(While he is speaking he falls and remains lying.)
Scene 8.
Baron Nilus. His Secretary. A Valet. Two Lackeys.
Baron—The prospects for a good crop are very promising. Just see how nice the barley stands.
Secretary—Yes, that is quite true, your Grace; but that means that a bushel of barley will not bring a higher price than five marks.
Baron—That makes no difference. The peasants always do better when the times are good.
Secretary—I don't know how it is, my lord, the peasants always complain and ask for seed grain whether the season is good or bad. When they have anything they drink all the more. Here is an innkeeper in the neighborhood by the name of Jakob Skomager who does much to make the peasants poor. They say that he puts salt in the beer so that the more they drink, the more they shall thirst.
Baron—We must get that fellow out of the way. But what is that lying there in the road? Why, that's a dead man. One hears of nothing but accidents. Run over there, one of you, and see what it is.
A lackey—That is Jeppe on the Hill, who has the shrewish wife. Wake up, Jeppe. No, he wouldn't wake up if we pounded him and pulled him around by the hair.
Baron—Just let him be, I would like to play a little trick on him. You used to be quite inventive fellows, can you devise something now to amuse me?