CONTENTS.

Preface.  
 
PAGE
 
The Introduction touching Master Tyll Owlglass 1
 
 
Adventures.
 
I.—How Tyll Owlglass was born, and was on one day three times christened 2
 
II.—How that Owlglass when that he was a child did give a marvellous answer to a man that asked the way 3
 
III.—How all the boors did cry out shame upon Owlglass for his knavery; and how he rode upon a horse behind his father 5
 
IV.—How Owlglass did learn to dance upon a rope, and did fall therefrom into the River Saale 6
 
V.—How Owlglass did move two hundred young people, that they did give unto him their shoes, with the which he made rare sport upon his rope 8
 
VI.—How that Owlglass his mother did move him that he should learn a handicraft 9
 
VII.—How Owlglass did deceive a baker at Strasfurt, and gat bread for his mother 10
 
VIII.—How Owlglass, with other children, was forced to eat fat soup, and gat blows likewise 11
 
IX.—How Owlglass brought it about that the stingy farmer’s poultry drew for baits 12
 
X.—How Owlglass was again moved of his mother to depart to a foreign land, that he might learn a handicraft 13
 
XI.—How Owlglass crept into a bee-hive; how two thieves came by night to steal honey; what honey they did steal; and how Owlglass made it come to pass, that the thieves did fight one with the other, and did leave the bee-hive standing 14
 
XII.—How Owlglass for little money did have a singing bird for his dinner 16
 
XIII.—How Owlglass did eat the roasted chicken from off the spit 17
 
XIV.—How Owlglass did publish abroad that he would fly from off the roof of the town-house at Magdeburg 19
 
XV.—How Owlglass did cure the sick folks in the hospital at Nürnberg in one day, and what came thereafter 21
 
XVI.—How Owlglass bought bread according to the proverb, “To him that hath bread is bread given” 23
 
XVII.—How Owlglass became a doctor, and did cure many folk 23
 
XVIII.—How that Owlglass became a drawer of teeth, and cured all by a wondrous pill 25
 
XIX.—How that Owlglass did at Brunswick hire him to a baker, and did there bake owls and monkeys 26
 
XX.—How Owlglass did again hire him unto a baker, and how he bolted meal in the moon’s light 29
 
XXI.—Telleth of what manner of thinking was Owlglass, and how he formed his life according unto principles of virtue and goodness 32
 
XXII.—How that Owlglass did hire him to the Count of Anhalt to blow the horn on a tower; and when that enemies did approach, then blew he not, and when that they came not, then blew he 33
 
XXIII.—How that Owlglass did have golden shoes struck unto his horse’s feet 37
 
XXIV.—How that Owlglass did have a great contention before the King of Poland with two other fools 38
 
XXV.—How that Owlglass did make confession to a priest, and took from him a silver box 39
 
XXVI.—How that Owlglass was forbidden the dukedom of Lunenburg, and how he did cut open his horse and stand therein 40
 
XXVII.—How that Owlglass did buy an inheritance in land from a boor, and how he sate therein in a cart 42
 
XXVIII.—How that Owlglass painted the forbears of the Landgrave of Hessen, and told him that an if he were ignobly born, he might not behold his painting 43
 
XXIX.—How that Owlglass was for little money well entertained of two innkeepers 49
 
XXX.—How that Owlglass did tell his master how he might ’scape giving pork unto his neighbours 51
 
XXXI.—How that Owlglass conferred with the rector and masters of the University of Prague in Bohemia, and how he did make answer unto their questions, and therein came off most wisely 52
 
XXXII.—How that Owlglass did on a time mix him up in a marriage strife, and did soon end it with great renown 54
 
XXXIII.—How that Owlglass did cause an ass to read certain words out of a book at the great university of Erfurt 55
 
XXXIV.—How that Owlglass did kill a hog, and answered for his evil doings unto the burghmaster 58
 
XXXV.—How that Owlglass at Nugenstädten, in the land of Thuringia, did wash the women’s furs 61
 
XXXVI.—Telleth how that Owlglass journeyed about the land with a saint’s head, and did beguile many therewith 63
 
XXXVII.—How that Owlglass did make the town-watch of Nürnberg to fall into the water which is called the Pegnitz 65
 
XXXVIII.—How that Owlglass did at Bamberg eat for money 67
 
XXXIX.—How that Owlglass did make a wager with a Jew about a horse, and did deceive him 68
 
XL.—How that Owlglass did have much money for an old hat 70
 
XLI.—How that Owlglass journeyed unto Rome to see the Pope, and how his Holiness considered that Owlglass was a heretic 72
 
XLII.—How that Owlglass without money bought poultry at Quedlingburg, and for security gave unto the farmer’s wife the cock 75
 
XLIII.—How that Owlglass, with a knavish confession, did beguile the priest of Riesenburg of his horse 76
 
XLIV.—How that Owlglass did hire him to a smith, and what he did while with him 80
 
XLV.—How that Owlglass did cause all the tools, hammers, and tongs of a smith to be as one mass of iron 83
 
XLVI.—How that Owlglass did speak a word of truth unto a smith, his wife, man, and maid, each one before the house 85
 
XLVII.—How that Owlglass, at Frankfort-on-the-Main, did with guile delude two Jews of rings 87
 
XLVIII.—How that Owlglass served a shoemaker, and how that he inquired of him what shapes he should cut; and the master answered him, and said: “Great and small, as the herdsman driveth forth to field.” Therefore cut he oxen, cows, calves, sheep and pigs 88
 
XLIX.—How that Owlglass bought eggs and had them tightly packed 90
 
L.—How that Owlglass made a soup for a boor, and put therein shoemaker’s oil; for that, in his nobility, he thought it good enow for the boor 91
 
LI.—This chapter is a special chapter, telling how that a bootmaker sought to beguile Owlglass by greasing his boots, and how that Owlglass looked through the window, and brake it 93
 
LII.—Telleth how that Owlglass at Einbeck became a brewer’s man, and did seethe a dog which was called Hops 95
 
LIII.—How that Owlglass hired him to a tailor, and sewed so secretly that it was not seen of any one 97
 
LIV.—How that Owlglass caused three tailors to fall from their board, and then would have persuaded the people that the wind had blown them down 99
 
LV.—How that Owlglass assembled all the tailors throughout the whole land of Saxony, by proclaiming that he would teach them a mighty useful thing, that would get bread both for them and their children 101
 
LVI.—How that Owlglass beat wool upon a saint’s day, and that very high 103
 
LVII.—How that Owlglass was hired by a furrier, and did sleep among the skins 105
 
LVIII.—How that Owlglass on a time at Berlin did make wolves 107
 
LIX.—How that Owlglass, being servant to a great lord, did fetch for him wine and beer together in a most delectable manner 109
 
LX.—How that Owlglass for a tanner prepared leather with stools and benches, at the good city of Brunswick on the Dam 111
 
LXI.—How that Owlglass was groom unto a noble lord, and what knavery he wrought unto his lord’s horse Rosamond 112
 
LXII.—How that Owlglass beguiled the drawer at the town-house cellar of Lübeck, and did for a can of wine give him a can of water 114
 
LXIII.—How that Owlglass ’scaped hanging by his cunning, and would have hanged himself for a crown, yet did not 116
 
LXIV.—How that Owlglass, at Helmstadt, caused a great pocket to be made 119
 
LXV.—How that Owlglass, at Erfurt, beguiled a butcher 120
 
LXVI.—Telleth how that good Master Owlglass again beguiled the butcher at Erfurt, by pleasing him with a most grateful jingle 122
 
LXVII.—Touching the faults of the which our noble Master Owlglass had a few; for he was human, and in all human things is imperfection 123
 
LXVIII.—How that Owlglass, at Dresden, became a carpenter, and for his pains earned little thanks 125
 
LXIX.—How that Owlglass did hire himself unto the master of a saw-mill 127
 
LXX.—How that Owlglass became a maker of spectacles, and perceived that trade was very bad 129
 
LXXI.—How that Owlglass of a boor at the fair of Gerau took leather 132
 
LXXII.—How that at Hildesheim Owlglass did hire himself unto a merchant, to be his cook, and what tricks he played unto him 133
 
LXXIII.—How that at Greifswald good Master Owlglass came unto the Rector of the University, and proclaimed himself to be a master in all languages, save in one only, to wit, the Spanish tongue 140
 
LXXIV.—How that Owlglass did, at Wismar, become a horse-dealer, and beguiled a merchant 143
 
LXXV.—How that Owlglass wrought a great knavery upon a pipemaker, at Lüneburg 145
 
LXXVI.—How that an old woman mocked the good Master Owlglass when that at Gerdau he lost his pocket 148
 
LXXVII.—How that Owlglass gained money by a horse 152
 
LXXVIII.—How that, at Oltzen, Owlglass did beguile a boor of a piece of green cloth, and caused him to confess that it was blue 153
 
LXXIX.—How that Owlglass most strangely gat a potful of money 157
 
LXXX.—How that Owlglass ran great peril of his neck for receiving the pot of money, yet gat fifteen shillings instead of a hanging 160
 
LXXXI.—How that Owlglass told many that he had lost his money-girdle, and thereby came with good luck unto a warm fire 162
 
LXXXII.—How that Owlglass did at Bremen of the market-women buy milk, and cause it to be poured altogether into one tun 163
 
LXXXIII.—How that Owlglass spake unto twelve blind men, and persuaded them that he had unto them given twelve shillings, and how that they spent the money and came evilly off thereafter 164
 
LXXXIV.—How that in a city of Saxony Owlglass sowed knaves 169
 
LXXXV.—How that in the good city of Hamburg, Owlglass hired him unto a barber, and went through the casement unto his service 173
 
LXXXVI.—How that Owlglass did cause the host of the inn at Eisleben to be beset with great terror, by showing unto him a wolf, of the which he professed no fear 175
 
LXXXVII.—How that Owlglass paid his host with the ring of his money 180
 
LXXXVIII.—How that Owlglass, at Lübeck, did escape from a house, when that the watch would have taken him for his debts 181
 
LXXXIX.—How that Owlglass, at Stassfurt, of a dog took the skin, the which he gave unto his hostess for her charges 182
 
XC.—How that our noble master gave assurance unto the same hostess, that Owlglass lay upon the wheel 184
 
XCI.—How that Owlglass caused a Hollander from a plate to take an apple, the which evilly ended for the eater 185
 
XCII.—How that Owlglass caused a woman to break in pieces the whole of her wares, in the market-place at Bremen 187
 
XCIII.—How that Owlglass sold a horse, the which would not go over trees 191
 
XCIV.—How that of a horse-dealer Owlglass bought a horse and only paid half of the money therefor 192
 
XCV.—How that in the land of Brunswick Owlglass turned shepherd 193
 
XCVI.—How that without money Owlglass bought a pair of shoes 195
 
XCVII.—How that Owlglass sold unto the furriers, at Leipzig, a live cat, the which was sewed into the skin of a hare; and how rare sport came thereof 196
 
XCVIII.—How that Owlglass hired himself unto a boor 197
 
XCIX.—How that Owlglass gat him to the High School at Paris 199
 
C.—How Owlglass would fain have been an innkeeper at Rouen, but was beguiled by a one-eyed man, and again, in turn, cozened him 199
 
CI.—How, in Berlin, Owlglass was an officer, and collected taxes of the boors 201
 
CII.—How that in his latter days Owlglass became a pious monk, and what came thereof 203
 
CIII.—How that when at Möllen Owlglass lay sick, his mother came unto him 206
 
CIV.—How that when Owlglass was sick unto death, he made confession of three things, the which it sorely troubled him he had not done 207
 
CV.—Saith, how that to a greedy priest Owlglass confessed his sins, and paid him handsomely for his pains 209
 
CVI.—How that Owlglass in three parts did divide all that belonged unto him; and the one part gave he freely unto his friends, and another thereof humbly to the town council of Möllen, and the third part unto the priest there 211
 
CVII.—How that at Möllen Owlglass died, and the swine did cast down the coffin when that the good priests sang the vigil 212
 
CVIII.—How that our for ever prized Master Owlglass was buried 213
 
CIX.—Telleth what stood upon his gravestone 214
 
CX.—How in after time our most excellent Owlglass was esteemed so worthy that he was made a holy Saint; and on the day of All Fools in April do the folk alway keep his memory, as also when they do a foolish thing, the which maketh him continually esteemed of great and small 215
 
CXI.—Reciteth a few grave reflections of this present chronicler 216
 
 
APPENDICES.
 
Appendix A.  
 
Bibliographical Notes for the Literary History of Eulenspiegel 219
 
 
Appendix B.  
 
The Historical Eulenspiegel and his Gravestone 240
 
 
Appendix C.  
 
Of Dr. Thomas Murner, the Author of Eulenspiegel 244
 
 
Appendix D.  
 
The Verses inserted by William Copland in the English black-letter Howleglas of 1528 247
 
 
Appendix E.  
 
The Bakâla Legend of the Valacqs analogous to Owlglass 249
 
 
Appendix F.  
 
Works akin to the Eulenspiegel Literature 252