_How Owlglass was forbidden the Duchy of Luneburgh, and bought
himself Land of his own._
Owlglass had played so many pranks in the Duchy of Luneburgh that he
was forbidden the land, the Duke giving orders that if found there he
should be hanged. Nevertheless, he continued to pass through the Duchy
whenever his road led that way; but one day, as he was riding along
devoid of care, he saw the Duke himself coming with several followers.
Then he said to himself, "If I fly I shall be pursued and cut down,
and, if I remain as I am, the Duke will come up in great anger and have
me hanged on the nearest tree;" and most provokingly one stood close
by. There was not much time for consideration, and none to be lost,
so, jumping off his horse, he killed the animal, and, ripping it open,
took his stand in its inside. Now when the Duke came up to him he was
astonished at his impudence, and still more so at his extraordinary
position. "Did I not promise you," he said, "that, if found in my
territory, you should be surely hanged? What have you to say for
yourself?" Owlglass answered, "I put my trust in your Grace's goodness,
and that you will not carry your threat into execution, seeing that
I have not done anything to deserve hanging." "Well," said the Duke,
"let me hear what you have to say in your defence, or rather, tell me
why you are standing inside your horse?" Owlglass answered, "I sorely
feared your Grace's displeasure, and thought I had better be found in
my own property, where I ought to be safe." The Duke laughed, and said,
"As long as you remain where you are you shall be safe," and then rode
away.
Owlglass made the best of his way over the frontier; but it was not
long before he had occasion again to be in the Duchy of Luneburgh, and
hearing that the Duke was coming to the neighbourhood where he was, he
straightway got a cart and horse, and going up to a peasant, whom he
saw digging in a field, he asked whose land it was. The peasant said it
was his own, for he had lately inherited it. Hereupon Owlglass asked
for how much he would sell him his cart full of earth. They agreed for
a shilling; and Owlglass paying the money, filled his cart with earth,
in which he buried himself up to his arm-pits, and drove leisurely on
his way.
[Illustration: _Owlglass Rides on his own Land._]
It was not long before he met the Duke, who, seeing him sitting thus
in the cart, stopped, and, with difficulty restraining his laughter,
said, "Owlglass, have I not forbidden you my land on pain of death?"
To this Owlglass answered, "I am not in your Grace's land, but sitting
in my own, which I purchased from a peasant whose inheritance it was."
The Duke replied, "Though sitting in your own land, your cart and horse
are on mine; but this once more I will let you go in safety; beware,
however, that you do not come again, for then nothing shall save you."
Owlglass then immediately sprang upon his horse and rode off, leaving
the cart behind.