Page 329 of 626

Then the miser said, 'Bind me fast, bind me fast, for pity's

sake.' But the countryman seized his fiddle, and struck up a

tune, and at the first note judge, clerks, and jailer were in

motion; all began capering, and no one could hold the miser. At

the second note the hangman let his prisoner go, and danced also,

and by the time he had played the first bar of the tune, all were

dancing together--judge, court, and miser, and all the people who

had followed to look on. At first the thing was merry and

pleasant enough; but when it had gone on a while, and there

seemed to be no end of playing or dancing, they began to cry out,

and beg him to leave off; but he stopped not a whit the more for

their entreaties, till the judge not only gave him his life, but

promised to return him the hundred florins.