Part 3 (1/2)
Now when the king had a.s.sembled all his subjects together, there was no one absent save Reynard the Fox, against whom many grievous accusations were laid. First came Isegrim the Wolf, with all his family and kindred, who, standing before the King complained loudly how that Reynard had ill-treated his wife and children. Then there came a little hound named Curtise, who accused the Fox of having stolen his pudding in the extreme cold winter-time, when he was nigh dying of starvation. But scarcely had the hound finished his tale, when, with a fiery countenance, in sprang Tibert the Cat, and accused Curtise of having stolen this pudding from himself, and declared that Reynard had righteously taken it away.
Then rose the Panther: ”Do you imagine, Tibert,” quoth he, ”that Reynard ought not to be complained of? The whole world knows that he is a murderer, a vagabond, and a thief.”
Then quoth Grimbard the Badger, Reynard's nephew: ”It is a common proverb, _Malice never spake well_: what can you say against my kinsman the fox? All these complaints seem to me to be either absurd or false. Mine uncle is a gentleman, and cannot endure falsehood. I affirm that he liveth as a recluse; he chastiseth his body, and weareth a s.h.i.+rt of hair-cloth. It is above a year since he hath eaten any flesh; he hath forsaken his castle Malepardus, and abandoned all his wealth; he lives only upon alms and good men's charities, doing infinite penance for his sins; so that he has become pale and lean with praying and fasting.”
While Grimbard was still speaking, there came down the hill Chanticleer the c.o.c.k, and with him two hens, who brought with them on a bier their dead sister Copple, who had just been murdered by Reynard. Chanticleer smote piteously his feathers, and, kneeling before the King, spake in this manner:
[Ill.u.s.tration: REYNARD IN THE LIKENESS OF A HERMIT.]
”Most merciful and my great Lord the King, vouchsafe, I beseech you, to hear our complaint, and redress the injuries which Reynard the Fox has done to me and my children. Not longer ago than last April, when the weather was fair, and I was in the height of my pride and glory, because of my eight valiant sons and seven fair daughters, who were strong and fat, and who walked in safety in a yard well-fenced round, wherein also were several large dogs for their protection, Reynard, that false and dissembling traitor, came to me in the likeness of a hermit, and brought me a letter to read, sealed with your Majesty's seal, in which I found written, that your Highness had made peace throughout all your realm, and that no manner of beast or fowl should do injury one to another; affirming unto me, that, for his own part, he was become a monk, vowing to perform a daily penance for his sins; shewing unto me his beads, his books, and the hair s.h.i.+rt next to his skin; saying, in humble wise, unto me, 'Sir Chanticleer, never henceforth be afraid of me, for I have vowed never more to eat flesh. I am now waxed old, and would only remember my soul; therefore I take my leave, for I have yet my noon and my evensong to say.' Which spake, he departed, saying his Credo as he went, and laid him down under a hawthorn. At this I was exceeding glad, that I took no heed, but went and clucked my children together, and walked without the wall, which I shall ever rue; for false Reynard, lying under a bush, came creeping betwixt us and the gate, and suddenly surprised one of my children, which he trussed up and bore away, to my great sorrow; for, having tasted the sweetness of our flesh, neither hunter nor hound can protect or keep him from us. Night and day he waits upon us, with that greediness, that of fifteen of my children, he hath left me but four unslaughtered; and yesterday, Copple, my daughter, which here lieth dead on this bier, was, after her murder, rescued from him. This is my complaint, and this I leave to your Highness's mercy to take pity on me, and the loss of my fair children.”
Then spake the King: ”Sir Grimbard, hear you this of your uncle the recluse? he hath fasted and prayed well: believe me, if I live a year, he shall dearly abide it. As for you, Chanticleer, your complaint is heard, and shall be cured; to your daughter that is dead we will give the right of burial, and with solemn dirges bring her to the earth, with wors.h.i.+p.”
After this the King sent for his lords and wisest counsellors, to consult how this foul murder of Reynard's might be punished. And in the end, it was concluded that Reynard should be sent for, and without all excuse, he should be commanded to appear before the King, to answer whatever trespa.s.ses should be objected against him; and that this message should be delivered by Bruin the Bear.
To all this the King gave consent, and calling the bear before him, he said, ”Sir Bruin, it is our pleasure that you deliver this message; yet in the delivery thereof have great regard to yourself; for Reynard is full of policy, and knoweth how to dissemble, flatter, and betray; he hath a world of snares to entangle you withal, and without great exercise of judgment, will make a scorn and mock of the best wisdom breathing.”
”My Lord,” answered Sir Bruin, ”let me alone with Reynard; I am not such a truant in discretion to become a mock to his knavery;” and thus, full of jollity, the bear departed.
The next morning Bruin set out in quest of the fox; and after pa.s.sing through a dark forest and over a high mountain, he came to Malepardus, Reynard's chiefest and most ancient castle. Reynard was at home, and pretended to be ill with eating too much honey. When the bear heard this, he was extremely desirous of knowing where such excellent food could be obtained; and Reynard promised to take him to a garden where he should find more honey-combs than ten bears could eat at a meal. But the treacherous rascal took him to a carpenter's yard, where lay the trunk of a huge oak-tree, half-riven asunder, with two great wedges in it, so that the cleft stood a great way open. ”Behold now, dear uncle,” said the fox, ”within this tree is so much honey that it is unmeasurable.” The bear, in great haste, thrust his nose and fore-paws into the tree; and immediately Reynard pulled out the two great wedges, and caught Bruin in so sharp a trap, that the poor beast howled with pain. This noise quickly brought out the carpenter, who, perceiving how matters stood, alarmed the whole village, who came and belaboured the bear's sides with sticks and hoes and pitchforks, until, mad with rage, he tore his bleeding face and paws from the tree, and rushed blindly into a river that ran close by, knocking into the water with him many of the villagers, and among them, Dame Julock, the parson's wife, for whose sake every one bestirred himself; and so poor Bruin got safe away. After some delay, the bear returned to the court, where, in dismal accents, he recounted the sad trick that Reynard had played him.
Then said the King, ”Now, by my crown, I will take such revenge as shall make that traitor tremble;” and sending for his counsellors, they decided that Reynard should be again summoned to court, and that Tibert the Cat should be the bearer of the message. ”It is your wisdom, Sir Tibert, I employ,” said the great King, ”and not your strength: many prevail with art, when violence returns with lost labour.”
So Tibert made ready, and set out with the King's letter to Malepardus, where he found the fox standing before his castle-gates; to whom Tibert said, ”Health to my fair cousin Reynard; the King, by me, summons you to the court, in which if you fail, there is nothing more a.s.sured unto you than a cruel and a sudden death.”
The fox answered, ”Welcome, dear cousin Tibert; I obey your command, and wish my Lord the King infinite days of happiness; only let me entreat you to rest with me to-night, and take such cheer as my simple house affordeth, and to-morrow, as early as you will, we will go towards the court, for I have no kinsman I trust so dearly as yourself.”
Tibert replied, ”You speak like a n.o.ble gentleman; and me-thinks it is best now to go forward, for the moon s.h.i.+nes as bright as day.”
”Nay, dear cousin,” said the fox, ”let us take the day before us, so may we encounter with our friends; the night is full of danger.”
”Well,” said the cat, ”if it be your pleasure, I am content; what shall we eat?”
Reynard said, ”Truly my store is small; the best I have is a honey-comb, pleasant and sweet; what think you of it?”
To which Tibert replieth, ”It is meat I little respect, and seldom eat; I had rather have one mouse than all the honey in Europe.”
”A mouse!” said Reynard; ”why, my dear cousin, here dwelleth a priest hard by, who hath a barn by his house so full of mice, that I think half the wagons in the parish are not able to bear them.”
”Oh, dear Reynard,” quoth the cat, ”do but lead me thither, and make me your servant for ever.”
”Why,” said the fox, ”love you mice so exceedingly?”
”Beyond expression,” quoth the cat.
[Ill.u.s.tration: SIR TIBERT DELIVERING THE KING'S MESSAGE.]
Then away they went with all speed to the priest's barn, which was well walled about with a mud wall, where, but the night before, the fox had broken in and stolen an exceeding fat hen, at which the priest was so angry, that he had set a snare before the hole to catch him at his next coming, which the false fox knew of; and therefore said to the cat, ”Sir Tibert, creep in at this hole, and believe it, you shall not tarry a minute's s.p.a.ce but you shall have more mice than you are able to devour; hark, you may hear how they peep. When you have eaten your fill, come again, and I will stay and await for you here at this hole, that to-morrow we may go together to the court; but, good cousin, stay not too long, for I know my wife will hourly expect us.”
Then Tibert sprang quickly in at the hole, but was presently caught fast by the neck in the snare, which as soon as the cat felt, he quickly leaped back again; and the snare running close together, he was half-strangled, so that he began to struggle and cry out and exclaim most piteously.