So fared they on for a matter of three days; and it fortuned one night, that a peasant’s great over-coat, such as in that country is called a wolf, lay unfinished in the shop. This took the tailor, and gave it unto Owlglass, and said unto him: “Here, take the wolf and make it ready, and thereafter mayest thou get thee to bed.” Then answered Owlglass: “Yea; and if ye go will I right quickly do it as ye enjoin.” Then departed the master; and Owlglass took the coat, and he cut it up, and made first a wolf’s head, and then legs and body, and with sticks set it upright on the bench, so that it looked like unto a wolf, and then gat he him unto bed. And when that it was day, the master gat him up, and awakened Owlglass also, and found the wolf standing in the shop. And he marvelled with great wonderment at this doing of Owlglass; and he said unto him when that he came: “I’ the prince of mischief’s name, what is this thing thou hast done?” And Owlglass answered, and said: “A wolf have I made, as ye enjoined me.” Then said the tailor: “Such a wolf would I not have; but a peasant’s great coat. That called I a wolf.” Thereat answered Owlglass, and spake unto the tailor, saying: “Dear master, that knew not I. An ye had said unto me, that ye would have a peasant’s coat, then would I have made it; but ye said I should make a wolf, and, lo! have I not done it? And with greater content would I have made a coat than a wolf.” And the tailor forgave him; for as it was ended, what should he do?
And after four days had passed, was the tailor fain again to sleep, and yet he judged that it was too soon for his man to get him to bed. And there lay a coat in the shop, the which had been finished, all save the arms, which should be sewed on. This took he, and gave it unto Owlglass, saying: “Whip me these arms to the coat, and then mayest thou sleep.” And Owlglass answered: “Yea;” and therewith departed the tailor. Then did Owlglass light two candles, and he hung the coat on a hook, and made him a whip with whipcord, and ’gan to whip the sleeves, so that he might get them unto the coat. Yet stirred they not. And when that his candles were burned down, gat he two more, and lighted them, and burned candles through the whole night. At last arose the master, and came unto Owlglass into the shop, and said unto him: “What mystery play ye here?” And Owlglass answered gravely, and said: “No mystery is this, but hard labour; for the whole night through have I stood here, and whipped me these sleeves with whipcord, yet move they not unto the coat. Better had it been if that ye had bid me sleep; for ye surely knew that I must lose my labour.” Then answered the tailor, and said: “Lay ye that to my charge? Am I ever to be finding ye brains to understand that which I say? Didst not see that I meant that ye should sew the sleeves on to the coat?” Answered straightway unto him Owlglass: “Nay; but, in the evil one’s name, how can ye think that it be my fault, that when ye say one thing I should understand ye to mean another thing? If that I had known what ye would have done, would I not have sewn the sleeves on, and then slept an hour or twain? Now may ye sit ye down, for I will get me unto my bed.” Thereat said the tailor: “Not so; I will not receive into my house folk that lazy be and sleep.” Then did they strive together in anger; and the tailor would have payment of Owlglass for the candles he had burned, but this would not Owlglass give him; therefore took he that which belonged unto him, and departed.
The Fifty and Fourth Adventure.
How that Owlglass caused three tailors to fall from their board, and then would have persuaded the people that the wind had blown them down.
On the market at Brandenburg, Owlglass abode in an inn for a matter of fourteen days. And hard by there dwelt a tailor, and on his board had he three of his men sitting at work. And when that Owlglass passed by over against them, they did nothing but mock him, and throw rags after him. And all this time kept Owlglass silence; and one day when that it was a full market-day, did he secretly the night before saw through the posts which held up the board, and so left them standing. In the morning did the men put the board on the posts, and sate them down as usual, and sewed. At the time when that the swineherd blew his horn that every one might drive forth his swine, came the tailor’s swine forth likewise, and ran under the window, and against the posts began to rub themselves; then came down the three tailors, and fell upon the ground, and sorely hurt themselves. And when Owlglass marked that they fell, he cried with a loud voice: “Behold, ye people, of what light account are tailors, when that by the wind three are blown down from the board!” These words of Owlglass heard the whole market, and the people therein. Then ran all the market-place in great haste, and laughed, and mocked the tailors with great scorn; and then did the tailors abuse each one the other with much evil language, for they wist not how it had come to pass that they had fallen. At last did they behold that the posts were sawed through, and knew well that it was Owlglass. Then did they set new posts in the ground, but mocked him no longer.
The Fifty and Fifth Adventure.
How that Owlglass assembled all the tailors throughout the whole land of Saxony, by proclaiming that he would teach them a mighty useful thing, that would get bread both for them and their children.
On a time, Owlglass made proclamation in the whole of the Wendic Union, and in the land of Saxony, that is, in Holstein, Pommern, Stettin, and Mecklenburg, and likewise in Lübeck, Hamburg, in the Sound, and at Wismar; and in his letters said, that truly the tailors in those parts should come unto him, for tidings of great joy and content did he bring, and a cunning and rare art would he disclose unto them, by the which they should have great comfort and gain, and their children after them. And he said, that they should come unto him into the town of Rostock, and so should assemble together. Then did they all make answer unto Owlglass, that for so great an art would they willingly come, and learn that art of which he spake.
And so came they all together upon occasion to Rostock; and the folks were all amazed as to why so great a number of tailors came and abode in that town. When that Owlglass also heard that they had approached and entered into the town, he was right glad; and he let them grow in multitude until that among these tailors were a goodly number of men. Thereafter spake they unto Owlglass, and said unto him, that, according unto his word, they had come together, and that they would fain learn of him what that art was which they should be taught, and the which should benefit both them and their children. Then besought they him that he should soon teach them; and rarely would they recompence him therefor. And Owlglass answered, and said unto them: “Yea; do ye all together come into a field, so that all may hear.” And according unto his saying did they.
Then gat him Owlglass up into a house, which overlooked the field, and there looked he forth from a window; and he lifted up his voice, and said unto them: “Honourable artificers in the tailoring trade, I bid ye mark and perceive, that when ye have by ye scissors, ellwand, thread, thimble, needle, and a smoothing-iron, the which ye call a goose, then have ye enough tools for your business; and to get them, therein is no art, for common is it, and cometh of itself. But do ye steadfastly learn of me this art, and bear ye me in mind when that ye do it. When that ye take a thread, forget ye not at the end thereof that is contrary unto that which ye thread in the needle to make a knot, or, in good sooth, ye will make many a stitch in vain.” Thereat did one tailor look upon his neighbour; and they each one said unto the other: “Lo! was not this a thing well known unto all of us, and of old time a rule among us?” Then did they ask him whether he had anything further to tell them. “Verily! for phantasy’s sake would not we have come twelve weary miles, or despatched from one to the other messengers of speed; and this art ye have told us have we known these thousand years.” Then answered Owlglass unto the tailors, and said unto them: “That which hath been known these thousand years is marked of no man; and when that people are bidden to think upon it, do they not in any wise thank the speaker.” Therefore might they depart again unto where they had come from. Then were the tailors who had come from afar very wroth with Owlglass, and would fain have come to him, and beaten him; but he was nimble and escaped them. Then conferred they one with the other, and laughed, and said: “Truly was it their own fault that they were thus befooled; for knew they not of old what a slippery fellow was this same Owlglass?”
The Fifty and Sixth Adventure.
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; and that pleased the master exceedingly. And on the Wednesday there fell a saint’s day, the which was a holy day and should be kept; yet gat Owlglass to his labour again, and ’gan to work and beat his wool, so that ye might hear him right down the street. The master arose from his bed when that he heard the noise, and cried unto Owlglass with a loud voice: “Be ye still; be ye still; to-day is a holy day, and we may not labour.” Then said Owlglass: “Dear master, said ye not on Sunday, that ye loved not that one should be idle on a holy day; but ye said, that I should work the whole week through.” And the woolstapler answered him: “Nay; but I meant not that. Leave thy labour now, and that which thou wouldst have earned to-day will I pay thee.” And this fitted Owlglass right well; and he kept the holy day, and at eventide he supped with his master. Then conferred they; and the master said unto him, that the wool contented him not, and he bade Owlglass, that he should beat it up a little higher. And Owlglass said: “Yea;” and in the morning he arose from his bed early, and fixed up the frame to the beam, and gat him a ladder, and mounted thereupon, and with his rod beat the wool, so that all the town could hear the noise. The while lay the master in bed, and he perceived right certainly that Owlglass was not beating the wool as he should do; therefore he gat up, and went, and looked upon him. And he spake unto him jestingly: “By my troth, and if ye stood upon the roof so would ye be yet higher; and little would it rede whether ye stood on the ladder or the roof.” And therewith departed he unto the church. Thereupon did Owlglass take the frame, and climbed up on the roof, and there beat the wool. That saw his master from the street as he came along; and he cried aloud unto him, and came running: “Ha! ho! what do ye there upon the roof? Is that a thing ye should do, to beat the wool upon the roof?” And Owlglass said: “Truly did I according unto thy words. For thou didst say, that it would be better upon the roof than the ladder, for that the roof was higher than the beam.” And the woolstapler said: “Play ye no more of your knaveries; get ye forth from my house, nor do ye again come hither.” Thereat departed Owlglass, and lamented that he could never earn any thanks.