitude 13 The Fox was not a little frightened 14 " Don't go away, my dear friend," said the Fox 17 " That is true," said the Cock to himself 18 The Soldier, the Fox, and the Bear 19 There was a Flash, a loud Report ... 21 The two Heroes of the Story 22 Sponsken, the Giant, and the Princess 25 He tossed the Bird into the Air 27 " The three animals are a bear, a insricoRN, and a wild boar " 28 The Bear followed him into the Hollow Trunk 29 With a mighty Crash he ran full tilt into the Tree 31 Sponsken, the Princess, the Giant 33 All the Attendants fled at once 37 Married a Girl 39 The Cat and the Sparrow 40 " I've just been turned out of house " 41 " They laugh at me " 43 " Hush ! " said Chanticleer 45 Breaking the Glass to Smithereens 47 The Robbers lost no Time in decamping 49 The King 50 At the Head of the Procession marched Chanticleer The Fox's Chateau The poor Beast roared with Pain He immediately called a Council of his Ministers 59 " Take me to this house " 61 53 55 57 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE " Tybert and Bruin are badly knocked about " 63 " And caused him to jump at least twenty feet into the air " 64 " I WAS mischievous and unruly " 67 " And pearls too ? " she whispered 69 " I saw him stop at the foot of a great tree " 71 The Conspiracy gained Adherents every Day 73 The Suit of Golden Armour Emrik wore ' 75 They walked in Silence 77 Reynard sprang at his Throat 79 The King of that Land caught him 82 Calf and Goat 83 " You were being made a fool of " 85 Jan and the Three Students 87 Twirled the Cap round Three Times on his Finger 89 And dipped them into the Horse-trough 90 Were carried safely over to the other Bank 91 " Gr-r-r, I'll eat them up ! " 93 Wolf's Head 94 Jaco Peter and his Friend 95 " Smear yourself from head to foot " 97 Reynard seized the Opportunity to warn his Friend 99 An Exclamation of Astonishment 100 Away went the Coaches 102 " Oh dear me, that's twice ! " 103 " Hallo, my man," cried the Lord 105 " I can't get up, because I'm dead ! " 107 Sent him sprawling from Top to Bottom of the Stairs 108 The Eagle and the Kinglet 109 " Is OUR king then only to be looked at ? " III There was the Sound as of a rushing mighty Wind 113 He is known as the Kinglet 115 Donatus 116 There was a Knot-hole in the wooden Floor 119 " I DID not hear you KNOCK " 121 The Swarm of Bees within began to buzz about in Great Commotion 123 Beating another Tattoo upon the Drum 124 The Beadle, too, stumbled and fell 125 He had faithfully carried out all his Instructions 127 It was the Labourer dressed in the Drummer's Clothes 128 xi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAQE Rode straight into a Marsh 130 When the Fifty Rooks began to fly he could not get Free 131 The Rooks 132 Fighting 133 The Kinglet warned him to be very careful not to buzz 135 The Great Offensive began 137 The Fox 138 The Cat rushed out of the Room 139 The Cat, the Dog, the Cock, the Rabbit, and the Goose 14X " See if you can espy a house " 142 " Jump on to my beautiful curly tail " 143 The other Four got on to the Dog's Back 145 Sent me flying through the Air 146 The Dragon 147 " My sight is so weak and my powers so feeble " 149 " Does the dragon mind getting under the stone again ? " 151 Two Foxes 152 Nothing was left of the Fishes 153 The biggest and fattest Fish 155 Stretched himself out at full length 156 " I willingly give you yours ! " 158 " Why are you blowing your soup ? " 159 " There is no place in my house for a man who can blow hot AND cold " l6l Satyr 162 The Two Friends 163 " Where has all our grease gone ? " 165 Begun, Half-done, All-done 167 Mrs. Bruin and Reynard 168 " After a time the fish will come to bite at it " 169 " One, two, three . . . ! " 171 Born with a little stumpy Tail 172 Margot and the Cat 173 She meant to keep her there until she had grown Bigger and Fatter 175 Paddling with her Broom 177 He was really a Prince 179 Xll There he met Mistress Goat ofr jT^H-C UPS AND DOWNS HE summer had been very hot. Not a drop of rain had fallen for many weeks, and there was drought in the valley where the animals lived. The streams had dried up and the springs had ceased to flow. Master Fox took up his pipe and went out to take a walk under the lime- trees to think things over. There he met Mistress Goat, all dressed up in her Sunday clothes. " Good morrow, cousin," said he. " You are very fine to-day." " Yes," she answered, " I put on my best dress because it helps me to think. What we are to do for water I do not know. We have finished all that we had in the barrel, and unless we can find some more very quickly I and my children will die of thirst." "To tell you the truth," said the Fox, "I was thinking the same thing. I am so dry that my tongue is sticking to FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN the roof of my mouth, and I cannot even smoke my pipe with pleasure. What do you say to going together in search of water ? Four eyes are better than two, any day in the week." " Agreed," said the Gpat ; and away they started together. For a long time they looked ever3nvhere, but not a trace of water could they find. All of a sudden the Goat gave a cry of joy, and running up to her the Fox saw that she had discovered a well, on the brink of which she was standing gazing at the cool water far below. " Hurrah ! " cried the Fox. " We are saved ! " " Yes," answered the Goat, " but see how far down the water is ! How are we to get at it ! " " You just leave that to me," said the Fox. " I know all about wells — I've seen them before. All one has to do is to get into the bucket which is hanging by the rope and descend as smoothly and as safely as you please. I'll go first, just to show you the way." So the Fox got into the bucket, and the weight of him caused it to descend, while the empty bucket at the other end of the rope rose to the top of the well. A minute afterwards he was at the bottom, leaning over the side of the pail and greedily lapping up the water. Nothing had ever tasted so delicious. He drank and drank until he could hold no more. " Is it good ? " cried Mrs. Goat from above, dancing with impatience. " It is like the purest nectar ! " answered the Fox. " Get into the bucket quickly and come dbwn and join me." So the goat stepped into the bucket, which immediately began to descend with her weight, while at the same time the bucket with Master Fox in it began to rise to the surface. The two met half-way. " How is this ? " asked Mrs. Goat in surprise. " I thought you were going to wait for me ! " " Ah, my dear friend," answered Reynard with a wicked grin, " it is the way of the world. Some go 2 ■I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY YOUR DRINK. GOOD-BYE!' y THE FARMER PUT HER IN THE FOLD FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN up and some go down. I hope you will enjoy your drink. Good-bye ! " And as soon as he got to the top he jumped out of the bucket and ran off at top speed. So poor Mrs. Goat had to stay there at the bottom of the well until the fanner came and found her, half dead with cold. When at last she was rescued she found that she had only exchanged one prison for another, for the farmer put her into the fold with his own sheep and goats, and so she lost her liberty for ever. ) .^^MtB %\ J < ) ■ ) » n~~-— <«2^1_^^ J ^-t=5« Ot f _X-- ' /'" 1 f, m Three Friends THE THREE MONKEYS HERE were once three monkeys who were going for a voyage in a balloon. (This was in Monkey- land, far, far away and ever so long ago.) The three were so much alike that it was impossible to tell one from the other, and to make matters worse each of them answered to the name of James. Such a thing would never do in the crew of a balloon, so the old monkey who was in command decided that each of the three should have a different name. The first was to be called James, the second Jemmy, and the third Little James. So far so good. The three monkeys climbed into the balloon, the ground ropes were untied, and the voyage was begun. When they had reached a height of some hundreds of feet, the captain wished to give an order, so he called to the first monkey : " James ! " "„Aye aye, sir," said all the three, running up to him. S FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN " I called James," said the captain, looking from one to the other. " Well, I am James," answered the first monkey. " No, no. James is my name," said the second. " And mine too," said the third. " How can you be James if I am he ?/' cried the first angrily. " I tell you James is my name ! " cried the second. " No, mine ! " And so the three monkeys began to quarrel and dispute. Words led to blows, and soon they were tumbling about all over the car of the balloon, biting, scratching, and pummelling while the captain sat in his chair and bawled to them to stop. Every minute it seemed as though the car would overturn, and the end of it was that Little James got pushed over the side. He turned a beautiful somersault, and fell down, down, down through the air, landing in a soft bed of mud, into which he sank so that only his face and the top of his yellow cranium were visible. " Help ! help ! " bawled Little James at the top of his voice. Up ran a pair of monkeys belonging to the neighbourhood and stood looking at him. " He's in the mud, brother," said one. " Up to his neck," said the other. " How silly ! " And they both began to grin. " Help ! " cried Little James again, more faintly, for he was sinking deeper, and the mud was nearly at the level of his mouth. " Pull me out ! Pull me out ! " " Ah, but how ? " asked the first monkey, looking at him gravely. " Wait a minute," cried the second, " I have an idea ! " and he pulled out of his pocket one of those leather sudkers on a string which boys use to lift stones. Moistening the disc, he clapped it on to Little James's head, and begsUa to tug on the cord with all his might. " Hey ! " cried the other monkey, running to help. " Pull, brother, pull, and we'll soon have him out ! " 6 LITTLE JAMES GOT PUSHED OVER THE SIDE FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN Crack ! The cord snapped suddenly, and the two monkeys tumbled head over heels. Never mind ; they got another cord to repair the damage, and this time they succeeded m pulling Little James clear of the mud. , , ,-. ri.- i Did I say Little James ? Alas ! it was only half of him ! His rescuers had pulled so hard that he had broken off short in the middle, and his two legs were left embedded in the mud. " Dear me ! " said the first monkey, scratching his head. " This is very sad. The poor fellow has lost his legs. What shall we do ? " " Let us make him some wooden ones ! " said the other. So said, so done. They made him a beautiful pair of wooden legs, and Little James hobbled painfully home. By the time he reached his house he felt so ill that he went straight to bed. " I believe I am going to die," he said to himself. " I must make my will and set down the cause of my death." So he sent for pen and paper and began to write. Before very long, however, he stopped and began to scratch his head in perplexity. " If I am going to die," he thought, " I must be going to die of something ! Now, what am I going to die of ? This must be carefully considered, 8 ' POLL, BROTHER, PULL, AND WE LL SOON HAVE HIM out" THE THREE MONKEYS for above all one must write the truth in one's last testament ! " So he pondered and pondered, but he could not make up his mind as to the cause of his death. Was he going to die of the fall from the balloon, or of his broken legs, or what ? Just then he happened to look in the mirror by the bedside, and saw that there was a lump on his forehead, which he had got while fighting with James and Jemmy in the balloon. " Why, of course," cried he, " I am going to die of that big bruise on my forehead ! " So he wrote it down in his will, and then, happy at having solved the difficulty, turned over on his side and died. And, as I said before, this all took place in Monkey-land, ever so long ago. Birds HOW THE GOLDFINCH GOT HIS COLOURS HEN the Angel whose mission it was to colour the birds had finished his work, he began to scrape his palette and to make ready for depar- ture. He had done his task well, for the plumage . of the feathered creatures all around him glowed with a thousand glorious colours. There was the lordly eagle, arrayed in a robe of golden brown. The peacock had a tail of shimmering blue and green that looked as if it were studded with precious stones. The crow's black coat shone in the sun with a kind of steely radiance, very wonderful to behold. The canary was as yellow as a butter- cup ; the jay had a spot of blue sky on either wing ; even the humble sparrow wore a handsome black neck-tie; while 10 THE ANGEL WHOSE MISSION IT WAS TO COLOUR THE BIRDS FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN Chanticleer, the cock, was resplendent in yellow, black, and red. All the birds were very proud of their appearance, and they strutted about here and there, gazing at their reflections in the water and calling upon their neighbours" to come and admire their beauties. Alone among the birds the little goldfinch took no part in the rejoicing. Somehow or other the Angel had over- looked him, so that he remained uncoloured, a drab little He took a Place among the most Beautiful of them all creature^ in his sober grey dress, among the gaily clothed throng. More than once he had tried to draw the Angel's attention to himself, and now, seeing him cleaning his palette in readiness to depart, he stepped forward and said : " Have pity on me, good Angel, and paint my plumage as you have painted that of the others, so that I may walk among them unashamed. I have nothing to commend me — ^no beautiful song like the nightingale or the throstle, no grace of form such as the swallows have. If I am to go unadorned, nothing remains for me but to hide myself among the leaves." Then the Angel took pity on the little creature, and would gladly have painted him with glowing colours, but alas, he had scraped his palette clean. Therefore he took up a brush, and going from bird to bird took from each a spot of colour, which he laid upon the goldfinch, blending a score of brilliant hues with marvellous skill. When he had finished, the 12 ALL THE BIRDS WERE VERY PROUD OF THEIR APPEARANCE HOW THE GOLDFINCH GOT HIS COLOURS tiny bird was transformed, and from being the saddest in that brilliant company he took a place among the most beautiful of them all. It is not possible, by means of words, to describe the beauty of the colouring which the Angel gave to the goldfinch, but you may see hun any day you like, sitting on a thistle, and chirping his song of gratitude and praise. The Fox was not a little frightened THE COCK AND THE FOX HIS is the story that the old woman who was called Tante Saimie told to the little boy who would always be talking : A long time ago (she said) there lived in a farmyard a Cock who was very proud of himself, and with reason, too, for he was, indeed, a plump and handsome bird. Nothing could have been finer than his appearance when he strutted through the yard, lifting his feet high as he walked, and nodding his head at each step. He had a magnificent comb of coral-red, and blue-black plumage streaked with gold, which shone so brilliantly when the sun flashed on it that it was a joy to see him. No wonder that his twenty wives gazed at him admiringly and followed him wherever he went, and were quite content to let him hustle them about and gobble up all the fattest worms and the finest grains of corn. H THE COCK AND THE FOX If this Cock was proud of his appearance, there was one thing of which he was even prouder, and that was his voice. He was a famous songster ; he could crow you high and he could crow you low ; he could utter tones as deep as the pealing of the organ in church or as shrill as the blast of a trumpet. Every morning, when the first streak of dawn appeared in the sky, he would get down off his perch, raise himself on his toes, stretch out his neck, close his eyes and crow so loudly that he roused people who were sleeping in the next parish. And this he loved to do, because it was his nature. Now in the forest close to the farmyard there, lived a Fox who had often gazed with longing eyes upon the plump and handsome bird. His mouth watered every time he thought of him, and many were the artful tricks he played to try and catch him for his dinner. One day he hid himself among the bushes in the garden by the farmyard and waited patiently until the Cock happened to stray his way. After a time the bird came along, pecking here and pecking there, wandered through the gate into the garden, and made straight for the bush under which Master Fox was hidden. He was just going to run into the bush after a butterfly which was fluttering about, when he caught sight of Rey- nard's black snout and cunning, watchful eyes, and with a squeak of alarm he jumped aside, just in time, and hopped on to the wall. At this the Fox rose to his feet. " Don't go away, my dear friend," said he in honeved tones. " I would not for the world do you any harm. I know that it is my bad fortune to be disliked by your family — I can't for the life of me think why, and it is a pity, because I have to hide myself for^the pleasure of hearing you sing. There is no cock in all these parts has such a magnificent voice as yours, and I simply do not believe the stories they tell about you." " Eh, what is that ? " said the Cock, stopping at a safe distance and looking at the Fox with his head on one side. " What do they say ? " IS FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN ** Why," Reynard went on, edging a little nearer, " they tell me ihat you can only crow with your eyes open. They say that if you were to shut your eyes, that clarion call of yours would become only a feeble piping, like the clucking of a new-bom chick. But of course I don't believe them. Any one can see they are merely jealous." " I should think so," cried the Cock, bristling with anger. " Crow with my eyes shut, indeed ! Why, I never crow in any other way. Just look here — I'll prove it to you ! " And he raised himself on his toes, stretched out his neck, closed his eyes, and was just going to crow, when. Snap ! the Fox sprang upon him and caught him in his teeth ! Then began a great to-do ! The poor cock flapped his wings and struggled as the Fox ran off with him. The hens ran about the yard clucking and squawking, and the noise they made alarmed the farmer's wife, who was cooking in the kitchen. Out she came running, with the rolling-pin in her hand, and, seeing the fox with the cock in his mouth, gave chase, shrieking as she ran. The farm-hands tumbled out of bam and byre armed with pitch-forks, spades, and sticks. All the beasts began to raise a clatter, and what with the shouting of the men, the squealing of the pigs, the neighing of the horses, and the lowing of the cows, to say nothing of the clucking of the hens and the old woman's screaming, one would have thought the end of the world was at hand. The Fox was not a little frightened by all this clatter, but he was not so frightened as the Cock, who saw that only cunning would save his Ufe. " They will catch us in a minute,'' he said to the Fox, " and, as likely as not, we shall both be killed by a single blow. Why don't you call out and tell them I came with you of my own accord ? " " A good idea," thought the Fox, and he opened his mouth to call out to his pursuers, thereby loosening his grip on the Cock's neck. Then, with a squirm and a twist and a flutter of his wings, the wily bird wrenched himself free and flew up to the branches of a tree near by. 16 ' DON'T GO AWAY, MY DEAR FRIEND," SAID THE FOX FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN The Fox cast a look at him and saw that he was out of reach ; then he glanced over his shoulder at his pursuers, who were getting perilously near. " It seems to me," he said, grinning with rage, " I should have done better to hold my tongue." " That is true," said the Cock to himself as he smoothed his ruffled feathers. " And I would have been better advised to keep my weather-eye open." The Soldier, the Fox, and the Bear THE MOST CUNNING ANIMAL NE day the Fox and the Bear began to argue as to which was the most cunning animal. The Bear said that he thought foxes and bears took first place. " You are wrong, my friend," said Reynard. " We are clever, you and I, but there is one animal that is as far above us as we are above the rest of creation." " Oh, indeed," sneered the Bear, " and what is the name of this marvellous creature ? " " He is called the man - animal," answered Reynard, " and he goes on two legs instead of four, which is a wonder- ful thing in itself. Here are some of the cunning things he can do ; first, he can swim in the water without getting wet ; when he is cold he makes yellow flowers grow out of sticks 19 FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN to warm himself ; and he can strike at an enemy a hundred yards away ! " " I do not believe you," answered the Bear. " This is a fairy-tale you are telling me. If such a creature as the man- animal really exists, it is very strange that I have never seen him ! " " Strange, indeed ! " grinned the Fox, " but soon remedied. Would you like to see the man-animal } " " It would be a sight for sore eyes," said the Bear. " Vefy well," said the Fox, " come along with me." And he led the Bear through the forest until they came to a road lead- ing to a village. " Now, then," said he, " let us lie down in the ditch and watch the road, and we shall see what we shall see." Presently a child from the village came along. " Look ! Look ! " whispered the Bear. " An animal walking on two legs ! Is this the creature we seek } " " No," answered the Fox, " but one of these days it will become a man-animal." Shortly afterwards there came along an old woman, all bent and wrinkled. " Is that one ? " asked the Bear. " No," said the Fox again, " but once upon a time that was the mother of one ! " At last there came the sound of brisk footsteps on the road, and peeping out between the bushes the Bear saw a tall soldier in a red coat marching towards them. He had a sword by his side and a musket over his shoulder. " This must surely be the man-animal," said the Bear. " Ugh ! what an ugly creature ! I don't believe he is cunning in the least ! " But the Fox made no answer, for at the first sight of the soldier he had fled into the forest. " Well, well," muttered the Bear, " I don't see an5rthing to be afraid of here. Let us have a talk with this wonder ! " And hoisting himself clumsily out of the ditch he lumbered along the road to meet the soldier. " Now then, my fine fellow," he growled, " I have heard some wonderful stories about you. Tell me . . ." 20 THE MOST CUNNING ANIMAL But before he could get another word out of his mouth the soldier drew his sword and struck him such a shrewd blow that he cut off his ear. "Wow!" cried the Bear, "what's that for? Tell me . . ." But then, seeing the gleaming steel flash once again, he turned tail and ran off as fast as he could go. Just as he reached the edge of the wood, he looked backward and saw the soldier raise his gun to his shoulder. There was a flash, a loud report, and the Bear felt a terrific blow against his side. Down he went like a ninepin, but fortunately for him the bullet had merely glanced off his hide, and he was not seriously hurt. Picking himself up, he lost no time in gaining the shelter of the trees, and presently came limping painfully to the place where the Fox was waiting for him. " Well, my friend," said Reynard, " did you see the man- animal ? And what did you think of him ? " " You were right," answered poor Bruin sadly. " He is certainly the most cunning creature in the world. I went up to speak to him and he tore a rib from his side and cut off my ear. Then I ran away, but before I could reach the trees he picked up a stick and pointed it at me. Then there came thunder and lightning, and a piece of the earth heaved itself up and knocked me spinning ! Beyond all doubt the man- animal takes the palm for cunning, but I never want to see him again, for I shall carry the marks of our first meeting to my dying day." And Reynard grinned, and said : " I told you so ! " SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT HERE was once a lad whose face was so badly pitted by the smallpox that everybody called him Sponsken, which means little Sponge. From the very day of his birth Sponsken had been a great cause of anxiety to his parents, and as he grew older he became more trouble still, for he was so full of whims and mischief that one never knew where one had him. He would not learn his lessons, nor work at any serious task for ten. minutes on end. All he seemed to think of was cutting capers and playing practical jokes on people. At last, in despair, his parents told their trouble to the village sexton, who was a great friend of the family, and often came to smoke his pipe with Sponsken's father in the chimney corner. " Don't v?orry, my friends," said the sexton. " I've seen young nien like your son before, and they are quite easy to manage if one only goes about it the right way. Just leave 22 SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT him to me. What he wants is a good fright, and I'll make it my business to see that he gets it." So far so good. Sponsken's parents were only too glad to fall in with any plan which seemed likely to reform their unruly son, so the sexton went off to make his arrangements. That night he whitened his face with flour, covered himself in a white sheet, and hid behind a tree on a road along which he knew Sponsken would have to pass. It was the dark of the moon, and the place the sexton had chosen was very lonely. For a long time he waited ; then, hearing Sponsken coming along whistling a merry tune, he sprang out suddenly from behind his tree and waved his arms in a terrifying manner. " Hallo ! " said Sponsken. " Who are you ? " The sexton uttered a hollow groan. " What's the matter ? " said the boy. " Are you ill ? If you can't speak, get out of my way, for I am in a hurry." The sexton groaned again, louder than before, and waved his arms wildly. " Come, come," cried Sponsken, " I can't stay here all night. Tell me what you want at once and let me pass." Then, as the ghostly figure made no answer, he struck it a blow with the stout ash-stick which he carried, and the poor sexton fell, stunned, to the ground. Sponsken stayed long enough to take a glimpse of the ghost's face and to recognize the features of the sexton beneath the flour ; then he went on his way homeward, whistling as merrily as before. ^ When he reached home his parents gazed at him uneasily. They were very anxious about the success of their friend's plan, but Sponsken did not look at all like a lad who had been frightened — quite the contrary in fact, for he drew his chair up to the table and set to work upon his supper with an excellent appetite. " A funny thing happened to me to-night," he said carelessly between two bites of an onion. " As I was walking along the lonely road by the cemetery a white figure jumped out at me." 23 FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN " A wh-white figure ! " stammered his father. " How terrifying ! And what did you do, my son ? " " Do ? " said Sponsken cheerfully. " Why, I fetched him a crack on the skull with my staff. He went down like a ninepin, and I warrant he won't try to frighten travellers again ! " " Base, ungrateful boy ! " cried his father, rising to his feet. " It was my dear friend Jan the sexton you struck. All I hope is that you have not killed him." " Well, if I have, it is his Own fault," answered Sponsken. " He should not play tricks on me." But his father continued to rage and grumble so long that Sponsken got tired of hearing him at last, and flung off to bed in a sulk. " I'll stand no more of this," he said to himself. " Since my own people do not appreciate me, I'll go out and seek my own fortune in the world, and they may go on as best they can." The next morning, therefore, having packed a loaf of bread and a piece of cheese in a bag, Sponsken set off on his travels, telling nobody where he was going, and taking nothing else with him except a sparrow which he had tamed and kept since it was a fledgling. After walking for a long time he came to a forest, and feeling rather tired he sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree to rest. Now in this forest lived a giant who was the most hideous creature one could possibly imagine. From his forehead jutted a pair of horns ; his features were more like those of a beast than a man, and his finger-nails grew long and curved like the claws of a wild animal. The giant considered himself lord of the whole wood, and was very jealous lest anybody should enter his domain. When, therefore, he saw Sponsken he was very angry, and having pulled up a young tree by the roots to serve him as a club, he approached the young man, who was sitting with his eyes closed, and struck him a heavy blow on the shoulder. In spite of appearances, Sponsken was not asleep ; he was far too wary a person to be caught napping under such 24 SPONSKEN, THE GIANT, AND THE PRINCESS FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN conditions. As a matter of fact, he had seen the giant before the giant saw him, and he knew that his only chance of escape was to remain unperturbed and cabn. When, there- fore, the giant struck him on the shoulder, he opened his eyes sleepily, rubbed the place, and said with a yawn: "A pest on these flies ! They bite so hard that a fellow can't sleep for them." " You shall sleep soundly enough in a minute ! " muttered the giant, who was enraged at Sponsken's nonchalance. " See how you like this ! " And he gave the lad a blow on the other shoulder, harder than before. " There they are again ! " cried Sponsken, rubbing the place. " My word ! They bite even harder on this side than on the other. It is time I was going ! " And he rose from his seat, starting back with surprise as he affected to see the giant for the first time. " So it's you, is it ? " he cried. " What do you mean by tickling me when I am trying to sleep ? If I were not so kind-hearted I'd break your neck for you ! " " Have a care what you say," cried the giant. " Do you know that I have the strength of twenty men and could crush you between my hands like a kitten ? " " Pooh ! " said Sponsken. " Words are windy things. I have no doubt you could kill a whole regiment with your breath. But words won't go with me, my man ; you must give me some proof of your prowess." " Proof ! " roared the giant. " See here ! I can throw a stone so high into the air that it will not come down for a quarter of an hour." And he was as good as his word, for, picking up a large stone, he flung it with all his strength, and it was more than a quarter of an hour before it fell again at their feet. " Can you match that ? " asked the giant with a grin. " Easily," said Sponsken. " I will throw a stone so high that it will not come down at all ! " Bending to the ground he picked up a pebble and showed it to the giant, but very cleverly he managed at the last moment to exchange it for 26 SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT the sparrow which he carried in his pocket, and this he was able to do because the giant was rather short-sighted, and, if truth be told, slow-witted as well. He tossed the Bird into the Air " One, two, three ! " cried Sponsken, and he tossed the bird into the air, and of course it flew up and up and never came down at all. " Well, well," said the giant, " I never saw such a thing as that in my Hfe before. You are certainly a wonderful stone-thrower, little man. But can you do this ? " And 27 FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN picking up another stone, he squeezed it so hard between his immense fists that he crushed it into a fine powder. " Yes, that is hard to do," said Sponsken, " but I think I can go one better. Any oaf, if he be strong enough, can crush a stone to powder, but it requires skill as well as strength to wring the juice out of one. Watch me ! " So saying, Sponsken adroitly slipped out his piece of cheese, and squeezed it until the whey dripped from be- tween his fingers. " Marvellous ! " said the giant. " I confess myself beaten. Let us go into partnership, for there cannot be two others like us in the whole world." "Willingly," an- swered Sponsken, "but what are we to do ? " " Why, as for that," said the giant, " the King of this country has promised his daughter's hand in marriage, and a great treasure besides, to anybody who can destroy three ferocious beasts which are devastating his realm. It seems to me that this is a task we can quite well do together. You, with your quickness and skill, can trap the beasts, and I can kill them with my club. That done, we will divide the spoils." So it was agreed, and without wasting a moment the two took the wood together. Before very long they reached the King's palace, and sent up a message by one of the lords in waiting that they would like to see His Majesty. " And do you mean to tell me," asked the King, when he had heard the giant's tale, " that you can overcome the 28 ' THE THREE ANIMALS ARE A BEAR, A UNICORN, AND A WILD BOAR " SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT three fierce animals by the help of this ugly little pock-marked fellow." " Hush ! Not so loud, for the love of heaven ! " whis- pered the giant. " My friend is very touchy about his appearance, and if he hears you making such slighting remarks it is very likely he will bring the whole of your palace down about your head ! " " You don't say so ! " whispered the King in reply, glancing fearfully at the terrible little man. " Well, you are at liberty to try your luck. The three ani- mals are a bear, a uni- corn, and a wild boar, and at present they are hidden in the wood close by. There you will find them, but take care of yourselves, for they have already killed scores of my men." " Don't be afraid," answered the giant, " for us this is as easy as playing a game." After having partaken of a good meal the two made their way towards the wood in which the animals were hidden. " We must make a plan," said Sponsken. " Listen to what I propose. You go into the middle of the wood while I remain here on the outskirts ; then when you drive the beasts out I will see that they do not escape." 29 THE BEAR FOLLOWED HIM INTO THE HOLLOW TRUNK FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN So it was arranged. The giant went forward into the wood, while Sponsken remained outside, waiting to see what would happen. He had not to wait long, for presently there was a crashing and a tearing of undergrowth and a great bear came lumbering towards him. Sponsken did not like the look of the creature at all, and decided to put as much space between them as possible. Looking here and there for a refuge, he spied a big oak-tree, and quickly climbed its trunk and ensconced himself among the branches. Unfor- tunately the bear had already seen him, and, raising himself on his hind legs with a dreadful roar, he rushed to the tree and began to climb. In another moment Sponsken would have been lost, but by good chance the tree happened to be hollow, so without hesitation the lad let himself down into the trunk, and finding at the bottom a small hole which led to the open air, he was just able to wriggle through it and escape. The bear followed him into the hollow trunk, but the hole at the bottom was too small for him to get out by, and as there was hardly room to move inside the trunk, the angry creature had to stay where he was, waking all the echoes in the forest with his growling. The next minute the giant came running out of the forest. " Have you seen the bear ? " he cried. " I drove him towards you ! " " Don't worry," answered Sponsken coolly ; " I've shut him up in the tree there to keep him safe," The giant rushed to the tree and dispatched the bear with one blow of his great club. Then, pulling out the carcass, he shouldered it, and the two went back to the palace, congratu- lating each other on the excellent beginning of their enterprise. There remained now the unicorn and the wild boar. Next day Sponsken and the giant went to the forest again, and since their first plan had been so successful, it was arranged that they should follow exactly the same course. The giant went into the depths of the wood to find the unicorn and drive him out, while Sponsken remained on the borders to capture the animal when he came. 30 SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT This time the period of waiting was longer, and Sponsken, leaning against the oak-tree, had almost fallen asleep when a clattering of hoofs awakened him, and he sprang aside just With a mighty Crash he ran full tilt into the Tree in time to escape the unicorn, who, breathing fire from his nostrils, charged down upon him. So great was the impetus of the beast's charge that he could not stop himself, and with a mighty crash he ran full tilt into the tree, driving his horn so far into the trunk that, although he pulled and struggled, he could not wrench himself free. 31 FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN When the giant came up, Sponsken showed him the animal, which was quickly killed with a single blow of the club. " Didn't I manage that affair well ? " asked Sponsken as they went back to the palace. " You are a wonder ! " answered the giant, and he really believed what he said. Now only the wild boar remained, and on the following day the two went to the forest to capture him also. Once again the same plan was followed, but this time Sponsken kept his eyes wide open, and when the ferocious beast broke cover he ran as fast as he could in the direction of the royal chapel. The wild boar followed him, and a fearsome creature he looked, I assure you, with his wicked little eyes and his great curved tusks and the hair on his back bristfing like the quills of a porcupine. Through the open door of the chapel Sponsken ran, and the boar, snorting with fury, followed him. Then began a fine chase, round and round the aisles, over the pews, and in and out of the vestries. At last Sponsken seized a chair, and dashing it against a window broke several panes, and so made good his escape. While the boar was still standing stupidly staring at the hole through which he had gone out, Sponsken ran round to the door, which he closed and locked. Then, having broken one or two more panes of glass, he sat down quietly by the chapel wall and began to pare his nails. A short time afterwards the giant came rushing up. " Where is the boar ? Have you let him get away ? " he cried. " Don't get so excited," answered Sponsken. " The boar is safe enough. He's in the chapel there. I had no other place to put him, so I flung him through the window ! " " What a wonderful little man you are ! " said the giant gleefully, and he ran off to kill the boar with one blow of his club. This done, he hoisted the carcass on to his shoulders and took the road to the palace. Half-way there the weight 32 SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT of the boar began to tell, for it was a massive beast, and the giant was forced to stay and rest. " It is all very well," said he, mopping his streaming brow, " but I think you ought to take a turn with me in carrying this carcass." " Not I," answered Sponsken. " We made an agreement that my work was done when I captured the beast, and I intend to keep to it." Sponsken The Princess The Giant So the giant had to struggle on as best he could for the rest of the way, grumbling at every step, while Sponsken followed, laughing up his sleeve, and exceedingly thankful that he had escaped the task. When they reached the palace the two presented them- selves before the King and claimed the promised reward. But now a dijEficulty arose. It was quite easy to divide the treasure, but which of them was to have the Princess ? " I think it should be I," said the giant, " for I killed the three animals." " Not at all," said Sponsken. " The Princess should be given to me, for I captured the beasts." "A lot of good your capturing them would have been if I had not killed them ! " said the giant. " How could you have killed them if I had not caught them first ? " answered Sponsken. And so the two began to quarrel, and neither would give way, and high words passed between them. Truth to tell, the Kling was not at all sorry that the dispute had arisen, for he did not very c 33 FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN much relish the idea of his daughter marrying either the bestial giant or the pock-marked, ugly little fellow who was his companion. " There is only one way out of the difficulty," said the King at last. " We must let fate decide. Listen to the plan I propose. You shall both of you sleep in the Princess's chamber to-night — ^the giant in a bed on one side of her couch, and Sponsken on the other. I also will remain in her chamber and watch her carefully. If she spends most of the night with her face turned towards Sponsken, it shall be a sign that she is to marry him ; if, on the other hand, she favours the giant, he shall be her husband ; but if she sleeps all night with her face towards neither of you, then you must both give her up, and be satisfied with the treasure." So it was agreed, and that night the trial took place. Sponsken, however, did not by any means intend that blind chance should settle so important a matter, and he spent the intervening time in making certain preparations. First of all he went to the palace gardens, from which he gathered certain herbs having an aromatic and beautiful perfume ; these he placed in a bag and hid under his clothes. Then from the woods he gathered all the herbs he could find which had a disagreeable smell, such as garlic and stinkwort and poisonous fungus ; these also he placed in a bag, and seized 2X1 early opportunity, when they came to the Princess's chamber, of hiding the bag under the pillow on which the giant's head was to rest. The Princess well knew the fateful issue which was to be decided in the night, and as she had firmly made up her mind not to marry either the one or the other of her suitors, she determined to remain awake all night and to take care to keep her face turned towards the ceiling. For a time she managed to do so, but before long drowsiness overcame her, and she slept. Presently she turned over on her left side and lay with her face turned towards the giant, who began to chuckle to himself. " Wait a minute," thought Sponsken. " I don't think the 34 SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT Princess will keep that position long ! " And sure enough, the horrible stench of the herbs in the bag beneath the giant's pillow penetrated even to her dreams, and the Princess turned over hurriedly on the other side. What a change was there ! Instead of a disgusting smell which made her dream of gloomy caverns and noisome things, she found now a delicious perfume that brought pictures of sunlit gardens all glowing with flowers and bright-winged butterflies flitting over them. The Princess gave a little sigh of content, and for the rest of the night she remained with her face turned towards Sponsken, so that the King had no choice but to declare the little man the winner. The Princess, however, refused to abide by the judgment. " I will not marry that vulgar fellow," she cried. " I will die first ! Oh, father, if you love me, think of a means of escape ! " " Do not be afraid, my child," answered the ICing. " I will arrange something." And the next day he took the giant aside and proposed to him that he should rid him of Sponsken, promising a rich reward for the service. The giant's greed was aroused, and being very jealous of his companion's success, he was the more ready to fall in with the King's suggestion. Fortunately for himself, Sponsken's quick wits made him suspicious. He guessed that some treachery was afoot, and in order to be prepared for emergencies he took a heavy hammer with him when he retired to bed at night. His suspicions were justified, for towards midnight the door of his room opened and the giant entered on tiptoe, carrying a heavy axe with which he intended to dispatch our friend. No sooner was his foot inside the door, however, than Sponsken jumped out of bed and sprang at him, looking so fierce that the giant, who was a coward at heart, and had besides a healthy respect for his companion's powers, turned and fled in dismay. Then Sponsken lifted his heavy hammer and struck three resounding blows upon the floor. The noise awoke everybody in the palace, and servants, guards, 35 FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN and lords in waiting came flocking to the room to discover the cause. The King came last of all, a little anxious about the success of his fine plot, and when he found Sponsken sitting up in bed, quite unharmed, his face fell. " What is the matter ? " he stammered. " Matter ? " answered Sponsken. " Nothing very much ! Some person wandered into my room, so I just gave three taps with my fingers on the wall. It is lucky for you all that I did not strike the blows with my fist, for had I done so I am afraid there would have been nothing left of your palace but a heap of dust ! " At these words everybody turned pale, and the King made haste to protest his undying friendship for his terrible guest. As for the giant, he was in such fear of encountering Sponsken's resentment that he fled, and nobody ever saw him again. Now the poor King did not know what to do, for his daughter still persisted in her refusal to marry Sponsken, and he was torn two ways by love and fear. Just at that time, however, a neighbouring monarch, who was an old enemy of the King's, declared war upon him, and this offered another opportunity for delay. Calling Sponsken before him, the King proposed that he should prove his valour by chal- lenging the enemy king to mortal combat. Sponsken agreed ; but his fame had already been noised abroad, and the challenge was refused. " Very well," said the King, who was at the end of his resources. "As my prospective son-in-law you ought to lead my armies into battle. I will place my own charger at your disposal, and I look to you to save my country from defeat." Here was a pretty kettle of fish ! Sponsken had never ridden a horse in his life, and he had not the slightest know- ledge of warfare. To make matters worse, the steed in question was a notoriously vicious brute who would allow nobody but his own master to mount him. Already he had 36 ALL THE ATTENDANTS FLED AT ONCE FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN accounted for several grooms and stablemen, whom he had kicked to death. Sponsken commanded that the steed should be led to the borders of the forest and tied by the bridle to a tree. He had not the slightest intention of trying to mount the brute, and his plan was to wait until the attendants had gone away and then to slip off unobserved. Fate, however, was too much for him, for hardly was the horse safely tied up than couriers came spurring along the road to say that the enemy king was advancing at the head of his army, and was at that very moment less than half a mile away. All the attendants fled at once, and Sponsken himself was so overcome by terror that, without thinking what he was doing, he jumped upon the Ijack of the steed, and, forgetting that it was tied to the tree, dug his sharp spurs into its side. The horse plunged and reared, champing at the bit and doing its best to dislodge Sponsken from the saddle, but the lad clung on for dear life. At last, finding all its efforts unavailing, the horse dragged the tree up by the roots and charged forward in a straight line towards the advancing enemy. Almost dislodged from his seat by the sudden jerk, Sponsken stretched out his hand and grasped the branches of the tree, which swung in a terrifying manner at his side, promising every moment to hurl him from the saddle, and the result was that to the enemy army it appeared as though he were charging down upon them at full speed, bearing a tree as a club. Filled with dismay at the terrifying sight, the soldiers of the enemy king fled in all directions and hid themselves in the woods and in the crevices of the rocks. Sponsken rode on for the simple reason that he could do nothing else, right into the enemy's camp, where the steed came to a standstill and our hero was able to jump down from its back. Entering the king's tent, he helped himself to all the documents and articles of value he could find ; then, having cut the tree from the bridle, he remounted the horse, which was now quite tame, and docile, and rode back to the palace. 38 SPONSKEN AND THE GIANT When the King heard that the enemy was routed he was overjoyed, and he recognized that a man who could perform such a feat single-handed was not to be treated Ughtly. His daughter, however, was still firm in her refusal to many Sponsken, and so the King made him an offer of half his kingdom if he would release him from his promise and allow the Princess to go free. Sponsken accepted his terms and married a girl who, although she was not a princess, was nevertheless very pretty. Their wedding was celebrated with great pomp and they lived together very happily for the rest of their lives. fllE^^' ■ J ft. The Cat and the Sparrow WHY CATS ALWAYS WASH AFTER EATING LONG time ago a cat caught a sparrow, and licked his lips in anticipation of the delight he would feel in devouring it. After playing with it for a time, as cats will, he was going to eat it, when the sparrow spoke to him. " The Emperor's cat," said the sparrow, "and all his family, never begin a meal without washing themselves first. Everybody knows that such is the custom in polite society." " Really," answered the cat, " well, I will do as the Emperor's cat does ! " And he let go the sparrow and began to wash his face. Feeling itself free, the sparrow flew away, and alighted safely on the branch of a tree well out of reach. " It serves me right," muttered the cat, " for being so easily taken in." And ever since that time cats have always washed them- selves after their meals. 40 I've just been turned out of house' THE CHORISTERS OF ST. GUDULE HE miller of Sandhills had a donkey which had served him well in its time, but was now too old to work. The miller was a careful man, who did not believe in feeding useless mouths, so he decided that he would sell the donkey for the price of its skin. "I do not suppose I shall get very much for the wretched beast," he said, regarding poor Greyskin as he stood with hanging head in his stall, " but I shall save the cost of his corn anyhow, and that is always something." Left alone, Greyskin reflected sadly upon the fate in store for him. " Such is the way of the world," he thought. " When I was young and hearty nothing was too good for me ; now I'm old and useless I am to be cast out. But am I so useless after all ? True, I can no longer pull a cart to market, but I have a magnificent voice still. There must be a place 41 FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN somewhere for one who can sing as beautifully as I. I'll go to the Cathedral of St. Gudule, in Brussels, and offer myself as a chorister." Greyskin lost no time in acting upon his resolve, but left his stable immediately and set out on the road to Brussels. Passing the Burgomaster's house he saw an old hound sitting disconsolately on the doorstep. " Hallo, friend ! " said he. " What is the matter with you ? You seem very sad this morning." " The matter is that I am tired of life," answered the dog. "I'm getting old and stiff and I can no longer hunt hares for my master as I used to do. The result is that I am reckoned good for nothing and they grudge me every morsel of food I put into my mouth." " Come, come, cheer up, my friend," said Greyskin. " Never say die ! I am in a similar case to yourself and have just left my master for precisely the same reason. My plan is to go to the Cathedral of St. Gudule and offer my services to the master of the choir. If I may say so without conceit, I have a lovely voice — one must make the most of one's gifts, you know — and I ought to be able to command good pay." " Well, if it comes to that," said the dog, " I can sing too. I sang a lovely song to the moon last night, and if you'll believe me, all the people in our street opened their windows to listen. I sang for quite an hour, and I'd have gone on longer if some malicious person, who was no doubt jealous, had not thrown an old boot at my head." " Excellent," said Greyskin. " Come along with me. You shall sing tenor and I'll sing bass. We'll make a famous pair." So the dog joined company with Greyskin, and they went on together towards Brussels. A little farther down the road they saw a cat sitting on the rubbish-heap outside a miserable hovel. The creature was half blind with age, and had a face as long as a fiddle. " Why, what is the matter with you ? " asked Greyskin, who had a tender heart. " Matter enough," said the cat. " I've just been turned 42 THE CHORISTERS OF ST. GUDULE out of house and home, and all because I took a little piece of bacon from the larder. Upon my honour, it was no bigger than a baby's fist, but they made as much fuss as though it ^ "They laugh at me" had been a whole gammon. I was beaten, and kicked out to starve. If I could catch mice as I used to do, it would not matter so much, but the mice are too quick for me nowadays. They laugh at me. Nothing remains for me but to die, and I hope it may be soon." : 43 FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN " Nonsense," said Greyskin. " You shall live to laugh at all your troubles. Come along with us and sing in the choir at St. Gudule. Your voice is a little too thin for my own taste, but you'll make a very good soprano in a trio. What do you say ? " " You give me new hopes," answered the cat. " Of course I'll join you," and so the three went on together. Towards nightfall they arrived at a farmyard, on the gate of which a cock was crowing lustily. " Hallo ! " said Greyskin. " What's all this about ? " " I am singing my last song on earth," said the cock. "An hour ago I sang a song, although it is not my usual custom to crow in the afternoon, and as I ended I heard the farmer's wife say : ' Hearken to Chanticleer. He's crowing for fine weather to-morrow. I wonder if he'd crow so loudly if he knew that we had guests coming, and that he was going into the pot to make their soup ! ' She has a horrid laugh, that woman. I have always hated her ! " " And do you mean to tell me," said Greyskin, " that you are going to stay here quite contentedly till they come to wring your neck ? " " What else can I do ? " asked Chanticleer. " Join us, and turn your talents to account. We are all beautiful singers and we are going to Brussels to offer our- selves as choristers at St. Gudule. We were a trio before. With you we shall be a quartet, and that's one better ! " Chanticleer was only too glad to find a means of escape, so he willingly joined the party, and they once more took the road. A little while afterwards- they came to a thick wood, which was the haunt of a notorious band of robbers. There they decided to rest for the night, so Greyskin and the dog lay down beneath the shelter of a large beech-tree, while the cat climbed on to one of the branches, and Chanticleer perched himself at the very top. From this lofty post he could see over the whole wood, and i^ was not long before he espied a light twinkling among the trees not far away. 44 ■/" "WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?" ASKED CHANTICLEER > l^ HUSH!" SAID CHANTICLEER FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN " There must be a house of some sort over there;" he said to his companions. " Shall we go and see ? We may find something to eat." " Or some straw to lie upon, at any rate," said Greyskin. " This damp ground gives me rheumatics in my old bones." " I was just thinking the same thing," said the dog. " Let us go." So the four choristers, led by the cock, walked in the direction from which the light came, and before long they found themselves in front of a little house, the windows of which were brilliantly lighted. In order to reach to the windows the animals made a tower of their bodies, with Greyskin at the bottom and Chanticleer at the top. Now this house was the abode of a band of robbers, who, at that very moment, were seated before a table laden with all kinds of food. There they sat and feasted, and poor Chanticleer's mouth watered as he watched them. " Is there anybody inside ? " asked the dog, who was impatient. " Hush ! " said Chanticleer. " Men ! They're eating their dinner ! " " I wish I was," said the dog. " What are they eating ? " " All sorts of things — sausage, and fish . . ." " Sausage ! " said the dog. " Fish ! " said the cat. " And ever so many other deUcacies," Chanticleer went on. " Look here, friends. Wouldn't it be a fine thing if we could get a share of their meal ? I confess that my stomach aches with hunger." " And mine too," said the dog, " I've never been so hungry in my life. But how are we to get the food ? " " Let us serenade them, and perhaps they'll throw us something as a reward," said Greyskin. " Music, you know, has charms to soothe the savage breast." This seemed such a good idea that the choristers lost no time in putting it into execution. All four began to sing. The donkey hee-hawed, the dog howled, the cat miaued, and 46 THE CHORISTERS OF ST. GUDULE the cock crowed. From the noise they made one would have thought that the heavens were falling. The effect of this marvellous quartet upon the robbers was instantaneous. Leaping from their seats, they ran from place to place in mortal terror, tumbling over one another, oversetting chairs and adding to the racket by their shrieks and cries. At that moment the cock fell against the window, breaking the glass to smithereens ; the donkey gave the Breaking the Glass to Smithereens frame a push, and all the four precipitated themselves into the room. This was the last straw ; the robbers could stand no more ; half mad with fear they rushed to the door and fled into the forest. Then our four choristers drew up to the table and set to work upon the food with which it was laden. Their long walk had given them a good appetite, so that there was little left by the time they had finished. Feeling drowsy after their meal, they then settled themselves to sleep. The donkey made himself a bed on a heap of straw in the yard ; the dog stretched himself out upon the mat by the house door ; the cat lay among the warm cinders on the hearth ; and the cock 47 FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN perched upon the roof-top. A few minutes more and they were all fast asleep. Meanwhile the robbers, who had retreated some distance into the forest, waited anxiously for something dreadful to happen. An hour passed by and there was neither sight nor sound to alarm them, so they began to feel a little ashamed of their cowardice. Creeping stealthily nearer to the cottage, they saw that everything was still, and that no light was showing from the windows. At last the robber chief sent his lieutenant to spy out the land, and this man, returning to the cottage without mishap, found his way into the kitchen and proceeded to light a candle. He had no matches, but he saw two sparks of fire among the cinders on the hearth, so he went forward to get a light from them. Now this light came from the cat's eyes, and as soon as puss felt the robber touch her, she sprang up, snarling and spitting, and scratched his face. With a scream of terror, he dropped his candle and rushed for the door, and as he passed the dog bit him in the leg. By this time the noise had awakened Greyskin, who got upon his feet just as the man ran by, and helped him forward with a mighty kick, which sent him flying out into the roadway. Seeing this, the cock on the housetop spread his wings and crowed in triumph, " Cock-a-doodle-doo ! " I wish you could have seen the way that robber ran ! He covered the ground so quickly that he seemed like a flying shadow, and I am perfectly certain that not even a hare could have overtaken him. At last, panting for breath, he rejoined his comrades in the forest, who were eagerly awaiting his return. " Well," cried the chief, " is the way clear ? Can we go back ? " " Not on any account," cried the robber. " There's a horrible witch in the kitchen. Directly I entered she sprang at me and tore my face with her long claws, calling out at the same time to her creatures to come and devour me. As I ran 48 THE CHORISTERS OF ST. GUDULE through the door one of them buried his fangs in my leg, and a Ettle farther on, in the yard, a great black monster struck at me with an enormous club, giving me a blow that nearly broke my back-bone. On the roof a little demon with wings and eyes that shone like coals of fire cried, * Stop him ! Eat him ! Stop him ! Eat him ! ' You may guess that I did not wait for more. It is a miracle that I have escaped with my life ! " When they heard this terrible story the robbers lost no time in decamping, and such was their terror that they deserted the forest altogether and went away to another part of the country. The result was that our four friends were left to dwell in the cottage, where they lived happily for the rest of their lives, and as they had now everything they wanted, they quite gave up their idea of going to St. Gudule. The Kino THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX I. HOW CHANTICLEER THE COCK MADE COMPLAINT AGAINST REYNARD HERE was rejoicing among the animals, for it was said that Reynard the Fox— sly, spiteful Reynard— had at last repented him of his mis- deeds and resolved to lead a new life. Such a thing was, indeed, very hard to believe, but nevertheless everybody said that it was true. Certainly he was seen no more in his usual haunts, or about the Court of King Lion. The news went round that he had put on the robe of piety and had become a hermit, en- deavouring to atone, by fasting and prayer, for all the sins of which he had been guilty. At the Court of King Nobel, Reynard's change of heart was the one topic of conversation. A few of the animals 5° THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX fraiikly expressed their doubts of the sincerity of such a tardy repentance, but the majority were quite willing to accept it, for, as a rule, one believes what one wishes to believe. While the subject was still being eagerly discussed by the animals around the Lion's throne, the sound of wailing was heard, and a strange procession was seen making its way towards the King's throne. At the head of the procession marched Chanticleer the Cock, dressed in the deepest mourning and sobbing miserably, with bowed head. Behind him, borne by two hens, was a bier on which was stretched the headless body of a beautiful fowl, one of his daughters, and all the other hens of his family followed the bier, raising their voices to heaven in grievous lamentation. At this sad sight the whole Court stood in amaze, and many of the animals wept in sympathy with the bereaved father, who advanced towards the King's throne, crying for justice. " Whom do you accuse ? " asked the Lion. " Whom should I accuse but that accursed Reynard, the source of untold misery to me and mine ? You know, O Eling, none better, how we have suffered from his cruelty in the past. The tale I now have to teU is a tale of wrong that would bring tears to the eyes of a stone image — a tale of treachery such as would abash the Evil One himself, a tale so base that I can hardly bring myself to utter it ! " " Say on," said the King, " and rest content, for if what you say be true, the Fox shall receive his due reward — I swear it by my crown ! " " Lord," continued Chanticleer, " I had six sons and fourteen daughters. We all dwelt together in the farmyard, a peaceable and happy family. The rigours of the winter were spent ; spring had come again with its flowers and perfumes. The sun shone brightiy, and insects abounded in the farmyard. We dwelt in the midst of abundance ; we were happy, and as we thought, safe, for the farmer's six faithful dogs guarded us from danger. Alas, for our beautiful hopes ! A few days ago Reynard appeared — cruel, 51 FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN black-hearted Reynard— and at one fell blow changed our happiness into misery. " This is how it all happened, Sire. Reynard came to the farmyard one fine morning and brought me a letter bearing your Majesty's own seal. I opened it, and read that your Majesty had commanded that all the animals should hence- forward live together in peace. A noble ordinance, Sire, such as would make the world a beautiful place — were it not for villains. I gave the document back to Reynard, ex- pressing my joy at the news it contained, whereupon he said : * My heart is full. Cock, when I think of the cruelty with which I have treated you and your family in the past, but you need have no further fear, I have seen the error of my ways. Henceforth my life shall be given up to repentance and prayer. I have renounced all worldly pleasures. Even now I am on my way to a remote hermitage where, in fasting and solitude, I shall endeavour to atone for my sins.' " Then the hypocritical wretch stretched his paw over my head and gave me his blessing and departed, reading his Book of Hours. " Thinking no evil, and full of joy at the news, I called my children around me and cried : * Rejoice, my dear ones No more will you live in daily terror of your lives. Our noble King has given us his protection and has commanded the Fox to leave us alone. Reynard himself has just brought me the news, so 1 know it is true, and he himself has gone away to become a holy hermit ! ' " My children danced with glee when they heard my words, and I danced with them, O King ! We danced in the farmyard and in the garden, and in the kitchen garden, for it was as though a black cloud had vanished from over us. " This was the very moment Reynard had been waiting for. He had not gone far away— no farther in fact than the shelter of the wall by the kitchen garden, and as soon as we reached there, he rushed out, fell upon the finest of my daughters and slew her before my eyes. It all happened in a flash ! We ran hither and thither, trying to escape, but 52 AT THE HEAD OF THE PROCESSION MARCHED CHANTICLEER FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN all in vain. Before we had gone a dozen steps the Fox was among us again, and killed fifteen of my children. Last night he returned, and slew her whose body now lies upon the bier. I have brought her here to show you, O Kmg, that the sight of her corpse may strike pity into your heart, for I claim justice upon her murderer ! " So saying, the Cock bowed his head again and wept bitterly into his handkerchief, and pitiful sobs echoed from among the beasts around. Even the King could hardly restrain his emotion. " A terrible tale, indeed," said he. " Our hearts are heavy for you, Cock, and it will go hard with this Reynard when he falls into our hands ! " Then, addressing his courtiers, he asked for volunteers to go to the Fox's retreat and bring the murderer to justice. For a time there was no response, for few of the animals relished the task, but at last the Bear, who had an old grudge against Reynard, offered to go. *' Leave this to me," said he. " If the Fox won't come quietly, I'll drag him here by his tail. He shall not escape ! " So the Bear set off to find Reynard, who had retreated to one of his chateaux — a veritable fortress — situated many miles away in the mountains at the very end of the kingdom. To reach it the Bear had to travel over lonely paths, and through dark woods, where he lost his way a hundred times, but at length he arrived at Reynard's house, only to find the massive door locked, and the walls so high that he could not climb them. II. HOW BRUIN THE BEAR WAS SENT TO BRING REYNARD TO COURT " Open, in the name of the King ! " cried Bruin, ham- mering at the door. " Come out, Reynard ! I have been sent to bring you up for trial. You have come to the end of your rope at last ! Open the door, I say, or I'll batter it down ! " 54 THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX From his safe retreat in the very heart of the fortress Reynard heard Bruin's clamour. He stretched himself lazily and yawned, " Now who is this pestilent fellow making such a din ? " said he to his wife. " WeU, I suppose I'd better go and see." So he made his way through the labyrinth of passages which led from his burrow to the open The Fox's Chateau air, and peeped through the crack of the door. There was Bruin, hammering away at the massive oak, and roaring : " Come out, Reynard. Come out and be hanged ! " " What ! is that you. Uncle Bruin ? " said Reynard, opening the wicket. " You are in a noisy mood this morning. What is the matter ? " " The matter is that the King has sent me to bring you to Court," growled the Bear. " And you had best come quietly, for I represent the law." " By all means," answered Reynard, opening the door. " My word, but I'm glad to see you, uncle ! And an ambassador, too — ^such an honour ! How are you, and what sort of a journey have you had } Very trying, I'm afraid. 55 FOLK TALES OF BEASTS AND MEN Really it was a shame to impose upon your good nature and send you all this way ! " So saying the Fox led the way into his castle, keeping up a continual patter of talk, so that Bruin could not get a word in edgeways. " I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting at the gate," Reynard went on. " The fact is, I was dozing and did not hear you at first. I rarely sleep in the afternoon, but to-day I had such a heavy dinner that I felt extremely drowsy ! " " What did you have } " asked the Bear with interest. "Oh, a simple meal enough. I am not rich, you know, and I have to eat what I can find. To-day it was a big comb of honey — ^not very much to my taste, but I was hungry and I ate it ! " Bruin pricked up his ears. " Eh ? " said he. " Did you say honey ? " " Strange food for a fox, isn't it ? " said Reynard. " I wish I hadn't touched the stuff now, for, to tell you the truth, it's lying on my chest like a load of lead. I swear never .to eat it again, although I know a place, not far from here, where there are immense quantities of it ! " By this time Bruin was all agog with excitement. " Nephew," said he, laying his paw on Reynard's shoulder, " show me the place where that honey is. My mouth is watering at the very thought of it. I love honey better than anything else in the world, and I'd give all I possess for a taste of it ! " " You are joking, no doubt," said Reynard laughingly. " How can any one like such stuff ? " " Joking, am I ? " growled Bruin. " Just lead me to the honey and I'll show you whether I'm joking. I tell you I'd give my eyes and ears for a taste ! " " Well, if that's the case," said Reynard, " you shall be satisfied. There's a carpenter not far from here who keeps bees, and from time immemorial his family have been noted for the excellence of their honey. I'll take you there, and I'm very glad to be able to render you this little service. S6 J J5)055