雙語(yǔ)《列那狐》 8

CHAPTER VIII

“BRUIN, Eme, I had supposed that you had japed therewith.”

“So help me God, Reynart, nay. I should not gladly jape with you.”

Then spake the red Reynart,“Is it then earnest, that you love so well the honey? I shall do let you have so much that ten of you should not eat it at one meal, might I get therewith your friendship.”

“Not we ten, Reynart Neve!”said the Bear.“How should that be? Had I all the honey that is between this and Portugal I should well eat it alone.”

Reynart said,“What say you, Eme? Hereby dwells an husbandman named Lantfert, which has so much honey that you should not eat in seven years; which you shall have in your hold if you will be to me friendly and helping against my enemies in the King's Court.”

Then promised Bruin the Bear to him, that if he might have his belly full he would truly be to him before all other a faithful friend.

Hereof laughed Reynart the shrew, and said,“If you would have seven hamper barrels full I shall well get them and help you to have them.”These words pleased the Bear so well, and made him so much to laugh that he could not well stand.

Tho thought Reynart,“This is good luck; I shall lead him thither that he shall laugh by measure.”

Reynart said then,“This matter may not be long tarried. I must pain myself for you. You shall well understand the very yonste and good will that I bear to you ward. I know none in all my lineage that I now would labour for thus sore.”

That thanked him the Bear and thought he tarried long.“Now, Eme, let us go a good pace, and follow you me. I shall make you to have as much honey as you may bear.”The Fox meant, of good strokes; but the caitiff marked not what the Fox meant; and they went so long together, that they came unto Lantfert's yard. Tho was sir Bruin merry.

Now hark of Lantfert. Is it true that men say, so was Lantfert a strong carpenter of great timber, and had brought that other day before into his yard a great oak, which he had begun to cleave. And as men be woned he had smitten two betels therein one after that other, in such wise the oak was wide open. Whereof Reynart was glad, for he had found it right as he wished, and said to the Bear all laughing,“See now well sharply to! In this tree is so much honey that it is without measure. Assay if you can come therein, and eat but little, for though the honeycombs be sweet and good, yet beware that you eat not too many, but take of them by measure, that you catch no harm in your body; for, sweet Eme, I should be blamed if they did you any harm.”

“What, Reynart, cousin, sorrow you not for me! Ween you that I were a fool?”

“Measure is good in all meat,”Reynart said.“You say truth. Wherefore should I sorrow? Go to the end and creep therein.”

Bruin the Bear hasted sore toward the honey, and trode in with his two foremost feet, and put his head over his ears into the clift of the tree. And Reynart sprang lightly and brake out the betle of the tree. Tho helped the Bear neither flattering nor chiding; he was fast shut in the tree. Thus has the Neve, with deceit, brought his Eme in prison in the tree, in such wise as he could not get out with might nor with craft, head nor foot.

What profits Bruin the Bear that he strong and hardy is? That may not help him. He saw well that he was beguiled. He began to howl, and to bray, and crutched with the hinder feet, and made such a noise and rumour, that Lantfert came out hastily, and knew nothing what this might be, and brought in his hand a sharp hook. Bruin the Bear lay in the clift of the tree, in great fear and dread, and held fast his head, and nipped both his fore feet. He wrang, he wrestled, and cried, and all was for naught. He wist not how he might get out.

Reynart the Fox saw from far how that Lantfert the carpenter came, and tho spake Reynart to the Bear,“Is that honey good? How is it now? Eat not too much, it should do you harm; you should not then well con go to the Court. When Lantfert comes, if you have well eaten he shall give you better to drink, and then it shall not stick in your throat.”

After these words tho turned him Reynart toward his castle, and Lantfert came and found the Bear fast taken in the tree. Then ran he fast to his neighbours and said,“Come all in to my yard, there is a bear taken!”The word anon sprang over all in the thorp. There nor bleef neither man nor wife, but all ran thither as fast as they could, every one with his weapon, some with a staff, some with a rake, some with a broom, some with a stake of the hedge, and some with a flail; and the priest of the church had the staff of the cross, and the clerk brought a vane. The priest's wife Julocke came with her distaff, —she sat tho and span, —there came old women that for age had not one tooth in their head.

Now was Bruin the Bear nigh much sorrow that he alone must stand against them all. When he heard all this great noise and cry he wrestled and plucked so hard and so sore that he got out his head. But he left behind all the skin and both his ears, in such wise that never man saw fouler nor loather beast, for the blood ran over his eyes. And or he could get out his feet he must lete there his claws or nails and this rough hand. This market came to him evil, for he supposed never to have gone, his feet were so sore, and he might not see for the blood which ran so over his eyes.

Lantfert came to him with the priest, and forthwith all the parish, and began to smite and strike sore upon his head and visage. He received there many a sore stroke. Every man beware hereby: who has harm and scathe, every man will be thereat and put more to. That was well seen on the Bear, for they were all fierce and wroth on the Bear, great and small, yea Hughelyn with the crooked leg, and Ludolf with the broad long nose, they were both wroth. That one had a leaden malle, and that other a great leaden wapper, therewith they wappered and all forslingered him, Sir Bertolt with the long fingers, Lantfert, and Ottram the long. This did to the Bear more harm than all the other, that one had a sharp hook and the other a crooked staff well leaded on the end for to play at the ball. Baetkyn and Aue, Abelquak, my dame Baue, and the priest with his staff, and dame Julocke his wife, these worked to the Bear so much harm that they would fain have brought him from his life to death, they smote and stack him all that they could.

Bruin the Bear sat and sighed and groaned, and must take such as was given to him. But Lantfert was the worthiest of birth of them all, and made most noise; for dame Pogge of Chafporte was his mother, and his father was Macob the stoppelmaker, a much stout man. There as he was alone Bruin received of them many a cast of stones. Before them all sprang first Lantfert's brother with a staff, and smote the Bear on the head that he nor heard nor saw; and therewith the Bear sprang up between the bush and the river among a heap of wives, that he threw a deal of them in the river, which was wide and deep.

There was the parson's wife one of them, wherefore he was full of sorrow when he saw his wife lie in the water. He lusted no longer to smite the Bear, but called,“Dame Julocke in the water! Now every man see to, All they that may help her! Be they men or women, I give to them all pardon of their penance, and release all their sins!”All they then left Bruin the Bear lie, and did that the priest bade.

When Bruin the Bear saw that they ran all from him, and ran to save the women, tho sprang he into the water and swam all that he could. Then made the priest a great shout and noise, and ran after the Bear with great anger, and said,“Come and turn again, thou false thief!”The Bear swam after the best of the stream and let them call and cry, for he was glad that he was so escaped from them. He cursed and banned the honey tree, and the Fox also that had so betrayed him that he had crept therein so deep that he lost both his hood and his ears. And so forth he drove in the stream well a two or three mile. Tho wax he so weary that he went to land for to sit and rest him, for he was heavy; he groaned and sighed, and the blood leapt over his eyes, he drew his breath like as one should have died.

Now hark how the Fox did. Ere he came from Lantfert's house he had stolen a fat hen and had laid her in his male, and ran hastily away by a byou path where he weened that no man should have come. He ran toward the river, that he sweat, he was so glad that he wist not what to do for joy, for he hoped that the Bear had been dead. He said,“I have now well sped, for he that should most have hindered me in the Court is now dead, and none shall wite me thereof, may I not, then, by right be well glad?”With these words the Fox looked to the riverward, and espied where Bruin the Bear lay and rested him. Tho was the Fox sorrier and heavier than before was merry, and was as angry, and said in chiding to Lantfert,“Alas, Lantfert, lewd fool! God give him a shames death that has lost such good venison, which is good and fat, and has let him go which was taken to his hand! Many a man would gladly have eaten of him. He has lost a rich and fat Bear.”Thus all chiding he came to the river, where he found the Bear sore wounded, bled, and right sick, which he might thank none better thereof than Reynart, which he spake to the Bear in scorn:“Chiere priestre, Dieu vous garde! Will you see the red thief?”

Said the Bear to himself,“The ribald and the fell deer, here I see him coming.”

Then said the Fox,“Have you aught forgotten at Lantfert's? Have you also paid him for the honeycombs that you stole from him? If you have not, it were a great shame, and not honest; I will rather be the messenger myself for to go and pay him. Was the honey not good? I know yet more of the same prize. Dear Eme, tell me ere I go hence into what order will you go that wear this new hood? Were you a monk or an abbot? He that shaved your crown has nipped off your ears, you have lost your top and don off your gloves, I think verily that you will go sing compline.”

All this heard Bruin the Bear, and waxed all angry, and sorry for he might not avenge him. He let the Fox say his will, and with great pain suffered it, and start again in the river, and swam down with the stream to that other side.

Now must he sorrow how that he should come to the Court, for he had lost his ears and the skin with the claws of his forefeet; for though a man should have slain him he could not go; and yet he must needs forth, but he wist not how.

Now hear how he did. He sat upon his hams and began to rustle over his tail; and when he was so weary, he wentled and tumbled nigh half a mile; this did he with great pain so long till at last he came to the Court. And when he was seen so coming from far, some doubted what it might be that came so wenteling.

The King at last knew him, and was not well paid, and said,“This is Bruin the Bear, my friend! Lord God, who has wounded him thus? He is passing red on his head: me thinks he is hurt unto the death. Where may he have been?”