The Adventurous Simplicissimus · Chapter
How a Goose and a Gander Were Mated explained
Simplicissimus, confined in a goose-pen, reflects on his earlier adventures.
What happens
Simplicissimus, confined in a goose-pen, reflects on his earlier adventures. During a wedding dance, a couple enters the pen for a secret rendezvous, and Simplicissimus, misunderstanding their actions, bursts out crying 'Murder' and bolts the door behind him, escaping the house. He comments on the dishonorable fruits of such dancing.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Appearance
The secret rendezvous in the goose-pen and Simplicissimus's misinterpretation highlight the theme of appearances versus reality.
Folly and Wisdom
Simplicissimus's naive reaction to the lovers' actions underscores his folly, while his later reflection on the dishonor of such dances suggests a dawning wisdom.
Characters to notice
- Simplicissimus
Narrator and protagonist, confined in the goose-pen, observes and then flees the scene.
Key passages
“So in my goose-pen I pondered on all that I have set down in black and white in my first part; of which, therefore, there is no need in this place to say more.”
While confined in the goose-pen, I reflected on everything I wrote in the first part, so I won't repeat it here.
Simplicissimus summarizes his earlier narrative.
“Yet can I not choose but say that even then I doubted whether the dancers in truth were so mad to stamp the floor down or whether I was only so led to believe.”
I still wonder if the dancers were truly so wild as to shake the floor, or if I was just made to think so.
Simplicissimus questions the reality of the dancers' frenzy.
“For three whole hours, namely, till that Praeludium Veneris (I should have said that seemly dance) was ended, I must perforce sit till one came softly and fumbled with the bolt.”
I had to sit for three hours until the dance ended, when someone quietly came and fiddled with the lock.
Describes the duration of his confinement and the arrival of a visitor.
“So presently there was between these two a whispering, whereof I could understand naught save that the one party complained of the evil air of the place, and on the other hand the second party would console the first.”
Soon the two whispered, but I only caught that one complained about the bad air and the other tried to comfort them.
Simplicissimus overhears the couple's conversation.
“Yet when a comical noise arose and the goose-pen, which was but of boards nailed together below the staircase, began to shake and crack, and moreover the lady seemed in trouble, I thought, surely these be two of those mad folk which helped to stamp on the floor, and have now betaken themselves hither to behave in like manner, and bring thee to thy death.”
When a funny noise started and the flimsy goose-pen shook and cracked, and the lady seemed distressed, I thought these were the same mad dancers who had come to stamp here and kill me.
Simplicissimus fears for his life, misunderstanding the couple's activity.
“As soon as these thoughts came into my head, I seized upon the door, so to escape death, and out I whipt with a cry of 'Murder' as loud as that which had brought me to that place.”
Thinking this, I grabbed the door to escape death, rushed out shouting 'Murder' as loudly as I had when I was first brought there.
Simplicissimus flees in panic, crying for help.