雙語《列那狐》 12

CHAPTER XII

WHEN Reynart and Grymbart had gone a while together, tho said Reynart,“Dear Cousin, now am I in great fear, for I go in dread and jeopardy of my life. I have so much repentance for my sins that I will shrive me, dear Cousin, to you; here is none other priest to get. If I were shriven of my sins my soul should be the clearer.”

Grymbart answered,“Eme, will you shrive you, then must you promise first to leave your stealing and roving.”

Reynart said, that wist he well.“Now hark, dear Cousin, what I shall say. Confiteor tibi, pater, of all the misdeeds that I have done, and gladly will receive penance for them.”

Grymbart said,“What say you, will you shrive you? Then say it in English, that I may understand you.”

Reynart said,“I have trespassed against all the beasts that live; in especial against Bruin the Bear, my Eme, whom I made his crown all bloody; and taught Tybert the Cat to catch mice, for I made her leap in a grynne where she was all to-beaten; also I have trespassed greatly against Chanticleer with his children, for I have made him quit of a great deal of them. The King is not gone all quit, I have slandered him and the Queen many times, that they shall never be clear thereof. Yet have I beguiled Esegrim the Wolf, oftener than I can tell well. I called him Eme, but that was to deceive him; he is nothing of my kin. I made him a monk at Eelmare, where I myself also became one; and that was to his hurt and no profit. I made bind his feet to the bell rope, the ringing of the bell thought him so good that he would learn to ring; whereof he had shame, for he rang so sore that all the folk in the street were afraid thereof and marvelled what might be on the bell, and ran thither before he had come to axe the religion, wherefore he was beaten almost to the death. After this I taught him to catch fish, where he received many a stroke; also I led him to the richest priest's house that was in Vermedos, this priest had a spynde wherein hung many a good flitch of bacon wherein many a time I was wont to fill my belly; in this spynde I had made an hole in which I made Esegrim to creep. There found he tubs with beef and many good flitches of bacon, whereof he ate so much without measure that he might not come out at the hole where he went in; his belly was so great and full of the meat, and when he entered his belly was small; I went in to the village and made there a great shout and noise; yet hark what I did then, I ran to the priest where he sat at the table and ate, and had before him as fat capon as a man might find: that capon caught I, and ran my way therewith all that I might. The priest cried out, and said,‘Take and slay the Fox! I think that man never saw more wonder. The Fox comes in my house and takes my capon from my table: where saw ever man an hardier thief!’and as me thought he took his table knife and cast it at me, but he touched me not. I ran away, he shoved the table from him and followed me crying‘Kill and slay him!’I too go, and they after, and many moo came after, which all thought to hurt me.

“I ran so long that I came whereas Esegrim was, and there I let fall the capon, for it was too heavy for me, and against my will I left it there, and then I sprang through a hole whereas I would be. And as the priest took up the capon, he espied Esegrim and cried,‘Smite down here, friends, here is the thief, the Wolf! See well to, that he escape us not!’They ran all together with stocks and staves, and made a great noise, that all the neighbours camen out, and gave him many a shrewd stroke, and threw at him great stones, in such wise that he fell down as he had been dead. They slipped him and drew him over stones and over blocks without the village and threw him into a ditch, and there he lay all the night. I wot never how he came thence, since I have goten of him, for as much as I made him to fill his belly, that he sware he would be my help a whole year.

“Tho led I him to a place where I told him there were seven hens and a cock which sat on a perch and were much fat. And there stood a fall-door by, and we climbed thereup. I said to him if he would believe me, and that he would creep into the door, he should find many fat hens. Esegrim went all laughing to the doorward, and crept a little in, and tasted here and there, and at last he said to me,‘Reynart, you bord and jape with me, for what I seek I find not.’Then said I,‘Eme, if you will find, creep further in. He that will win, he must labour and adventure. They that were wont to sit there, I have them away.’Thus I made him to seek further in, and shoved him forth so far, that he fell down upon the floor, for the perch was narrow. And he fell so great a fall, that they sprang up all that slept, and they that next the fire cryden that the fall-door was open and something was fallen, and they wist not what it might be. They rose up and light a candle, and when they saw him, they smiten, beaten, and wounded him to the death. I have brought him thus in many a jeopardy, more than I can now reckon. I should find many more, if I me well bethought, which I shall tell you hereafter. Also I have bedriuen with dame Ersewynde his wife. I would I had not done it. I am sorry for it. It is to her great shame, and that me repents.”

Grymbart said,“Eme, I understand you not.”

He said,“I have trespassed with his wife.”

“You shrive you, as though you held somewhat behind. I wot not what you mean, nor where you have learned this language.”

“Ach, Dear Neve, it were great shame if I should say it openly as it happened. I have lain by my aunt, I am your Eme, I should anger you if I spake villainy of women. Nephew, now have I told you all that I can think on. Set me penance, and assoil me, for I have great repentance.”

Grymbart was subtle and wise. He broke a rod off a tree and said,“Eme, now shall you smite yourself thrice with this rod on your body, and then lay it down upon the ground, and spring three times thereover, without bowing of your legs and without stumbling, and then shall you take it up and kiss it friendly in token of meekness and obedience of your penance that I gave you. Herewith be you quit of all sins that you have done to this day, for I forgive it you all.”

The Fox was glad.

Tho said Grymbart to his Eme,“Eme, see now further that you do good works: read your psalms, go to church, fast, and keep your holydays, and give your alms; and leave your sinful and ill life, your theft, and your treason, and so may you come to mercy.”

The Fox promised that he would so do, and then went they both together to the Court ward.

A little beside the way as they went stood a cloister of black nuns, where many geese, hens and capons went without the walls; and as they went talking the Fox brought Grymbart out of' the right way thither, and without the walls by the barn went the polaylle. The Fox espied them, and saw a fat young capon which went alone from his fellows, and leapt, and caught him that the feathers flew about his ears, but the capon escaped.

Grymbart said,“What, Eme, cursed man, what will you do! Will you for one of these pullets fall again in all your sins of which you have shriven you ? You ought sore repent you.”

Reynart answered,“Truly, cousin, I had all forgotten. Pray God that he forgive it me, for I will never do so more.”

Then turned they again over a little bridge, yet the Fox alway looked after the polaylle; he could not refrain himself; that which clevid by the bone might not out of the flesh: though he should be hanged he could not let the looking after the polaylle as far as he might see them.

Grymbart saw his manner, and said,“Foul false deceiver, how go your eyes so after the polaylle!”

The Fox said,“Cousin, you misdo to say to me any such words. You bring me out of my devotion and prayers. Let me say a pater noster for all the souls of polaylle and geese that I have betrayed, and oft with falsehood stolen from these holy nuns.”

Grymbart was not well apaid, but the Fox had ever his eyes toward the polaylle till at last they came in the way again, and then turned they to the Courtward. How sore quaked tho Reynart when they approached the Court! For he wist well that he had for to answer to many a foul feat and theft that he had done.