Read Online Before the Feast by Sasa Stanisic - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sasa Stanisic
Ads: Link
you of. . .? Whereupon the first Blow was struck, falling on Semmel his own Mouth, and there was much pushing and tugging anda Quantity of Profane Utterances, and old Wennecke landed Head over Heels in the Lake, and what with all this Hurly-burly the Pig was near forgot.
Then up came Miller Mertens in the company of Count Poppo von Blankenburg, Lord over our Town. The Presence of the Nobleman and the Owner of the Sow brought the Men to see Reason again, so that they Left off Brawling. They adjusted their Weskits and took off their Caps, in so far as the said Caps did not already lie upon the Ground. All was still but that the Piglet snorted, like as it were an old Dotard dying of the Pleurisy.
The Men moved closer together to conceal the Monster, or so it seemed. The Noble Lord parted the air with his Hands to right and to leftâwhereupon the Men left a Path free through their Midst for him.
What followed was not to be forgot, albeit those Present denied it vehemently at a later date, as if there were a Crime or a Sin to be recollected. The noble Count and the Miller looked the Pig fearfully in the Eye, and the Pig looked cheerfully back at them. They cleared their Throats as a man might clear his Throat when something displeases him mightily, and those close to the Pig thought that it also clearâd its Throat.
The Miller and Count von Blankenburg turned White as Whey in the Face, and said not a word.
Then a young Man stepped forward, âtwas the tailorâs Journeyman, Anton Kobler of Jakobshagen, and he said:Gentlefolk and good People, God be my Witness that I do not know that Sow!
The Men looked at Kobler, greatly confusâd, but then in Anger, so that he also cried: Other Folk besides me go in and out of Master Mertens his Mill!
Then a Laborer by the name of Droschler spoke up. Anton, said he, I hope your Idle Talk is not meant to anger me, or God help you! There is no Call for Insinuation, I tell you freely, aye, to be sure I know the Sow, but not in the sinful Manner that you mean, there I have no Knowledge of her at all, albeit the Pigâs crooked Nose could not be more Familiar to me, resembling as it does mine own. However, I could never commit so wickedly godless a Sin! I tell you, this is the Devilâs Work, so it isâaye, the Devilâs Work, I say!
There were those who agreed with Droschlerâs words, and folk made haste to say: Aye, âtis Magick and Sorcery!
Old Wennecke was not heard amidst the Tumult. He was Surprizâd to hear Droschler speak of the Pigletâs crooked Nose, since he saw that Nose as Flat and much like his own, Wenneckeâs, Nose. But the Townsmen heard only that which they wishâd to hear, and said only what showâd them to be in the Right of it, and this was Devilry. So now each spoke up for his Neighbor as they seldom did, for Man often strives only for his own Advantage, and to show his Fellow Men in a bad Light. Great Wrath was stirrâd up against the Pig, that same Pig meanwhile squealing pitifully, but none could say whether âtwere with the voice of a Babe or of a Pure-born Pig.
At last Miller Mertens did seize the Piglet around its neck with both his Hands, and he raisâd the Piglet over his Head and he threw that Piglet high into the Air, to fall into the Lake, where it immediately sank, never to be seen again, or so the People thought. The Men rejoicâd, and the Count laid his Hand on the Millerâs Shoulder, and then it so chancâd that the Pig came to the Surface again and began swimming to the Bank, grunting right merrily.
It was old Wennecke who threw the first Stone.
That same evening the Sow was first blessed and then eaten.
And it was in the little town of Fürstenfelde, in the year of Our Lord 1587, that here by the Pillory, on the banks of the Deep Lake, the Millerâs Sow gave Birth to a Pig of monstrous Kind, for in all other respects it was made like a true Pig, but it had a human
Then up came Miller Mertens in the company of Count Poppo von Blankenburg, Lord over our Town. The Presence of the Nobleman and the Owner of the Sow brought the Men to see Reason again, so that they Left off Brawling. They adjusted their Weskits and took off their Caps, in so far as the said Caps did not already lie upon the Ground. All was still but that the Piglet snorted, like as it were an old Dotard dying of the Pleurisy.
The Men moved closer together to conceal the Monster, or so it seemed. The Noble Lord parted the air with his Hands to right and to leftâwhereupon the Men left a Path free through their Midst for him.
What followed was not to be forgot, albeit those Present denied it vehemently at a later date, as if there were a Crime or a Sin to be recollected. The noble Count and the Miller looked the Pig fearfully in the Eye, and the Pig looked cheerfully back at them. They cleared their Throats as a man might clear his Throat when something displeases him mightily, and those close to the Pig thought that it also clearâd its Throat.
The Miller and Count von Blankenburg turned White as Whey in the Face, and said not a word.
Then a young Man stepped forward, âtwas the tailorâs Journeyman, Anton Kobler of Jakobshagen, and he said:Gentlefolk and good People, God be my Witness that I do not know that Sow!
The Men looked at Kobler, greatly confusâd, but then in Anger, so that he also cried: Other Folk besides me go in and out of Master Mertens his Mill!
Then a Laborer by the name of Droschler spoke up. Anton, said he, I hope your Idle Talk is not meant to anger me, or God help you! There is no Call for Insinuation, I tell you freely, aye, to be sure I know the Sow, but not in the sinful Manner that you mean, there I have no Knowledge of her at all, albeit the Pigâs crooked Nose could not be more Familiar to me, resembling as it does mine own. However, I could never commit so wickedly godless a Sin! I tell you, this is the Devilâs Work, so it isâaye, the Devilâs Work, I say!
There were those who agreed with Droschlerâs words, and folk made haste to say: Aye, âtis Magick and Sorcery!
Old Wennecke was not heard amidst the Tumult. He was Surprizâd to hear Droschler speak of the Pigletâs crooked Nose, since he saw that Nose as Flat and much like his own, Wenneckeâs, Nose. But the Townsmen heard only that which they wishâd to hear, and said only what showâd them to be in the Right of it, and this was Devilry. So now each spoke up for his Neighbor as they seldom did, for Man often strives only for his own Advantage, and to show his Fellow Men in a bad Light. Great Wrath was stirrâd up against the Pig, that same Pig meanwhile squealing pitifully, but none could say whether âtwere with the voice of a Babe or of a Pure-born Pig.
At last Miller Mertens did seize the Piglet around its neck with both his Hands, and he raisâd the Piglet over his Head and he threw that Piglet high into the Air, to fall into the Lake, where it immediately sank, never to be seen again, or so the People thought. The Men rejoicâd, and the Count laid his Hand on the Millerâs Shoulder, and then it so chancâd that the Pig came to the Surface again and began swimming to the Bank, grunting right merrily.
It was old Wennecke who threw the first Stone.
That same evening the Sow was first blessed and then eaten.
And it was in the little town of Fürstenfelde, in the year of Our Lord 1587, that here by the Pillory, on the banks of the Deep Lake, the Millerâs Sow gave Birth to a Pig of monstrous Kind, for in all other respects it was made like a true Pig, but it had a human
Similar Books
