He is no devil,--but a gentle heart!
--Friend Michael here hath played the Devil, betimes,
Because he can so bravely breathe out fire.
He plied the pitchfork so we yelped for mercy,--
He reckoned not the stoutness of his arm!--
But Cheat-the-Devil here,--he would not hurt
Why--Kurt the Syndic--thrusting him in hell.
[Laughter.

CHEAT-THE-DEVIL
[unhappily]
No, no--I will not hurt him!

PIPER
[soothingly to him]
Merry, boy!
[To the townsfolk]
And,--if ye will have reasons, good,--ye see,--
I want--one thousand guilders.

JACOBUS
In all surety,
Payment you'll have, my man, But--

HANS the Butcher
As to 's friends,--
An that yon Devil be as feat wi' his hands
As he be slow o' tongue, why, I will take him
For prentice. Wife,--now that would smack o' pride!

PETER the Cobbler
I'll take this fellow that can swallow fire,
He's somewhat old for me. But he can learn
My trade.--A pretty fellow!

PIPER
And your trade?

PETER the Cobbler
Peter the cobbler.--

MICHAEL
I? What, I? Make shoes?
[Proudly]
I swallow fire.

PIPER
Enough.

BARBARA
[aside, bitterly]
I'll not believe it.

PIPER
[to HANS]
Your trade?

HANS the Butcher
I'm Hans the Butcher.

MICHAEL
Butcher?

CHEAT-THE-DEVIL
[unhappily]
Butcher!
Oh, no! I couldn't hurt them.

[Loud laughter.

BUTCHER'S WIFE
'T is a fool!

[The PIPER motions to MICHAEL and CHEAT-THE-DEVIL, who during
the following join the other player-folk, strike their tent,
pack their bundles, and wheel off the bar rows that have served
them for an Ark, leaving the space clear before the Shrine.
Exeunt Strollers, all but MICHAEL, who hangs about, still gazing
at BARBARA.

JACOBUS
Good people, we have wasted time enow.
You see this fellow, that he has no writ--

PIPER
Why not, then? 'T was a bargain. If your word
Hold only when 't is writ--

KURT
We cannot spend
Clerkship on them that neither write nor read.
What good would parchment do thee?

JACOBUS
My good man--

PIPER
Who says I cannot read?--Who says I cannot?

OLD CLAUS
Piper, don't tell me you can read in books!

PIPER
[at bay]
Books! Where's a book? Shew me a book, I say!

OLD URSULA
The Holy Book! Bring that--or he'll bewitch you.

PIPER
Oh, never fear. I charm but fools and children;
Now that the rats are gone.--Bring me a Book:
A big one!--

[Murmurs. The PIPER defiant. The crowd moves towards the
Minster. Enter