The four Heems children must be awfully fond of drink,
as they are the signposts for landlords and landladies'.
This verse proves how popular this subject was in pubs and inns. Reinout, Adelart, Ritsaert and Writsaert with their wonder horse form the main characters in a thirteenth century saga, which plays in the time of Charlemagne. The four sons of the knight Aymijn (corrupted to Heems) incurred the wrath of King Charles by killing his son, a despicable individual. Charles wanted to take revenge, but they always managed to resist him or to escape, especially with the help of their horse Beyart. When both parties were tired of their quarrel, Charles wanted to put goodness before justice on condition that they drowned their steed Beyart as a kind of reparation.
The four Heems children of Grote Gracht 42 show that this ancient story was still alive among the people in the 18th century.
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