The Sixtieth Adventure.
How that Owlglass for a tanner prepared leather with stools and benches, at the good city of Brunswick on the Dam.
Now it fortuned that as Owlglass journeyed from Leipzig, he came unto Brunswick to a tanner there, who made ready the leather for the shoemaker. And it was winter time, and he said unto himself: “Now shalt thou stay the winter through with this tanner.” Then agreed they together, and he hired himself unto him. And after that eight days had gone by, it came to pass that the tanner desired to depart unto a feast, and he commanded Owlglass the while that he should make ready some leather. For he said unto him: “The cauldron of leather prepare ye.” And Owlglass asked him: “What shall I do it with? and where shall I find wood for the fire?” And the tanner answered and said unto him: “Wherefore ask ye such an idle question? If that I had no wood upon the wood-heap, have I yet store of stools and benches enough in the house, with the which thou mayest prepare the leather.” And Owlglass answered: “Yea;” and then departed the tanner. Then did Owlglass take a cauldron, and hung it over the fire, and put one skin of leather after another therein, and boiled the leather until it was so soft that ye might, with two fingers, rend it in twain. And when that Owlglass found this he took a hatchet, and therewith hewed in pieces every stool and bench the which were in the house, and he put them in the fire under the cauldron, and boiled the leather yet more until that he looked therein again, and lo! these stools and benches were all burned up. Then took he the leather out of the cauldron, and put it in a heap, and departed out of the house and the city, and continued his journeying.
But the tanner thought not a jot upon the matter, but ate and drank, and gat him to bed, and slept. Next morning ’gan he to think it was time he should see what labour had been fulfilled of his man; therefore he arose, and went unto the workshop, and found the heap of leather so marred, and neither stool or bench in the place. Then grew he right angry, and went unto his wife, and said unto her: “Behold, I fear our man that we hired was Owlglass, that great knave, cheat, and beguiler; for it is his custom to do everything that is told according to the words spoken unto him. And now hath he departed, and marred me all the leather, and burned me up every stool and bench the which stood in our house.” Then wept his wife, and spake unto him, saying: “Get ye after him with all speed, and bring him back hither.” But the tanner said: “Nay, that will I not do. I have had of him enough.” And perchance was this saying true.
The Sixty and First Adventure.
How that Owlglass was groom unto a noble lord, and what knavery he wrought unto his lord’s horse, Rosimond.
On a time it fortuned, that with a lord of great wealth and much land, our noble Master Owlglass took service. Now this most noble gentleman, when that he entered into the lord his household, was made to be groom of the horses; and his lord commanded and enjoined him, that he should have a great care of the horses, and in especial he desired Owlglass to dress and tend a horse of a milk-white skin and gentle blood, named Rosimond. And this horse did his lord love better than any other steed; for that it was of a disposition most rare. Yet did Owlglass none the less bethink him of a knavery the which he might do unto this lord; for from a deceitful beguiling could he at no time refrain. But he answered his lord when that he charged him; and spake unto him, saying: “Yea, my good lord and master; all that ye bid me to do will I with great diligence perform.” And therewith departed his lord from him, and rejoiced with great content that he had obtained for himself so excellent a groom.
In no long time thereafter were all the horses put forth into the fields, there to graze, and to exercise themselves after the manner of horses. Then gat Owlglass unto his lord, and stood before him, and said: “Of a truth, master, well know I that of thy horses there is not one that thou lovest so well as thou dost the milk-white steed Rosimond.” And thereto said his master: “Yea.” “Then of that steed,” answered Owlglass, “have I had special care. Yet I fear me, master, that by thy answer unto me, he will not be long to live.” Then said his master: “If that be so, and my beloved steed is not long to live, go thou, my trusty groom, and get ye me his skin, that I may have it.” For Rosimond’s skin was of a most rare beauty. Thereat answered Owlglass: “Yea;” and gat him to the field where Rosimond was grazing, and pursued him. But the horse was very fleet, and fled before Owlglass; and it was eventide ere Owlglass caught him. Then when he had thus caught him, he took a knife and killed Rosimond, and took his skin, and brought it unto his lord. And when that he brought it unto him, he said unto Owlglass: “How cometh this? Verily, the whole day hast thou been away, and surely in a less time than a whole day couldst thou have taken off the skin.” And Owlglass excused himself, saying: “Lo! my good lord, most truly sayest thou that in less than a whole day could I have taken off the skin; yet had I great labour in the matter, for Rosimond fled before me, and was fleet of foot. Now have I brought the skin, as thou didst enjoin me.” Then waxed the master of Owlglass very wroth, and cried aloud unto him: “Thou knave, was not my horse Rosimond dead then? Didst thou kill my horse?” To him quoth Owlglass: “Yea, truly killed I the horse; for so cruel am I not, that I should take the skin off a living horse. For in torture-chambers do they only such things, either unto man or unto beast.” Then wept the lord greatly for his beloved horse; and he would have killed Owlglass, but that Owlglass fled, saying: “I did but according to the words of my master; for I said unto him, that I feared me that the horse would not live any long while; and then commanded he that I should take his skin, the which I have done, and my kind heart hath injured me, in that I did not skin the horse ere I killed it.” Then departed Owlglass in great haste, and came not again into that lord’s house.
The Sixty and Second Adventure.
How that Owlglass beguiled the drawer at the town-house cellar of Lübeck, and did for a can of wine give him a can of water.
When that Owlglass came unto Lübeck, he took great heed to commit no knavery; for in that town are the folk very strict upon such as beguile or deceive. Therefore was our good master sadly perplexed and unhappy, for that in no wise could he gratify the feelings of his heart and content himself as he was wont to do. And at that time there lived in the town of Lübeck a drawer, named Lamprecht, who kept the cellar at the town house; and he was a man very proud, who believed that no person in Lübeck,—yea, no person in the whole world,—was so wise and so important and so discerning as he. Nor did he at any time think that he might not say it of himself; and when that he said it, he used to add, that one that would beguile him must of a morning rise very early. For this reason were the citizens very wroth with him, and held him as an enemy.
Now when that Owlglass heard of the arrogance of this man, he could no longer keep hidden the knave which he was; and he thought within himself, that he would soon shew that he was an even master in craft and cunning with him. Therefore took he two cans of the same size and form; the one he carried openly in his hand, and it was empty; but the other bare he secretly under his cloak, and it was filled with water. Then departed he unto the wine-cellar, and there had a measure of wine meted unto him, and then deftly took forth the can with water and set it down, and put the wine-can within his cloak. And Owlglass lifted up his voice, and said unto the drawer: “Worshipful master drawer, what costeth this wine?” And he answered, and said unto him: “Truly, it is tenpence the measure.” Then said Owlglass: “The wine is marvellous costly. I have no more than sixpence. Can I have it for that money?” Then waxed the drawer very wroth, and said: “Wilt thou dare to value the wine of my lords the town council? Here have we a fixed sum; and he that liketh not the price, may let the wine stay in the butt.” Therewith taketh he in his wrath the can with the water in it; and Owlglass said unto him: “See thou, an if ye will not have the sixpence, therefore I am content ye shall pour it back.” Then the drawer poured the water into the butt, for he thought that it was the wine; and he said unto him: “What a foolish knave art thou? Thou hast wine meted unto thee, but thou carest not to pay therefor.” Then took Owlglass the empty can, and departed, and said: “Verily do I see that thou art a fool; and there is no one so cunning and wise in this world, that may not by a fool be beguiled. Aye, and that too if he were a drawer!” Then he returned forth from the cellar, and he thought himself safe.