雙語《列那狐》 34

CHAPTER XXXIV

“MY Lord,”said Dame Ersewynde,“I pray you hear how he can blow with all winds, and how fair brings he his matters forth.”

“Thus has he brought me many time in scathe and hurt,”said the Wolf.“He has once betrayed me to the She Ape, my aunt, where I was in great dread and fear, for I left there almost my one ear. If the Fox will tell it, how it befel, I will give him the fordele thereof, for I cannot tell it so well but he shall beryspe me.”

“Well,”said the Fox,“I shall tell it without stammering. I shall say the truth. I pray you hearken me. He came into the wood and complained to me that he had great hunger; for I saw him never so full but he would alway have had fain more. I have wonder where the meat becomes that he destroys. I see now on his countenance that he begins to grymme for hunger. When I heard him so complain, I had pity of him. And I said, I was also hungry. Then went we half a day together and found nothing. Tho whined he and cried, and said he might go no further. Then espied I a great hole, standing in the middis under an hawe which was thick of brambles, and I heard a rushing therein, I wist not what it was. Then said I,‘Go therein and look if there be anything there for us; I wot well there is somewhat.’Tho said he,‘Cousin, I would not creep into that hole for twenty pound, but I wist first what is therein. Methinks that there is some perilous thing. But I shall abide here under this tree, if you will go therein before. But come anon again, and let me wete what thing is therein. You can many a subtlety, and can well help yourself, and much better than I.’See my Lord the King, thus he made me, poor wight, to go before into the danger, and he, which is great, long, and strong, abode without and rested him in peace. Await if I did not for him, there. I would not suffer the dread and fear that I there suffered, for all the good in earth, but if I wist how to escape. I went hardily in. I found the way dark, long, and broad. Ere I right in the hole came, so espied I a great light which came in from that one side. There lay in a great Ape with two great wide eyes, and they glimmed as a fire; and she had a great mouth with long teeth, and sharp nails on her feet and on her hands; I weened it had be a mermouse, a baubyn, or a mercatte, for I saw never fouler beast. And by her lay three of her children, which were right foul, for they were right like the mother. When they saw me come, they gapeden wide on me and were all still. I was afraid and would well I had been thence; but I thought, I am therein, I must there through, and come out as well as I may. As I saw her, me thought she seemed more than Esegrim the Wolf, and her children were more than I. I saw never a fouler meyne. They lay on foul hay which was all bepissed. They were beslabbed and beclagged to their ears too in her own dung. It stank that I was almost smothered thereof. I durst not say but good, and then I said,‘Aunt, God give you good day, and all my cousins, your fair children, they be of their age the fairest that ever I saw. O, Lord God, how well please they me! how lovely! how fair be they! Each of them for their beauty might be a great king's son! Of right we ought to thank you, that you thus increase our lineage. Dear Aunt, when I heard say that you were delivered and laid down I could no longer abide, but must come and friendly visit you. I am sorry that I had not erst known it.’‘Reynart, cousin,’said she,‘you be welcome. For that you have found me, and thus come see me, I thank you. Dear cousin, you be right true, and named right wise in all lands, and also that you gladly further and bring your lineage in great worship. You must teach my children with yours some wisdom, that they may know what they shall do and leave. I have thought on you, for gladly you go and fellowship with the good.’Oh how well was I pleased when I heard these words. This deserved I at the beginning when I called her aunt; howbeit that she was nothing sybbe to me; for my right Aunt is Dame Rukenawe that yonder stands, which is wont to bring forth wise children. I said,‘Aunt, my life and my good is at your commandment, and what I may do for you by night and by day. I will gladly teach them all that I can.’I would fain have be thence for the stench of them; and also I had pity of the great hunger that Esegrim had. I said,‘Aunt, I shall commit you and your fair children to God and take my leave. My wife shall think long after me.’‘Dear cousin,’said she,‘you shall not depart till you have eaten; for if you did I would say you were not kind.’Tho stood she up and brought me in another hole, whereas was much meat of harts and hinds, roes, pheasants, partridges, and much other venison, that I wondered from whence all this meat might come. And when I had eaten my bellyful, she gave me a great piece of an hind for to eat with my wife and with my household when I come home. I was ashamed to take it, but I might none otherwise do. I thanked her and took my leave. She bade me I should come soon again. I said I would, and so departed thence merrily that I so well had sped. I hasted me out, and when I came, saw Esegrim which lay groaning. And I asked him how he fared. He said,‘Nephew, all evil, for it is wonder that I live. Bring you any meat to eat? I die for hunger.’Tho had I compassion of him and gave him that I had, and saved him there his life; whereof then he thanked me greatly, howbeit that he now owes me evil will. He had eaten this up anon, tho said he,‘Reynart, dear cousin, what found you in that hole? I am more hungry now than I was before. My teeth are now sharped to eat.’I said then,‘Eme, haste you then lightly into that hole. You shall find there enough. There lies my Aunt with her children; if you will spare the truth, and lie great leasings, you shall have there all your desire. But and you say truth, you shall take harm.’My Lord, was not this enough said and warned, who so would understand it, that all that he found, he should say the contrary. But rude and plump beasts cannot understand wisdom; therefore hate they all subtle inventions, for they cannot conceive them. Yet nevertheless, he said he would go in, and lie so many leasings, ere he should mishap, that all men should have wonder of it; and so went forth into that foul stinking hole, and found the marmosette. She was like the devil's daughter, and on her hung much filth clottered in gobbets. Tho cried he,‘Alas, me growls of these foul nickers! Come they out of hell? Men may make devils afraid of them. Go and drown them, that evil might they fear! I saw never fouler worms, they make all my hair to stand right up.’‘Sir Esegrim,’said she,‘what may I do thereto? They are my children, and I must be their mother. What lies that in your way, whether they be foul or fair? They have you nothing cost. Here has been one to-day before you which was to them nigh of kin, and was your better and wiser; and he said that they were fair. Who has sent you hither with these tidings?’‘Dame, will you wit, I will eat of your meat. It is better bestowed on me than on these foul wights.’She said,‘Here is no meat.’He said,‘Here is enough.’And therewith he stert with his head toward the meat, and would have gone into the hole where the meat was. But my aunt stert up with her children, and run to him with their sharp long nails so sore that the blood ran over his eyes. I heard him cry sore and howl, but I know of no defence that he made but that he ran fast out of the hole. And he was there scratched and beaten, and many an hole had they made in his coat and skin. His visage was all on a blood and almost he had lost his one ear. He groaned and complained to me sore: then asked I him if he had well lied. He said,‘I said like as I saw and found, and that was a foul beast with many foul wights.’‘Nay, Eme,’said I,‘you should have said Fair niece how fare you and your fair children which are my wellbeloved cousins?’The Wolf said,‘I had liefer that they were hanged ere I that said.’‘Yea, Eme, therefore must you receive such manner payment. It is better otherwhile to lie than to say truth. They that are better wiser and stronger than we be have done so before us.’See, my Lord the King, thus got he his red coif. Now stands he all so simply as he knew no harm. I pray you ask you him if it was not thus. He was not far off, if I wot it well.”