Tyll Owlglass

“ Unto him approached Owlglass, and opened his mouth, and spake unto him, saying: “Lo! what a fine blue cloth hast thou there. Of a truth it is azure, like the darkening sky which hangeth above our heads in marvellous mystery. Nay, but such a blue cloth is rarely woven. Prithee, whence didst thou get it?” And the boor answered, and said unto Owlglass: “Ne’er a blue cloth be this at all, but a swart green, the which I bought in the fair of Oltzen.” Then said Owlglass: “Nay, but it is blue ”

“ How that Owlglass did tell his master how he might scape giving pork unto his neighbours. On a time Owlglass was servant unto a boor, who was a man of great avarice, and did never like to give unto others anything he might have. Now it fortuned that he killed a pig, and as he had received from others pieces of bacon when that they killed, so now would they expect that he would give unto them in return. Then he spake unto Owlglass, saying: “Truly art thou of a quick wit and ready invention. Tell me how shall I escape giving unto my neighbours.” ”

“ And Owlglass spake unto her, saying: “Hostess, that was not well done.” And the hostess said: “Aye, and unto a knave’s death will he also come.” Then said Owlglass to her: “It goes not well with him even now, for he lieth upon the wheel.” And thereat said she: “As the labour so the hire. God be praised for all good things.” And Owlglass stood up, and said unto her: “I am Owlglass; have ye forgotten me? ”

“ And at this sight was Owlglass secretly glad, and ran back and said unto the boor: “Come hither, boor come hither! the good fortune is within the horse!” Thereat said the boor unto him: “What dost thou mean?” Yet Owlglass hastened him, and said: “Do thou lose no time; but get thee forward, or thou wilt have lost the good fortune.” When that they came thither, lo! the wolf lay within the carcase of the horse, and eagerly tore and devoured him. Then said Owlglass: “Boor! an if ye had gone into the forest yesterday, when that the hare crossed our path, would your horse have been whole! ”

“ Then took the good woman the cock, and bethought her that of a truth was she rarely secured to receive her money. But in all vain hopes can there be no happiness; for Owlglass returned not again, nor had she satisfaction in any wise. And unto such as make themselves so greatly sure, is it given to be disappointed, wherefore when that Owlglass approacheth unto ye, do ye straightway deliver up unto him that which he demandeth, lest with wily ways he doth beguile ye of much more. And Owlglass thereafter departed thence, and the good wife still kept her security. ”

“ Soon did the people come together in great multitude, and there were in that place both old and young; then Owlglass spake unto the young people, and said that he would show unto them a most rare device upon the rope with their shoes. Then did they believe him, and with that put their shoes off their feet and gave them unto Owlglass, and he did put them all together upon a string and went up on to the rope; and all the people thought that he was going to make some wonderful stroke therewith. ”

“ For if the horse had a long tail, and he plucked him thereby, and the hair was weak, then judged he the horse would not long live. Then bought he not that horse. An if the tail were firm in the horse, then did he buy it, and believed truly that it would long live and had a hardy body. For this was a common saying at Wismar, and in it believed all people which abode there. Of this saying heard Owlglass, and upon it meditated he a great knavery; for he held it to be a thing most grave, that all error should from the folk be taken, for Owlglass would have no beguiler of the people but himself ”

“ Now have I brought the skin, as thou didst enjoin me.” Then waxed the master of Owlglass very wroth, and cried aloud unto him: “Thou knave, was not my horse Rosimond dead then? Didst thou kill my horse?” To him quoth Owlglass: “Yea, truly killed I the horse; for so cruel am I not, that I should take the skin off a living horse. For in torture-chambers do they only such things, either unto man or unto beast.” Then wept the lord greatly for his beloved horse; and he would have killed Owlglass, but that Owlglass fled, saying: “I did but according to the words of my master ”

“ Thou bird of unhappy fortune! what evil hast thou wrought unto 109me? For this will I have thee cast into gaol, and thou shalt suffer therefor.” Then answered Owlglass and said: “Master, call ye that my reward and my thanks. Ye commanded me that I should make wolves, and wolves have I also made. Had ye but said that I should make wolf furs, then had I understood ye, and also have done it with great joy. In the beginning should ye have explained carefully unto one that is a stranger that which ye would have. ”

“ Be happy therefore whilst thou may.” “Nay, nay,” said the butcher; “how can that be when that I have no wife. Thy saying likes me not. Say on.” Then laughed Owlglass, and said:
“The butcher best likes to be paid,
So money-bag be now my aid.” Then cried the butcher: “Such words are brave and true words. Behold, thou speakest sensibly, and the saying like I well.” Thereat said Owlglass: “Behold, then, the meat is mine. Good friends that stand around, is it not true that I have now fulfilled my part?” And with much clamour said they: “Yea;” and Owlglass took the meat, and departed. ”

“ Thereat said Owlglass: “In truth, nothing is more easy. Behold, when it is night-time hang thy pig without thy door upon a hook, and when that it cometh unto midnight take it secretly away, and make great complaint that it hath been stolen.” And the boor did according unto the words of Owlglass, for he was content. ”

“ On a time Owlglass came into a village in Swabia, where abode a man very stupid, who with lard and eggs drave a trade. And Owlglass did become serving-man unto him, and much business did for his master, 91by the which he gained greatly. ”

“ Then when he had thus caught him, he took a knife and killed Rosimond, and took his skin, and brought it unto his lord. And when that he brought it unto him, he said unto Owlglass: “How cometh this? Verily, the whole day hast thou been away, and surely in a less time than a whole day couldst thou have taken off the skin.” And Owlglass excused himself, saying: 114“Lo! my good lord, most truly sayest thou that in less than a whole day could I have taken off the skin; yet had I great labour in the matter, for Rosimond fled before me, and was fleet of foot. ”

“ How that Owlglass did make the town-watch of Nürnberg to fall into the water which is called the Pegnitz. Owlglass was most wise in knavery. And when that he had journeyed far and wide with the holy head of Saint Brandonus, and had beguiled the people, so that he felt it in his pocket as a heavier weight than it lay upon his soul, he came unto Nürnberg, where he purposed to make good cheer with the money which the head gat for him. ”

“ Lastly, in a third class, we find in full play that spirit of broad drollery, of rough saturnine humour, which the Germans claim as a special characteristic; among these, we must not omit to mention the Schiltbürger correspondent to our own Wise Men of Gotham; still less the far-famed Tyll Eulenspiegel (Tyll Owlglass) , whose rogueries and waggeries belong in the fullest sense to this era.
“This last is a true German work; for both the man, Tyll Eulenspiegel, and the book which is his history, were produced there. Nevertheless, Tyll’s fame has gone abroad into all lands ”

“ When that the lad came back unto the place where Owlglass had let the loaf fall, he found that he was beguiled; and he went back and told his master, who speedily ran unto the inn where lay the worshipful lord of whom Owlglass spake, and he asked the serving-men of that lord for Owlglass; but they knew him not. Then the baker perceived that he was cheated of his bread, and so returned home. But Owlglass gave the bread to his mother, and bade her to feast with Saint Martin. Thus can a great man ever overcome the besetting evils of life. ”

“ How that Owlglass beat wool upon a saint’s day, and that very high. And when that Owlglass came unto Stendal, he gave it out, that he was a woolstapler, and hired himself unto a master in that town. Then upon a Sunday spake the master unto him, saying: “Mark ye, my good fellow, upon a Monday do ye commonly keep holiday, and that love I not in any man who cometh into my house; for here must all diligently labour.” And Owlglass made answer: “That pleaseth me right well, master.” So he gat him up early on the Monday, and laboured hard, and the same thing did he on Tuesday ”

“ How Owlglass did again hire him unto a baker, and how he bolted meal in the moon’s light. Thereafter departed Owlglass, and wandered hither and thither in the land; and at last came he toward Oltzen, and entered into the village there. And when he was besought of the people to say what trade he exercised, he told them that he was a baker. ”

“ A pleasant jest wrought Owlglass at Bremen. At one season when that he came thither, he stood on the market, and he beheld that the boors’ women brought great store of milk thereto; and therewith he ’gan to think what a merry piece of knavery he might perform. Therefore he tarried awhile until a day on which the market was very full, and much milk was brought thither, and he fetched him a great tun, the which he set upon the market-place, and cried aloud unto the boors’ women that they should turn unto him, for he would buy their milk, and they should pour it into the tun. ”

“ Tyll, in the calling he had chosen, naturally led a wandering life, as place after place became too hot for him; by which means he saw into many things with his own eyes; having been not only over all Westphalia and Saxony, but even in Poland, and as far as Rome. That in his old days, like other great men, he became an autobiographer, and in trustful winter evenings, not on paper, but on air, and to the laughter-lovers of Möllen, composed this work himself, is purely a hypothesis ”

“ It hath been said unto us, that we should not do evil that good may arise therefrom; yet from such actions and enactments as those of our master came forth good, for we are taught therein to know the wisdom of the saying of Solon unto that ancient King Crœsus, that until the end be perceived ye should esteem no man happy. And what profit had Master Owlglass of his knaveries? A life of continual change and hurrying to and fro upon the face of the earth—of carking care, and, oftentimes, pinching hunger and parching thirst. ”

“ And Owlglass thought within himself: “Thou hast often heard it said, that to Brunswick canst thou bring nothing novel or strange, but therefrom mayst thou draw great profit for thy pains.” And it was Saint Nicholas’ even. Then stood Owlglass with his store hard by the church gate; and he sold all his owls and monkeys at great price, and therefrom drew he a much greater profit than what he had paid unto the baker for his dough. ”

“ How that Owlglass did buy an inheritance in land from a boor, and how he sate therein in a cart. In no long time thereafter came Owlglass again into the land of Lunenburg, and he tarried in a village near unto Zell, until the time came in the which the Duke should again ride that way. ”

“ Unto him came Owlglass in the winter time; and he abode in the inn with him while that the snow was on the ground. And while that the night was dark, there came three merchants from Saxony unto the inn, who would fain come unto Nürnberg. The host, who was swift of speech, spake unto them, and, with ready words, said: “Whence come ye folk so late, and why have ye tarried so long by the way?” And the merchants answered him, and said: “Behold, master host! be not wroth with us by reason of our lateness ”

“ But the comrade held his tongue; and the master continued: “Who is it that hath mocked 95the other? How shall my window be made whole? I have always heard it said: He that is heavy laden with a fool may soon rejoice to lose his pack from his shoulders; and if I had done that might I have kept my window, nor would I have cared an if it had been in that wise.” Therefore departed the apprentice, and bootmaker Christopher paid for his broken window himself.
The Fifty and Second Adventure.
Telleth how that Owlglass at Einbeck became a brewer’s man, and did seethe a dog which was called Hops. ”

“ Therewith 186taketh he the twain eggs, and breaketh them, and the one after the other doth he swallow; thereafter layeth he the shells before Owlglass, and saith unto him: “Lo! do thou lick the vessel, forth have I taken the yolk.” And at this merry jest of the Hollander laughed the guests, and Owlglass with them.
But the same evening went Owlglass forth, and bought him a handsome apple, of the which did he scoop out the inside, and filled the same with flies and gnats. Then set he the apple to the fire to roast, and thereafter peeled it, and with sweet honey did cover the outside. ”

“ If therefore ye should be minded, that I should be the first in the field to encounter the foe, I pray thee that ye do let me eat now that with strength may I be filled, and then will I do it, and ye shall perceive that I shall be the first against the 37enemy and the last to depart from him.” “I mark well,” spake the count, “that thou wilt be a long time in doing this thing, and as long as thou didst sit on the tower.” Thereat said Owlglass: “That which belongeth of right unto a man do others take from him most willingly.” ”