Herr_Garrett on 28/4/2009 at 13:10

---

From the fables of Robert Henryson, I give you:

Garrett, Inspector Drept and Benny
Okay, its real title is The Fox and the Wolf, but you'll get my point ;)

1. We leave this widow happy as can be,
Since Chanticleer was back home, safe and sound;
Now follow we the Fox, and let us see
Just how he prospered, and the fate he found.
He could not work, or even be seen around
by day. As long 's the sun was in the sky,
Among the gorse, quite still, he had to lie.

2. At last, the solemn goddess of the night
Summoned Phoebus the sun to take his rest;
And Hesperus, the evening star so bright,
Displayed his brilliant visage in the west.
Lowrence then thought that all was for the best;
The time had come to set about his work;
Hopeful was he, because it was now dark.

3. Out of the thorns, upon a knoll he went,
So he could see the starry heavens all clear,
And all the planets in the firmament,
And how each one was moving in its sphere;
It was no idle whim which took him there.
He had some learning, though a rogue at last,
And set about his horoscope to cast.

4. He saw that Saturn was in Capricorn,
Jupiter well placed in Sagittarius;
And how Mars was upon the Ram's head borne,
With Venus in the Crab, a sign right serious;
Leo held Phoebus, and the Moon Aquarius,
While Mercury, the god of Eloquence,
Within the Virgin made his residence.

5. Of Almanack, or such, he had no need;
He had been taught, and gained experience;
The movements of the heavens he well could read,
What constellation, and what influence
Would strike the Earth, in good or evil sense.
Quoth he, "Although I never went to college,
God bless the man that gave me a' this knowledge.

6. My future and my fate I weel can see;
My likely doom now clear to me is kend;
Gey sair is going to be my destiny,
Unless my way o' living I can mend.
Death's the reward o' sin, and shameful end.
Weel, I must find me a confessor holy,
To shrive me of my sins and earthly folly.

7. Alas," quoth he, "we thieves must cursed be.
Each day we have to hide, and lurk, and lour;
Hunted and chased we are continually,
Forever stealing, and forever poor;
A life o' fear and shame we must endure.
They call us "Gallows-bird!", cry, "Whau've ye wranged!"
And, for oor labours, at the last, we're hanged."

8. Accusing thus his cankered conscience,
Till daylight came, and he could better see,
He saw approaching, not that far from thence,
A worthy Doctor of Divinity,
Friar Wolf Workharm, of great piety
And prayer and sermon; just out of the cloister,
Telling his beads, saying his Paternoster.

9. Going to the Wolf, this untrustworthy Tod
Took off his hood, and fell upon his knee
"Welcome, my spiritual father under God!"
With many a beck and bow, the Wolf to please.
"Ha!" said the Wolf, "Why these civilities?
Put on your hood; I'll take it not amiss."
"Father," said Lowrence,"I have cause for this;

10. Ye are the light, ye are the only way
To guide sic simple folk as me to grace;
Your bare feet, and your habit plain and gray,
Your cheeks so lean, your pale and pious face
Show to the world your perfect holiness;
Blessed is he, that once at least in life,
Comes upon you, his misdeeds for to shrive.."

11. "Ah, simple Lowrence," quoth the Wolf, and smiled,
"I'm glad to see that thou art penitent."
"Sir, I'll recount of many a robbery wild,
That causes me right sairly to repent;
So bide ye, father, hear my full intent.
I pray ye noo, permit me to lay bare
My conscience, that is troubling me so sair."

12. "Well," said the Wolf, "get down upon thy knee."
Lowrence then knelt, with many a pious sigh;
The Wolf began with "Benedicite!"
When I heard this, I drew a little by;
It's not allowed to overhear or spy,
Or of confessions anything to tell;
But I must say, the Wolf began quite well.

13. "In thy heart art thou sorry and contrite
For thy trespass?" " No, sir, not me.
On hens so sweet is set my appetite,
And lambs are aye so tasty when they're wee;
For to repent, the only thing I see
Is that I'm sorry I have slain so few!"
"Well," said the Wolf,"that's just too bad for you.

14. Since thou can not repent thy wickedness.
Wilt thou forbear it in futuritie?"
"If I forbear, how shall I live, alas,
Without a trade to earn myself a fee?
I have to steal, wherever I may be.
To work or beg is far below my pride,
For aye in gentry's state I would reside."

15. "Well," said the Wolf, "that's two great points you lack
Which should make for a genuine confession.
Of the third point, on this you can't go back,
Wilt thou take punishment for thy transgression?"
"Aw, sir, just take a look at my complexion,
Sickly and weak, my constitution tender,
Take a good look, am I no' pale and slender?

16. Yet, a' the same, I would, if it was light,
Short, and adjusted to my tenderness,
Take punishment, and thole it as I might,
To put my simple soul in state of grace."
"Until next Easter, then, eat thou no flesh,
To tame thy mortal constitution,
So I can give thee full remission."

17. "I'm a' for that, if ye will give me leave,
Sausage to eat, or sip a wee drap blood;
Trotters or tripe, or haggis, to receive,
For I must have some flesh intae my food."
"If it's as bad as that, I think I could;
But only twice a week, in fearful need."
"God shield ye, sir, ye are a saint indeed!"

18. This said, the Friar Wolf on his way went.
The Fox, right hungry, headed for the shore;
To catch himself some fish was his intent.
But when he saw the waves, and heard them roar,
He stood aghast ; he'd ne'er seen this before,
And said, "I'd be much better off at hame,
Than be a fisher, in the Devil's name.

19. Oot o' this sand I'd need to scrape my dinner,
For I have neither net, nor bait, nor boat!"
He moaned away a while in suchlike manner,
Thinking his chance of dining was remote;
Then, in fields close by, he spied a flock of goat.
This cheered him up; behind a bush he hid;
And from that flock he grabbed a fat wee kid.

20. Then down the beach into the sea he ran,
Holding the wee beast by its hornies twain;
Right merrily he dipped the creature in,
Once, twice, three times, and all the while kept sayin,
"Gan doon, sir kid, come up, sir salmon again!"
Till it was dead. He took it to the shore,
And ate it up, till he could eat no more.

21. His feast of new-made salmon being done
For a safe place to hide he made his quest;
Amid the gorse, to lie and take the sun,
To warm his well-filled belly he thought best.
Pleased with himself, he said when at his rest,
"This belly just needs noo, to set it aff,
A weel-fledged arrow!" and he gave a laugh.

22. He did not know the keeper of the flock,
Wild that his fattest kid was snatched away,
Was stalking through the gorse, arrow on nock,
Until at last he saw where Lowrence lay;
He bent his bow, and pulled the feathers gray
Back to his ear;, then, swifter than the wind,
Fast to the ground our Lowrence he has pinned.

23. "Aw!" cried the Fox. "Come on, I was just jokin!
I'm done for noo, and lost is a' my gain!
It would seem that, if playfu' word is spoken
These days, in earnest it is ta'en!"
The goatherd picked him up, and for his pain,
And for the kid, and other violence,
Took off his skin, and so got recompense.

I left out the Moral part. Poor Fox-Garrett :tsktsk::cheeky:

massimilianogoi on 28/4/2009 at 17:20

---

I'm happy to see that it really and still (above all) exists. Who knows what they produces there....

Jason, the first link doesn't work.


hhhhmmm.. "Battersea Power Station"... maybe is a powerhouse?

massimilianogoi on 28/4/2009 at 19:16

---

First link:

http://i41.tinypic.com/15rjeyg.jpg

massimilianogoi on 29/4/2009 at 00:07

---

Nope! I dunno what it should be. :confused:

massimilianogoi on 29/4/2009 at 02:32

---

The same result :sweat:

Can you load it on tinypic?