Page:Lays and Legends of Germany (1834).djvu/247

 approaching when the nobleman had agreed to pay him. Just at this time he was, unexpectedly, compelled to undertake a journey. As he was on his way, who should he encounter but Rubezahl, in all his pride, mounted upon a goat; and with a nose which he had made for himself, a full half-yard long; the goat kept mocking the tailor, and bidding the master welcome, while Rubezahl kept crying out, ‘Good luck to you, master! Good luck to you, master! Do you want to be paid your wages for the garment which you cut out for me, and which I am now wearing?’ All this time the goat kept on his mocking, ‘Master! master!’ But the tailor was sorely frightened, notwithstanding he had oftentimes, before, laughed at the wondrous rider; and now thought to himself, he should be properly rewarded for his roguery.

After this, Rubezahl upbraided him most severely, and at the same time bantered him heartily for his intended theft of the cloth, saying, ‘How stands it, brother, have we not something that we can barter? Hast thou not cribbed any thing, hast thou not nipped off any little bits from one stuff or another, or thrown any behind the stove, and said, ‘The devil shall have that!’ or hast thou thrown nothing after the mice, and so saved some of the best little pieces?’

But the tailor was struck dumb with astonishment, and said not a word. But he who bestrode the goat, proceeded, ‘How strange it is that all you tailors must steal. The very first men and tailors who were upon the face of the earth commenced the practice, for they made themselves aprons of fig-leaves, and robbed the trees for that purpose. So, that it is clear, tailoring, from the beginning, could not exist without robbery; hence it is, that we must, like the