The Songs of Hugo Wolf by Eric Sams

Author:Eric Sams [Sams, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780571280926
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Published: 2011-11-03T02:00:00+00:00

28 November 1888

D major c'-g"

It is the eve of St Martin; and goodwife, who loves her husband, has been kneading puddings for him and baking them in the pan.

Now they’re both lying in bed, and a wild west wind is howling; and goodman says to goodwife, ‘You, bolt the door shut’. ‘I’ve only just stretched out, and I’m not warmed up yet, how will that help me to rest? Let it clatter a hundred years, I’m not bolting the door.’

So then they made a bet, in quiet whispers; whoever spoke the first word was to slide the bolt.

Two travellers arrive at midnight and don’t know where they are; the lamp was out, the fire was out, nothing to be heard or seen. ‘What kind of hell-hole is this? Our patience has snapped!’ But there was not a syllable in reply – that was because of the door.

They ate the white pudding, and then the black one, quite unperturbed.

And goodwife said plenty to herself, but nothing out loud.

Then one of them said to the other, ‘How dry my throat is! The cupboard’s gaping and smells of spirits; that’s bound to be where they keep it! And here I grasp a flask of Schnapps; that’s a lucky find! I’ll give you a sip, you give me one, we’ll soon revive’. But goodman bounded furiously out of bed and came at them menacingly - ‘Whoever takes my Schnapps will have to pay for it in hard cash!’ And goodwife too jumped out, delighted, with three jumps as if she’d come into a fortune: ‘You, goodman, spoke the first word – now just you go and bolt the door.’

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