Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T06:00:04.195Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

22 - The Elephant and the Camel

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2024

Edited and translated by
Brian Murdoch
Affiliation:
University of Stirling
Get access

Summary

Reynard, who rarely showed any loyalty to anyone, pressed the king to confer upon his friend, the elephant, lordship over a country. “Granted,” said the king. “Let him rule Bohemia.” This pleased the elephant very much, and the king gave it to him to hold in fief in accordance with the law. The good servant of the king set off at once. He had come poor to the court and was now a prince. The elephant traveled to the land where the king had sent him and announced to the people the surprising news that he was now their overlord. For this he was severely beaten and had to go back in sorrow to where he came from. They might easily have wounded him so severely that he would not have survived.

Having had the elephant made ruler of a country, Reynard thought that he still hadn't exercised enough malice. Again he made an urgent request to the king about the camel, who had been one of those judging him. “She should also play a useful role,” he said. “Make her the abbess at Erstein in Alsace, and this will save your soul, because they send up a lot of prayers.” The king acceded gladly to the request and granted her with his right hand a role that would be financially very beneficial to her. Certainly she saw herself as a wealthy and powerful abbess, so she took her leave and hurried to take up the post. She skipped gaily across the courtyard and was very grateful to Reynard for the gift of this important position. It would, however, lead to trouble for her. When she reached the convent, all those who had heard the news hurried along. They looked at her and immediately wanted to know who she was. “I shall give you an honest answer,” she said. “The mighty king has granted me authority over this place. I shall be the abbess.” The nuns were so angry about this that the camel was nearly killed. The nuns closed in on her, and the abbess was beaten to within an inch of her life. They used their sharp writing implements to make wounds on her body, and it put her in a great deal of danger.

Type
Chapter
Information
Three Political Tales from Medieval Germany
<i>Duke Ernst, Henry of Kempten, and Reynard the Fox</i>
, pp. 161 - 162
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
Print publication year: 2024

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • The Elephant and the Camel
  • Edited and translated by Brian Murdoch, University of Stirling
  • Book: Three Political Tales from Medieval Germany
  • Online publication: 09 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781805433071.034
Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • The Elephant and the Camel
  • Edited and translated by Brian Murdoch, University of Stirling
  • Book: Three Political Tales from Medieval Germany
  • Online publication: 09 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781805433071.034
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Elephant and the Camel
  • Edited and translated by Brian Murdoch, University of Stirling
  • Book: Three Political Tales from Medieval Germany
  • Online publication: 09 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781805433071.034
Available formats
×