Mediaeval Tales Part 22

"Now then," said the third, who had eaten the bread, "hear my dream. It appeared as if an angel came and addressed me in the following manner: 'My friend, would you see what is become of your companions?' I answered, 'Yes, Lord. We have but one loaf among us, and I fear that they have run off with it.' 'You are mistaken,' he rejoined, 'it lies beside us; follow me.' He immediately led me to the gate of heaven, and by his command I put in my head and saw you; and I thought that you were s.n.a.t.c.hed up into heaven and sat upon a throne of gold, while rich wines and delicate meats stood around you. Then said the angel, 'Your companion, you see, has an abundance of good things, and dwells in all pleasures. There he will remain for ever; for he has entered a celestial kingdom, and cannot return. Come now where your other a.s.sociate is placed.' I followed, and he led me to h.e.l.l-gates, where I beheld you in torment, as you just now said. Yet they furnished you, even there, with bread and wine in abundance. I expressed my sorrow at seeing you in misery, and you replied, 'As long as G.o.d reigns in heaven here I must remain, for I have merited it. Do you then rise up quickly, and eat all the bread, since you will see neither me nor my companion again.' I complied with your wishes; arose, and ate the bread."

XVIII.--LOWER THAN THE BEASTS.

In the reign of a certain king there lived a proud and oppressive seneschal. Now near the royal palace was a forest well stocked with game; and by the direction of this person various pits were dug there, and covered with leaves, for the purpose of entrapping the beasts. It happened that the seneschal himself went into this forest, and with much exaltation of heart exclaimed internally, "Lives there a being in the empire more powerful than I am?" This braggart thought was scarcely formed, ere he rode upon one of his own pitfalls, and immediately disappeared.

The same day had been taken a lion, a monkey, and a serpent. Terrified at the situation into which fate had thrown him, he cried out l.u.s.tily; and his noise awoke a poor man called Guido, who had come with his a.s.s into that forest for firewood, by the sale of which he got his bread.

Hastening to the mouth of the pit, and finding the cause of the noise, he was promised great wealth if he would lift the seneschal out.

"My friend," answered Guido, "I have no means of obtaining a livelihood except by the f.a.ggots which I collect; if I neglect this for one day, I shall starve."

The seneschal renewed his promises of enriching him. Guido went back to the city, and returned with a long cord, which he let down into the pit, and bade the seneschal bind it round his waist. But before he could do so, the lion leaped forward, and seizing upon the cord, was drawn up in his stead. Immediately, in high glee, the beast ran off into the wood.

The rope again descended, and the monkey having noticed the success of the lion, vaulted above the man's head, and shaking the cord, was in like manner set at liberty. Without staying to return thanks, he hurried off to his haunts. A third time the cord was let down, and the serpent twining around it, was drawn up, and escaped.

"O my good friend," said the seneschal, "the beasts are gone, now draw me up quickly, I pray you."

Guido complied, and afterwards succeeded in drawing up his horse, which the seneschal instantly mounted and rode back to the palace.

Guido returned home; and his wife observing that he had come without wood, was very dejected, and inquired the cause. He related what had occurred, and the riches he was to receive for his service. The wife's countenance brightened, and early in the morning she posted off her husband to the palace. But the seneschal denied all knowledge of him, and ordered him to be whipped for his presumption. The porter executed the directions, and beat him so severely that he left him half dead. As soon as Guido's wife understood this, she saddled their a.s.s, and brought him home. The sickness which ensued, consumed the whole of their little property; but as soon as he had recovered, he went back to his usual occupation in the wood.

Whilst he was thus employed, he saw afar off ten a.s.ses laden with packs, and a lion by the last of them, coming along the path. On looking narrowly at this beast, he remembered that it was the same which he had freed from its imprisonment in the pit. The lion signified with his foot that he should take the loaded a.s.ses, and go home. This Guido did, and the lion followed. When he had come to his own door, the n.o.ble beast fawned upon him, and wagging his tail as if in triumph, ran back to the woods. Guido caused proclamation to be made in different churches,[7]

that if any a.s.ses had been lost, the owners should come to him; but no one appearing to demand them, he opened the packages, and to his great joy discovered them full of money.

On the second day Guido returned to the forest, but forgot an iron instrument to cleave the wood. He looked up, and saw the monkey whom he had set free; and the animal, by help of teeth and nails, worked for him. Guido then loaded his a.s.ses and went home.

The next day he renewed his visit to the forest; and sitting down to prepare his axe, discerned the serpent, whose escape he had aided, carrying a stone in its mouth of three colours; the one white, another black, and the third red. It opened its mouth and let the stone fall into Guido's lap. Having done this, it departed. Guido took the stone to a skilful lapidary, who had no sooner inspected it than he knew its virtues, and would willingly have paid him a hundred florins for it. But Guido refused; and by means of that singular stone, obtained great wealth, and was promoted to a military command.

The emperor having heard of the extraordinary qualities which it possessed, desired to see it. Guido went accordingly; and the emperor was so struck with its uncommon beauty, that he wished to purchase it at any rate; and threatened, if Guido refused compliance, to banish him the kingdom.

"My lord," answered he, "I will sell the stone; but let me say one thing--if the price be not given, it shall be presently restored to me."

He demanded three hundred florins, and then taking it from a small coffer, put it into the emperor's hands. Full of admiration, he exclaimed, "Tell me where you procured this beautiful stone?"

This he did; and related from the beginning the seneschal's accident and subsequent ingrat.i.tude. He told how severely he had been whipped by his command; and the benefits he had received from the lion, the monkey, and serpent.

Much moved at the recital, the emperor sent for the seneschal, and said, "What is this I hear of thee?" He was unable to reply. "O wretch!"

continued the emperor--"monster of ingrat.i.tude! Guido liberated thee from the most imminent danger, and for this thou hast nearly destroyed him.

Dost thou see how even irrational things have rendered him good for the service he performed? but thou hast returned evil for good. Therefore I deprive thee of thy dignity, which I will bestow upon Guido; and I further adjudge you to be hung on a cross." This decree infinitely rejoiced the n.o.blemen of the empire; and Guido, full of honours and years, ended his days in peace.

XIX.--OF REAL FRIENDs.h.i.+P.

A certain king had an only son whom he much loved. The young man was desirous of travelling, and obtained his father's leave to travel. After an absence of seven years he returned, and his father, overjoyed at his arrival, asked what friends he had made. "Three," said the son, "the first of whom I love more than myself; the second, as much as myself; and the third, little or nothing."

"You say well," returned the father; "but it is a good thing to prove them before you need their help. Therefore kill a pig, put it into a sack, and go at night to the house of him whom you love best, and say that you have accidentally killed a man, and if the body should be found I shall condemn you to an ignominious death. Intreat him if he ever loved you, to give his help in this extremity." The son did so; and the friend answered, "Since you have rashly destroyed a man, you must needs be crucified. Now because you were my friend, I will bestow upon you three or four ells of cloth to wrap your body in."

The youth hearing this, went in much indignation to the second of his friends, and told the same story. He received him like the first, and said, "Do you believe me mad, that I should expose myself to such peril?

But since I have called you my friend, I will accompany you to the cross, and console you as much as possible upon the way."

This liberal proposal not meeting the prince's approbation, he went to the third, and said, "I am ashamed to speak what I have done; but alas!

I have accidentally slain a man." "My friend," answered the other, "I will readily lay down my life in your defence; and should you be condemned to expiate your misfortune on the cross, I will be crucified either for you or with you." _This_ man, therefore, proved that he was his friend.

XX.--ROYAL BOUNTY.

A king issued a proclamation, that whosoever would come to him should obtain all they asked. The n.o.ble and the rich desired dukedoms, or counties, or knighthood; and some treasures of silver and gold. But whatsoever they desired they had. Then came the poor and the simple, and solicited a like boon.

"Ye come late," said the king, "the n.o.ble and the rich have already been, and have carried away all I possess." This reply troubled them exceedingly; and the king, moved by their concern, said, "My friends, though I have given away all my wealth, I have still the sovereign power; no one asked for that. I appoint you, therefore, to be their judges and masters."

When this came to the ears of the rich, they were extremely disturbed, and said to the king, "My lord, we are greatly troubled at your appointing these poor wretches our rulers; it were better for us to die than admit such servitude."

"Sirs," answered the king, "I do you no wrong: whatever you asked I gave; insomuch that nothing remains to me but the supreme power.

Nevertheless, I will give you counsel. Whosoever of you has enough to support life, let him bestow the superfluity upon these poor people.

They will then live honestly and comfortably, and upon these conditions I will resume the sovereignty and keep it, while you avoid the servitude you fear." And thus it was done.

XXI.--WILY BEGUILED.

A thief went one night to the house of a rich man, and scaling the roof, peeped through a hole to see whether any part of the family were yet stirring. The master of the house, suspecting something, said secretly to his wife, "Ask me in a loud voice how I got my property, and do not stop until I bid you."

The woman complied, and began to shout, "My dear husband, pray tell me, since you never were a merchant, how you came by all the wealth you have."

"My love," answered her husband, "do not ask such foolish questions."

But she persisted in her inquiries; and at length, as if overcome by her urgency, he said, "Keep what I am going to tell you a secret, and you shall know."

"Oh! trust me."

"Well, then, you must know that I was a thief, and got what I now enjoy by nightly depredations."

"It is strange," said the wife, "that you were never taken."

"Why," he replied, "my master, who was a skilful clerk, taught me a particular word, which, when I went on the tops of people's houses, I p.r.o.nounced, and thus escaped detection."

"Tell me, I conjure you," returned the lady, "what that powerful word was."

"Hear, then; but never mention it again, or we shall lose all our property."