Peregrinatio Religiosa

Fairy Tale of Prince and Horse, Chapter 12

Willibald and Winibald Announce their Departure, Embrace a Life of Pious Rootlessness,and Embark on Peregrinatio Religiosa,Walpurga Arrives

Willibald looked off to the distance, past the garden gate and the monastery walls while Winnibald stood near.

“There is a time and season for everything under heaven!” he said.

Winnibald continued: “A time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,”

“A time to weep and a time to laugh,” Willibald added, and 

 then he paused and smiling at Winibald grasped his hand: 

“A time to come and a time to go.”

With that the two walked toward the monastery gate, opened it and then departed. Thus began their peregrinatio religiosa*. Soon only their small silhouette could be seen on the dusty road leading from the monastery.

The heavy gate remained open. Prince and horse stood silently, they didn’t know what to do next.  But gradually another figure came into focus on the horizon. It approached slowly now visible, now concealed by the damp morning fog. Obscured by a black cucculus and cape, the figure arrived at the gate.  Prince and horse slowly approached the hooded figure. It was Walpurga, Abbess of Heidenheim.

* Religious rambling.

Fairy Tale of Prince and Horse

Life in the Monastery

Chapter 11, Part 5

Prince and horse lived in the monastery seven years. The garden provided nourishment and the beehives sweetness. Each night the two friends lay down in a grassy pasture to sleep, but the werewolves always bedeviled them. In darkness they tossed and turned in restless agitation while the lycanthropes raged outside the cloister walls. Just before the first rays of dawn announced the end of night, the werewolf mother sang her lullaby to the were-pup and the demons were silenced.  Prince and horse then awoke and followed Winibald and Willibald as they attended to their monastic duties. And so the time slipped by.

One morning the prince was deep asleep, his horse was snoring loudly and the sun was rising rapidly. He felt a boot nudging his ribs. Then it tapped and finally, it was planted firmly on his breast. The mounting pressure caused him to wriggle and squirm. Pushing it away, he jumped up. 

Willibald and Winibald stood before them. “The old things have passed away; “ Willibald stated flatly, “And behold,” Winnibald continued  “new things have come.”

Willibald and Winibald in Heidenheim

Fairy Tale of Prince and Horse

The Aphorisms of Willibald and Winibald, Chapter 11, Part 4

The prince spoke haltingly as he emerged from his strange slumber: “Dear horse, we have made it to Heidenheim!”  The horse jumped up and replied “We have survived the onslaught of werewolves and reached a blessed sanctuary!”

Willibald and Winibald stood before them silently. Their bright eyes glistened, their countenance friendly.  But they said not a word.  The prince spoke “We have come so far!”  And the horse continued this thought “and endured so much to get here!”

Willibald and Winibald, ignoring them both, stared straight ahead and walked toward the monastery garden. “He who holds his tongue” Willibald muttered and Winibald promptly added “is wise!’ 

The two brothers continued down a tidy garden path; prince  and horse followed. Birds chirped, butterflies flapped their wings, and bees hummed busily in sweet harmony.

The prince continued “I have lost my true love through my own folly and shall never more find her.”   And the horse stated mournfully “She is long lost I fear.”

Willibald walked meditatively along rows of vegetables with Winibald at his side.  Now the two brothers gazed upon neat rows of sprouting carrots and peas.  Willibald smiled “There is nothing covered that will not be revealed,”  “Or hidden that will not be known,” Winibald finished the sentence for him.

The prince followed the two saintly brothers.  “I am a fool!”  he cried. The horse suggested “At least very foolish!” The group continued along one row of peas and then the next. Finally Willibald halted and nodding approvingly said “Wisdom belongs to the aged!” to which Winibald replied “and understanding to the old!”

“I am crushed in my misery” the prince said dejectedly. “Perhaps squeezed is more accurate,” the horse proffered.

To which Willibald said: “We are hard pressed on every side,” and Winibald added “but not crushed.”

The prince lamented: “I am an idiot!” But the horse chided “Perhaps too quick-tongued!”

To which Willibald replied “He who walks with the wise,”  “becomes wise!” Winibald added.

“I have always endeavored to follow my heart honestly!” the prince stated flatly. And the horse continued “You have a strong heart!”

Willibald now stood before a row of carrots and nodding approvingly offered “Wisdom is on the lips of him,” “who has understanding” Winibald said.  

“When pride comes,” said Willibald, “then comes disgrace” Winibald completed the thought for his brother and added "But with humility comes wisdom," and the two vanished from the garden. Prince and horse stood gazing at the plants and finally the prince pulled up a carrot and shared it with his horse.

The Werewolf Lullaby

Fairy Tale of Prince and Horse

Chapter 11, Part 3

If I were, were, were a werewolf.

Were they sleeping? Were they dreaming? Whose voices whispered “hwisprian — hwisprian”. The howling raged on and the onslaught continued for hours it seemed, deep, deep into the night. The prince could not move his limbs they were so heavy. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the horse lying close by, its snorting breath chopped and rasped. Then all went dark. It was cold; doleful yowling continued on into the night and enveloped the two like a heavy wet blanket. They lay there for hours until finally the first light could be seen on the horizon.  Then warmth slowly returned, and the sun rose high in the sky. The prince heard a soothing lullaby now, at first it murmured faintly:

If I were, were, were, were a werewolf,

Not werebear or were-mouse,

Not were-pig or were-louse,

Free of wem, stainless,

Free of scar, blameless,

I would walk with the wedders and their sheep wives,

Always even-tempered past the bee hives.

I would do no harm, ther'd be no alarm.

Sweet dreams, sleep deep little were-pup. 

The prince awoke and two bright sets of eyes returned his gaze. It was the two Balds: Willibald and Winibald.