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Chap. XLVI.
LEGEND OF TOVELIL.
237
Nothing—about the knight who demands her hand in
marriage. Concealment later becomes useless, and
Sofie again taunts her. “What did the king give
you ? ” she inquires. Tovelil, now bold—maitresse en
titre—replies:—
“ He gave to me as fine a gold band
As ever was seen around the queen’s hand ;
For I to him two sons did bear ;
For this the king he loves me dear.
Knud and Christopher ride never far
From the king’s side when he goes to the war.”
Sofie now meditates revenge. She orders a “
badstue,” a vapour-bath (probably an introduction of her
own from Russia), to be constructed, and begs Tovelil to
accompany her to bathe. She however declined; “ she
bathed yesterdaybut later she is induced to enter to
prepare the bath for her lord. Queen Sofie closes the
stove, and heaps wood upon the fire :—
“ There is no water, there is no soap ;
For the love of Heaven, oh let me out!
Then could all hear along the street
How Tovelil died so hard a death.”
The queen now walks down Ribe street, and, meeting
Knud and Christopher, cries out, mocking :—
“ Here come you, Christopher ; here come you, Knud •
Go both, and take your mother out.
Run down the street, and hear her cries,
For Tovelil in the bad-stue dies.”
The sons spur their chargers, upsetting the queen
sprawling in the gutter, all in her “ scarlet red.” They
burst open the door, but too late :—
“ Her sons they hear no more her groans:
The fire has burnt to her very bones.”
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