Canto III

The sun already touched the earth when John
Could with the herd he had together drawn
Start toward home. Did wolves or did a thief
Pillage, while he away? Great is his. grief.

Whatever caused his loss, — e'en if he knew,
It would not help, — there was one thing to do:
To tell the husbandman the truth; and so
He resolutely starts homeward to go.

"Woe be to thee," he to himself doth say,
As sad at heart he slowly wends his way.
"The master 's anyhow a luckless wight,
And now this loss — but I will do what's right."

With thoughts like this a-preying in his mind
He reaches home, right at the gate to find
His irate host, to count, as wont, the drove
Ere John, each eve, them to their stable drove.

"Don't count them, Sir, you will miss more than one
I can not hide the truth, the damage 's done,"
— Said Kukoricza John — "my heart is sore,
God knows I wish I could the loss restore.'

The owner took John's language as a joke,
Gives his moustache a twist: "Oho! provoke
Me not," he said in jesting-threat'ning tone,
"Thou art well off, leave well enough alone."

The truth howe'er was quick enough found out.
John's master, half insane, a mighty shout
Emits. Where is my pitch-fork?" is his cry,
"I'll run him through, right at this spot he'll die.

"Thief! Robber! Gallows-bird," he madly cries,
"The ravens should scratch out both of thy eyes.
Did I keep thee for this and fed thee too?
Quick for my iron fork, I'll run him through."
"Out of my sight! Let me see thee no more!"
John's master yells and curses foul he swore.
A mighty bar of iron is at hand,
With which he tries on John a blow to land.

Now Kukoricza John was not afraid,
No coward he, of sterner stuff was made:
O'er twenty in a fight had victor been,
Altough but twenty winters he had seen.

Young, strong and bold, nevertheless he ran.
Not that he was afraid of his old man,
He knew that he'd done wrong, could he then stop
To fight the man he wronged, who brought him up?

He ran till his pursuer stopped to run,
Then only was he with his swift flight done,
And then he stopped, then staggered right and left, —
Then ran again as of his mind bereft.