The Marvellous Adventures and Rare Conceits of Master Tyll Owlglass. Robert Henderson Mackenzie Kenneth
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СКАЧАТЬ Owlglass; and after that time the doctor became famous, and wrote a large book upon the virtue of warm water and blood-letting.

      The Eighteenth Adventure

How that Owlglass became a drawer of teeth and cured all by a wondrous pill

      As Owlglass was going along the road, he met upon the highway, a man whose face was overcome with misery. Owlglass thereat gazed upon him for a season, and after some time spake unto him these words: “Worthy fellow! thou dost seem so wrapped in melancholic humour, would’st tell me what aileth thee?” “Everything in the wide world,” the other made answer: “for I have no money, which is the joy of all worldly business; for it maketh learned, maketh noble, maketh lovely, and merry. Also, maketh it an end of hunger and thirst which now sorely assail me.” Then Owlglass bethought himself for a while, and presently took up from the next field some clay, whereof he made little pills, which he then wrapped in pieces of paper, and said to his comrade: “Be of good cheer, friend! Soon will we have money. Lo, in yonder city, the towers of which we can now see, are there fools in number great. Enter thou in before me, and there go forward till thou seest the best inn in the town, and therein do thou stay. At dinner stay thou as long as thou canst and be merry; yet after a while do thou cry out in great agony, as if thou hadst the tooth-ache. Then will I not be far from thee; and when I come in, be thou ready, and make answer to everything I say: ‘Yea.’ But do not thou let it be perceived that thou knowest me.”

      Then did the twain go forward into the town, and as Owlglass had commanded, so all things came to pass. Owlglass told the people that he was a dentist of great skill, and they called him to the man who was ill. Then took he from his pocket the pills which he had made of the clay, and laid one in the man’s mouth. “Art not thou well now”? said he unto him. “Yea, truly,” answered the other, “all the pain is gone.” Then all the people in the inn came round the doctor in great multitude, and demanded that he should sell unto them his pills. And Owlglass sold what he had for a great sum of money, and an he had had clay enough he could have sold many more. Then shared he the gain with his comrade, and they departed hastily from that place.

      The Nineteenth Adventure

How that Owlglass did at Brunswick hire him to a baker, and did there bake owls and monkeys

      It fortuned upon a time that Owlglass came into Brunswick city, and unto an inn where bakers met together; and hard by lived a baker, who called upon Owlglass to enter into his house, and made inquiry of him, as to the business he might follow. Then answered Owlglass to the baker, and spake, for our noble and well beloved master of jests was wily, and, indeed, all things unto all men: “I am a baker’s man.” Thereat said the baker: “Even now have I not any man in my house to serve me; wilt thou come to me, for I have need of thee?” Owlglass at that answered: “Yea.” And when that he had been with him two days, the baker commanded him to bake at eventide, for that he could not help him until the morning. Then said Owlglass: “But what would ye have me to bake?” Thereat waxed the baker wroth, for he was a man soon hot i’ the head, and he made answer in scorn, and said: “Art a baker’s man, and askest thou what ye should bake? What do ye bake? Owls and monkeys bake ye?” And thereafter gat he him to bed.

      Then departed Owlglass into the bake-room, and made the dough into nought but the shape of owls and monkeys, and these did he bake in the oven. At morning time arose the master baker, and went into the bake-room to aid his man. Then cometh he, and findeth neither rolls nor loaves, but rather a goodly mass of owls and monkeys. And he opened his mouth in great rage and said unto Owlglass: “What is it that thou hast baken?” And Owlglass did answer him and said: “Verily have I done that which thou didst tell me to do.” And the baker, in great wroth, said: “What shall I do with this foolish knave? Such bread will no one have?” And therewith took he him by the head, and said unto him: “Pay me for the dough thou hast spoiled!” Then said Owlglass: “And if I pay ye for the dough, will the goods be mine?” And the master answered: “What care I for such bread?” So Owlglass paid the baker for his dough, and he took the owls and monkeys in a basket, and he carried them away unto the inn, the sign of which was the Wild Man. And Owlglass thought within himself: “Thou hast often heard it said, that to Brunswick canst thou bring nothing novel or strange, but therefrom mayst thou draw great profit for thy pains.” And it was Saint Nicholas’ even. Then stood Owlglass with his store hard by the church gate; and he sold all his owls and monkeys at great price, and therefrom drew he a much greater profit than what he had paid unto the baker for his dough. This was noised about, and soon came it heard of the baker, who waxed very angry thereupon, and he ran unto Saint Nicolas’ Church, and would have demanded either his share, or the charges of baking. But Owlglass had already departed with the money, and the baker might look far and wide for him. This feat of our good exemplar showeth plainly, that there is nothing so vain or foolish in this world, but that it hath profit contained within it for those who study to arrive thereat.

      The Twentieth Adventure

How Owlglass did again hire him unto a baker, and how he bolted meal in the moon’s light

      Thereafter departed Owlglass, and wandered hither and thither in the land; and at last came he toward Oltzen, and entered into the village there. And when he was besought of the people to say what trade he exercised, he told them that he was a baker. Then did a master baker in the village hire him; and when that Owlglass was with him present in his house, his master did make ready that he should bake, and he spake unto Owlglass, and did enjoin him that he should bolt the meal, so that it might be prepared against the morning. Then Owlglass answered, and said: “Master, I would fain have a candle, that I may see with, and so diligently do your bidding.” “Nay,” answered the baker; “but that will I not do. No candle shalt thou have, nor have I at any time given unto my serving-men any such candle. Always did they bolt the meal in the moon’s light, and verily must thou likewise do this. And this charge I thee to do.” And Owlglass made answer, saying: “An if your former servants did bolt the meal in the moon’s light, truly then will I also do it.” At that was the master content, and he gat him to bed for a short while.

      Thereafter taketh good Master Owlglass the bag, and he openeth the window and putteth forth the bag, until the moon’s light doth shine thereupon, and then letteth he all the meal fall out on the ground where that the moon shone. And in the morning cometh the master, who desireth to bake, and he findeth Owlglass still casting out the meal. And the baker marvelled much when that he beheld Owlglass, for Owlglass was white with the meal. Then said the master, who was full of anger: “What do ye here, ye knave? Think ye that yon meal cost me nought, that ye throw it in the dirt there?”

      Then answered Owlglass: “Did not ye command me that I should, without a candle, bolt the meal in the moon’s shine, and have not I fulfilled this according to your words?” Then said the baker: “I said you should bolt the meal by the moon’s light.” And Owlglass answered him: “Be then of good cheer, master; verily thy meal is bolted both in and by the moon’s light, and with much pains and weariness have I done this labouring. Nor is there much lost thereby; scarce a handful. Soon will I gather it up again, and the meal will not be in any wise made the worse.” Thereat sayeth the baker: “In that time that thou dost gather up the meal, will it grow too late to make the dough, and then fall to baking.” Then said Owlglass: “Behold, master, I know a piece of counsel, how we may bake as soon as our neighbour yonder. His dough lieth ready in the trough, and I will go thither and quickly fetch it, and carry our meal thither in place thereof.” Thereat grew the master of Owlglass right angry, and said unto him: “May the evil one have thee! Get thee to the gallows-tree, thou knave, and fetch thee thence the first thing that thou dost find; and let the neighbour’s dough lie where it be.” “Yea,” answered Owlglass.

      Then departed he out of the house and went unto the gallows-tree, and there lay the skull of a thief, which had fallen down. This took Owlglass and bare it unto his master, and brought it into his house and said: “Here bring I from the gallows-tree the first thing that I did find. Wherefore would ye have this? Of СКАЧАТЬ