But in Philip's heart the fire of youth was alight--not the fiery glow
that dares the souls of the brave to lofty deeds, but a dark fire from
hell itself, the fire of Satan. And it flamed in his grey eyes like
the beam of a winter's moon shining down upon a charnel-house. And
it burned within him cruelly....
XVII
Now this beautiful, gay-hearted lady left Valladolid one day for her
Château of Dudzeel in Flanders.
Passing through Damme, with her fat attendant behind her, she noticed
a lad of about fifteen years of age sitting against the wall of a
cottage blowing a pair of bagpipes. In front of him was a dog with
red hair howling dismally, because, as it seemed, he did not at
all appreciate the music which his master was making. The sun shone
brightly, and at the lad's side there stood a pretty young girl in
fits of laughter at the pitiful howling of the dog.
This then was the sight that met the eye of the beautiful lady and
her fat attendant as they passed in front of the cottage: none else
but Ulenspiegel blowing his pipes, and Nele in fits of laughter,
and Titus Bibulus Schnouffius howling with all his might.
"You naughty boy," said the dame to Ulenspiegel, "will you never stop
making this poor red-hair howl like this?"
But Ulenspiegel, staring back at her, blew his pipes more valiantly
than ever, and Bibulus Schnouffius howled the more dismally, and Nele
laughed all the louder.
The lady's attendant grew angry, and pointed at Ulenspiegel, saying:
"If I beat this wretched little imp of a man with the scabbard of my
sword he would give over his insolent row."
Ulenspiegel looked the attendant in the face and called him
"Jan Papzak" because of his fat belly, and went on blowing his
bagpipes. The attendant came up to him, and threatened him with his
fist. But Bibulus Schnouffius went for him straightway and bit him
in the leg, and the man fell down, crying for mercy:
"Help, help!"
The dame only smiled, and said to Ulenspiegel:
"Tell me, my player of bagpipes, is the road still the same that
leads from Damme to Dudzeel?"
But Ulenspiegel went on playing, and only nodded his head and stared.
"Why do you look at me so fixedly?" she asked him.
But he, still continuing to play, opened his eyes all the wider as
though transported by an ecstasy of admiration.
"Are you not ashamed," she said, "young as you are, to stare at
ladies so?"
Ulenspiegel blushed faintly, but went on blowing his pipes, and
staring more than ever.
"I have already asked you once," the lady insisted, "whether the road
is still the same that leads from Damme to Dudzeel."
"It is green no longer since you deprived it of the honour of carrying
you," Ulenspiegel answered.
"Will you show me the way?" said the lady.
But Ulenspiegel still remained sitting where he was, and still went
on staring at her. And she, seeing him so roguish, and knowing it
all for the gamesomeness of youth, forgave him willingly.
He got up at last, and began to walk back into the cottage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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