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190
THE ALE MOSE.
Chap. XLII.
from his book Cyprianus, commencing at the last page,
backwards: the rats*ran into the fire and were all
burnt. Then in came the dragon. When the wizard
saw the dragon, he turned pale, exclaiming, “ I must
now die; you false men, you have deceived me, but you
■will not live yourselves many years. You are accursed,
and your village will become desolate I ” Then the
dragon folded his tail round the wizard, dragged him
into the fire, and they were both consumed together.
It was on the eve before Christmas, in the year
1348, that there dwelt in this herred near the sea a rich
nobleman, Eskil Juel by name. A stranger knocked
at the door of his castle, begged for shelter and
permission to remain the night. But Eskil replied,
“ No, I will not give house to a vagabond. We keep
feast and festival with our friends on Christmas-eve,
and will not be disturbed. Go to the parish priest: he
has a large house; he drinks deep, and will let you
stay till to-morrow.” Now it was the old custom in
those days for the priest to perform a midnight mass on
the eve of Christmas, such as still exists in old Catholic
countries. When the villagers arrived at the church
they found it closed, and no lights. “ It is a shame and
a sin,” they cried, “ for the priest to sit drinking in his
house; no doubt he has forgotten the service
altogether.” So after waiting till near dawn they went
to the parsonage’ to see what was the matter ; and if
their suppositions proved true, to upbraid the priest
with his conduct. When they arrived at the house
they saw but one faint light glimmering through the
window, and on the floor lay dead the priest and those
who were with him in the house, all save one old woman,
and she still breathed. “A bad guest,” she gasped,
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