Meanwhile, Grypstuiver the fishmonger dwelt alone in his house, like
a parricide, daring only to come out in the evening. For if any man
or woman passed him on the road they would shout after him and call
him "murderer." And the little children ran away when they saw him,
for they had been told that he was a hangman. So he wandered about by
himself, not venturing to enter any of the taverns that are in Damme,
for the finger of scorn was pointed at him, and if ever he stood in
the bar for a minute, they that were drinking there left the tavern.
The result was that no innkeeper desired him as a customer any more,
and whenever he presented himself at their houses they would shut
the door on him. The fishmonger would make a humble remonstrance,
but they answered that they had a licence to sell wine certainly,
but that they were not obliged to sell it against their will.
The fishmonger grew impatient at this, and in future when he wanted
a drink he would go to the In 't Roode Valck--at the sign of the Red
Falcon--a little cabaret outside the town on the banks of the Sluys
canal. There they served him, for they were hard up at that inn, and
glad to get anything from any one. But even so, the innkeeper never
entered into conversation with him, nor did his wife either. Now
in that house there were also two children and a dog; but when the
fishmonger made as though he would kiss the children they ran away,
and the dog, when he called him, tried to bite him.
One evening Ulenspiegel was standing on his doorstep in a dream, and
Mathyssen, the cooper, happening to pass by, saw him standing there,
and said to him:
"If you worked with your hands belike you would forget this grievous
blow."
But Ulenspiegel answered: "The ashes of Claes beat upon my breast."
"Ah!" said Mathyssen, "there lives a man who is sadder even than you
are--Grypstuiver the fishmonger. None speaks to him, and all avoid him,
so much so that when he wants his pint of bruinbier he is forced to
go out all alone to the poor folk of the Roode Valck. Verily he is
well punished."
"The ashes beat...." Ulenspiegel answered him again.
And the same evening, when the bells of Notre Dame were sounding
the ninth hour, Ulenspiegel sallied forth towards the Roode Valck,
but failing to find the fishmonger there as he had expected, he went
wandering along under the trees that grow by the canal-side. It was
a bright moonlight night.
Presently he saw the figure of the murderer coming towards him. He
passed close in front of Ulenspiegel, who could hear what he was
saying, for the fishmonger was talking to himself, as is the custom
of they who live much alone.
"Where have they hidden it?" he muttered. "Where have they hidden
the money?" But Ulenspiegel answered the question for him by giving
him a great blow in the face.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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