THE YOUNG MAN AND THE GREAT BEAST WITH A HUMAN HEAD
Finally, the Great Beast with a human head spoke.
“He goes faster than birds, faster than the wind, faster than lightning."
“The eye goes faster than birds, faster than the wind, faster than lightning."
"The brother is white, the sister is black. Every morning, the brother kills the sister. Every evening, the sister kills the brother. Yet they never die."
"The day is white. He is the brother of the black night. Every morning, at sunrise, the day kills the night, his sister. Every evening, at sunset, the night kills the day, his brother. Yet day and night never die."
“He crawls in the rising sun, like snakes and worms. He walks, at noon, on two legs, like birds. He goes, on three legs, into the setting sun."
"When he is small, a man cannot walk. He crawls on the ground, like snakes and worms. When he is big, he walks on two legs, like birds. When he is old, he helps himself with a stick, which is a third leg."
Then the Great Beast with a human head said:
“Take half my gold."
But the young man was thinking of what the Archbishop of Auch had told him: “Take it, and come back quickly, if you think you are in no condition to do more. Stay, if you think you're smart enough, and say: "Great Beast, I've only done half my work yet. You wanted to embarrass me. Now I'm taking your place." Then you will ask him three questions, the most difficult you can imagine."
With that thought, the young man spoke.
"Great Beast, I've only done half my work yet. You wanted to embarrass me. Now I'm taking your place. What is at the first end of the world?”
The Great Beast with a human head remained silent.
“At the first end of the world there is a crowned king, a king dressed in red and laced with gold, who stands ready to fight, and brandishes a great sword. He looks at the sky, the earth and the sea. But the crowned king sees nothing coming. Great Beast with a human head, what is there at the other end of the world?"
The Great Beast with a human head remained silent.
“At the other end of the world, there is a great raven, seven thousand years old, perched on the top of a mountain. He knows and sees all that has been done, and all that will be done. But the great raven, seven thousand years old, does not want to speak. Great Beast with a human head, tell me what the wild nightingale sings on Good Friday. Tell me what he sings on Holy Saturday. Tell me what he sings, at sunrise, on Easter day."
The Great Beast with the head of a man remained silent.
“On Good Friday, the wild nightingale sings the passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ betrayed by Judas. On Holy Saturday, the wild nightingale sings the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary. At sunrise, on Easter day, the wild nightingale sings the risen Lord Jesus Christ."
Then the Great Beast with a human head crouches down. The young man was thinking of what the Archbishop of Auch had said to him: “You will take this golden knife, which you are going to hide under your clothes, only to draw it at the right moment. You will bleed the Great Beast with a human head, you will cut off its head, and you will return quickly, with all its gold."
At the right moment, the young man drew, from under his clothes, the golden knife given by the Archbishop of Auch. This done, he took the Great Beast with a human head by the hair and bled it. As the blood spurted out, the Great Beast with a human head spoke:
"Listen. I will die. Drink my blood. Suck my eyes and my brains. Thus you will become strong and bold like Samson, and you will fear no one on earth. Take my heart out. Take it to your bride, and have her eat it raw, on your wedding night. Thus, she will give you seven children, three boys and four girls. The three boys will be strong and bold like you. The four girls will be beautiful as day. They will understand what the birds sing. When they are of age, they will marry kings."
The Great Beast with a human head died. So the young man cut off his head. He drank his blood. He sucked his eyes and his brains. He tore out her heart to take it to his bride. Then he buried the Great Beast with a human head, without praying to God, because animals have no souls.
This work finished, the young man set off at full gallop for the nearest town, where he hired a hundred horses, which he returned to the cave to load with all the gold left by the Great Beast with a human head. Three days later, he knocked on the door of the Chateau de Roquefort.
“Good morning, Lord of Roquefort. I am coming with a hundred horses laden with gold. I come to marry your daughter, who has entered a convent in Auch."
"My friend, I give it to you. Get married without delay."
Seven days later, we had the wedding. In the evening, when the bride was in bed, the young man entered her bedroom.
"Woman, get up and eat this alive."
The woman got up and ate, raw, the heart of the Great Beast with a human head. Later she had seven children, three boys and four girls. The three boys grew strong and bold like their father. The four girls were beautiful as day. They understood what the birds sing. When they were of age, they married kings.
Cric, Cric,
My tale is done.
Cric, Crac,
My tale is finished.
Next Tale: The Chastised Queen