第22章TheJewAmongThorns

第22章thejewamongthorns

therewasoncearichman,whohadaservantwhoservedhimdiligentlyandhonestly:hewaseverymorningthefirstoutofbed,andthelasttogotorestatnight;andwhenevertherewasadifficultjobtobedone,whichnobodycaredtoundertake,hewasalwaysthefirsttosethimselftoit.moreover,henevercomplained,butwascontentedwitheverything,andalwaysmerry.

whenayearwasended,hismastergavehimnowages,forhesaidtohimself:“thatisthecleverestway;forishallsavesomething,andhewillnotgoaway,butstayquietlyinmyservice.”theservantsaidnothing,butdidhisworkthesecondyearashehaddoneitthefirst;andwhenattheendofthis,likewise,hereceivednowages,hesubmittedandstillstayedon.

whenthethirdyearalsowaspast,themasterconsidered,puthishandinhispocket,butpullednothingout.thenatlasttheservantsaid:“master,forthreeyearsihaveservedyouhonestly,besogoodastogivemewhatioughttohave;foriwishtoleave,andlookaboutmealittlemoreintheworld.”“yes,mygoodfellow,”answeredtheoldmiser,“youhaveservedmeindustriously,andthereforeyoushallbegraciouslyrewarded,”andheputhishandintohispocket,butcountedoutonlythreefarthings,saying:“there,youhaveafarthingforeachyear;thatislargeandliberalpay,suchasyouwouldhavereceivedfromfewmasters.”

thehonestservant,whounderstoodlittleaboutmoney,puthisfortuneintohispocket,andthought:“ah!nowthatihavemypursefull,whyneeditroubleandplaguemyselfanylongerwithhardwork.”soonhewent,uphillanddowndale;andsangandjumpedtohisheart'scontent.nowitcametopassthatashewasgoingbyathicketalittlemansteppedout,andcalledtohim:“whitheraway,merrybrother?iseeyoudonotcarrymanycares.”“whyshouldibesad?”answeredtheservant;“ihaveenough;threeyears'wagesarejinglinginmypocket.”

“howmuchisyourtreasure?”thedwarfaskedhim.

“howmuch?threefarthingssterling,alltold.”

“lookhere,”saidthedwarf,“iamapoorneedyman,givemeyourthreefarthings;icanworknolonger,butyouareyoung,andcaneasilyearnyourbread.”

andastheservanthadagoodheart,andfeltpityforthelittleman,hegavehimthethreefarthings,saying:“taketheminthenameofheaven,ishallnotbeanytheworseforit.”

thenthelittlemansaid:“asiseeyouhaveagoodheartigrantyouthreewishes,oneforeachfarthing,theyshallallbefulfilled.”

“aha?”saidtheservant,“youareoneofthosewhocanworkwonders!well,then,ifitistobeso,iwish,first,foragun,whichshallhiteverythingthatiaimat;secondly,forafiddle,whichwheniplayonit,shallcompelallwhohearittodance;thirdly,thatifiaskafavourofanyoneheshallnotbeabletorefuseit.”

“allthatshallyouhave,”saidthedwarf;andputhishandintothebush,andjustimagine,therelayafiddleandgun,allready,justasiftheyhadbeenordered.thesehegavetotheservant,andthensaidtohim:“whateveryoumayaskatanytime,nomanintheworldshallbeabletodenyyou.”

“heartalive!whatmorecanonedesire?”saidtheservanttohimself,andwentmerrilyonwards.soonafterwardshemetajewwithalonggoat'sbeard,whowasstandinglisteningtothesongofabirdwhichwassittingupatthetopofatree.“goodheavens,”hewasexclaiming,“thatsuchasmallcreatureshouldhavesuchafearfullyloudvoice!ifitwerebutmine!ifonlysomeonewouldsprinklesomesaltuponitstail!”

“ifthatisall,”saidtheservant,“thebirdshallsoonbedownhere;”andtakingaimheblew,anddownfellthebirdintothethornbushes.“go,yourogue,”hesaidtothejew,“andfetchthebirdoutforyourself!”

“oh!”saidthejew,“leaveouttherogue,mymasterandiwilldoitatonce.iwillgetthebirdoutformyself,nowthatyouhavehitit.”thenhelaydownontheground,andbegantocrawlintothethicket.

whenhewasfastamongthethorns,thegoodservant'shumoursotemptedhimthathetookuphisfiddleandbegantoplay.inamomentthejew'slegsbegantomove,andtojumpintotheair,andthemoretheservantfiddledthebetterwentthedance.butthethornstorehisshabbycoatfromhim,combedhisbeard,andprickedandpluckedhimalloverthebody.“ohdear,”criedthejew,“whatdoiwantwithyourfiddling?leavethefiddlealone,master;idonotwanttodance.”

buttheservantdidnotlistentohim,andthought:“youhavefleecedpeopleoftenenough,nowthethorn-bushesshalldothesametoyou;”andhebegantoplayoveragain,sothatthejewhadtojumphigherthanever,andscrapsofhiscoatwerelefthangingofthethorns.“oh,woe'sme!”criedthejew;“iwillgivethegentlemanwhatsoeverheasksifonlyheleavesofffiddlingawholepursefullofgold.”“ifyouaresoliberal,”saidtheservant,“iwillstopmymusic;butthisimustsaytoyourcredit,thatyoudancetoitsowellthatonemustreallyadmireit;”andhavingtakenthepursehewenthisway.

thejewstoodstillandwatchedtheservantquietlyuntilhewasfaroffandoutofsight,andthenhescreamedoutwithallhismight:“youmiserablemusician,youbeer-housefiddler!waittillicatchyoualone,iwillhuntyoutillthesolesofyourshoesfalloff!youragamuffin!justputsixfarthingsinyourmouth,thatyoumaybeworththreehalfpence!”andwentonabusinghimasfastashecouldspeak.assoonashehadrefreshedhimselfalittleinthisway,andgothisbreathagain,heranintothetowntohejustice.

“mylordjudge,”hesaid,“ihavecometomakeacomplaint;seehowarascalhasrobbedandill-treatedmeonthepublichighway!astoneonthegroundmightpityme;myclothesalltorn,mybodyprickedandscratched,mylittleallgonewithmypurse——goodducats,eachpiecebetterthanthelast;forgod'ssakeletthemanbethrownintoprison!”

“wasitasoldier,”saidthejudge,“whocutyouthuswithhissabre?”“nothingofthesort!”saidthejew;“itwasnoswordthathehad,butagunhangingathisback,andafiddleathisneck;thewretchmayeasilyberecognized.”

sothejudgesenthispeopleoutaftertheman,andtheyfoundthegoodservant,whohadbeengoingquiteslowlyalong,andtheyfound,too,thepursewiththemoneyuponhim.assoonashewastakenbeforethejudgehesaid:“ididnottouchthejew,nortakehismoney;hegaveittomeofhisownfreewill,thatimightleaveofffiddlingbecausehecouldnotbearmymusic.”

“heavendefendus!”criedthejew,“hisliesareasthickasfliesuponthewall.”

butthejudgealsodidnotbelievehistale,andsaid:“thisisabaddefence,nojewwoulddothat,”andbecausehehadcommittedrobberyonthepublichighway,hesentencedthegoodservanttobehanged.ashewasbeingledawaythejewagainscreamedafterhim:“youvagabond!youdogofafiddler!nowyouaregoingtoreceiveyourwell-earnedreward!”theservantwalkedquietlywiththehangmanuptheladder,butuponthelaststepheturnedroundandsaidtothejudge:“grantmejustonerequestbeforeidie.”

“yes,ifyoudonotaskyourlife,”saidthejudge.

“idonotaskforlife,”answeredtheservant,“butasalastfavourletmeplayoncemoreuponmyfiddle.”

thejewraisedagreatcryof“murder!murder!forgoodness'sakedonotallowit!donotallowit!”butthejudgesaid:“whyshouldnotilethimshallhavethisshortpleasure?ithasbeengrantedtohim,andheshallhaveit.”however,hecouldnothaverefusedonaccountofthegiftwhichhadbeenbestowedontheservant.

thenthejewcried:“oh!woe'sme!tieme,tiemefast!”whilethegoodservanttookhisfiddlefromhisneck,andmadeready.ashegavethefirstscrape,theyallbegantoquiverandshake,thejudge,hisclerk,andthehangmanandhismen,andthecordfelloutofthehandoftheonewhowasgoingtotiethejewfast.atthesecondscrapeallraisedtheirlegs,andthehangmanletgohisholdofthegoodservant,andmadehimselfreadytodance.atthethirdscrapetheyallleapedupandbegantodance;thejudgeandthejewbeingthebestatjumping.soonallwhohadgatheredinthemarket-placeoutofcuriosityweredancingwiththem;oldandyoung,fatandlean,onewithanother.thedogs,likewise,whichhadrunthere,gotupontheirhindlegsandcaperedabout;andthelongerheplayed,thehighersprangthedancers,sothattheyknockedagainsteachother'sheads,andbegantoshriekterribly.

atlengththejudgecried,quiteoutofbreath:“iwillgiveyouyourlifeifyouwillonlystopfiddling.”thegoodservantthereuponhadcompassion,tookhisfiddleandhungitroundhisneckagain,andsteppeddowntheladder.thenhewentuptothejew,whowaslyinguponthegroundpantingforbreath,andsaid:“yourascal,nowconfess,whenceyougotthemoney,oriwilltakemyfiddleandbegintoplayagain.”“istoleit,istoleit!”criedhe;“butyouhavehonestlyearnedit.”sothejudgehadthejewtakentothegallowsandhangedasathief.