第10章OldHildebrand

第10章oldhildebrand

onceuponatimelivedapeasantandhiswife,andtheparsonofthevillagehadafancyforthewife,andhadwishedforalongwhiletospendawholedayhappilywithher.thepeasantwoman,too,wasquitewilling.oneday,therefore,hesaidtothewoman:“listen,mydearfriend,ihavenowthoughtofawaybywhichwecanforoncespendawholedayhappilytogether.i'lltellyouwhat;onwednesday,youmusttaketoyourbed,andtellyourhusbandyouareill,andaslongasyoucomplainandactbeingillproperly,andgoondoingsountilsundaywhenihavetopreach,iwillthensayinmysermonthatwhosoeverhasathomeasickchild,asickhusband,asickwife,asickfather,asickmother,asickbrotherorwhosoeverelseitmaybe,andmakesapilgrimagetotheg?ckerlihillinitaly,whereyoucangetapeckoflaurelleavesforakreuzer,thesickchild,thesickhusband,thesickwife,thesickfather,orsickmother,thesicksister,orwhosoeverelseitmaybe,willberestoredtohealthimmediately.”“iwillmanageit,”saidthewomanpromptly.onthewednesday,therefore,thepeasantwomantooktoherbed,andcomplainedandlamentedasagreedon,andherhusbanddideverythingforherthathecouldthinkof,butnothingdidheranygood,andwhensundaycamethewomansaid:“ifeelasillasifiweregoingtodieatonce,butthereisonethingishouldliketodobeforemyend—ishouldliketoheartheparson'ssermonthatheisgoingtopreachtoday.”onthatthepeasantsaid:“ah,mydear,donotdoit—youmightmakeyourselfworseifyouweretogetup.look,iwillhearthesermon,andwillattendtoitverycarefully,andwilltellyoueverythingtheparsonsays.”

“well,”saidthewoman,“go,then,andpaygreatattention,andrepeattomeallthatyouhear.”sothepeasantheardthesermon,andtheparsonsaid,ifanyonehadathomeasickchild,asickhusband,asickwife,asickfather,asickmother,asicksister,brotheroranyoneelse,andwouldmakeapilgrimagetotheg?ckerlihillinitaly,whereapeckoflaurelleavescostsakreuzer,thesickchild,sickhusband,sickwife,sickfather,sickmother,sicksister,brother,orwhosoeverelseitmightbe,wouldberestoredtohealthinstantly,andwhosoeverwishedtoundertakethejourneywastogotohimaftertheservicewasover,andhewouldgivehimthesackforthelaurelleavesandthekreuzer.thennoonewasmorerejoicedthanthepeasant,andaftertheservicewasover,hewentatoncetotheparson,whogavehimthebagforthelaurelleavesandthekreuzer.afterthathewenthome,andevenatthehousedoorhecried:“hurrah!dearwife,itisnowalmostthesamethingasifyouwerewell!theparsonhaspreachedtodaythatwhosoeverhadathomeasickchild,asickhusband,asickwife,asickfather,asickmother,asicksister,brotherorwhoeveritmightbe,andwouldmakeapilgrimagetotheg?ckerlihillinitaly,whereapeckoflaurelleavescostsakreuzer,thesickchild,sickhusband,sickwife,sickfather,sickmother,sicksister,brother,orwhosoeverelseitwas,wouldbecuredimmediately,andnowihavealreadygotthebagandthekreuzerfromtheparson,andwillatoncebeginmyjourneysothatyoumaygetwellthefaster,”andthereuponhewentaway.hewashardlygonehoweverbeforethewomangotup,andtheparsonwasthereimmediately.

butnowwewillleavethesetwoforawhile,andfollowthepeasant,whowalkedonquicklywithoutstopping,inordertogetthesoonertotheg?ckerlihill,andonhiswayhemethisgossip.hisgossipwasanegg-merchant,andwasjustcomingfromthemarket,wherehehadsoldhiseggs.“mayyoubeblessed,”saidthegossip.“whereareyouofftosofast?”

“toalleternity,myfriend,”saidthepeasant,“mywifeisill,andihavebeentodaytoheartheparson'ssermon,andhepreachedthatifanyonehadinhishouseasickchild,asickhusband,asickwife,asickfather,asickmother,asicksister,brotheroranyoneelse,andmadeapilgrimagetotheg?ckerlihillinitaly,whereapeckoflaurelleavescostsakreuzerthesickchild,thesickhusband,thesickwife,thesickfather,thesickmother,thesicksister,brother,orwhosoeverelseitwas,wouldbecuredimmediately,andsoihavegotthebagforthelaurelleavesandthekreuzerfromtheparson,andnowiambeginningmypilgrimage.”“butlisten,gossip,”saidtheegg-merchanttothepeasant,“areyou,then,stupidenoughtobelievesuchathingasthat?don’tyouknowwhatitmeans?theparsonwantstospendawholedayalonewithyourwifeinpeace,sohehasgivenyouthisjobtodotogetyououtoftheway.”

“myword!”saidthepeasant.“howi'dliketoknowifthat'strue!”

“come,then,”saidthegossip,“i'lltellyouwhattodo.getintomyegg-basketandiwillcarryyouhome,andthenyouwillseeforyourself.”sothatwassettled,andthegossipputthepeasantintohisegg-basket,andcarriedhimhome.

whentheygottothehouse,hurrah!everythingwasalreadyverymerrythere!thewomanhadalreadyhadnearlyeverythingkilledthatwasinthefarmyard,andhadmadepancakes,andtheparsonwasthere,andhadbroughthisfiddlewithhim.thegossipknockedatthedoor,andthewomanaskedwhowasthere.“itisi,gossip,”saidtheegg-merchant,“givemeshelterthisnight;ihavenotsoldmyeggsatthemarket,sonowihavetocarrythemhomeagain,andtheyaresoheavythatishallneverbeabletodoit,foritisdarkalready.”

“indeed,myfriend,”saidthewoman,“youcomeataveryinconvenienttimeforme,butasyouarehereitcan'tbehelped.comein,andtakeaseatthereonthebenchbythestove.”thensheplacedthegossipandthebasketwhichhecarriedonhisbackonthebenchbythestove.theparsonandthewoman,however,wereasmerryascouldbe.atlengththeparsonsaid:“listen,mydearfriend,youcansingbeautifully;singsomethingtome.”“oh,”saidthewoman,“icannotsingnow.inmyyoungdaysindeedicouldsingwellenough,butthat'sallovernow.”

“come,”saidtheparsononcemore,“dosingsomelittlesong.”onthatthewomanbeganandsang:

i'vesentmyhusbandawayfromme

totheg?ckerlihillinitaly.

thereupontheparsonsang:

iwishthatwasayearbeforehecameback,

i'dneveraskhimforthelaurelleafsack.

hallelujah.

thenthegossipwhowasinthebackgroundbegantosing(butioughttotellyouthepeasantwascalledhildebrand),sothegossipsang:

whatareyoudoing,myhildebranddear,

thereonthebenchbythestovesonear?

hallelujah.

andthenthepeasantsangfromhisbasket:

allsingingievershallhatefromthisday,

andhereinthisbasketnolongeri'llstay.

hallelujah.

andheclimbedoutofthebasket,andedtheparsonoutofthehouse.