A Picture-book of Merry Tales Read online

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  A PICTURE-BOOK OF MERRY TALES.

  _The Dwarfs' Capers._]

  Title Page]

  A Picture-Book OF Merry Tales.

  _London: Bosworth and Harrison, 215, Regent Street._

  CONTENTS.

  Page I. The Birth of Owlglass, and how he was thrice baptized 1

  II. How all the People of the Village, both Men and Women, made complaints of young Owlglass; and how, whilst on horseback with his Father, without his knowledge, he made game of them all 5

  III. How Owlglass crept into a Beehive; and how, when two Thieves came in the night to steal it, he managed to set them quarrelling, so that they came to blows and left the Hive behind them 10

  IV. How Owlglass ate a roasted Fowl off the spit, and did only half Work 15

  V. How Owlglass was forbidden the Duchy of Luneburgh, and bought himself Land of his own 19

  VI. Of the manner in which Owlglass paints a Picture for the Count of Hessen, and how he persuades him that those of base birth could not see the Painting 23

  VII. How, at Erfurt, Owlglass taught a Donkey to read 29

  VIII. How Owlglass brought it about that the Watch of Nurenberg fell into the Water 33

  IX. How Owlglass appears as Dentist and Doctor 37

  X. How Owlglass sells his Horse to a Jew, and on what Terms 41

  XI. How Owlglass sells an Old Hat for more than its Weight in Gold 45

  XII. How Owlglass, by means of a false Confession, cheated the Priest of Riesenburgh out of his Horse; and how he steals another Priest's Snuff-box 48

  XIII. How a Bootmaker of Brunswick larded Owlglass's Boots; and how he was paid for doing so 56

  XIV. How Owlglass hires himself to a Tailor; and how well he executes his Master's Orders 60

  XV. How Owlglass caused Three Tailors to fall from their Work-board, and persuaded the People that the Wind had blown them down 63

  XVI. How Owlglass tells a Truth to a Smith, to his Wife, his Assistant, and his Maidservant, for which he gets his Horse shod 66

  XVII. How Owlglass hired himself to a Merchant as Cook and Coachman 70

  XVIII. How Owlglass cheated a Horse-dealer at Wismar, and afterwards cheated the Public 78

  XIX. How Owlglass sowed Rogues 82

  XX. How Owlglass hired himself to a Barber, and entered his House through the Window 85

  XXI. How Owlglass frightened an Innkeeper at Eisleben with a dead Wolf 90

  XXII. The Grateful Animals 95

  XXIII. Tim Jarvis 106

  XXIV. The Shoemaker and the Dwarfs 115

  XXV. The Countryman and the Jew 121

  XXVI. My Watch 130

  XXVII. Fittletetot 140

  XXVIII. The wee Bannock 148

  XXIX. Jock and his Mother 154

  XXX. The Irish Highwayman 161

  XXXI. Fiddling Jackey 169

  XXXII. Teeny-Tiny 199

  XXXIII. The Cannibal Cow 203

  XXXIV. The Three Men of Gotham on Nottingham Bridge 224

  XXXV. The Man of Gotham and his Cheeses 231

  XXXVI. Twelve Men of Gotham go out Fishing together 236

  XXXVII. The Cobbler's Wager 243

  XXXVIII. The Miller and his Donkey 256

  XXXIX. Dr. Dobbs, and his Horse Nobbs 263

  XL. The Brownie 268

  [Decoration]

  I.

  _The Birth of Owlglass, and how he was thrice baptized._

  In the Duchy of Brunswick is a forest called Seib, and in this lies thevillage of Kneitlingen, where the good child Owlglass was born.

  The life of this child does not confirm the old saying, "like fatherlike son," for his father, by name Elaus Owlglass, was a quietrespectable man, and his mother, Anna, was the very model of a woman,for she was meek and a woman of few words. No particular circumstanceattending the birth of our hero is handed down to us, and it thereforewas, probably, not very different to other births; but it is recordedthat he enjoyed the benefit of three distinct Baptisms.

  There does not seem to have been any Church in the village where hewas born, for when the time came for him to be christened he was sentby his parents to the village of Amptlen, where he received the nameof Tyll Owlglass. The place is still remembered as the scene of thisceremony; but also because close by there stood once a castle of thesame name, destroyed, as a nest of robbers, by the good people ofMagdeburgh, with the help of their neighbours.

  At the time we are speaking of it was the custom of the land that thegodfathers and godmothers, together with the nurse and child, shouldadjourn, immediately after the christening, to an alehouse, there toenjoy themselves; and that part of the ceremony was not forgotten orneglected on this occasion. Now it was a long way from the Church tothe ale-house, and the day was very hot, so that the party indulgedrather freely in the refreshing beverage, delaying their homewardjourney as long as possible.

  At length, however, they had to get on their way; and the nurse, whosehead was rather giddy and legs not over-steady, had very unpleasantvisions of a narrow footpath with ground sloping down into a muddyditch, and she had serious forebodings of how that p
art of the journeywould be accomplished. The nearer she drew to the dreaded spot the moreher nervousness increased, and young Tyll, whether that she clutchedhim more firmly to her, or whether he too had forebodings of danger,began to kick and struggle in her arms, so that her stopping on thebrink of danger, to gather steadiness and courage, was of no manner ofuse, for just as one foot rested on a loose stone a violent plunge ofthe child threw her fairly off her legs, and threw himself over herhead into the ditch below. But weeds are not easily extirpated; so noharm happened to the child excepting that he was covered with mud andslime. Then he was taken home and washed.

  _Owlglass's Second Baptism._]

  Thus Owlglass was, on one and the same day, thrice baptized. First, inall proper order and due form, then in the muddy ditch, and lastly,in warm water to cleanse him from the dirt. This was symbolic of themany mishaps of his future life, for evil is sure to fall back upon itsperpetrator.

  II.

  _How all the People of the Village, both Men and Women, made complaints of young Owlglass; and how, whilst on horseback with his Father, without his knowledge, he made game of them all._

  Our young acquaintance, Tyll, began at an early age to show signs ofa decidedly marked character. He was full of life and spirits, as theother children of the village found out to their cost, for no soonercould he crawl amongst them than he played all manner of tricks. Intruth he was more like a monkey than the child of respectable Christianparents, and when he had reached the age of four years he became dailymore mischievous. He played his companions as many tricks daily as hewas inches high, and, as "ill weeds grow apace," he soon became almostunbearable; but yet they could not do without him, so quick was hisinvention at all games, which, however, he so contrived that they weresure to end in a quarrel, taking care to get out of it himself beforethe blows came; and he would afterwards mock and laugh at those whohad got hurt. He was even more dangerous away than with them, for hewas then most certainly planning mischief. He would find out holes inthe ground, which he carefully covered with sticks and grass, and thenforemost in the race to a mark he had set up a little beyond the hole,he would stop short, in time to watch the others tumble one over theother into the trap he had set them.

  Neither were the girls spared. Unknown to them he would fasten theirpetticoats together with thorns, as they sat on the ground, and thenfrighten them, so as to make them jump up suddenly, when he did notfail to point out the rents in their dresses, and laugh at them for thescolding and beating they would get at home. A hundred different trickshe played them, so that every day some were sure to be sent home cryingand complaining.

  True, he got many a thrashing from boys bigger and stronger thanhimself; but so sure was he to repay them tenfold, in one way oranother, that both big and small were afraid of him. Nor were theparents spared when he could safely do mischief to man or woman, sothat constant complaints were made to his father, to whom, however, heknew how to defend and excuse himself so artfully that the good simpleman thought his dear child shamefully ill-used.

  _Young Owlglass mocking the Villagers._]

  Tired, at length, of these daily complaints, his father determined totake him out with him when he knew the street would be full, in orderto show the people how well and soberly his boy could behave; so,taking him behind him on his horse, having first impressed upon himthat he must be very good, they started off together. Now what did thisobedient child do? He put his finger up to his nose, and by variousother insulting gestures mocked the people as they passed, till therewas a general outcry against the mischievous little imp. His fatherwas sorely puzzled; and Tyll, pretending to cry, said to him, "Youhear, dear Father, what the people say. You know that I am sitting herequietly, without saying a single word, and yet all complain of me." Hisfather hereupon places his dear child before him. Young hopeful, nowseated before his father, could do nothing but make faces and put outhis tongue at the people, who again were loud in their complaints. Thepoor man, who could see no fault in his darling, said, "Do not fret,my own dear Boy. We will go and live somewhere else, and get away fromthese evil-minded people." He did, indeed, move to a distance, andnot many years after died, leaving wife and child in great poverty.Now young Tyll, though sixteen years old, had learnt no business, noranything useful or good, but with years had increased in all malice andmischief.

  [Decoration]

  III.

  _How Owlglass crept into a Beehive; and how, when two Thieves came in the night to steal it, he managed to set them quarrelling, so that they came to blows and left the Hive behind them._

  We pass over a few years of Owlglass's life during which he continuedto thrive in body, but we are sorry to say gave no signs of moralimprovement. However, in the adventure we are about to relate, he wasnot so much to blame, the sufferers being scarcely better than himself,and in no way deserving of our sympathy.

  He went one day, with his mother, to a feast in a neighbouring village,where, having eaten and drunk as much as he could bear for the time,he looked about him for a convenient place to sleep. He found somebeehives, four of which were empty, and creeping into one of these hethought he would have an hour's quiet rest, but slept from mid-day tomid-night, so that his mother thought he had gone back home. Now inthat night two thieves came to steal one of the beehives, and havingheard that the heaviest was always the best, they tried the weight ofeach; and finding that one the heaviest in which Owlglass was, theysettled between them that that was the one they would take, and walkedoff with it. The night was as dark as pitch, so that there was noseeing at all; but Owlglass was awake, and had heard them consultingwith each other. The motion was not unpleasant as they carried himalong; but yet he thought he could do better than sleep, and aftershort consideration he stretched out one hand, and with his fingerfirst slightly touched the neck of the man before him, then he touchedhis nose, chin, cheeks, and forehead. At each touch of the finger thethief thought one of the bees had settled on him, till he fancied hisface covered with them, and dreaded every moment to feel their sting.He dared not speak nor move a muscle of his face, but trembled withfear till the perspiration streamed down him. At length, however,scarcely moving his jaws, he ventured to mutter to his companion, "Isay, Jack," he said, "have you anything on your face?" "Yes," growledhis companion, who was not in the best of humours, for he began to findthe hive heavy, "I have a nose on my face, and pray what have you tosay against it?" "It is not that I mean," said the first speaker; "buthave you ever heard that bees swarm in the dark, for I am covered withthem?" "You are a fool," was Jack's only reply. After a minute Owlglassagain put out his hand; and this time gave the front man a sharp tug bythe hair, who, thinking his companion had done it, began to complainand swear. The other cried, "How is it possible I could pull your hair?Do I not want both my hands to carry this abominable hive? You must bemad or drunk; but let us have no more of your nonsense, or it will bethe worse for you."

  Owlglass laughed in his sleeve, enjoying this fine sport; and, afterthey had gone on a little further, he caught hold of the fellow'shair at the back, giving his head such a pull forward that he scrapedhis nose against the hive. The fellow's rage now knew no bounds. "Youscoundrel," he cried, "first you say I pull your hair and now youpull mine; but wait, you shall catch it." Whereupon he let go of thehive, and the other doing the like, they fell upon each other, anda furious fight began. At length they both came to the ground, and,rolling one over the other down a steep bank, they became separated,and in the great darkness neither knew where to find the other nor thebeehive.

  _Owlglass in the Beehive._]

  Owlglass, seeing it was still dark, went to sleep again in the hive;and the next morning, not knowing where he was, went on his way whitherchance might lead him.

  [Decoration]

  IV.

  _How Owlglass ate a roasted Fowl off the spit, and did only half Work._

  The first village Owlglass came to he went straight to the Priest'shouse. Here he was hired, the Priest telling him
that he should live aswell as he and his cook, and do only half the work.

  Owlglass agreed, promising himself to the very letter to act up to whathad been said. The cook, who had but one eye, put two chickens to thefire to roast, bidding him turn the spit. This he readily did, thinkingall the while of the Priest's words, that he should live as well as heand his cook; and, when the chickens were well roasted, took one ofthem off the spit, and ate it then and there.

  When dinner-time had come the cook went to the fire to baste thechickens, and seeing only one, said to Owlglass, "What has become ofthe other fowl?" To this he answered, "Open your other eye, my goodWoman, and you will see the two." She flew into a passion at having herdefect of the loss of one eye thus thrown in her teeth, and straightwaywent to her master, to whom she complained of the insult offered toher, and how that his new servant understood cooking so well thattwo chickens dwindled down into one. The Priest thereupon went intothe kitchen, and said, "Why is it, Owlglass, that you have mocked myservant? I see that there is only one fowl on the spit, whereas therewere two; what has become of the other?" Owlglass answered, "Openboth your eyes, and you will see that the other fowl is on the spit.I only said the same to your cook, when she grew angry." The Priestlaughed, and said, "My cook cannot open both eyes since she has onlyone." Owlglass replied, "That you say, I do not say so." The Priestcontinued, "With all this, there is but one fowl." Owlglass said, "Theother I have eaten, for you said I should live as well as you and yourcook, and therefore one chicken was for me, and the other for you two.I should have been grieved that what you said were not true, and thusI took my share beforehand." "Well, well, my good Fellow," his mastersaid, "it matters little about the eaten fowl, only you do in futurewhat my cook tells you." Owlglass said, "Yes, my dear Master, as youtold me so will I do." Now, at the hiring, the Priest had said Owlglassshould do half the work which the cook would tell him, so that he onlydid the half of what she told him to do.