Status Updates From An Antic Disposition (Fools...

Until then, fellow fools.

A nineteenth-century translation of the first nine chapters of Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum is hopefully still at:
http://www.sunsite.berkeley.edu/OMACL...

'Only three people understood the Schleswig-Holstein question. The first was Albert, the Prince consort, and he is dead; the second is a German professor, and he is in an asylum: and the third was myself--and I have forgotten it.' - Lord Palmerston

Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him...

Oh thank goodness. This is a much better ending than Shakespeare's Hamlet. Although it's not over yet...

North of the town, a kiln had been constructed, the labor supervised by several men brought in from Tuscany, most of whom spoke little Danish but gesticulated quite fluently.

First Gerutha, Amleth, and Yorick, then Appollonius and Alfhild, and now Amleth's friends Rolf and Gudmund...the story is taking shape.

'How embarrassing to tumble like that before a professional tumbler like yourself. You must teach me how to do it better.' 'It wasn't bad for an amateur,' he said critically. 'Remember to tuck your head under next time, and practice, practice, practice.'...'Is this your farm?' she asked, looking around. 'No,' he said. 'It belongs to my friend Magnis. But I'm sure that he wouldn't mind you falling on it.'

'My pride is hurt.' 'I think that you no longer have any pride,' he said. 'Why is that?' 'It is said that pride goeth before a fall,' he replied. 'Since you have just fallen, your pride must have gone on ahead.' 'Alas, I am a fallen woman,' she sighed.

'I have never dreamt of a fool before,' she said. 'Do you ever dream of women?' 'Often,' he replied, laughing. 'Then perhaps this is your dream,' she said. 'Rather ungallant of you to cause me to trip and fall like that.' 'My apologies,' he said. 'Are you all right?' 'I think so,' she said, sitting up and rubbing her head ruefully.

'Have I stumbled upon some hidden fairyland?' she asked him. 'Or is this a dream?' 'I know it isn't a fairyland,' he replied. 'I'm no longer certain about the dream, but which of us is the dreamer?' 'I did bump my head, I think,' she said. 'That would make me the more likely candidate.' 'Ah, but I am a fool,' he said. 'We never know the difference, anyway.'

I checked this out at the same time as 'Hamlet's Father' in case I needed a Hamlet pallet cleanser. I kind of do, and I'm definitely enjoying this one so far.