The Strange Tale of the Snake Ring (6 page)

So the winter passed. Some days the robbers took Thomas out into the forest to help them to collect firewood, but always with a chain around his waist, the other end securely by Riese. Sometimes, if there was a break in the weather, they would go out looking for travellers. But even when the snow melted, and signs of spring began to appear in the forest, no travellers passed by. Food was short, and all that remained in the cave was a small supply of salted meat, and a few dry biscuits full of maggots. Anything that was worth selling was already sold.

One day Thomas overheard the robbers whispering to each other in the small cave where they slept. They did not realise this, but their voices were reflected by the stone walls, and could be heard clearly by Thomas in the larger chamber.

“Let's kill him,” Riese was saying. “We are not going to get any money from the king. There's barely enough food for two, and only starvation diet for three!”

“I think we should wait a bit longer,” replied Zwerg. “We should feel foolish if the ransom money arrived tomorrow, or the next day.”

“The peasant may have deceived us,” said Riese, “so maybe the king doesn't know anything about it. So no-one will be any wiser if there's just one more grave in the forest.”

“Hardly anyone travels in the winter,” answered Zwerg. “Even now we could have more snow to block the tracks. I suggest that we wait until Easter, and if the money hasn't come by then, I agree, we should kill him.”

Thomas had to pretend that he had not overheard what the robbers were saying. He realised that he was in greater danger than at any time since he was brought to the cave. Yet he could think of no way to escape.

Later that same day, something happened that made Thomas very unhappy. But as he discovered later, it removed the immediate danger. All the time he had lived with the robbers in the cave, Thomas had managed to keep the snake-ring hidden. The robbers had taken all his clothes and belongings, except a cross made of polished wood, which hung round his neck on a leather thong. The robbers had not thought this worth selling. Besides, in those days, even robbers had enough respect for religion to leave such an object alone. They believed that bad luck would befall them, if they stole a holy object.

Before he left the Shining Kingdom, Thomas had hidden the snake-ring by melting a small piece of beeswax, and using this to fasten the ring to the back of the cross. In the cave he had taken care to keep the cross under the old shirt that the robbers had given him to wear. When he stripped off his shirt to wash, he had made sure that the side of the cross that held the ring was turned towards his chest.

Thomas was thinking so hard about what he had just heard, and trying desperately to think of a way of escape, that he forgot to think of the ring.

“What's this, then?” Riese cried out in a mocking voice.

Thomas looked down and realised that the ring was in full view. Riese reached out and snatched the ring. “Thought you were clever, did you? Kept your best jewel till the last, eh?”

“Come and look at this!” he called to Zwerg. “Here's something that's worth a few loaves of bread and bottles of wine! Something that will keep us alive till the king's ransom arrives!”

“Please don't take it,” begged Thomas. “It's a keepsake from my sweetheart, and it's not worth very much.”

“Don't lie,” said Zwerg, who took the ring from Riese and turned it this way and that in his fingers, making the jewels glint in the light. “I've stolen lots of precious things in my time, and I know gold when I see it.”

“Look for yourself,” said Thomas despairingly. “You will see my name and my sweetheart's written on it. Look on the snakes' tails!”

“I can see some marks,” said Riese.

“Don't believe him,” replied Zwerg. “He's only trying to trick us because he knows we can't read. Let's sell the ring in the town – I can't wait to get some good food and wine inside me.”

It was too late to set out on a journey to the town that day. Next morning, when Riese pulled back the furs that covered the grille at the mouth of the cave, he saw that it had snowed during the night. In spite of this, the robbers decided to start out on their journey. As they had sold Thomas's horse some time ago, they would have to walk to the town. They put on their warmest clothing, took the little food that was left, and set off into the forest without a word to Thomas.

Spring was late coming that year. It was already Lent – the time just before Easter – but a sprinkling of snow still covered the land.

The farm had prospered. The hired man had been a hard worker, and Dame Margaret, the kind lady from the village who had come to live with Robert and Gerda in the farmhouse, had grown quite fond of the two young people and had demanded no payment. She said she would be sorry to leave when they were married.

Every evening when the farm work was over, and supper had been eaten and cleared away, Robert would sit at the table with a book which Father Paulus had lent him. Dame Margaret would be doing the household mending, and Gerda would sit sewing her wedding dress. As she did so, she could not help shedding a few tears from time to time. These days she was much quieter and more serious, and it was a long time since she had sung the little song that she and Thomas used to sing together.

Wilhelm and Gertrud were still living quietly and contentedly in their little cottage by the coppice. One day, soon after the beginning of Lent, Father Paulus rode up to the farm on his pony. First, he sought out Robert, who was cutting wood in the barn.

When he had greeted him warmly, he asked after the health of Wilhelm and Gertrud. Then he came to the main purpose of his visit.

“It is time we fixed a date for your wedding,” he said. “You know that weddings cannot take place in Lent, but I am going to suggest to your parents that we arrange it for the first day after Easter. Are you in agreement with that?”

Robert looked very seriously at the priest. “To tell you the truth, Father, I am beginning to have doubts about this marriage. You know that my feelings for Gerda are those of a brother, not a lover. Besides, there is something else.”

The priest looked puzzled. “What could that possibly be?” he asked.

“You have lent me several books to read of late,” replied Robert, “books about religion and the Church and I have begun to think seriously about becoming a priest myself. I realise that I should have to go away to a seminary and study very hard. But, of course, if I were married I could never do this.”

“If you would let me advise you,” said Father Paulus, “even though it is a great service to God to become a priest, I think your duty lies here, on this farm. Your parents are depending on you, now they cannot work on the farm. And I think that for you, a marriage of friendship will be better than no marriage at all. The life of a priest can be very lonely, as I know very well.”

The two men sat quietly together for a while without speaking, then Robert said quietly, “I think you are right, Father. The first day after Easter, then.” And he turned away sadly, and continued his work without another word.

Father Paulus next sought out Gerda, who was helping Dame Margaret to make soup in the kitchen.

“I have just spoken to Robert,” began the priest, “and he has agreed to the first day after Easter as your wedding day. Do you agree to that too?”

“You know my feelings,” answered Gerda sadly, “and you know that I have promised Wilhelm and Gertrud that I will do this for their sake. So I agree. But they know, and you must know too, that if Thomas returns before then, I am free of my promise, and he is the man that I will marry.”

“I am very sorry for you, my child,” said the priest. “You must have a very great love for him to have waited all this time. It saddens me to tell you, that I do not think there is any hope of his returning. Either he cannot return or does not wish to. So I advise you to make the most of what your life offers. As I told Robert, a marriage of friendship is better than no marriage at all.”

The priest then rode down to the cottage, where he found Wilhelm and Gertrud. Not wishing to upset them, he did not tell them about the doubts in the minds of Robert and Gerda, but said that they had both agreed to the date he had suggested.

The old people were almost overcome with joy. “At last!” said Wilhelm. “What we've always wished for is coming true.”

“We must have a great supper in the barn,” said Gertrud, “and invite all our friends and neighbours to be happy with us.”

Father Paulus was very thoughtful as he rode home, and when he said his Mass that night, he was careful to say a special prayer for the happiness of the young people at the farm.

It was late in the day when the two robbers reached the town. They were weary with trudging through the snow, and they were also very hungry. As they had no money to buy food or pay for a night's lodging, they decided to sell the snake-ring as quickly as possible. There was an inn next to the church, and Zwerg asked the innkeeper for directions.

“There are two goldsmiths' shops in the town,” was the reply. “A large one by the north gate, that's about half a mile up the road, and a small one, just behind the church, just five minutes' walk from here.”

Immediately after Riese heard this, he shouted, “The big one! The big one for a better price!”

Usually, if there was a difference of opinion between the two of them, it was Riese who won the argument. This time it was strangely different.

“No! No!” cried Zwerg, “I'm dog tired, I'm hungry. I can't walk another half a mile. Even this ring on my finger feels as if it weighs a ton. So we must go to the small one.”

Riese was too amazed by his companion's unusual behaviour to reply. “Come along then,” said Zwerg, who seemed to have regained his strength. A few minutes later they arrived at the goldsmith's shop.

“Now we must be on our best behaviour,” said Zwerg. “Speak gently to the man, let him think we are honest travellers who have run out of money. We shall get more for it that way.”

Riese only grunted. It was not his way of going about things, but he had just enough sense to realise that his companion was right. “Very well,” he agreed at length. “I'll leave you to do the talking.”

“Good evening, gentlemen,” said the goldsmith. “What can I do for you?”

“We wondered whether you would be interested in buying this ring,” said Zwerg. “We have a long way to travel, and have run out of money.”

When the goldsmith took the ring in his hand to examine it, he almost dropped it in surprise. For he was the very same goldsmith who had engraved the names of Thomas and Gerda, and of course, he recognised the ring immediately.

“This is a very remarkable ring,” he said to the robbers. “May I ask you how it came into your hands?”

Riese was just about to say “Mind your own business,” when Zwerg dug him in the ribs to remind him to keep quiet.

“Of course,” said Zwerg pleasantly. “It belonged to a young man who owed us money, and we took the ring to settle his debt. He was unwilling to part with it, but he had no other possessions, and my friend here gets very impatient with people who owe us money.”

The goldsmith looked at the size and strength of Riese, and thought to himself,
Perhaps young Thomas might have given up his ring to these men. But they may be robbers who have stolen the ring, and if so I mean to see them punished.

So he said to the robbers, “You are right in thinking that ring is worth a great deal of money, and I am willing to pay you the proper price for it. But I do not keep such a large sum of money here in my workshop. So I suggest that you come back as soon as I open my workshop tomorrow morning. I will bring a large bag of gold pieces, and we can agree on the price.”

The robbers looked at one another as though they were uncertain what to do. Then the goldsmith went behind his counter and brought out five gold pieces. He handed Zwerg the ring, and said, “Take back the ring for the present and take this money on account. It is enough to buy you a very good meal and a comfortable night in the best room at the inn. Then in the morning we will do business together.”

Zwerg took the ring. Both the robbers looked greedily at the gold, and they thought about good food and wine, and a comfortable bed. “We agree,” said Riese, picking up the gold.

“Till the morning, then,” added Zwerg, as they left the goldsmith's workshop.

“That was a good idea,” said Riese, as they set off towards the inn.

“Perhaps it was,” replied Zwerg, “but what if the goldsmith suspects us? What if we arrive there in the morning and he has guards hiding in the back room?”

“What if he has?” asked Riese. “I can deal with a few guards. It would take twenty men to capture me!”

“I have a better idea,” said Zwerg. “This is what we do. At the inn tonight, we find out where the goldsmith lives. Then, early tomorrow morning, before it is light, we creep out of the inn and steal two horses from the stables. Then we go to the goldsmith's house. We break in and take his gold, and ride off before anyone else is awake.”

“That's brilliant!” said Riese admiringly. “I wish I had brains like you.”

“And I wish that I was strong like you,” said Zwerg. “But together we make a good pair.”

The goldsmith had made sure that he had given the robbers enough money to eat and drink well. In fact, they drank a little too well, so that it was not long before they were both in a deep sleep. Riese was snoring loudly.

The goldsmith did not go home when he locked up his workshop. He went to the house of the chief magistrate of the town. He explained about the visit from the robbers, and why he thought that the ring was stolen.

“Where are they now?” asked the magistrate.

“I gave them money for food and a night's lodging at the inn,” replied the goldsmith, “and I should be very surprised if they are not there at this moment.”

“I am very interested in these two men,” said the magistrate. “We have had reports for some time now of two robbers, one big and strong, and the other small and wiry, who have been preying on travellers as they passed through the forest. We have never been able to discover where they hide, deep in the forest. If these are the same men, they must be captured at once. There is a valuable reward for information leading to their arrest.”

The magistrate then sent for the captain of the guard, and explained to him that the robbers were at the inn, and must be captured. “If they still have the ring, we could arrest them for possessing stolen property. Then we could find other witnesses who would recognise them.”

“If the big robber is so strong,” said the captain, “it would be best to creep into the inn at midnight and take them while they are asleep.”

The goldsmith went home to his supper and a peaceful sleep, but for the robbers it was quite different. The captain and six guards moved quietly up the stairs of the inn. The captain held a shaded lantern, and by its light two guards stood by Riese's head, and two by his feet, while the other two stood by Zwerg. The captain gave the order to begin, and five minutes later it was all over. Before they were even properly awake, the robbers were securely tied and transported to the town lock-up.

The next morning, their appointment was not kept with the goldsmith, but before the magistrates in court.

News spread quickly round the town that two notorious robbers had been caught, and were to be tried at noon. By the time the magistrates took their places on the bench, and the robbers were brought from the prison, the courthouse was full of people.

“You are accused of having in your possession stolen property, namely a ring. Are you guilty or not guilty?”

“Not guilty!” said the robbers together.

“Who accuses these men of robbery?” asked the chief magistrate.

The goldsmith stepped forward. “I do, your honour. They came into my workshop offering to sell me a ring. I know that it belonged to a young man, who had his name and the name of his sweetheart, engraved on it. He would never have sold it or given it to these men.”

“What were the names?” asked the magistrate.

“Thomas and Gerda,” replied the goldsmith.

“Does anyone here know these persons?”

A man on the front row of the crowd raised his hand. “Your honour,” he said, “I knew Thomas when he used to work at Riverside Farm. But he went on a journey many months ago, and has never returned.”

The magistrate then turned to the robbers. “How do you say that you obtained the ring?”

Zwerg answered: “It did belong to a man called Thomas, but he owed us money, and gave us the ring in payment.”

The magistrate then spoke to all the people present. “Can anyone here prove that these men stole the ring, and that their story is untrue?”

No one spoke.

The chief magistrate spoke quietly to the two other magistrates who sat on either side of him. “I believe they are guilty, but there is no proof. I am very sorry, but I am afraid that we shall have to let them go free.”

Just at that moment, there was a commotion at the back of the courtroom as two men entered in great haste. The younger of the two men appeared to be a merchant, and the man who followed him, his servant. They walked quickly up to the bench, and the young man asked for permission to speak. When this was granted, he pointed at the two robbers and said in a loud, clear voice:

“I know these men. Their names are Riese and Zwerg, and I can swear that they are robbers, because some months ago my servant and I were captured by them in the forest. They took our money, our packhorses and our clothes, and left us tied to a tree. We were soon weak from lack of food and exposure, and would have died. But a soldier travelling home on leave found us and set us free. He bought us food and brought us safely home. My servant here can witness that what I have told you, is true.”

“It is true, sir,” said the servant.

“We've never seen them before!” shouted Zwerg.

“Silence!” said the magistrate. “This changes everything.” He turned to Zwerg and Riese. “Is there anyone who would speak in your defence?”

There was silence. “Then I find you guilty of robbery and attempted murder,” continued the magistrate. “You are to go back to prison while it is decided whether you are to be hanged or stay in prison for life. The ring shall be kept safely by the goldsmith until the true owner is found. Take them back to prison.”

The guards obeyed.