Flemish Legends Part 21

x.x.x. How Magtelt came to the Gallows-field.

There Magtelt saw the sixteen virgins hanging, and amongst them Anne-Mie, and all were covered over with snow.

Halewyn's horse began again to rear, plunge, and lay back his ears as a sign of fear; but Schimmel neighed, and pawed the ground proudly with his hoof.

And Halewyn said to Magtelt: "Thou hast there an unfaithful friend, who can neigh happily at the hour of thy death."

But Magtelt answered nothing, and looking steadfastly at those poor virgins prayed to the very strong G.o.d to help her in their revenge.

Meanwhile the Miserable alighted from his horse, and taking the golden sickle in his hand came towards Magtelt.

"It is," he said, "the hour of thy death. Get down, therefore, as I have done."

And in his impatience he would have lifted her from Schimmel's back.

But Magtelt:

"Leave me," she said, "to get down by myself; if I must die 'twill be without weeping."

"Thou art a fine girl," said he.

And she, having dismounted from her horse, said: "My lord, before thou strikest, doff thine opperst-kleed of the colour of corn, for the blood of virgins gushes fiercely, and if mine should stain thee I should be grieved."

But before the opperst-kleed was off his shoulders, his head fell to the ground at his feet.

And Magtelt, looking at the body, said: "He strode confidently, thinking himself invincible; but when the beast goes with a.s.surance the hunter follows more easily."

And she crossed herself.

x.x.xI. Of the sixteen deaths and of the Prince of the Stones.

Suddenly the head spoke, saying: "Go thou to the end of the road, and sound my horn aloud, so that my friends may hear."

But Magtelt:

"To the end of the road will I not go; thine horn will I not sound; murderer's counsel will I not follow."

"Ah," said the head, "if thou art not the Virgin without pity, join me to my body, and with the heart that is in my breast anoint my red wound."

But Magtelt:

"I am the Virgin without pity; to thy body will I not join thee, and with the heart that is in thy breast will I not anoint thy red wound."

"Maid," said the head, weeping and speaking with great terror, "maid, quickly, quickly, make on my body the sign of the cross, and carry me into my castle, for he is coming."

While the head was speaking, suddenly came out of the wood the Prince of the Stones, and he came and seated himself on the body of the Miserable, and taking in his hands the head: "Salutation," he said, "to the Ill-favoured one; art thou now content? What of thy triumphant bearing, my lord the Invincible? She whom thou calledst not came without a song: the virgin without fear, in whose hands is death. But thou must sing once again thy sweet song, the song to call virgins."

"Ah," said the head, "make me not sing, Lord Prince of the Stones, for I know well enough that at the end there is great suffering."

"Sing," said the Prince of the Stones, "sing, coward that hast never wept to do evil, and now weepest at the time of punishment: sing, Miserable."

"Ah," said the head, "have pity, Lord."

"Sing," said the Prince of the Stones, "sing, 'tis the hour of G.o.d."

"My lord Prince," said the head, "be not so hard in my evil hour."

"Sing, Miserable," said the Prince of the Stones, "sing, 'tis the hour of the reckoning."

"Ah," said the head, weeping, "I will sing, since you are my master."

And the head sang the faery song.

And suddenly there spread abroad in the air a smell of cinnamon, frankincense, and sweet marjoram.

And the sixteen virgins, hearing the song, came down from the gallows and drew near to the body of Halewyn.

And Magtelt, crossing herself, watched them pa.s.s, but felt no fear.

And the first virgin, who was the daughter of the poor simpleton, Claes the Dog-beater, took the golden sickle, and cutting into the breast of the Miserable below the left nipple drew out a great ruby, and put this on her wound, where it melted into rich red blood in her breast.

And the head let a great pitiful cry of pain.

"So," said the Prince of the Stones, "did the poor virgins cry out when thou madest them pa.s.s from life unto death; sixteen times hast thou brought death about, sixteen times shalt thou die, besides the death thou hast suffered already. The cry is the cry of the body when the soul leaves it; sixteen times hast thou drawn this cry from other bodies, sixteen times shall cry out thine own; sing, Miserable, to call the virgins to the reckoning."

And the head sang again the faery song, while the first virgin walked away silently towards the wood like a living person.

And the second virgin came to the body of the Miserable and did to it as the first had done.

And she also walked away into the wood like a living person.

So did each of the sixteen virgins, and for each of them a ruby was changed into good red blood.

And sixteen times the head sang the faery song, and sixteen times gave the death-cry.

And one by one all the virgins went away into the depth of the wood.

And the last of all, who was Anne-Mie, came to Magtelt, and kissing her right hand wherein she had held the sword: "Blessed be thou,"

she said, "who camest without fear, and, delivering us from the spell, leadest us into paradise."

"Ah," said Magtelt, "must thou go so far away, Anne-Mie?"

But Anne-Mie, without hearing her, pa.s.sed like the others into the depth of the wood, walking silently over the snow like a living person.

While the head was weeping and uttering bitter plaints, came out from the forest the child of nine years old, whom the Miserable had killed first of all. Still wearing her shroud she approached and fell at the feet of the mannikin Prince of the Stones.