We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
Three Political Tales from Medieval Germany Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 May 2024
In the forest he met Tibert, the tomcat. Reynard embraced him and claimed: “A thousand welcomes, my friend! I am absolutely delighted to find you looking so well. I’ve heard a great deal about how fast you can run, and that is something I should like to see. If it's true, I’ll tell everyone about it.”
Tibert replied, “Reynard my friend, I’m pleased that such good things are being said about me, and I shall be happy to oblige you.” Reynard, however, was not being honest. He sent the cat off in a direction where he knew there was a gin trap— this was a wicked act from a so-called friend. It was a narrow track he had to run down. “Now let me see how strong you are, off you go, my dear fellow!” said Reynard. Tibert, however, knew all about the trap and said to himself, “May Saint Gallus preserve me from Reynard's dirty deeds!” He jumped over the trap and ran hard. When he reached the turnaround marker, Reynard said to him: “There isn't an animal faster than you, my dear friend, but let me teach you an extra trick. You have to be able to jump really high, because otherwise it could be the end of you if you were being chased by a savage dog—and I know what I am talking about there!”
“You don't need to tell me,” replied Tibert. “Just run after me and I’ll demonstrate the finest jumps possible.” Each of them was intending to deceive the other. Reynard ran after his friend, who did not keep very far in front. Tibert leaped over the trap, then stopped stock-still, which made his companion cannon into him so that—as he so richly deserved—his foot went into the trap. With this, Tibert took his leave, commenting before he made a rapid escape that the devil takes the hindmost.
Reynard was in very considerable trouble and thought that he would meet a grim death. At this point he saw the hunter who had set the trap. Reynard needed now more than ever to use his cunning. He laid his head over the trap just as the hunter, a farmer, ran up to it. Reynard's throat was as white as snow, and the hunter felt certain of getting a bounty of five silver pieces, maybe even more.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.
