mc.eatersofthedead-第15部分

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　That　evening　there　was　a　great　celebration；　and　King　Rothgar　and　his　Queen　Weilew；　in　a　garment　dripping　gemstones　and　gold；　presided　over　the　nobles　and　warriors　and　earls　of　the　kingdom　of　Rothgar。　These　nobles　were　a　paltry　lot；　they　were　old　men　and　drank　overmuch　and　many　were　crippled　or　wounded。　In　the　eyes　of　all　of　them　was　the　hollow　stare　of　fear；　and　there　was　hollowness　in　their　merriment；　too。
　Also　there　was　the　son　named　Wiglif；　of　whom　I　have　earlier　spoken；　the　son　of　Rothgar　who　murdered　three　of　his　brothers。　This　man　was　young　and　slender　with　a　blond　beard　and　with　eyes　that　never　settled　on　anything；　but　moved　about　here　and　there　constantly；　also　he　never　met　the　gaze　of　another。　Herger　saw　him　and　said；　〃He　is　a　fox。〃　By　this　he　meant　that　he　was　a　slippery　and　changeable　person　of　false　demeanor；　for　the　North　people　believe　the　fox　is　an　animal　that　can　assume　any　form　it　pleases。
　Now；　in　the　middle　portion　of　the　festivities；　Rothgar　sent　his　herald　to　the　doors　of　Hurot　Hall；　and　this　herald　reported　that　the　mist　would　not　descend　that　night。　There　was　much　happiness　and　celebration　over　this　announcement　that　the　night　was　clear；　all　were　pleased　save　Wiglif。
　At　a　particular　time；　the　son　Wiglif　rose　to　his　feet　and　said；　〃I　drink　honor　to　our　guests；　and　especially　Buliwyf；　a　brave　and　true　warrior　who　has　e　to　aid　us　in　our　plight…although　it　may　prove　too　great　an　obstacle　for　him　to　overe。〃　Herger　whispered　these　words　to　me；　and　I　caught　that　it　was　praise　and　insult　in　one　breath。
　All　eyes　turned　to　Buliwyf　for　his　response。　Buliwyf　stood；　and　looked　to　Wiglif；　and　then　said；　〃I　have　no　fear　of　anything；　even　the　callow　fiend　that　creeps　at　night　to　murder　men　in　their　sleep。　This　I　took　to　refer　to　the　〃wendol；〃　but　Wiglif　turned　pale　and　gripped　the　chair　in　which　he　sat。
　〃Do　you　speak　of　me？〃　Wiglif　said；　in　a　trembling　tongue。
　Buliwyf　made　this　response：　〃No；　but　I　do　not　fear　you　any　more　than　the　monsters　of　the　mist。〃
　The　young　man　Wiglif　persisted；　although　Rothgar　the　King　called　for　him　to　be　seated。　Wiglif　said　to　all　the　assembled　nobles：　〃This　Buliwyf；　arrived　from　foreign　shores；　has　by　appearance　great　pride　and　great　strength。　Yet　have　I　arranged　to　test　his　mettle；　for　pride　may　cover　any　man's　eyes。〃
　Now　I　saw　this　thing　happen：　a　strong　warrior；　seated　at　a　table　near　the　door；　behind　Buliwyf；　rose　with　speed；　plucked　up　a　spear；　and　charged　at　the　back　of　Buliwyf。　All　this　happened　in　less　time　than　it　takes　a　man　to　suck　in　his　breath。19　Yet　also　Buliwyf　turned；　plucked　up　a　spear；　and　with　this　he　caught　the　warrior　full　into　the　chest；　and　lifted　him　by　the　shaft　of　the　spear　high　over　his　head　and　flung　him　against　a　wall。　Thus　was　this　warrior　skewered　on　the　spear；　his　feet　dangling　above　the　floor；　kicking；　the　shaft　of　the　spear　was　buried　into　the　wall　of　the　hall　of　Hurot。　The　warrior　died　with　a　sound。
　Now　there　came　much　motion；　and　Buliwyf　turned　to　face　Wiglif；　and　said；　〃So　shall　I　dispatch　any　menace；〃　and　then　with　great　immediacy　Herger　spoke；　in　an　overloud　voice；　and　made　many　gestures　toward　my　person。　I　was　much　confused　by　these　events；　and　in　truth　my　eyes　were　stuck　upon　this　dead　warrior　pinned　to　the　wall。
　Then　Herger　turned　to　me；　and　said　in　Latin；　〃You　shall　sing　a　song　for　the　court　of　King　Rothgar。　All　desire　it。〃
　I　asked　of　him；　〃What　shall　I　sing？　I　know　no　song。〃　He　made　this　reply：　〃You　will　sing　something　that　entertains　the　heart。〃　And　he　added；　〃Do　not　speak　of　your　one　God。　No　one　cares　for　such　nonsense。〃
　In　truth；　I　did　not　know　what　to　sing；　for　I　am　no　minstrel。　A　time　passed　while　all　stared　toward　me；　and　there　was　silence　in　the　hall。　Then　Herger　said　to　me；　〃Sing　a　song　of　kings　and　valor　in　battle。〃
　I　said　that　I　knew　no　such　songs；　but　that　I　could　tell　them　a　fable；　which　in　my　country　was　accounted　funny　and　entertaining。　To　this　he　said　that　I　had　made　a　wise　choice。　Then　I　told　them…King　Rothgar；　his　Queen　Weilew；　his　son　Wiglif；　and　all　the　assembled　earls　and　warriors…the　story　of　Abu　Kassim's　slippers；　which　all　know。　I　spoke　lightly；　and　smiled　all　the　while；　and　in　the　first　instance　the　Northmen　were　pleased；　and　laughed　and　slapped　their　bellies。
　But　now　this　strange　event　occurred。　As　I　continued　in　my　telling；　the　Northmen　ceased　to　laugh；　and　turned　gloomy　by　degrees；　ever　more　so；　and　when　I　had　finished　the　tale；　there　was　no　laughter；　but　dire　silence。
　Herger　said　to　me；　〃You　could　not　know；　but　that　is　no　tale　for　laughter；　and　now　I　must　make　amends；〃　and　thereupon　he　said　some　speech　that　I　took　to　be　a　joke　at　my　own　expense；　and　there　was　general　laughter；　and　at　length　the　celebration　remenced。
　
　The　story　of　Abu　Kassim's　slippers　is　ancient　in　Arabic　culture；　and　was　well　known　to　Ibn　Fadlan　and　his　fellow　Bagdad　citizens。
　The　story　exists　in　many　versions；　and　can　be　told　briefly　or　elaborately；　depending　upon　the　enthusiasm　of　the　teller。　Briefly；　Abu　Kassim　is　a　rich　merchant　and　a　miser　who　wishes　to　hide　the　fact　of　his　wealth；　in　order　to　strike　better　bargains　in　his　trade。　To　give　the　appearance　of　poverty；　he　wears　a　pair　of　particularly　tawdry；　miserable　slippers；　hoping　that　people　will　be　fooled；　but　nobody　is。　Instead；　the　people　around　him　think　he　is　silly　and　preposterous。
　One　day；　Abu　Kassim　strikes　a　particularly　favorable　bargain　in　glassware；　and　decides　to　celebrate；　not　in　the　accepted　manner　of　treating　his　friends　to　a　feast；　but　by　treating　himself　to　the　small　selfish　luxury　of　a　visit　to　the　public　baths。　He　leaves　his　clothes　and　shoes　in　the　anteroom；　and　a　friend　berates　him　for　his　worn　and　inappropriate　shoes。　Abu　Kassim　replies　that　they　are　still　serviceable；　and　he　enters　the　bath　with　his　friend。　Later；　a　powerful　judge　also　es　to　the　baths；　and　disrobes；　leaving　behind　an　elegant　pair　of　slippers。　Meanwhile；　Abu　Kassim　departs　from　the　bath　and　cannot　find　his　old　slippers；　in　their　place　he　finds　a　new　and　beautiful　pair　of　shoes；　and；　presuming　these　to　be　a　present　from　his　friend；　he　puts　them　on　and　leaves。
　When　the　judge　leaves；　his　own　slippers　are　missing；　and　all　he　can　find　are　a　miserable；　tawdry　pair　of　slippers；　which　everyone　knows　belong　to　the　miser　Abu　Kassim。　The　judge　is　angry；　servants　are　dispatched　to　retrieve　the　missing　slippers；　and　they　are　soon　found　upon　the　very　feet　of　the　thief；　who　is　hauled　into　court　before　the　magistrate　and　severely　fined。
　Abu　Kassim　curses　his　bad　luck；　and　once　home　flings　the　unlucky　slippers　out　of　his　window；　where　they　fall　into　the　muddy　Tigris　River。　Some　days　later；　a　group　of　fishermen　haul　in　their　catch；　and　find　along　with　some　fish　the　slippers　of　Abu　Kassim；　the　hobnails　of　these　slippers　have　torn　their　nets。　Enraged；　they　throw　the　soggy　slippers　through　an　open　window。　The　window　happens　to　be　that　of　Abu　Kassim；　the　slippers　fall　upon　the　newly　purchased　glassware　and　smash　it　all。
　Abu　Kassim　is　heartbroken；　and　grieves　as　only　a　stingy　miser　can。　He　vows　the　wretched　slippers　shall　do　him　no　further　harm　and；　to　be　certain；　goes　to　his　garden　with　a　shovel　and　buries　them。　As　it　happens；　his　next…door　neighbor　sees　Abu　Kassim　digging；　a　menial　task　fit　only　for　a　servant。　The　neighbor　assumes　that　if　the　master　of　the　house　is　doing　this　chore　himself；　it　must　be　in　order　to　bury　treasure。　Thus　the　neighbor　goes　to　the　Caliph　and　informs　on　Abu　Kassim；　for　according　to　the　laws　of　the　land；　any　treasure　found　in　the　ground　is　the　property　of　the　Caliph。
　Abu　Kassim　is　called　before　the　Caliph；　and　when　he　reports　that　he　buried　only　a　pair　of　old　slippers；　the　court　laughs　uproariously　at　the　obviousness　of　the　merchant's　attempt　to　conceal　his　true；　and　illegal；　purpose。　The　Caliph　is　angry　to　be　thought　such　a　fool　as　to　be　given　this　silly　lie；　and　increases　the　magnitude　of　his　fine　accordingly。　Abu　Kassim　is　thunderstruck　when　sentence　is　passed；　and　yet　he　is　obliged　to　pay。
　Abu　Kassim　is　now　determined　to　be　rid　of　his　slippers　once　and　for　all。　To　be　certain　of　no　further　trouble；　he　makes　a　pilgrimage　far　from　town　and　drops　the　slippers　into　a　distant　pond；　watching　them　sink　to　the　bottom　with　satisfaction。　But　the　po