Part 7 (1/2)

=Nille= (alone)--There, you drunken beast! Sleep till you get sober, then we shall talk further about this matter. Such swine as you are don't get into Paradise. Only think how that beast has drunk his senses away! But if he has been enjoying himself at my expense then he shall certainly suffer for it. For two days he shall get neither food nor drink. Before that time has pa.s.sed he will get over his notions of Paradise.

Scene 4.

Three armed men. Nille.

=First Soldier=--Is there a man living here by the name of Jeppe?

=Nille=--Yes, there is.

=Soldiers=--Are you his wife?

=Nille=--Yes, I am sorry to say. G.o.d help me!

=Soldiers=--We must see him.

=Nille=--He is quite drunk.

=Soldiers=--That makes no difference, away! Bring him out, or the whole house will get into trouble.

(Nille goes in, kicks Jeppe out with such force that he knocks down all three men.)

Scene 5.

Three armed men. Jeppe.

=Jeppe=--Ah! Ah! Now you see, my good fellows, what kind of wife I have to live with.

=Soldiers=--You don't deserve any other treatment, for you are a felon.

(They take Jeppe away.)

=Jeppe=--What harm have I done?

=Soldiers=--You shall find that out soon enough when the court is held.

(They bind him.)

Scene 6.

Two lawyers. The judge. Jeppe.

(The judge comes in with an attendant and seats himself by a table, while Jeppe is tied by the hands and brought before the court. One of the lawyers steps forward and makes his charge thus:)

=First Lawyer=--Here is a man, your honor, who, we can testify, has stolen into the Baron's house, pretended he was the Baron, put on his clothes, tyrannized over his servants, which, since it is an outrageous act, we insist, on behalf of our client that it should be punished severely, so that other criminals may take warning from him.

=Judge=--Are you guilty of the offence which is charged against you? Speak up. What have you to say in your own defence, for we do not wish to judge until we hear both sides?

=Jeppe=--Ah, my poor soul! What shall I say? I admit that I have deserved punishment, but only for the money which I drank up and which I was to have bought soap with; I confess, also, that I have lately been at a castle, but how I got there and how I got away from there, I do not know.

=Plaintiff (First Lawyer)=--Your honor hears from his own confession that he has drunk to excess, and in his intoxication committed such an unheard-of misdemeanor. And it now only remains to determine whether such a serious crime can be excused on the ground of drunkenness. I say no! Since if that is the case, no crime would be punished. Everyone would be seeking some such excuse and say that it was done in drunkenness; and even if he can prove himself to have been drunk, his case will not thereby be improved; for it is a rule in law that what a man does in drunkenness he shall be held responsible for when he becomes sober.