雙語《列那狐》 10

CHAPTER X

THEN the King said,“Sir Tybert, you shall now go to Reynart and say to him this second time, that he come to Court unto the plea for to answer; for though he be fell to other beasts, he trusts you well and shall do by your counsel. And tell him if he come not he shall have the third warning and be dayed, and if he then come not, we shall proceed by right against him and all his lineage without mercy.”

Tybert spake,“My lord the King, they that this counselled you were not my friends. What shall I do there? He will not, for me neither, come nor abide. I beseech you, dear King, send some other to him. I am little and feeble. Bruin the Bear, which was so great and strong, could not bring him. How should I then take it on hand?”

“Nay,”said the King,“Sir Tybert, you are wise and well learned. Though you be not great, there lies not on. Many do more with craft and cunning than with might and strength.”

Then said the Cat,“Since it must needs be done, I must then take it upon me. God give grace that I may well achieve it, for my heart is heavy, and evil willed thereto.”

Tybert made him soon ready toward Maleperdays. And he saw from far come flying one of Saint Martin's birds, tho cried he loud and said,“All hail, gentle bird, turn thy wings hitherward, and fly on my right side.”The bird flew forth upon a tree which stood on the left side of the Cat. Tho was Tybert woe; for he thought it was a shrewd token and a sign of harm. For if the bird had flown on his right side he had been merry and glad, but now he sorrowed that his journey should turn to unhappe. Nevertheless he did as many do, and gave to himself better hope than his heart said. He went and ran to Maleperdays ward, and there he found the Fox alone standing before his house.

Tybert said,“The rich God give you good even, Reynart. The King has menaced you for to take your life from you if you come not now with me to the court.”

The Fox tho spake and said,“Tybert, my dear cousin, you be right welcome. I would well truly that you had much good luck.”What hurted the Fox to speak fair. Though he said well, his heart thought it not, and that shall be seen ere they depart.

Reynart said,“Will we this night be together. I will make you good cheer, and to-morrow early in the dawning we will together go to the Court. Good Nephew, let us so do, I have none of my kin that I trust so much to as to you. Here was Bruin the Bear, —the traitor! He looked so shrewdly on me, and methought he was so strong, that I would not for a thousand mark have gone with him; but, cousin, I will to-morrow early go with you.”

Tybert said,“It is best that we now go, for the moon shines all so light as it were day; I never saw fairer weather.”

“Nay, dear cousin, such might meet us by day-time that would make us good cheer and by night peradventure might do us harm. It is suspicious to walk by night. Therefore abide this night here by me.”

Tybert said,“What should we eat if we abode here?”

Reynart said,“Here is but little to eat. You may well have an honeycomb, good and sweet. What say you, Tybert, will you any thereof?”

Tybert answered,“I set nought thereby. Have you nothing else? If you gave me a good fat mouse I should be better pleased.”

“A fat mouse!”said Reynart.“Dear cousin, what say you? Hereby dwells a priest and has a barn by his house; therein are so many mice that a man should not lead them away upon a wain. I have heard the priest many times complain that they did him much harm.”

“Oh, dear Reynart, lead me thither for all that I may do for you!”

“Yea, Tybert, say you me truth? Love you well mice?”

“If I love them well?”said the Cat.“I love mice better than anything that men give me. Know you not that mice savour better than, venison, yea, than flawnes or pasties? Will you well do, so lead me thither where the mice are, and then shall you win my love, yea all had you slain my father, mother, and all my kin.”

Reynart said,“You mock and jape therewith.”

The Cat said,“So help me God, I do not!”

“Tybert,”said the Fox,“wist I that verily, I would yet this night make that you should be full of mice.”

“Reynart!”quoth he,“Full? That were many.”

“Tybert, you jape!”

“Reynart,”quoth he,“in truth I do not. If I had a fat mouse I would not give it for a golden noble.”

“Let us go, then, Tybert,”quoth the Fox,“I will bring you to the place ere I go from you.”

“Reynart,”quoth the Cat,“upon your safe-conduct, I would well go with you to Monpelier.”

“Let us then go,”said the Fox,“we tarry all too long.”

Thus went they forth, without letting to the place whereas they would be, to the Priest's barn, which was fast walled about with a mud wall. And the night before the Fox had broken in, and had stolen from the Priest a good fat hen; and the Priest, all angry, had set a gryn before the hole to avenge him; for he would fain have taken the Fox. This knew well the fell thief, the Fox, and said,“Sir Tybert, cousin, creep into this hole, and you shall not long tarry but that you shall catch mice by great heaps. Hark how they pipe! When you be full, come again; I will tarry here after you before this hole. We will to-morrow go together to the Court. Tybert, why tarry you thus long ? Come off, and so may we return soon to my wife which waiteth after us, and shall make us good cheer.”

Tybert said,“Reynart, cousin, is it then your counsel that I go into this hole? These Priests are so wily and shrewish I dread to take harm.”

“Oh ho, Tybert!”said the Fox,“I saw you never so sore afraid. What ails you?”

The Cat was ashamed, and sprang into the hole. And anon he was caught in the gryn by the neck, ere he wist. Thus deceived Reynart his guest and cousin.

As Tybert was ware of the gryn, he was afraid and sprang forth; the gryn went to. Then he began to wrawen, for he was almost strangled. He called, he cried, and made a shrewd noise.

Reynart stood before the hole and heard all, and was well paid, and said,“Tybert, love you well mice? Be they fat and good? Knew the Priest hereof, or Mertynet, they be so gentle that they would bring you sauce. Tybert, you sing and eat, is that the guise of the Court? Lord God, if Esegrim were there by you, in such rest as you now be, then should I be glad; for oft he has done me scathe and harm.”

Tybert could not go away, but he mawed and galped so loud, that Mertynet sprang up, and cried loud,“God be thanked, my gryn has taken the thief that has stolen our hens. Arise up, we will reward him!”

With these words arose the Priest in an evil time, and waked all them that were in the house, and cried with a loud voice,“The Fox is taken!”

There leapt and ran all that there was. The Priest himself ran, all mother naked. Mertynet was the first that came to Tybert. The Priest took to Locken his wife an offering candle, and bade her light it at the fire, and he smote Tybert with a great staff. There received Tybert many a great stroke over all his body. Mertynet was so angry that he smote the Cat an eyou out. The naked Priest lift up and should have given a great stroke to Tybert, but Tybert that saw that he must die sprang between the Priest's legs with his claws and with his teeth. That leap became ill to the Priest and to his great shame.

When Dame Julocke knew that, she sware by her father's soul, that she would it had cost her all the offering of a whole year, that the Priest had not had that harm, hurt, and shame, and that it had not happened; and said,“In the Devil's name was the gryn there set! See Mertynet, lief son, this is a great shame and to me a great hurt!”The Fox stood without, before the hole, and heard all these words, and laughed so sore that he vnnethe could stand. Thus scorned and mocked the Fox the Priest's wife, Dame Julocke, that was full of sorrow. The Priest fell down aswoon. They took him up, and brought him again to bed. Tho went the Fox again in to his burgh ward and left Tibert the Cat in great dread and jeopardy, for the Fox wist none other but that the Cat was nigh dead. But when Tibert the Cat saw them all busy about the Priest, tho began he to bite and gnaw the gryn in the middle asunder; and sprang out of the hole, and went rolling and wentling towards the King's Court. Ere he came thither it was fair day, and the sun began to rise. And he came to the Court as a poor wight. He had caught harm at the Priest's house by the help and counsel of the Fox. His body was all tobeaten, and blind on the one eye. When the King wist this, that Tibert was thus arrayed, he was sore angry, and menaced Reynart the thief sore, and anon gathered his council to wit what they would advise him, how he might bring the Fox to the law, and how he should be fetched.

Tho spake Sir Grymbart, which was the Fox's sister son, and said,“You lords, though my Eme were twice so bad and shrewish, yet is there remedy enough. Let him be done to as to a free man. When he shall be judged he must be warned the third time for all; and if he come not then, he is then guilty in all the trespasses that have been laid against him and his, or complained on.”

“Grymbart, who would you that should go and dayou him to come? Who will adventure for him his ears, his eye, or his life; which is so fell a beast? I think there is none here so much a fool.”

Grymbart spake,“So help me God, I am so much a fool that I will do this message myself to Reynart, if you will command me.”