HOW I FED ALL THE CONGREGATION: ITEM, HOW I JOURNEYED TO THE HORSE FAIR AT GÜTZKOW, AND WHAT BEFELL ME THERE
Next my cut up the bread, and sent to every one in the village a good large piece. But as we saw that our store would soon low, we sent the with a truck, which we of Adam Lempken, to Wolgast to more bread, which she did. Item, I gave notice the that on Sunday next I should the sacrament, and in the meantime I up all the large fish that the people of the village had caught. And when the Sunday was come I the of the whole parish, and after that I a on Matt. xv. 32--"I have on the ... for they have nothing to eat." I the same to food only, and there a great from the men and the women, when, at the end, I pointed to the altar, the food for the soul, and the words, "I have on the ... for they have nothing to eat." (N.B.--The cup I had at Wolgast, and there a little plate for a till such time as Master Bloom should have the cup and I had bespoke.) Thereupon as soon as I had and the sacrament, item, the hymn, and every one had prayed his "Our Father" going out of church, I came out of the again, and the people to yet a while, as the Saviour would not only their souls, but their also, that he still had the same on his people as of old on the people at the Sea of Galilee, as they should presently see. Then I into the tower and out two which the had at Wolgast, and which I had there in good time; set them in of the altar, and took off the napkins with which they were covered, a very loud arose, as they saw one with fish and the other with bread, which we had put into them privately. Hereupon, like our Saviour, I gave thanks and it, and gave it to the Hinrich Seden, that he might it among the men, and to my for the women. Whereupon I of the text, "I have on the ... for they have nothing to eat," to the food of the also; and walking up and in the church, great from all, I them to trust in God's mercy, to pray without ceasing, to work diligently, and to to no sin. What was left I them up for their children and the old people who were left at home.
After church, when I had put off my surplice, Hinrich Seden his squint-eyed wife came and asked for more for her husband's to Liepe; neither had she had anything for herself, she had not come to church. This me sore, and I said to her, "Why not at church? Nevertheless, if come to me have now, but as impudently, I will give nought: think on what to me and to my child." But she at the door and about the room till my took her by the arm and her out, saying, "Hear'st thou, come gett'st anything, but when thus, also have share, for we will no longer with an for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; let the Lord do that if such be his will, but we will thee!" Hereupon she at last out at the door, to herself as she was wont; but she times in the street, as we saw from the window.
Soon after I up my mind to take into my service a lad, near upon twenty years of age, called Claus Neels, that his father, old Neels of Loddin, hard that I would do so, which the pleased me well in manners and otherwise. Then, as we had a good this year, I to me a of forthwith, and to my again; for although it was now late in the year, I that the most God might the with if it good to him.
Neither did I much with respect to food for them, as there was a great of in the neighbourhood, that all the had been killed or away (as related above). I therefore up my mind to go in God's name with my new to Gützkow, a great many Mecklenburg were to the fair, that times were not yet so there as with us. Meanwhile I a more times up the Streckelberg with my at night, and by moonlight, but very little; so that we to think our luck had come to an end, when, on the third night, we off some pieces of than those the two Dutchmen had bought. These I to send to my wife's brother, Martin Behring, at Hamburg, that the Wulff of Wolgast intends, as I am told, to sail this very autumn, with and for shipbuilding. I packed it all up in a chest, which I with me to Wolgast when I started with my man on my to Gützkow. Of this I will only relate thus much, that there were of and very in the market. Wherefore I a pair of black for twenty apiece; item, a for five florins; item, twenty-five of rye, which also came from Mecklenburg, at one the bushel, it is to be had now at Wolgast for love or money, and three or more the bushel. I might therefore have a good in at Gützkow if it had my office, and had I not, moreover, been the robbers, who in these times, should take away my corn, and ill-use and me into the bargain, as has to people already. For, at this time especially, such were on after a and fashion on Strellin at Gützkow; but by God's help it all came to light just as I with my man-servant to the fair, and I will here tell how it happened. Some months a man had been on the wheel at Gützkow, because, being of Satan, he a workman. The man, however, to walk after so a fashion, that in the and night-season he from the wheel in his gallows' dress a passed by the gallows, which hard by the road to Wolgast, and jumped up the people, who in and on their horses, and a great on the which leads the into a little called the Kraulin. And it was a thing that on the same night the travellers were almost always or on Strellin heath. Hereupon the had the man taken from the wheel and under the gallows, in of his ghost. But it on just as before, at night snow-white on the wheel, so that none any longer travel the road to Wolgast. Until at last it that, at the time of the above-named fair, Rüdiger Nienkerken of Mellenthin, in Usedom, who had been studying at Wittenberg and elsewhere, and was now on his way home, came this road by night with his carriage. Just before, at the inn, I myself had to him to stop the night at Gützkow on account of the ghost, and to go on his with me next morning, but he would not. Now as soon as this lord along the road, he also the on the wheel, and had he passed the when the jumped and ran after him. The driver was afraid, and on the horses, as else had done before, and they, taking fright, away over the log-road with a clatter. Meanwhile, however, the saw by the light of the moon how that the a of horse-dung it trod, and sure himself that it was no ghost. Whereupon he called to the driver to stop; and as the man would not to him, he out of the carriage, his rapier, and to attack the ghost. When the saw this he would have and fled, but the gave him such a on the with his that he upon the ground with a loud wailing. Summa: the lord, having called his driver, the into the town again, where he out to be a called Schwelm.
I also, on such a great crowd, ran with many others to look at the fellow. He like an leaf; and when he was told to make a clean breast, he might save his own life, if it appeared that he had no one, he that he had got his wife to make him a gallows' dress, which he had put on, and had sat on the wheel the man, when, from the and the distance, no one see that the two were there together; and this he did more when he that a was going from the town to Wolgast. When the came by, and he jumped and ran after it, all the people were so that they no longer their upon the gallows, but only on him, the horses, and with much noise and over the embankment. This was by his in Strellin and Dammbecke (two villages which are about three-fourths on the way), who themselves to the and to the travellers when they came up with them. That after the man was he play the more easily still, etc. That this was the whole truth, and that he himself had in his life robbed, still less murdered, any one; he to be forgiven: that all the and which had had been done by his alone. Ah, knave! But I that he and his were on the wheel together, as was but fair.
And now to come to my journey. The that night with me at the inn, and early next we set forth; and as we had into good-fellowship together, I got into his coach with him, as he offered me, so as to talk by the way, and my Claus us. I soon that he was a well-bred, honest, and learned gentleman, that he the wild student life, and was that he had now done with their drinking-bouts: moreover, he talked his Latin readily. I had therefore much with him in the coach. However, at Wolgast the rope of the ferry-boat broke, so that we were the to Zeuzin, and at length we only got with great trouble. Meanwhile it late, and we did not into Coserow till nine, when I asked the lord to the night with me, which he to do. We my child in the chimney-corner, making a for her little god-daughter out of her own old clothes. She was frighted, and colour when she saw the lord come in with me, and that he was to there that night, that as yet we had no more than we had for our own need from old Zabel Nehring the his widow, at Uekeritze. Wherefore she took me aside: What was to be done? My was in an plight, her little god-child having on it that morning; and she put the into hers, although she would in by the herself. And when I asked her why not? she and to cry, and would not herself again the whole evening, so that the had to see to everything, to the white on my child's for the lord, as she would not do it herself. I only tell this to how are. For next she came into the room with her red bodice, and the on her hair, and the apron; summa, in all the I had her at Wolgast, so that the lord was amazed, and talked much with her over the meal. Whereupon he took his leave, and me to visit him at his castle.
The Gallows Ghost
