🧚 Legends and Tales., part 13 · page 2

It was already late when he reached his cottage, and mother and children were asleep.77 The thought of their distress when they awoke caused him to try what he could do in the village, but all were deaf to his entreaties.78 It was a very dark night, and returning home from the village and opening the cottage door he almost sank down from terror, for it was light as if the house were on fire.79 He opened the door leading into the court; there it was as if all were in flames.80 He stood astonished, and gazed at the wonderful light, observed the direction whence it came, and perceived it came from the little room in which he had laid the pebble on the window bench.81

He recollected the stone he had picked up, and the belief in a good mountain spirit, and hurried to the room.82

The varied splendid colours of the pebble quite dazzled his eyes; he wrapped it in a cloth, and hastened to his neighbour Bergmann, who knew all the stones of the Harz, and showed it to him.83

Bergmann examined it well, and said, "I don't know this stone, but it must be worth money.84 Come with me to-morrow to the town, and if you only get a Thaler for it, it is some help."85

The following day they went to a jeweller, a Jew, and offered him the stone.86 Hardly had he cast eyes on it than he started, and cried, "Wonderful!87 How did you come by the stone?"88

The poor man was so frightened he was unable to reply; but Bergmann, who had more experience, said, "It does not matter where the stone comes from; you need only tell us how much you will give for it."89

"Well!" replied the Jew, "shall I have it for a hundred Thaler?"90

"How much?" cried the finder, who could hardly believe his ears. "91 I am not in a mood for jokes; say honestly how much you will give."92

"What, did I say a hundred Thaler?" replied the Jew, for he thought the apparent anger of the seller had another cause. "93 I beg pardon; I meant to say a thousand Thaler."94

The two friends were speechless with astonishment; Bergmann, however, answered, "How could you make us such an offer?95 Give us the stone, for you will not pay what it is worth."96

"Indeed you are right," said the Jew with a low bow. "97 You must be joking with poor Levi, for you must know I could not command a sufficient sum to buy so costly a jewel."98

The amazement of the two friends increased every moment, for the Jew was known to be one of the richest men in the place.99 Bergmann, however, replied with caution, "You have guessed it; we only made a joke of the matter, and came really to beg you to recommend a purchaser."100

"Why should I not?" replied the jeweller. "101 But as true as I am an honest Jew, there is only one person in the whole German Empire that could purchase the jewel, and that is Fugger in Augsburg."102

"And how high do you value it?"103

"Well," said Levi, after having put his spectacles again on his nose, and examining the stone carefully, "if I am to give my honest opinion, it is worth three kingdoms."104

The finder almost lost his equilibrium, while Bergmann put his hand to his head to see if it stood in the right place. "105 Three kingdoms, did you say?"106

"Three kingdoms; and the purchaser could make money in the transaction."107

An hour after, the two friends stood before the treasurer of the Prince, for the finder could not make up his mind to undertake the journey to Augsburg until he had provided for his wife and children, and asked him if he would advance a hundred thousand Thaler on the jewel, till they could sell it to Fugger.108

But the treasurer was a vicious and avaricious man, who resolved to have the stone at any price, even by force if necessary, and as the friends would leave him, he threatened to throw them into prison if the stone were not delivered to him as his property for the hundred thousand Thaler.109

To prevent unpleasantness they consented, and went home laden with gold.110

Mother and children were provided with every comfort, and soon after they went to live in Aschersleben, for they could not be happy among people who had refused assistance in their need but fawned upon them now they were become rich.111

The Jew received a handsome sum, and Bergmann was independent for life through his grateful friend.112

But how did matters go with the dishonourable treasurer?113 His punishment was swift and terrible.114

The next day he broke a piece from the stone, the tenth part of it, and presented himself before the Prince.115

"Your Highness has given me a command to purchase jewels, as precious and costly as were to be found, that you might present them to the Princess of the adjoining dominions, and thereby win her hand and realm.116

"I have not been able to find anything costly enough, and hence only one thing remains to be done.117 I possess a stone of priceless value, an heirloom of my family, which one of my ancestors took from a Mahomedan Sultan.118 I will resign it, however painful it may be.119 Only look at it and judge if any female heart could withstand such splendour.120 The Princess will bestow her hand upon your Highness, and I only ask in payment a few towns and villages, and a thousand acres of forest, and a thousand acres of arable land.121 Judge if I am unreasonable."122

"Thou shalt have it; thou shalt have more than thy demand!" cried the Prince, as he beheld the glittering jewel, and embraced the treasurer, called him friend and brother, and commanded his secretary to draw up the documents giving the treasurer the half of his kingdom.123

The treasurer went joyfully home, dreaming of princely honours, for had he not still a greater part of the stone in his possession?124

Meanwhile the Prince called his favourite courtiers, and showed them the stone.125 No one spoke for astonishment.126 At last one of the surveyors of the mines remarked how wonderful it was that many pebbles possessed such brilliant colours, and it was to be regretted that they faded in a few days.127

"What? a pebble?" cried the Prince.128

"Yes, your Highness, only a pebble."129

"A pebble?130 Not a precious stone?131 Then I have been deceived."132

"Has your Highness bought it at a high price?133 Such stones are found in the earth, but the sunlight soon fades the colours."134

"I have promised the treasurer half my kingdom for the stone."135

Command was given to arrest the treasurer, but a friend had given him warning, and he had fled.136 They pursued him, the Prince at their head, found the unhappy man, deceived as well as deceiving, in a tree, and shot him dead on the spot.137

The Monk and the Spring.138

It was at Whitsuntide of the year 1292, as tradition tells us, that the town council of the free, imperial Möhlhausen issued a proclamation, that whoever could discover and conduct a spring into the upper town, which suffered much from fires through want of water, should be richly rewarded; and in case he had committed a crime, he should be pardoned.139

At that time a monk of Kloster Reifenstein sat in the dungeon of the Rabenthurm[1]--now called the Adlerthurm[2]---under sentence of death.140