Dancing as hard as he could.
The Jew raised a tremendous cry. ‘Don’t allow it, your worship, for heaven’s sake, don’t allow it!’
But the Judge said: ‘Why should I deny him that short pleasure? His wish is granted, and there’s an end of the matter!’
He could not have refused even if he had wished, because of the Mannikin’s gift to the Servant.
The Jew screamed, ‘Oh dear! Oh dear! Tie me tight, tie me tight!’
The good Servant took his fiddle from his neck, and put it into position, and at the first chord everybody began to wag their heads, the Judge, his Clerk, and all the Officers of Justice, and the rope fell out of the hand of the man about to bind the Jew.
At the second scrape, they all lifted their legs, and the Hangman let go his hold of the honest Servant, to make ready to dance.
At the third scrape they one and all leapt into the air, and began to caper about, the Judge and the Jew at the head, and they all leapt their best.