🧚 Legends and Tales., part 11

The Virgin Mary, for it was she herself, broke off clusters of the roses and formed a drinking-cup, and as the teamster would return it filled with wine, the vision had vanished.1

Meanwhile the horses had gone on with the waggon, which they now drew with perfect ease, but stood still before the chapel of Elend, and could not be brought from the spot.2

The teamster entered with reverence the oratorium, to thank the Almighty for his deliverance, when lo! he recognized in the figure of the Virgin his deliverer, and placed the rose drinking-cup as a costly relic before her shrine.3

With amazing rapidity the fame of the miracle of the Church of Roses spread over Germany, and it became one of the most frequented and sacred shrines.4

The original of the rose-cup was sent to Rome; but first an exact copy of it was made in clay and preserved in Elend.5

The most wonderful miracles continued to be performed; the devotees swarmed to the mountain church, so that it was enlarged, and seven doors were cut in its walls.6

Princess Ilse7

The beautiful Princess Ilse, daughter of King Ilsing of Schloss Ilsenburg, having ridden to the chase with her royal father, and her lover the Ritter Ralf, lost her way on the wild mountains, and came at nightfall to the gates of the fairy world, over which the Fairy Queen of the mountains rules.8 The Queen met her with kindness, and invited her to enter her gorgeous crystal palace.9

Hesitating and with fear she followed the powerful sovereign; gnomes and cobolds attended everywhere with homage.10

Beautiful Ilse tarried a whole year in the richly adorned subterranean world, witnessed the mysterious government, policy, and life of the fairies, the creations and destructions by the king of the giants, the hostile relations of the Fairy Queen to the Giant King, the unhappy loves of her children Rumar and Romar, and what she could not understand the amiable Queen explained to her, and introduced her fully to the fairy world.11

But all the splendour and glory of this fairy realm could not still Ilse's longing for her beloved Ralf, and the light of the upper world.12

She demanded her return, which her fairy Majesty granted, but threatened her with destruction, should she ever reveal to mortal what she had seen.13

Princess Ilse returned to the friendly light of day and rejoiced in the fidelity of her lover.14

But he threatened her with the loss of his love if she did not tell him where she had been so long a time, and what she had seen.15

The two lovers seated themselves on the soft moss.16 Ilse laid her lovely head upon Ralf's breast, and gazed up into his face with her wonderful and faithful eyes; Ralf laid his hand upon her shoulder, and beautiful Ilse began her tale.17

With caresses she betrayed the secrets entrusted to her, and described the magnificence of the Fairy Queen.18

The new moon rose and the stars appeared one after another in the dark-blue heavens; fair Ilse chatted on, related the legends of the Harz--of the giants and dwarfs.19

Ralf listened at first in silent astonishment, and hung enraptured on the tales from her beautiful lips, then he began to dream and fancy, and at last fell asleep.20

In the grey of the morning, as he awoke, he heard still the murmuring tones of the Princess, and as he turned to salute the princely maiden, he saw, instead of Ilse, a crystal-clear bubbling spring illuminated with the dawn.21

The water sprang gaily out of the soft moss, and murmured ever in a thousand leaps and tiny waterfalls over the moss-grown rocks adown the vale.22

Deepest despair seized Ralf's spirit; he knew now what he had done, and what had become of Ilse through her betrayed secret, a clear pure stream doomed for ever to ripple and murmur through the mountains.23

Ralf built a cottage near the spring, and when the new moon rose Ilse awaited him by the mossy bank, leaned her head caressingly on his breast, and he heard her sweet prattle till the blushing dawn spread her radiance over the silver ripplets, and then the fairy virgin vanished in the blue air.24

Princess Ilse and the Deluge25

Princess Ilse, says another legend, in order to escape the general deluge, fled with her lover to the Brocken.26 But before they had reached that witch-haunted mountain, and just when standing on the rocky wall connecting the Ilsenstein with the Westerberg, the rock on which they stood was rent asunder in order to separate the lovers, whereupon they both leaped together into the floods.27

The Ilsenstein28

This lordly cliff and the Westerberg were once connected, it is said, by a granite wall, which was rent asunder by flood and storm from the Brocken; and according to one legend, Princess Ilse issues from the rock at dawn, when the weather is mild, robed in white satin, her long golden hair floating around her like a veil, a diadem of mountain crystal adorning her regal brow, lays aside her costly array, bathes in the crystal stream, and combs her golden hair.29

Whoever is so happy as to meet her at the right moment, she calls with friendly voice, takes him by the hand and leads him before the Ilsenstein, which at her command opens, when she conducts him to her palace in the heart of the mighty rock.30

There the most unheard-of splendour rivets his astonished gaze; the floors, walls, and ceilings glitter with gold, silver, and precious stones; the lofty arches are supported by columns of mountain crystal; while carbuncles illuminate the vast chambers with a soft light.31

In the most magnificent of these chambers will the happy mortal find the most delightful entertainment; and when a youth, pure, and free from all guilt, bathes in the Ilse at the same time as the Princess, she will be free from the enchantment.32

Whoever approaches her with impure heart, she sprinkles with water, and instantly he turns into a fir tree.33

"_Es stehen der Tannen gar viele In ihres Bades Näh, Es hat sie alle verzaubert Die keusche Wasserfee!34

"And many a fir tree's deepest shade Falls o'er the crystal stream; Enchanted by the pure mermaid, Their fate to moan they seem."35

A Dream under Princes Ilse's Firs.36

It was during the heat of August, when my friend Josephine and I sat long chatting on a moss-grown stone under Princess Ilse's dark evergreens.37

Finally she went to gather some ferns and wild-flowers, and I fell asleep.38

Then I heard a deep voice above me say, "I am Castiglione the magician.39 I approached the Princess Ilse with the guilt of falsehood on my soul, and she transformed me into the fir against which you are leaning.40 If she would only break the enchantment, and set me free, I would lead an honest, truthful life.41 Plead with her to release me."42

"How can I do that?"43 I asked. "44 I never expect to see the Princess."45

"Oh yes, you will.46 You will see her to-day."47

Another voice joined in--"I am Booth, of Lincoln renown.48 People never knew what became of me.49 I came here to the Harz mountains, hoping to find favour with the noble Ilse after my heroic deed in freeing my country from a tyrant; but the Princess called my act murder, and I have been a sighing fir tree ever since."50

"And you deserve it," cried Castiglione.51

"Pull the beam out of your own eye, please," replied the infuriated Booth. "52 You dare to reproach me, you, who did not hesitate to add the last drop of an infant's blood to make your elixir of life?53 What insolence!"54