The Legend of Ulenspiegel by Charles de Coster Book V Chapter 6
In May, when the peasant women of Flanders by night throw backwards slowly over their heads three black beans to keep them from sickness and death, Lamme’s wound opened again: he had a high fever and asked to be laid on the deck of the ship, over against the monk’s cage.
Ulenspiegel was very willing; but for fear lest his friend might fall into the sea in a fever fit, he had him strongly fastened down upon his bed.
In his interludes of reason, Lamme incessantly enjoined on them not to forget the monk: and he thrust out his tongue at him.
And the monk said:
“Thou dost insult me, big man.”
“Nay,” replied Lamme, “I am fattening thee.”
The wind blew soft, the sun shone warm; Lamme in his fever was securely tied on his bed, so that in his witless spasms of leaping he might not jump over the side of the ship; and deeming himself still in his galley, he said:
“This fire is bright to-day. Soon it will rain ortolans. Wife, spread snares in our orchard.
Thou art lovely thus, with thy sleeves rolled up to the elbow. Thy arm is white, I would fain bite it, bite with my lips that are teeth of live velvet. Whose is this lovely flesh, whose those lovely breasts showing beneath thy white jacket of fine linen? Mine, my sweet treasure. Who will make the fricassee of cock’s comb and chickens’ rumps? Not too much nutmeg, it brings on fever. White sauce, thyme, and laurel: where are the yolks of eggs?”
Then making a sign for Ulenspiegel to bring his ear close to his mouth, he said to him in a low voice:
“Presently it will rain venison; I shall keep thee four ortolans more than the others. Thou art the captain; betray me not.”
Then hearing the sea beat softly on the ship’s side:
“The soup is boiling, my son; the soup is boiling, but how slow is this fire to heat up!”
As soon as he recovered his wits, he said, speaking of the monk:
“Where is he? doth he grow in grease?”
Seeing him then, he put out his tongue at him and said:
“The great work is being accomplished; I am content.”
One day he asked to have the great scales set up on the deck, and to be set in it, he on one pan, the monk on the other: scarcely was the monk in place than Lamme soared like an arrow in the air, and rejoicing, he said, looking at him:
“He weighs it down! he weighs it down! I am a weightless spirit beside him: I will fly in the air like a bird. I have my idea: take him away that I may come down; now put on the weights. Put him back. What does he weigh? Three hundred and fourteen pounds. And I? Two hundred and twenty.”