When Reynard arrived at the court he found all the animals assembled to
witness his trial. King Nobel sat on his throne, with the Queen by his
side, and very cold and stern was the glance which the monarch cast
upon Master Fox as he stepped up and made his obeisance. "Reynard,"
said the King, "you have been accused of crimes so many and so grievous
that if only the half of all the accusations are true, you have merited
death a hundred times. What have you to say?"
Reynard put a paw up to his face and brushed away a tear; then, with
his voice broken with emotion, he answered: "My lord the King, I have
been a miserable sinner, and there is nothing left for me to do but to
cast myself upon your royal mercy. Where King Nobel sits, there justice
and mercy sit also. I am sure of the one; therefore I make bold to
plead earnestly for the other. Perhaps, O King, I am not so bad as I
have been painted. The tongues of enemies have uttered slanders before
to-day, and brought upright men to ruin. All I ask, O King, is that you
will let me state my case, and, when I shall have finished my tale,
judge me according to my deserts. I will keep nothing back, for in this
serious hour I wish to speak nothing but the naked truth. Listen to me,
O King, and let these others listen also. Perchance the sad story of my
wrongdoings, and of my gradual fall from righteousness, may be a lesson
to many here, and by serving as an example help to keep them upon the
strait and narrow path."
"You have a glib tongue, Reynard," said the King. "It has saved you
before to-day, but this time the count is too serious to be hidden by
a mist of words. Yet speak on. The accused has a right to make his
own defence, and that right I should be the last to deny, even to one
forsworn and treacherous, as you have proved yourself to be."
Reynard sobbed aloud. "Hard words, O King," said he, "and harder still
because of the truth that is in them. I do not complain. Meekly I bow
the head and make confession of my sins."
At this all the animals settled themselves comfortably to listen. The
idea of Reynard the Fox confessing anything was so new that not one of
them would willingly have missed a word. Those of the animals who knew
Reynard well regarded him a little uneasily, but nobody broke silence.
Reynard remained for a time sobbing quietly with head bowed upon his
paws, then, in a broken voice, he began to speak:
[Illustration: "I WAS MISCHIEVOUS AND UNRULY"]
"From my very earliest years, O King," said he, "I was mischievous
and unruly. Had there been anybody to give me counsel and guidance
I might perhaps have outgrown the errors of my youth and become a
worthy subject. Unfortunately I fell into bad company, and, under the
influence of evil companions went rapidly from bad to worse. Isengrim
the Wolf was my friend in those early days. He it was who taught me
to steal and to prey upon the defenceless creatures of the woods and
fields. My first victim, I well remember, was a young lamb which had
strayed from the fold. Isengrim led me to her and persuaded me to kill
her, and afterwards, in the same way, a goat and two young deer fell
victims to my raging thirst for blood. Soon not a hen-house, not a
fold was safe from my depredations. I killed for the sake of killing,
and that part of the meat which I could not devour I gave to the Wolf,
who was only too willing to take it, or hid it in certain holes and
crannies in the wood."
All the time that Reynard had been speaking Isengrim had been making
frantic efforts to speak, but a glance from the King had kept him
silent. Now he could contain himself no longer. Trembling with fury, he
rose to his feet and cried: "Lies! All lies, O King! Will your Majesty
believe anything it pleases this slanderous dog to say?"
"Silence!" cried the King. "Your turn will come later. For the present
let the accused speak without interruption!"
"Thanks, O King," said Reynard. "I can well understand the Wolf's wrath
when his connexion with so vile a creature as I is thus brought to
light. Yet I have sworn to tell the truth, and the truth I will tell
without regard to persons. Sorry as I am to say it, the Wolf was not
the only one to lead me into bad ways. Among my companions of those
early days were also the Bear and the Cat. They made me hunt for them
when I was young, and such was their voracity that there was little
left for myself, and I should have died of hunger were it not for the
fact that I was fortunate enough to discover a hidden treasure!"
"Eh, what's that?" said the King. "Did you say a treasure?"
"Aye," answered Reynard, "a treasure of gold, my lord; so great a
treasure that it would take your servants many days even to count it
all. And not gold alone, but precious gems--diamonds of the purest
water, rubies red as blood, and emeralds green as the sea when the sun
shines upon it!"
The Queen leaned forward upon her throne and fixed Reynard with burning
eyes. "And pearls too?" she whispered.
"Pearls too, O Queen. Ropes of pearls that well would adorn your
Majesty's fair neck. And jewelled crowns worthy of a royal brow!
Hidden deep in the earth they lie, all those riches, and now they will
lie there for ever, for nobody knows of them but myself. Perhaps it
is as well. The lust of gold is the motive of many crimes, and this
treasure has already been the cause of a serious attempt against
the throne and the life of the King! But all this has nothing to do
with my confession. With your Majesty's leave I will go on with what I
was about to say."
[Illustration: THE TRIAL OF REYNARD THE FOX]
"One moment," said the Queen. "Those crowns you spoke of--describe them
more fully. What stones had they, and how set?"
"Time enough for that," cried the King. "You shall try the crowns upon
your head before all is done. Let the Fox tell us where this treasure
is hidden; that is the important thing!"
"I had thought to carry the secret with me to the grave," said Reynard,
"but in this solemn hour I can hide nothing. If it is your Majesty's
will, I will tell all."
[Illustration: "AND PEARLS TOO?" SHE WHISPERED]
"Beware, O King!" cried the Bear. "He will deceive you now as he has
deceived others. Believe not his lying words!"
"Silence!" cried the King. "This matter concerns me, and me alone. Let
Reynard speak!"
Reynard cast a look of triumph at Bruin and Isengrim, and, smiling
faintly, went on with his tale.
"The treasure was discovered first of all by my father. He came upon it
one day when he was hunting in the forest, among the ruins of a palace
that once belonged to an ancient king. There, in a deep hole, under a
big stone, he found the gold and gems, and for ever afterwards he was
a changed creature. No longer blithe and care-free, he slunk about as
though overburdened with responsibility. He knew himself rich beyond
compare--richer than any king in all the world, and gradually into his
heart there crept the desire to win, by means of his riches, a place of
power.
"At that time, O King, my father was bitter against your Majesty
because of your disapproval of his manner of life, and I am sorry to
say that he determined to wrest you from the throne and to set up
another in your place. Full of this project, he took Tybert the Cat
into his confidence. The two met together secretly in the forest of the
Ardennes, and after much discussion they decided to offer the throne to
Bruin the Bear!"
"Ah!" ejaculated the King, turning his gaze upon Bruin, who was too
furious to speak. "So now we know why you wished to still Reynard's
tongue."
"The Bear was delighted with the prospect," Reynard went on, "and
strutted about the forest as though he were already crowned. He was
always talking of the fine laws he would make and the splendid time
he would have, but he was too stupid to be of much use as a plotter.
Indeed, it was for reason of his stupidity that my father and Tybert
chose him as king, for they thought they could make of him a useful
tool. They had, however, to lay their plans without him, and the better
to carry them out, they called Isengrim the Wolf, and Grimbard the
Ape, into conference. The five met together at a certain place between
Heyst and Gand, and it was there, O King, that your death was decided
upon. Each of the conspirators took a solemn oath not to divulge the
proceedings to a living soul, and having settled the very hour and day
of your Majesty's assassination, they departed to their homes.
[Illustration: "I SAW HIM STOP AT THE FOOT OF A GREAT TREE"]
"Now, like all apes, Grimbard was a chatterer, and no sooner was
he within his house than he told his wife all that had happened,
explaining to her that it was a great secret and she was not to tell
a soul. Of course she promised faithfully to keep a still tongue in
her head, and as a matter of fact I believe she did manage to keep
the secret for a whole day. Then she happened to meet my wife in the
woods, and having sworn _her_ to secrecy, told her the whole thing. My
wife, out of a feeling of love and regard to your Majesty, thought it
her duty to inform me, which she did, immediately she returned home,
without keeping back a single detail.
"I could not believe my ears at first. 'What! Bruin, king!' I cried.
'That great fat lump of hairy stupidity, king of the animals! Is the
world going mad? Would they dethrone our loved and gracious lord in
favour of so base a beast?' There and then, O King, I raised my hand
above my head and swore to defend your Majesty's life to the last.
'While Reynard lives,' I said, 'the King's throne shall be secure, cost
what it may!'
"From that moment I thought of nothing else but how best to thwart my
father's base plans. It seemed to me that if I could only discover the
treasure I might stop the whole thing, for the conspirators relied
upon the gold to pay the armies they intended to raise. For days,
therefore, I lurked about the woods, following my father wherever he
went, in the hope that, sooner or later, he would betray the treasure's
whereabouts. But he was far too wary to go near it, and had it not been
for the stupidity of the Ape I might have remained none the wiser. One
day I noticed Grimbard wheeling a barrow through the forest with an
air of great secrecy, and following him unseen, at a safe distance, I
saw him stop in the midst of the ruins of that ancient palace in the
forest. There, at the foot of a great tree, he lifted a heavy stone,
discovering a deep hole, from which he took several vases filled to the
brim with golden coins. These he placed upon his barrow, and having
carefully covered up the hole again, trundled off into the forest.
"No sooner had he disappeared amid the shade of the trees than I ran
forward and lifted the stone. What a sight met my eyes! There lay
the treasure--chest upon chest of shining gold, and heaps of jewels
flashing with rays of many-coloured light. My eyes were nearly blinded
by the splendour.
[Illustration: THE CONSPIRACY GAINED ADHERENTS EVERY DAY]
"Even as I stood gazing in a sort of dazed trance, I realized what I
must do. If I could get this treasure away from the place where it was
hidden, and, unknown to the conspirators, transport it somewhere else,
their plot would be strangled at its birth. Unfortunately the treasure
was heavy and I had no means of conveyance--not even a barrow, but I
took counsel of Hermeline, my wife, and she, noble soul as she is,
strengthened me in my resolve. 'Though we wear our paws to the bone,'
said she, 'we must take the treasure away and save the life of our
noble and our beloved King.' That very night we began our task, and
little by little we moved the treasure, hiding it in a safe place known
only to ourselves. For the best part of a month we laboured, working
only at night, and fearful every moment that we should be discovered.
At last everything was finished, and the whole of the treasure removed.
"In the meantime, the conspiracy gained adherents every day. My father
was the life and soul of the plot. He sent messengers far and near,
into every corner of the land, to win the animals over to his side.
'Those who enrol under my banner,' said he, 'shall receive a large
sum of money paid in advance. I do not ask them to trust my word, but
to come to me and let me pour the money into their hands.' In such
circumstance what wonder that his supporters grew every hour. Before
long he had gathered together an immense army, which was increased by
troops raised by the Bear, the Wolf, and the Cat. Bruin, in particular,
was very proud of his success in raising soldiers. He already fancied
himself king, and walked about giving orders to everybody who crossed
his path.
"Now the time for payment had come, so my father, accompanied by
Grimbard and the Cat, made his way to the hiding-place of the treasure
to bring out the gold. I watched them from afar, and saw them uncover
the hole, and never to my dying day shall I forget the scream my father
uttered when he saw that the treasure was no longer there. Frantically
the two of them dug up the soil around the place in the hope that they
were mistaken, but not a single gold piece could they find. At last
Grimbard, chattering with fear, turned and slunk away, while my father
crept home and hanged himself with a cord to a nail just outside the
back door. A terrible end, O King, but though he was my father, I
cannot help feeling he deserved the misery he had brought upon himself.
As for Bruin, he found himself faced with the necessity of explaining
to the soldiers that no money was forthcoming, and being a coward at
heart, he shirked the task. He, too, fled secretly, and Tybert the Cat
soon followed. To-day, sire, these three stand among the foremost of my
accusers. If I have sinned, have they not sinned too, and in greater
measure?"
[Illustration: THE SUIT OF GOLDEN ARMOUR EMRIK WORE]
The King waved his paw impatiently. "We will deal with them presently,"
said he. "For the present, keep to your tale. Where is the treasure
hidden? Speak, and lie not, on your life!"
"Why should I lie, O King?" asked Reynard in an aggrieved tone. "Have
I not sworn to tell the truth? In Western Flanders there is a little
wood called Husterloo. In the midst of that wood lies a pool, which is
known by the name of Krekelput.[1] It is a dreary place, O King, and
solitary, for it lies among marshes where no man can pass. No sound
is heard in that place save only the call of the carrion-crow by day,
and the dismal hooting of the owl by night. There, close to that pool,
I hid the treasure, in a hole in the earth which I covered with soil,
marking the place with three great stones. Remove those stones, and
dig up the soil, and you will discover three enormous golden vases,
beautifully carved and modelled. In the first is the royal crown of the
ancient King Emrik, which Bruin thought to wear. In the second is the
crown of Emrik's queen--a thing of wonder, flashing with splendid gems;
and in the third is the suit of golden armour Emrik wore. Beneath these
three vases lies the rest of the treasure--chest after chest of golden
coins, ropes of pearls, necklaces of diamonds and rubies, so many gems
that I cannot describe them all. If your Majesty will send trusty
messengers to Krekelput, they can easily prove the truth of what I say!"
[1] Snail's well.
During this recital the King had raised himself from his throne in
his excitement, and now he turned to the assembled animals and cried:
"Which of you knows Krekelput? Who will go and fetch the treasure?"
Nobody answered, for, as a matter of fact, not a soul present had ever
heard of Krekelput before Reynard mentioned the name.
"Come, come," cried the King. "One of you must know the wood of
Husterloo and the pool of which Reynard speaks!"
"Be patient with them, Sire," said Reynard. "They are afraid to speak.
The Hare knows the place very well. Do you not remember, friend," said
he, fixing the Hare with a menacing glance, "you took refuge in the
wood of Husterloo one day when the hounds were after you!"
[Illustration: THEY WALKED IN SILENCE]
"I cannot remember very well," stammered the Hare, who was nearly out
of his senses with fright. "Perhaps I did!"
"Of course you did," said Reynard, "and you could find the place again,
no doubt?"
"I am not sure," said the poor Hare, who indeed had never heard of
Husterloo.
"A truce to all this!" cried the King impatiently. "If you cannot
remember, Reynard shall go with you to refresh your memory, and Bellyn
the Ram shall accompany the two of you to see that you do not run away.
Be off with you at once, and bring back the treasure as quickly as you
can, for my eyes are aching for a sight of Emrik's crown and the suit
of golden armour Emrik wore."
"And forget not the ropes of pearls and the jewelled coronet!" cried
the Queen. "Bring those first!"
"I will bring everything in good time," said Reynard; "trust me for
that. But before I set out on this journey I must go to Rome to ask
absolution of the Pope for all the sins I have committed. Suffer me
first of all to go on this pilgrimage, O King, and, if you will, send
Bellyn and the Hare with me to see that I do not escape. Nothing is
further from my thoughts, but after what has happened I cannot expect
your Majesty to trust my word, and I am content to go in ward."
"Be it so!" said the King. "Set off at once and return as soon as may
be. And now there is another little affair to settle! Where is Bruin,
our would-be king. Stand forth, Bruin, with your precious conspirators,
the Wolf, the Cat, and the Ape." But nobody answered, for seeing how
affairs were going all the four had quietly slipped away, fearing to
stay and face the vengeance of the King.
Reynard smiled maliciously as he put on a pilgrim's cloak and marched
away with Bellyn and the Hare along the road that led from the Court.
For several miles they walked in silence. Then Reynard sighed and said:
"Ah, friends, how I long to see my dear wife and children just once
more before I go on this long journey that lies before us. Let us take
the road that leads past my castle of Malpertuis. It is not much out of
our way, and we can enter there and refresh ourselves."
The Hare was too frightened to dispute the matter, and Bellyn on his
part good-humouredly agreed, so the three of them took the road to
Malpertuis, and before long came to the gate of Reynard's castle.
[Illustration: REYNARD SPRANG AT HIS THROAT]
"Here we are at last, Cousin Bellyn," said Reynard. "Did you ever see
such fine pastures! You must be famished after our long tramp. Take a
rest a while and eat some of this sweet grass, while I and the Hare
go into the house and console my wife for the long separation that is
before her. We shall not stay more than a few minutes."
"Well, hurry up," said Bellyn, who had already begun to graze. "I will
wait for you, but don't stay talking all day!"
So Reynard and the Hare went into the house, where they were met by
Hermeline, Reynard's devoted spouse.
"What, husband," said she, "are you back already? How did things go at
Court?"
"Just as I said they would," answered Reynard. "When the King heard my
tale he acquitted me of the charges that had been brought against me,
and allowed me to return here in honour. The Wolf, the Bear, and the
Cat, who were my most powerful enemies, have fled the Court, so that,
for the time being, they have escaped my vengeance; but I have brought
with me this fellow whom you see at my side, for he was among the
foremost of my accusers!"
When he heard these words the poor Hare trembled with fright, and
turned to flee, but in a moment Reynard sprang at his throat. One
loud cry he gave for help, but Bellyn, peacefully cropping the grass
outside, did not hear, and the next moment the Hare was dead. Then
Reynard and Hermeline and all the little foxes had a splendid feast,
and in less than half an hour nothing was left of the Hare's carcass
but the head.
While they were still feasting there came a loud knocking at the door.
It was Bellyn, who, having eaten his fill, was now impatient with
waiting.
Snatching up the head of the Hare Reynard put it into a bag, which he
carefully sealed. Then, running to the door, he threw it open.
"You have been a long time!" grumbled Bellyn. "Where is the Hare?"
"Oh, he is just inside, playing with my little ones," said Reynard.
"He's a merry fellow, that one, and so fond of children that it is
beautiful to watch him. Leave him alone for a time. He'll be out
presently. While you are waiting, you might run back to the King with
this bag, which he asked me to send him. It contains papers referring
to the conspiracy--papers which involve a great many people at Court,
in fact nearly all of the animals except yourself. Hurry off with it,
and give it into the King's own hands, and, as you value your
life, do not open the bag upon the road, or the King will suspect that
you also are involved and have erased your name on the way."
[Illustration: "YOU HAVE MERITED DEATH A HUNDRED TIMES"]
"Did the King say I was to take back the papers?" asked Bellyn.
"Of course he did!" answered Reynard. "'Send them back by my trusty
Bellyn'--those were his very words, and he whispered in my ear that you
were the only one among the whole court that he could trust. I should
not be surprised if he gave you a handsome reward, and perhaps made you
a peer of the realm!"
"Give me the bag!" cried Bellyn. "I'll take it to the King. I shall not
be long. Wait until I come back, and tell the Hare that he is on no
account to set out without me."
"Never fear," said Reynard. "He'll not stir a step out of my
castle--I'll answer for that. Farewell, good Bellyn. I will be waiting
here when you return!"
Full of pride at his important mission, Bellyn trotted off down the
road, bearing the bag very carefully with him, and Reynard, with a
spiteful smile, stood and watched him till he was out of sight.
In good time Bellyn returned to the Court and handed to the astonished
King the bag which Reynard had sent. The King broke the seal, and
gazed inside, while the Queen pressed close to him, peering over his
shoulder. The next moment he gave a cry of horror, as he drew forth the
head of the poor Hare. The Queen fell to the ground in a dead faint,
and for a time the King remained holding the head in his hands, gazing
at it vacantly. Then he cast it from him, and without a word turned his
steps towards his palace, where he immediately took to his bed, for the
shock of the thing had made him ill. Not for several weeks afterwards,
when he had somewhat recovered, was he able to turn his thoughts to
vengeance. Then he gave orders for a large army to march to Reynard's
castle of Malpertuis to raze it to the ground, and bring back the Fox
in chains.
The army set out, but when they arrived at Malpertuis they found the
birds had flown. Reynard and Hermeline and all the little foxes had
left the country, and were never seen again.
Some people say that they took up their abode in a distant land, where
Reynard soon began once more to play his old tricks, until the King of
that land caught him one day red-handed, and hanged him on the nearest
tree without giving him a chance to say a word. I do not know whether
this story is true, although I hope it is. All that I can say for
certain is that Reynard and his family were never seen in King Nobel's
dominions from that day on.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: CALF AND GOAT]