Unto all men is there appointed a time when that their manifold and heavy sins sit upon their remorse-laden souls, and they groan for mercy, and writhe under the pangs of repentance. And though Owlglass had, throughout his life, been a virtuous man (as I have clearly manifested unto ye, my masters!) yet after he had journeyed hither and thither in all lands, there came unto him a gallows-repentance; and he bethought him how that he unto a convent might depart, taking the vows of poverty, and there end his days, and cast forth all that old leaven of his evil-doings, and be a pious and a good man henceforth, so that his soul should not be lost. Therefore he gat him unto the Abbot of the convent at Marienthal, and entreated of him that he would receive him as a brother, and unto the convent would he in his testament give all that he had. Now, the which was not a most marvellous thing, the abbot with such fools was greatly contented, and therefore spake he unto Owlglass, and said: “For that thou hast yet some gear of valuable treasure, art thou welcome unto me. But, seest thou, some office must thou have, for among our fraternity is no one without somewhat to do; every one among us hath an employment, and therefore must thou too labour.” And Owlglass answered, and said: “Yea, reverend father, that would I cheerfully do.” Thereat said the abbot: “Then, with God’s grace, as thou lovest not much labour, do I receive thee, and be thou our gatekeeper. So wilt thou stay within thy chamber, and wilt have neither sorrow nor great work, only to fetch thy provision and beer from the cellar, and to lock and unlock the gate.” And the pious Owlglass said: “Reverend father abbot! God give you guerdon therefore, that ye do so kindly consider the infirmities of a poor old man, borne down with the weight of his sins and broken with sickness, of a truth will I perform everything that ye do enjoin me.” Then said the abbot: “Behold, do ye now receive of me the keys, but let not every one enter herein, or will the convent soon grow poor, for the robbers will waste our substance, and eat up all our provision; therefore do thou let but few in, scarcely more than the third or fourth.” And Owlglass answered, and said: “Yea, reverend sir, I will do your bidding as ye command me.” Then did he never let more than the fourth person enter into the convent, it recked not whether they belonged unto the convent or no.

And a complaint came unto the abbot of this action of Owlglass, and he called him and spake unto him after this wise: “What a vile and doubly condemned knave art thou, that thou wilt not let such enter in that unto the convent do belong.” “Reverend Lord Abbot,” answered Owlglass, “lo! unto the fourth have I let them enter, according as thou didst signify unto me. Thy words have I fulfilled with great diligence.” “Like unto a knave hast thou fulfilled those words of mine,” said the abbot, and would fain have again been free of him. Then the abbot appointed another door-keeper, for he marked well that Owlglass would not hold from his ancient beguilings. And he gave unto him another office, and bade him count the monks in order as they gat them down unto matins, and he spake unto him, saying: “And behold, if thou dost overlook one of them then must thou get thee hence.” Then said Owlglass to the abbot: “Verily is this a heavy business; yet an if none other hath command to do it, must I fulfil it as well as may be.”

Thereafter brake he privily by night some boards from the staircase, by the which the monks came down unto the chapel. Now the Prior of that convent was an old man and a pious, and ever was he the first the which entered into the chapel to be at matins. And he came unto the stairs and sought the steps the which by Owlglass had been broken away, and found them not, but fell through and brake his leg. Then cried he out with a loud voice, so that all the other monks ran with great haste unto that place to see what had come to pass, and fell one after the other over the prior. Then did Owlglass get him unto the abbot, and said unto him: “Most reverend sir! I have fulfilled mine office as thou wouldst have from me.” Therewith gave Owlglass unto the abbot the piece of wood, the tally on the which he had nicked down the number of the monks as he stood thereby. And the abbot said unto him: “Like unto a most vile knave hast thou fulfilled my command; get thee now straightway forth from this place.” So Owlglass departed, and put from him his monk’s frock, and came unto Möllen, where he thereafter lay sick and died.