🧚 Legends and Tales., part 14

[1] _Rabenthurm_--raven tower.1

[2] _Adlerthurm_--eagle tower.2

In the days of his freedom, when he had gone on affairs concerning his convent from Pfaffenrode to St. Daniel, he had often seen a spring among the hills.3

The proclamation of the council penetrated to his criminal cell, and he recalled this spring to his memory, and felt a wild longing through it to regain his freedom.4

But the spring bubbled up in a deep valley, and a long chain of hills lay between it and the town.5

And the monk thought and studied, for before his soul stood the fragrant dishes of his convent and the costly wines, as attractive as the fleshpots of Egypt to the Jews; but with this vision stood the hangman, hand-in-hand with the impossibility of moving this spring through these hills, grinning in diabolical glee.6 He tossed restless on his bed of straw, longing for the dawn.7

Now he sank into an uneasy slumber, disturbed by the most frightful dreams.8 The Rabenthurm seemed to quake and tremble, he heard distant thunder, and saw the glare of the lightning.9

Now the foul fiend stood by his miserable bed tempting him.10

In exchange for his soul, he promised to conduct the water of the spring to the upper town, and produced a roll of parchment containing a plan of the work.11

At length the unhappy man consented to the proposals.12

Again he dreamed of his childhood, of his dead mother, of the fields and woods where he gathered the first daisies and violets of spring; and now again he listened to the raging storm.13

At break of day the monk opened the fatal roll.14 Judge of his astonishment and joy, as he saw the way marked out over hills and through ravines, by which the spring could be conducted with little difficulty to the place required.15

He immediately made his proposals to the council.16

His freedom was promised him if the work succeeded, and a body of labourers was given him for the carrying out of his plan.17

And soon the crystal stream gladdened the thirsting upper town with an abundance of water.18

But the monk, so soon as he had fulfilled his contract, disappeared, and even gratitude could find no trace of him.19 He was never seen again.20

Hildegard and the Hainerburg.21

In the thirteenth century there lived in Mühlhausen a respectable locksmith, who was also an alderman.22

This Herr Adam had six sons and an only daughter, Hildegard, who was the loveliest maiden of all the plains of Germany.23

The father's pride and joy were in these children, but his happiness was doomed to annihilation.24

A wild and lawless knight of the Castle Hainerburg surprised Hildegard alone at home, her father and brothers being absent in the terrors of a fire in the city, and carried her off in a deadly swoon to his castle.25 Inexpressible rage filled the hearts of the citizens at the news of this violence, and they agreed to unite the coming week for the destruction of the castle.26

But the father, distracted with grief, determined at once to rescue his child.27

The very next night, the Ritter of the Hainerburg being absent on some villainous scheme, the father with his six sons knelt in the church of the Virgin, and besought her aid in his bold project.28

And the petition was heard, for midnight was hardly past before the knights left behind in the Burg had been overpowered by the strong arms of the avengers of innocence, and thrust in the deepest dungeon.29

They prayed again for strength, and now the walls and towers fell thundering into the moat, for the Virgin had appeared on the battlements encouraging them, and their strength had become superhuman.30

And when morning dawned, the sun illuminated only a shapeless mass of ruins, and on the ruins the conquerors knelt and thanked heaven for the given strength.31

Great were the jubilee and gratitude of the citizens when they saw the fallen fortress, and great their praise of the victors.32

The fair Hildegard retired to the Brücken Kloster, where she died; and still the maidens of Mühlhausen sing many a song of her beauty and singular fate at the joyful dance of the _Kirchweihfest_.33 [1]34

[1] In Germany an annual festival is held in commemoration of the dedication of the church of the place, called the _Kirchweihfest_--dedication festival.35 Feasting, dancing, and universal merriment are the order of the day.36 Friends are invited from far and near, and it is an occasion of general re-union in the parish.37

The Three Stone Partridges.38

On a flying buttress of the colossal Marienkirche, in Mühlhausen, are three stone partridges, and I am about to explain to you how they came there.39

At the time when Germany was in the middle of the great Reformation contest, two prelates sat together with their well-filled--for the empty ones were speedily filled--wine-cups before them, and discussed the pros and cons of the Reformed doctrines, and whether Mühlhausen was likely to adopt the Lutheran creed.40

At last one of the reverend prelates grew angry and exclaimed: "Those three partridges now turning on the spit in the kitchen will fly, before the faith of the heretical Augustine monk will gain power in this good city."41

But, lo! scarcely were the haughty words uttered, when a cooing and a fluttering of wings were heard.42

The prelates fled in a fright, seeing themselves robbed of their dinner; the partridges flew forth and settled on a buttress, where they were turned to stone, and remained as heralds of the dawn of a better day.43

The Forester and the Enchanted Castle.44

The forester of Scharzfels, with his gun on his shoulder, was one day sauntering through the wood, when, as he turned a corner, he saw three men in a young plantation digging, and thereby doing much mischief.45

Already a strong oath was on his lips as the figures turned round and, through their odd, foreign appearance, frightened back every expression of anger.46

One was a tall, from the weight of years not much bent, grey-headed old man.47 His bald head, from which on each side short silver locks hung down, a long white beard falling over his breast, the lean, stern features, and the black robe, gave him the appearance of an anchorite.48

The second was a strong, powerful youth with flaming eyes.49 An odd-shaped, pointed hat rested on his curly black hair, and an uncultivated beard covered the lower part of his face.50

The third was a noble, imposing form, the fearless countenance framed in a thousand auburn locks of curly hair; the eye was full of fire and courage, the bold lips full of power.51

All three looked at the approaching huntsman with so much firmness and composure that he was only able to inquire, "What are you doing here, gentlemen?52 You are trampling under foot the young growths, and with your scraping and digging you will destroy many a thriving tree."53

One of the strangers replied to this address mildly, regretted that they certainly had caused a little damage, but that was unfortunately not to be prevented, since they sought just on this very spot certain stones which were absolutely necessary to them, and that they were come from a great distance to make the search.54

They expressed themselves, however, willing to make indemnification, if the forester would only make his demands.55

A further conversation betrayed to the forester that the strangers were Venetians, and the result of it was that he permitted them to depart without hindrance, or without accepting the smallest indemnity.56