Page:The Journal of English and Germanic Philology Volume 18.djvu/522

 518 Landau er kunt wol subnzig sprachn un' sie al wol sprach, ds was der schenken un gemach. Da seit er es der Esther uf der selbign stund. sie sprach: "nun sich, kunig, ds tuot dir Mordechai kunt(!)." 265 der kunig sprach: "ich wil sehn, ob es war ist." er hiess im zu trinkn geben uf der selbign frist. Die schenken warn boes, sie namen ein slangen, die hatn sie an den becher untn gehangen, daruf zagen sie den vil guotn win, 270 sie truogn in hiipschlich vor den kunig hin in. Der kunig goss den win us al zu hant untn an dem bodem er den vr gift kleben fand. die zwen schenken wordn da gefangen un' an einen galgen gehangen. (406a) 275 Ir keinr lebndik bleib. diese obntiuer in des kiinigs buoch man sie schreib. da diese red gar ward getan, der kunig Ahasveros der ar hoht Haman. Er satzt im einen stuol hoch un' herlich, 280 er maht in geweltig uber al sin kunig rich, kurzlich vor diesr zit hat der kunig vr sant Mordechai un' Haman in der heidn lant. Nun wisst, ds sie uf dem wildn mer zwalf wochn miisstn farn, da miisstn sie sich an kost gar wol bewarn. 285 Mordechai was kluog, sinnig un' wis. da er uf ds mer kam, da spart er sin spis. 279-306. The story as related here is taken again from Midr. Megillah (see note to 197) p. 174 f., where it is related in the following manner: Mor- decai being on the road with Haman, the latter gets hungry and says to the former, "in the name of the great and glorious God give me some bread!" Mordecai grants the request and supplies him with bread. On the following day Haman looks for bread everywhere, but again he finds it nowhere except with his fellow-traveller. He approaches him with the following words, "Give me some bread to keep me alive." Mordecai replies, "I would then expose myself to starvation." Thereupon Haman offers his body for sale, and Mordecai consents to buy his hands for a loaf. Haman offers half his body for two loaves. The transaction is made, and on Haman' s leg the title-deed is engraved wherein is stated that he remains Mordecai's slave. A somewhat similar version of the story is told in Yalkut 1056.