The Legend of Ulenspiegel Volume I Part 53

"To me also," said Lamme, picking his teeth with his nails. "But I shall never again see my darling; she has fled from Damme; would you seek her with me in my cart?"

"I will," replied Ulenspiegel.

"But," said Lamme, "is there nothing at all left in the flask?"

"Nothing at all," answered Ulenspiegel.

And they got up into the cart, drawn by the donkey, who sounded in melancholy wise the bray of departure.

As for the dog, he had gone off, well fed and filled, without saying a word.

II

While the cart rolled along upon a d.y.k.e between the ca.n.a.l and a pond, Ulenspiegel, in deep thought, caressed the ashes of Claes on his breast. He asked himself if the vision was false or true, if those spirits had mocked him or if they had by riddles told him what in good sooth he must find to make the land of his fathers happy.

Vainly groping for the interpretation, he could not discover what the Seven and the Girdle meant.

Thinking upon the dead Emperor, the living King, the Lady Governor, the Pope of Rome, the Grand Inquisitor, the General of the Jesuits, he found in these six great tormentors of the country whom he would gladly have burned alive. But he thought it was not they, for they were too easy to burn, so the Seven must be elsewhere.

And in his own mind he was always repeating:

When the North Shall kiss the West, Ruin shall end, Love thou the Seven, The Girdle Love.

"Alas!" said he to himself, "in death, blood, and tears, find seven, burn seven, love seven! My poor wit fails, for who then burns what he loves?"

The cart having already swallowed up a long stretch of the road, they heard a noise of feet on the sandy earth, and a voice singing:

"Good travellers, saw you him, I pray, My wild lost lover gone astray?

He roams at random here and there, Saw you him, pray?

"As lamb by eagle of the air He bore my heedless heart away: A man whose face shows little hair.

Saw you him, pray?

"When he is met, that Nele with care And toil is very weary, say, Beloved Thyl, where dost delay?

Saw you him, pray?

"Does he not know the dove's despair What time her mate abroad doth stay?

Much more a faithful heart must bear.

Saw you him, pray?"

Ulenspiegel smote upon Lamme's paunch and said to him:

"Hold thy breath, big belly."

"Alas!" answered Lamme, "that is a hard thing for a man of my corpulence!"

But Ulenspiegel, paying him no heed, hid behind the tilt of the cart, and imitating the voice of a wheezy fellow lilting after drinking, he sang:

"Thy wild lover I saw, I say, Within an old worm-eaten shay Beside a glutton one fine day, I saw, I say."

"Thyl," said Lamme, "thou hast an ill tongue this morning."

Ulenspiegel, without listening to him, thrust his head out through the opening of the tilt and said:

"Nele, do you not know me?"

She, seized with fear, weeping and laughing at the same time, for her cheeks were all wet, said to him:

"I see you, nasty traitor!"

"Nele," said Ulenspiegel, "if you want to beat me I have a yard stick in here. It is heavy to make the strokes sink well in and knotty to make them leave their mark."

"Thyl," said Nele, "art thou going towards the Seven?"

"Aye," answered Ulenspiegel.

Nele was carrying a satchel that looked ready to burst; it was so full.

"Thyl," she said, holding it up to him, "I thought it was unwholesome for a man to travel without taking with him a good fat goose, a ham, and Ghent sausages. And you must eat this in remembrance of me."

As Ulenspiegel was looking at Nele and not at all thinking of taking the satchel, Lamme thrust out his head through another hole in the canvas and said:

"Forethinking damsel, if he does not accept, it is but in forgetfulness; but give me that ham, give me that goose, tender me those sausages; I shall keep them for him."

"What," said Nele, "is this good moonface?"

"That," said Ulenspiegel, "is a victim of marriage, who, devoured by sorrow, would wither away like an apple in the oven, if he did not recuperate his strength with constant nourishment."

"Thou hast said the truth, son," sighed Lamme.

The sun, which was s.h.i.+ning strong, burned and scorched Nele's head. She covered herself up with her ap.r.o.n. Wis.h.i.+ng to be alone with her, Ulenspiegel said to Lamme:

"Seest thou that woman wandering yonder in the meadow?"

"I see her," said Lamme.

"Dost thou recognize her?"

"Ah, me!" said Lamme, "could it be my wife? She is not clad like a townswoman."