Part 9 (1/2)
REYNARD AND CHANTICLEER.
”Once on a time there was a c.o.c.k who stood on a dung-heap, and crew, and flapped his wings. Then the Fox came by.
”'Good day,' said Reynard, 'I heard you crowing so nicely; but can you stand on one leg and crow, and wink your eyes?'
”'Oh, yes,' said Chanticleer. 'I can do that very well.' So he stood on one leg and crew; but he winked only with one eye, and when he had done that he made himself big and flapped his wings, as though he had done a great thing.
”'Very pretty, to be sure,' said Reynard. 'Almost as pretty as when the parson preaches in church; but can you stand on one leg and wink both your eyes at once? I hardly think you can.'
”'Can't I though!' said Chanticleer, and stood on one leg, and winked both his eyes, and crew. But Reynard caught hold of him, took him by the throat, and threw him over his back, so that he was off to the wood before he had crowed his crow out, as fast as Reynard could lay legs to the ground.
”When they had come under an old spruce fir, Reynard threw Chanticleer on the ground, set his paw on his breast, and was going to take a bite!
”'You are a heathen, Reynard!' said Chanticleer. 'Good Christians say grace, and ask a blessing before they eat.'
”But Reynard would be no heathen. G.o.d forbid it! So he let go his hold, and was about to fold his paws over his breast and say grace--but pop!
up flew Chanticleer into a tree.
”'You sha'n't get off for all that,' said Reynard to himself. So he went away, and came again with a few chips, which the woodcutters had left.
Chanticleer peeped and peered to see what they could be.
”'Whatever have you got there?' he asked.
”'These are letters I have just got,' said Reynard, 'won't you help me to read them, for I don't know how to read writing.'
”'I'd be so happy, but I dare not read them now; said Chanticleer; 'for here comes a hunter, I see him, I see him, as I sit by the tree trunk.'
”When Reynard heard Chanticleer chattering about a hunter, he took to his heels as quick as he could.
”This time it was Reynard who was made game of.
”The third story,” said Peter, ”is about an old fellow who was as deaf as a post, and who had a goody who was no better than she should have been. Where he lived I'm sure I don't know, but I've heard it said he lived in different parts of the country, both north of Stad and south of Stad; but at any rate this is the story.”
GOODMAN AXEHAFT.
”There was once a ferryman who was so hard of hearing he could neither hear nor catch anything that any one said to him. He had a goody and a daughter, and they did not care a pin for the goodman, but lived in mirth and jollity so long as there was aught to live on, and then they took to running up a bill with the inn-keeper, and gave parties, and had feasts every day.
”So when no one would trust them any longer, the sheriff was to come and seize for what they owed and had wasted. Then the goody and her child set off for her kinsfolk, and left the deaf husband behind, all alone, to see the sheriff and the bailiff.
”Well, there stood the man and pottered about and wondered what the sheriff wanted to ask, and what he should say when he came.
”'If I take to doing something,' he said to himself, 'he'll be sure to ask me something about it. I'll just begin to cut out an axehaft, so when he asks me what that is to be, I shall answer, ”Axehaft.” Then he'll ask how long it is to be, and I'll say, ”Up as far as this twig that sticks out.” Then he'll ask, ”What's become of the ferry-boat?” and I'll say, ”I am going to tar her; and yonder she lies on the strand, split at both ends.” Then he'll ask, ”Where's your grey mare?” and I'll answer, ”She is standing in the stable, big with foal.” Then he'll ask, ”Whereabouts is your sheepcote and s.h.i.+eling?” and I'll say, ”Not far off; when you get a bit up the hill you'll soon see them.”'
”All this he thought well-planned.