XVII
Now this beautiful, gay-hearted lady left Valladolid one day for her Château of Dudzeel in Flanders.
Passing through Damme, with her fat attendant behind her, she noticed a lad of about fifteen years of age sitting against the wall of a cottage blowing a pair of bagpipes. In front of him was a dog with red hair howling dismally, because, as it seemed, he did not at all appreciate the music which his master was making. The sun shone brightly, and at the lad’s side there stood a pretty young girl in fits of laughter at the pitiful howling of the dog.
This then was the sight that met the eye of the beautiful lady and her fat attendant as they passed in front of the cottage: none else but Ulenspiegel blowing his pipes, and Nele in fits of laughter, and Titus Bibulus Schnouffius howling with all his might.
“You naughty boy,” said the dame to Ulenspiegel, “will you never stop making this poor red-hair howl like this?”
But Ulenspiegel, staring back at her, blew his pipes more valiantly than ever, and Bibulus Schnouffius howled the more dismally, and Nele laughed all the louder.
The lady’s attendant grew angry, and pointed at Ulenspiegel, saying:
“If I beat this wretched little imp of a man with the scabbard of my sword he would give over his insolent row.”
Ulenspiegel looked the attendant in the face and called him “Jan Papzak” because of his fat belly, and went on blowing his bagpipes. The attendant came up to him, and threatened him with his fist. But Bibulus Schnouffius went for him straightway and bit him in the leg, and the man fell down, crying for mercy: