The Golden Ass

dismembered in every part of his body: who lying at the very point of death, desired his brethren to revenge his death against that cruel tyrant: and therewithal he gave up the ghost. The other two brethren perceiving so great a murder, and neglecting their own lives, like desperate persons dressed themselves against the tyrant, and threw a great number of stones at him, but the bloody thief exercised in such and like mischiefs, took a spear and thrust it clean through the body: howbeit he fell not down to the ground. For the spear that came out at his back ran into the earth, and sustained him up. By and by came one of these tyrants servants the most sturdiest of the rest to help his master, who at the first coming took up a stone and threw at the third brother, but by reason the stone ran along his arm it did not hurt him, which chanced otherwise than all men’s expectation was: by and by the young man feigning that his arm was greatly wounded, spake these words unto the cruel bloodsucker: Now mayest thou, thou wretch, triumph upon the destruction of all our family, now hast thou fed thy insatiable cruelty with the blood of three brethren, now mayest thou rejoice at the fall of us citizens, yet think not but that how far thou dost remove and extend the bounds of thy land, thou shalt have some neighbor, but how greatly am I sorry in that I have lost mine arm wherewithal I minded to cut off thy head. When he had spoken these words, the furious thief drew out his dagger, and running upon the young man thought verily to have slain him, but it chanced otherwise: for the young man resisted him stoutly, and in buckling together by violence wrested the dagger out of his hand: which done, he killed the rich thief with his own weapon, and to the intent the young man would escape the hands of the servants which came running to assist their master, with the same dagger he cut his own throat. These things were signified by the strange and dreadful wonders which fortuned in the house of the good man, who after he had heard these sorrowful tidings could in nowise weep, so far was he stricken with dolour, but presently taking his knife wherewith he cut his cheese and other meat before, he cut his own throat likewise, in such sort that he fell upon the board and embraced the table with the streams of his blood, in most miserable manner. Hereby was my master the gardener deprived of his hope, and paying for his dinner the watery tears of his eyes, mounted upon my back and so we went homeward the same way as we came.

XLIII

How Apuleius was found by his shadow.

As we passed by the way we met with a tall soldier (for so his habit and countenance declared) who with proud and arrogant words spake to my master in this sort: quorsum vacuum ducis asinum? My master somewhat astonied at the strange sights which he saw before, and ignorant of the Latin tongue, road on and spake never a word: the soldier unable to refrain his insolence, and offended at his silence, strake him on the shoulders as he sat on my back; then my master gently made answer that he understood not what he said, whereat the soldier angrily demanded again, whither he rode with his ass? Marry (quoth he) to the next city: but I (quoth the soldier) have need of his help, to carry the trusses of our captain from yonder castle, and therewithal he took me by the halter and would violently have taken me away: but my master wiping away the blood of the blow which he received of the soldier, desired him gently and civilly to take some pity upon him, and to let him depart with his own, swearing and affirming that his slow ass, well-nigh dead with sickness, could scarce carry a few handfuls of herbs to the next town, much less he was able to bear any greater trusses: but when he saw the soldier would in nowise be entreated, but ready with his staff to cleave my master’s head, my master fell down at his feet, under colour to move him to some pity, but when he saw his time, he took the soldier by the legs and cast him upon the ground: then he buffeted him, thumped him, bit him, and took a stone and beat his face and his sides, that he could not turn and defend himself, but only threaten that if ever he rose, he would chop him in pieces. The gardener when he heard him say so, drew out his javelin which he had by his side, and when he had thrown it away, he knocked and beat him more cruelly than he did before, insomuch that the soldier could not tell by what means to save himself, but by feigning that he was dead, then my master took the javelin and mounted upon my back, riding in all haste to the next village, having no regard to go to his garden, and when he came thither, he turned into one of his friend’s house and declared all the whole matter, desiring him to save his life and to hide himself and his ass in some secret place, until such time as all danger were past. Then his friends not forgetting the ancient amity between them, entertained him willingly and drew me up a pair of stairs into a chamber, my master crept into a chest, and lay there with the cover closed fast: the soldier (as I afterwards learned) rose up as one awaked from a drunken sleep, but he could scarce go by reason of his wounds: howbeit at length by little and little through aid of his staff