Live ever in a sunshine land
My skin the first is buff well tanned
And steel the second skin I wear.”
But Lamme, sighing:
“I have nothing but one skin, and a soft one; the least stroke of a dagger would make a hole in it immediately. We should do better to settle in some useful trade than to gad about in this way over hill and valley, to serve all these great princes who, with their feet in velvet hose, eat ortolans on gilded tables. To us the blows, perils, battle, rain, hail, snow, the thin soups that fall to vagabonds. To them the fine sausages, fat capons, savoury thrushes, succulent fowls.”
“The water is coming into your mouth, my gentle friend,” said Ulenspiegel.
“Where are ye, fresh bread, golden koekebakken, delicious creams? But where art thou, my wife?”
Ulenspiegel replied:
“The ashes beat upon my heart and drive me on to the battle. But thou, mild lamb that hast naught to avenge, neither the death of thy father nor of thy mother, nor the grief of those thou lovest, nor thy present poverty, leave me alone to march whither I say, if the toils of war affright thee.”
“Alone?” said Lamme.