Small Catechism 第21章

Iwassittingwithmychieftainsandwarriorsroundthehearth，forgingourarmour，andsingingthewhile.Suddenly，abovethedinofourhammeringandoursinging，weheardsoloudanoisethatitsilencedusinamoment，andwesatmotionlessasifwehadbeenturnedintostone.Beforelongthesoundwasrepeated;andatlastwemadeoutthatitmustbecausedbysomepersonblowingahugehornoutsidethecastle，seekingforadmittance.Iwentdownmyselftothegate，andasIpassedthroughthecourt-yardallmydogsweresoterrifiedbytheextraordinarynoise，astobehowlingandcrouchingintheirkennelsinsteadofbarking.Ichidthem，andcalledtothem，buteventhefiercestwouldnotfollowme.Then，thoughtI，Imustshowyouthewaytosettowork;soIgraspedmyswordfirmly，Isetmytorchonthegroundclosebesideme，andIletthegatesflyopenwithoutfurtherdelay.ForIwellknewthatitwouldbenoeasymatterforanyonetocomeinagainstmywill.Aloudlaughgreetedme，andIheardthesewords，Well，well，whatmightypreparationsarethesebeforeonesmallmancanfindtheshelterheseeks!AndintruthIdidfeelmyselfreddenwithshamewhenIsawthesmallstrangerstandingoppositetomequitealone.Icalledtohimtocomeinatonce，andofferedmyhandtohim;buthestillshowedsomedispleasure，andwouldnotgivemehisinreturn.Ashewentup，however，hebecamemorefriendly--heshowedmethegoldenhornonwhichhesoundedthatblast，andwhichhecarriedscrewedonhishelmet，aswellasanotherexactlylikeit.Whenhewassittingwithusinthehall，hebehavedinaverystrangemanner--sometimeshewasmerry，sometimescross;byturnscourteousandrudeinhisdemeanour，withoutanyonebeingabletoseeamotiveforsuchconstantchanges.

Ilongedtoknowwherehecamefrom;buthowcouldIaskmyguestsuchaquestion?Hetoldusasmuchasthis，thathewasstarvedwithcoldinourcountry，andthathisownwasmuchwarmer.AlsoheappearedwellacquaintedwiththecityofConstantinople，andrelatedfearfulstoriesofhowbrothers，uncles，nephews，nay，evenfathersandsons，thrusteachotherfromthethrone，blinded，cutouttongues，andmurdered.Atlengthhesaidhisownname--itsoundedharmonious，likeaGreekname，butnoneofuscouldrememberit.

Beforelonghedisplayedhisskillasanarmourer.Heunderstoodmarvellouslywellhowtohandlethered-hotiron，andhowtoformitintomoremurderousweaponsthananyIhadeverbeforeseen.Iwouldnotsufferhimtogoonmakingthem，forIwasresolvedtomeetyouinthefieldwithequalarms，andsuchasweareallusedtoinournortherncountries.Thenhelaughed，andsaidhethoughtitwouldbequitepossibletobevictoriouswithoutthem，byskilfulmovementsandthelikeifonlyIwouldentrustthecommandofmyinfantrytohim，Iwassureofvictory.ThenIthoughtthathewhomakesarmswellmustalsowieldthemwell--yetIrequiredsomeproofofhispowers.Yelords，hecameoffvictoriousintrialsofstrengthsuchasyoucanhardlyimagine;andalthoughthefameofyoungSintram，asaboldandbravewarrior，isspreadfarandwide，yetIcanscarcebelievethathecouldslaysuchanoneasmyGreekally."Hewouldhavecontinuedspeaking，butthegoodRolfcamehastilybackwithafewfollowers，thewholepartysoghastlypale，thatalleyeswereinvoluntarilyfixedonthem，andlookedanxiouslytohearwhattidingstheyhadbrought.Rolfstoodstill，silentandtrembling.

"Takecourage，myoldfriend!"criedSintra"Whateverthoumayesthavetotellistruthandlightfromthyfaithfulmouth.""Mydearmaster，"begantheoldman，"benotangry，butastoburyingthatstrangewarriorwhomyouslew，itisathingimpossible.Wouldthatwehadneveropenedthatwidehideousvisor!Forsohorribleacountenancegrinnedatusfromunderneathit，sodistortedbydeath，andwithsohellishanexpression，thatwehardlykeptoursenses.

WecouldnotbyanypossibilityhavetouchedhiIwouldratherbesenttokillwolvesandbearsinthedesert，andlookonwhilstfiercebirdsofpreyfeastontheircarcases."Allpresentshuddered，andweresilentforatime，tillSintramnervedhimselftosay，"Dear，goodoldman，whyusesuchwildwordsasInevertillnowheardtheeutter?Buttellme，JarlEric，didyourallyappearaltogethersoawfulwhilehewasyetalive?""NotasfarasIknow，"answeredJarlEric，lookinginquiringlyathiscompanions，whowerestandingaround.Theysaidthesamething;butonfartherquestioning，itappearedthatneitherthechieftain，northeknights，northesoldiers，couldsayexactlywhatthestrangerwaslike.

"Wemustthenfinditoutforourselves，andburythecorpse，"saidSintram;andhesignedtotheassembledpartytofollowhiAlldidsoexcepttheLordofMontfaucon，whomthewhisperedentreatyofGabriellekeptatherside.Helostnothingthereby.ForthoughNiflungsHeathwassearchedfromoneendtotheothermanytimes，yetthebodyoftheunknownwarriorwasnolongertobefound.