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Flemish Legends Chapter 1 Of the sorrowful voice which Pieter Gans heard in his garden, and of the flame running over the grass.
In the days when the Good Duke ruled over Brabant, there was to be found at Uccle, with its headquarters in the tavern of The Horn, a certain Brotherhood of the Cheerful Countenance, aptly enough so named, for every one of the Brothers had a wonderfully jolly face, finished off, as a sign of good living, with two chins at the least. That was the young ones; but the older ones had more.
You shall hear, first of all, how this Brotherhood was founded:
Pieter Gans, host of this same Horn, putting off his clothes one night to get into bed, heard in his garden a sorrowful voice, wailing: "My tongue is scorching me. Drink! Drink! I shall die of thirst."
Thinking at first that it was some drunkard below, he continued to get into bed quietly, notwithstanding the voice, which kept crying out in the garden: "Drink! Drink! I shall die of thirst." But this persisted so long and in so melancholy a manner that at last Pieter Gans must needs get up and go to the window to see who it might be making so much noise. Thence he saw a long flame, of great brightness and strange upstanding shape, running over the grass; and, thinking that it must be some poor soul from purgatory in need of prayers, he set about repeating litanies, and went through above a hundred, but all in vain, for the voice never ceased crying out as before: "Drink! Drink! I shall die of thirst."
After cock-crow he heard no more, and looking out again he saw with great satisfaction that the flame had disappeared.
When morning came he went straightway to the church. There he told the story of these strange happenings to the priest, and caused a fair mass to be said for the repose of the poor soul; gave a golden peter to the clerk so that others might be said later, and returned home reassured.
But on the following night the voice began its wailing anew, as lamentably as if it were that of a dying man hindered from dying. And so it went on night after night.
Whence it came about that Pieter Gans grew moody and morose.
Those who had known him in former days, rubicund, carrying a good paunch and a joyous face, wont to tell his matins with bottles and his vespers with flagons, would certainly never have recognized him.
For he grew so wizened, dried up, thin, and of such piteous appearance that dogs used to start barking at the sight of him, as they do at beggars with their bundles.
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Flemish Legends
Charles de Coster
Literature
Chapter 1 Of the sorrowful voice which Pieter Gans heard in his garden, and of the flame running over the grass.
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Chapter 2 How Jan Blaeskaek gave good counsel to Pieter Gans, and wherein covetousness is sadly punished.
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Chapter 3 Of the songs, voices, mewlings, and sounds of kisses which Pieter Gans and Blaeskaek heard in the garden, and of the brave mien wherewith Master Merry-face sat on the cask of stone.
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Chapter 4 Wherein the two worthy men set out for Brussels, capital city of Brabant, and of the manners and condition of Josse Cartuyvels the Apothecary.
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Chapter 5 Of the long conversation and great perplexity of Pieter Gans and Blaeskaek in the matter of the deviling; and how they returned to Uccle with a resolution taken.
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Chapter 6 Wherein it is seen that the devil is not a good one; and of the evil trick which he played on the good wives of the drinkers.
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Chapter 7 Of the Great Parliament of the Women of Uccle.
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Chapter 8 Of the great wit which every woman has, and of the modest conversation which the maid Wantje held with the worthies at the inn.
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Chapter 9 Wherein it is seen that the learned Thomas a Klapperibus knew what makes a drinker fidget on his stool.
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Chapter 10 Of the brigand called Irontooth.
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Chapter 11 In which it is seen how bravely the good wives of Uccle did the duty of men.
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Chapter 12 Wherein Pieter Gans is nearer the stake than the wine-barrel.
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Chapter 13 Of the great wonder and astonishment of My Lord the Duke when he heard of the valour of the women of Uccle.
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Chapter 14 Of the three noble ladies and their great beauty.
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Chapter 15 How a prince of Araby was taken with love for the youngest sister, and what came of it.
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Chapter 16 Wherein it is seen how Satan persecutes those ladies who seek to escape from the world.
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Chapter 17 Of the voice of the divine bridegroom, and of the horseman in silvern armour.
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Chapter 18 How, by the command of God, the three ladies rode to adventure.
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Chapter 19 Of the diamond hammers, and foundations torn up from the ground.
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Chapter 20 Of the youngest sister and the beautiful angel.
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Chapter 21 How the three ladies saw a green island, with sweet flowers and birds thereon.
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Chapter 22 Of the church of Our Lord at Haeckendover, and of the strange mason who worked there.
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Chapter 23 Of the two castles.
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Chapter 24 Of Dirk, called the Crow.
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Chapter 25 Of Sir Halewyn and how he carried himself in his youth.
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Chapter 26 How Sir Halewyn wished to take himself a wife, and what the ladies and gentlewomen said to it.
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Chapter 27 How it came about that Sir Halewyn, after a certain tournament, called upon the devil for aid.
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Chapter 28 Of the rovings and wanderings of Sir Halewyn.
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Chapter 29 Of the Prince of the Stones and of the song.
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Chapter 30 What Halewyn did to the little girl cutting faggots.
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Chapter 31 Of the heart of a maid and of the great strength which came to Sir Halewyn.
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Chapter 32 How the Miserable robbed a Lombard goldsmith, and of the pleasant speech of the ladies and gentlewomen.
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Chapter 33 Of the arrogant arms of Sir Halewyn.
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Chapter 34 How Sir Halewyn jousted with a knight of England.
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Chapter 35 Of the heart dried up and of the dame Halewyn.
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Chapter 36 Of the great weakness of Sir Halewyn and of the days and nights which he spent in the forest.
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Chapter 37 How the Miserable, having hanged fifteen virgins in the Gallows-field, held wicked revels and cruel orgies.
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Chapter 38 How the burgesses of the good town of Ghent gave protection to the virgins of the domain of Halewyn.
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Chapter 39 Of what Sir Halewyn did on the borders of his domain.
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Chapter 40 Of the damosels Magtelt and Anne-Mie, and of Schimmel the dapple-gray.
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