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This story, according to De Comines, was told by the Emperor Frederick
III of Germany to an emissary of King Louis XI of France who wished him
to conspire against the Duke of Burgundy to their mutual advantage:
Two ne’er-do-wells living in the interior of Germany had patronized the
local inn keeper without paying his bill until the latter became weary.
He finally told them that he would give them no more credit. They soon
became hungry, thirsty and desperate, and consulted together as to how
they might once more establish their credit. While engaged in thus
scheming their hunger and thirst steadily increased until it became
overpowering. Now you must know that the villagers had been greatly
harried by a monstrous big black bear who, from the adjoining forest,
ravaged their flocks and their gardens. He was especially fond of sheep
and almost nightly carried off and devoured them. Nothing was any longer
safe in the village night or day and large rewards were offered to
anyone who would kill him and thus save them from loss. This was known
to the two bums who proceeded to make use of it with the good natured
landlord. They told him if he would only give them enough to eat and
drink to appease their hunger and thirst they would at once go in search
of the bear and proceed to kill him and take off his hide. This, they
assured the inn keeper, was an enormous hide and its sale would yield a
large sum which they proposed to use in extinguishing their debt and any
future advances he might see fit to make. This was not all; with the
rewards they would collect they should become opulent, and they promised
to spend this at his house, so that all this money would in the long run
come to him alone. The tavern keeper was of an optimistic turn of mind
and listened to their tale with renewed hope, finally agreeing to do as
they asked. The two conspirators, as soon as they had filled their
bellies started out in quest of the bear. Now it happened that bruin had
become hungry earlier than usual that evening and that he had started to
forage earlier. After eating several ears of corn which he took from a
field alongside the road he hurried along in the gathering dusk toward
the village. The adventurers were headed in the opposite direction on
the same road and they rapidly drew together. The bear was the first to
detect their approach with a loud Whoof! This startled the bums and
frightened them very badly. Without the least delay, the eldest promptly
took to a tree which, fortunately for him, spread its branches close by
the road. The second loafer was so badly frightened that he fell down in
a dead faint and lay upon the ground without motion. Without hesitating
the bear trotted up and smelled the man by putting his nose to the
latter’s ear. Finding no motion, and thinking the man dead, the bear,
after taking several sniffs and turning the fellow over with a thrust of
its paw, proceeded on its way. After a short time the tree climber
descended and ran off as fast as his legs could carry him. The man who
had fainted presently recovered and proceeded to do likewise. Seeing his
friend scampering along at a great pace some distance ahead he hailed
him and his friend stopped and allowed him to come up. Together they
proceeded toward the town and related their tale to the landlord, not
without much embellishment. The tavern keeper finally agreed, in
consideration of the difficulty of their task, to give a further
extension of credit. But the tree climber was dissatisfied and proceeded
to question his fellow bum. “What did the bear ask you,” said he, “when
he whispered in your ear?” His mate replied: “He did not whisper to me.”
“Yes he did,” said the first, “he whispered in your ear for some time.
Did I not see him do it? Try not to deceive me, it will be in vain.”
Now the faint-hearted one was also a wit and he, therefore, hesitated
and finally confessed that something had passed, but declared he was not
obliged to divulge it. This made the first bum angry and he assailed his
fellow with threats and reproaches. But still the latter declined to
divulge the secret. This led to renewed threats and finally to blows.
The possessor of the secret was vanquished and finally agreed to tell it
to his fellow, but only in the presence of the landlord and the village
magistrate. It was also agreed that after telling the secret he should
be allowed to go free without further molestation. To this clause the
landlord, whose curiosity had been aroused, also agreed; further, he
promised to protect the possessor of the secret. These details having
been arranged the parties met one morning in the house of the
magistrate. The second vagabond first recited the agreement and having
procured the assent of all parties began as follows:
“When Bruin appeared I was frightened and fell in a faint. From this I
was awakened by a rough tongue licking my cheek and a bearish voice
whispering in my ear. It said: ‘You were to kill me were you not, and to
take off my hide and sell it? And you were to collect the money offered
as rewards, and having thus acquired much money you agreed, did you not,
to pay the account of the landlord and stay with him until your money
was exhausted?’
“I was badly frightened and, thinking my time had come and resolving to
endanger my hope of salvation by no more lies, I nodded my head in
assent. The bear then said:
“‘Very well, you are properly punished. As for the rascal in the tree
the inn keeper has made no agreement with him such as that he will make
with you; and when you have escaped his wrath I advise him to clap him
in jail. In the meantime I will advise you both never in future to sell
the hide of a bear before you have killed it, nor would I collect
rewards for its death before the death takes place.’ As for the Judge,
he is a rascal anyhow and at all times, and is well able to take care of
himself.” With this the vagabond darted from the room and ran up the
street pursued by all three who had forgotten their promises in their
resentment. He however made good his escape.
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