The Wandering Student
Part I
Make the church bells sing their songs
The song that makes them scared!
Scare them! Scare them all away!
Let our dogs bite those who dare
And raise the storms against our homes
And lonely fly away.
Death to them! Death to them!
Do not return once again.
He came one morning, poor and dusty
Dirty young man dressed in black
Beware! Beware those dirty young men
Poor and dusty dressed in black
A black book in their hands.
The devil’s friends those wandering students!
His clothes were torn, no shoes he had
A lizard on a leash he led. His pet was sly
The morning sky was grey with spells and swears
The fog ate every tap he tapped
On our door he tapped.
Beware! Beware those wandering students!
They come and plead for food and drink,
They bring their book of blackest arts.
Some poor young hearts, you think,
They look so sad, so wise and frail.
But fail you give them all they want
They call their dragon through their chant
And as they read the words come true
Your house is gone, the village, too.
Green wings harvest all the roofs
Four claws replace the harmless hooves
The harm bringer, he rides his “horse”
And all his curses thus he sends
Beware! Beware those wandering students!
He came and had the strangest smile
The strangest smile I’ve ever seen
He asked for eggs, he asked for milk
And fell into our silken chair.
His hair was black, his face was white
Those scholar’s eyes were full of light
“Good people,” said he “eggs and milk,
That is all I ask.”
“I’ve traveled long, ate only berries
Leaves and cherries which I found.
All were rotten, dead and sour,
No-one’s berries on the ground.
My pet is tired, so am I.
So let me eat and say goodbye.”
“I have finished thirteen schools,
Magister Magick so I’m called.
I’ll pay with knowledge, tales all told
By masters learned and old.
Behold my book of black leather
Look, my lizard sleepeth well in your sweet home.
But these dogs of your village,
They bit me, bleeding to you I ran
For shelter and for care.
Those church bells why you rang them so?
There’s no mass for you to go.”
...
Pray if one such student rings
Your doorbells if he rings
Scare them! Scare them all away!
Good dogs, chase them far away!
Death to them! Death to them!
Do not return once again!
Email this story 
Print Story 
Add to reading list
