Volume Ii Part 39 (1/2)

”The ashes of Claes were beating upon my heart,” replied Ulenspiegel.

The bailiff then said:

”Thou shalt have the half of the murderer's estate.”

”Give it to the victims,” replied Ulenspiegel.

Lamme and Nele came; Nele, laughing and weeping for gladness, kissed her friend Ulenspiegel; Lamme, jumping heavily, smote him on the stomach, saying:

”This is a brave, a trusty, a faithful one; 'tis my beloved companion; ye have none such, ye others, ye folk of the flat country.”

But the fishermen laughed, mocking at him.

XLIV

The bell called Borgstrom rang next day to summon the bailiff, aldermen, and clerks of the court to the Vierschare on the four turf benches, under the tree of justice, which was a n.o.ble lime tree. All around were the common folk. Being interrogated the fishmonger would confess nothing, even when he was shown the three fingers severed by the soldier, and missing from his right hand. He kept saying:

”I am poor and old; have compa.s.sion.”

But the common folk hooted him, saying:

”Thou art an old wolf, a child killer; do not have pity on him, judges.”

The women said:

”Look not on us with thy cold eyes; thou art a man and not a devil; we do not fear thee. Cruel beast, more coward than a cat devouring small birds in the nest, thou didst kill poor little girls asking to live their pretty little lives in all honesty.”

”Let him pay by slow fire, by red-hot pincers,” cried Toria.

And in spite of the sergeants of the commune, the mothers egged on the lads to throw stones at the fishmonger. And the boys did so eagerly, hooting him every time he looked at them and crying incessantly: ”Blood-zuyger, blood-sucker! Sla dood, kill, kill!”

And Toria cried without ceasing:

”Let him pay by slow fire; by red-hot pincers let him pay!”

And the populace growled.

”See,” said the women among each other, ”how cold he is under the sun that s.h.i.+nes in the sky, warming his white hairs and his face torn by Toria.”

”And he s.h.i.+vers with pain.”

”'Tis the justice of G.o.d.”

”And he stands there with a lamentable air.”

”See his murderer's hands tied before him and bleeding from the wounds of the trap.”

”Let him pay, let him pay!” cried Toria.