Reynke de Vos, book 3, chapter 10

Reynke de Vos, Fox hunting

Here Reynke was telling the third story that was written on the mirror, as he falsely claimed; and it is about his father, the old fox, and the wild cat who ran into the forest and whom he attacked with words. The X. chapter.



¶ Hir sprickt Reynke de drydden ystoryen, de vp deme speygel stunt gemaket, so he sede al legende, vnde is van synem vader, deme olden vosse, vnde van deme wylden kater, de in deme holte lopt, den he hir schendet myt worden. Dat X. capittel.

KOnnynck here, gy scholen ok wetten,
5160 (Latet myne rede iw nicht vordreten!)
Wente vp dem speygel stunt ok gegrauen
Behende myt bylden vnde boekstauen,
Wo myn vader vnde Hyntze de kater
To samende ghyngen by eyneme water.
5165 Se sworen to samende myt swaren eyden,
Dat se wolden vnder syk beyden
Lyke delen, wat se ok vengen.
Wolde se yemant yagen efte dwengen,
So scholde eyn blyuen by deme anderen.
5170 Sus ghyngen se vele weges wanderen.
Id gheschach syk eyns, dat se vornemen,
Wo etlyke yagers na ene quemen,
De hadden ok vele quade hunde.
Hyntze do to spreken beghunde.
5175 He sprack: „gud rad is hir dür."
Myn vader sprack: „yd is euentür.
Eynen sack vul rades ik wol weet;
Wy wyllen malckander holden den eyt
Vnde wyllen vaste to samende stan.
5180 Dessen rad sette ick to voren an."

Hyntze sprack: „wo yd vns gaet,
Ik weet allene eynen raet,
Den moet ik bruken, dat segge ik yw, om."
Alzus spranck he vp eynen bom,
5185 Dar eme de hunde nicht konden schaden.
Sus wolde he mynen vader vorraden,
Den he in anxste leet staen.
Myt des quemen en de yegers an.
Hyntze sach dyt vnde sprack:
5190 „Wat, oem, doet nu vp yuwen sack!
Gy hebben dar doch vele rades in,
Bruket den nu, dat is yuwe ghewyn."
Men bleß int horn vnde men reep: „sla!"
Myn vader leep vor, de hunde eme na.
5195 He leep, dat em vthbrack dat sweet,
So dat he ok achter glyden leet.
Sus wart he do ychteswat vorlycht,
Anders were he entkomen nicht.
Hir moghe gy horen, we ene vorreet:
5200 Dat dede de, dar he syk meyst to vorleet.
De hunde weren eme to snel,
Vyl na hadden se eme gherucket dat fel;
Men dar was eyn gath, dat wuste he wol.
Sus entquam he int sulue hol.

5205 ¶ Des ghelyk vyntmen noch mannygen droch,
De sus dat sulue bruken noch,
Alze Hyntze hir dede, de quade deeff;
Wunder were yd, hadde ik en leeff.
Doch ik hebbet em halff vorgheuen,
5210 Sus is dar noch wes achter bleuen.
Desse ystorye myt dessen reden
Stunt klar vp deme speygel ghesneden."