In the painting, a clerk, a
peasant, and a soldier lie dozing on the ground underneath a table bound to a tree. The clerk's book, papers, ink and pen lie idle, as do the peasant's
flail and the soldier's
lance and
gauntlet. A half-eaten egg in its shell runs between the peasant and the clerk. The table attached to the tree is laden with partly consumed food and drink. Behind the tree, a roasted fowl lays itself upon a silver platter, implying that it is ready to be eaten, and a roasted pig runs about with a carving knife already slipped under its skin. On the left, a knight emerges from a
lean-to whose roof is covered in dishes of pie and pastry, with an open mouth, waiting for a roasted pigeon to fly in (the pigeon was accidentally removed during restoration work). On the right and behind the main action, a man clutching a spoon forces his way out of a large cloud of pudding, having eaten his way through it; he reaches for the bent branch of a tree in order to lower himself into Cockaigne. The fence enclosing the main scene behind the dozing trio is made of interwoven sausages. A partly eaten wheel of cheese and a bush (or tower) of loaves of bread are on the left and right of the scene, respectively. Proverbs: • There the roofs are covered with pies (there is abundance) • Grabbing the hen's egg and letting the goose egg go (making the bad choice) • The pig has been stabbed through the belly (it's a done deal) • Put a spoke in the wheel (deliberately obstruct) • To put in armor (to be angry) • Armed to the teeth (determined in approach) • To be caught between heaven and earth (to be in a difficult position) ==Interpretation==