Epics and Romances of the Middle AgesWägner, Wilhelm
History
Epics and Romances of the Middle Ages
Wägner, Wilhelm
Literature, Medieval; Romances
Satan consented to do as he was asked. He climbed to the top of the
mountain, accompanied by Malagis, and ordered the spirits of the
nether-world to hold back the flames. As soon as the intense heat had
cooled down, the necromancer descended into the abyss, and took up his
position near the horse. Then, as if by accident, he threw what looked
like a handful of ashes up in the air. But it was really a
sleeping-powder. In another moment the prince of hell was sound asleep,
and snoring so loud that the mountain trembled at the sound, and
ignorant men thought there was an earthquake. Malagis now approached
the horse, which snapped and kicked at him viciously. But no sooner had
he whispered the word, “Bayard,” than the creature pricked up its ears,
and when he added, “your master, Haymon, has need of you,” it became
gentle as a lamb, and allowed him to lead it to the upper-world.
“To Haymon!” cried Malagis, springing on its back; and the horse,
neighing for joy, set off with the speed of the wind over hill and
dale, heath and morass.
At the sound of the whinny, the prince of darkness awoke out of his
sleep, and at once understood what had happened. Without loss of time,
he flung himself astride of a storm-cloud, and hurled a thunderbolt
after the fugitives. But Malagis quietly said, “Abracadabra,” at the
same time holding up his crucifix. The thunderbolt fell harmless to the
ground; but Lucifer was so much startled by the sight of the cross that
he tumbled off his cloud, and, falling to the earth, broke his leg; and
from that day forward he has had a limp in his gait.
Meanwhile Count Haymon was in sore distress. He was hunted like a wild
beast from place to place. His men were all dead, or else had deserted
him. He was alone and desolate. One day, as he rode through a wood on a
wretched broken-down hack, listening bitterly to the bay of the
blood-hounds, and the hollo of the hunters who pursued him, he saw a
rider gallop into the clearing in front, and exclaimed in joy:
“Malagis, cousin Malagis, and Bayard, faithful Bayard! My misery is at
an end now.”
Scarcely had he uttered these words when his pursuers were upon him. He
sprang on Bayard’s back, swung his sword, and faced his foes. He and
his horse fought together, and but few of his antagonists lived to tell
the tale of that day’s work.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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