🧚 A Historical Tale., part 4 · page 2

His heart beating high with joy, he went to meet his master, and found him sitting on a stone resting from the fatigue of his long walk.54 This stone tradition still points out in the Steigerthal, moss-grown, with a bell and a club hewn in it.55

The apprentice could not keep his secret, and with a countenance shining with joy told his master that he had already cast another bell, which was perfect, and of the sweetest tone.56

Then the veins on the master's forehead swelled with shame; rage and fury to find himself excelled by his pupil filled his usually mild heart.57

He sprang from the stone, seized his cane, and gave the youth such a powerful blow on his head that he sank bleeding, with glassy eyes, in the grass.58

The master fled as if chased by the furies.59

His anger cooled at the sight of the blood; fearful pangs of conscience seized the strong man, he repented his rash deed, turned hurriedly back, hoping he might yet quench the stream of blood, and save the unhappy boy.60

He had soon reached him, but no help was possible.61 Despairing he fled.62

Unsettled and a fugitive like Cain, he wandered the whole night in the forest, and when the morning dawned he had made his decision.63

He returned to Stolburg, presented himself before the tribunal, accused himself of his crime, and demanded punishment.64

Deep was the regret, but blood demands blood, and he heard his sentence of death with unmoved composure.65

The Colt's Cave.66

During the Seven Years' War the soldiers stole all the horses.67

A farmer concealed a handsome colt in a cave in the Steigethal, or valley of the Steige, and fed it with great care.68 After the departure of the enemy he hastened to the cave to take home the animal, but it had grown so much it could no longer go through the entrance, and he was compelled to kill it.69 And the cave is called the Colt's Cave unto this day.70

Legend of St. Christopher.71

In the Goslar Cathedral, of which now but a small remnant remains, once existed a colossal wooden statue of this renowned Saint with the Christ-Child on his back.72

St. Christopher once walked from Goslar to Halberstadt and Harzburg, and on the way shook on the ground a pea which had got into his shoe.73

The pea grew, and became the sandstone rock called the Clus.74

The interior of the rock was hewn into a chapel to the Virgin, which was a shrine of great celebrity.75

A Schloss once stood on the Clus, traces of which are still to be seen.76

The Maiden's Cave in the Spatenberg, near where once stook the Spatenburg.77

A young citizen of Sondershausen had, although honest, industrious, and skilful, fallen into great embarrassment.78

Merciless creditors threatened with seizure; entire ruin stared him in the face; he saw himself already in fancy with wife and children abandoned to bitter want.79

He took a walk into the country in order to seek relief for his oppressed heart for a few short hours.80

Soon he was alone with his sorrow in the wood solitude.81

He climbed the Göldner, till he had reached the summit of the Spatenberg, where the green-grass carpet and the shade of the old beeches invited him to a short repose.82

He might have perhaps given expression to his trouble in loud lamentations.83

However that may be, he at last prepared to go further, when suddenly he observed a lovely maiden, who, clad in mourning garments and weeping, sat on a moss-grown stone at the entrance to the Jungfernloch, or Maiden's Cave.84

His sympathy at this sight was awakened in proportion to his own melancholy.85 He could not restrain himself from approaching the graceful figure, and inquiring the cause of her grief.86

She, however, was of opinion that her sorrow was much too great to permit of her troubling any one else with it, and declared she could only find a mitigation of her woe in drying up the tears of others.87

She told him she had, unseen, perceived what troubled him, and it afforded her soul sweet comfort to know that she could help him.88

After she had made this statement to the astonished man, she bade him follow her into the cave.89

When they had gone through several dark, gloomy passages, they entered a wonderfully lighted chamber, in the centre of which stood a chest filled with gold and treasures, from which the maiden's companion, at her command, must take as many pieces of money as were sufficient for relief from his embarrassment.90

At the same time he must solemnly promise that at the expiration of a year, at a certain hour, he will return the same sum to the same place, because, as a result of his failing to do so, she herself would suffer great injury.91

He promised, and the maiden dismissed him.92

Of course he was now freed from his anxiety and distress, and from this day everything he undertook prospered.93

Not only was he able to satisfy all the demands of his creditors, but also at the stated time, agreeably with his promise, to return the received loan.94

But he could not go in his every-day dress to his benefactress, and the untruthful tailor neglected to deliver the red Sunday coat as promised.95

At last he determined, though he had failed to reach the spot at the fixed hour, not to fail in the day.96

As he climbed the Burgweg--castle road--it seemed to him that the tops of the beeches sighed mournfully.97 He drew near to the cave with painful apprehensions.98

No maiden was to be seen.99 He entered the cave, and found himself at last in the lighted chamber.100

But what must he see?101 The benevolent maiden lay on the ground dying, her countenance distorted with sorrow and pain.102

Dreadful gloom enveloped the frightened man.103 Only the treasure in the chest glittered dismally.104

A long-drawn sigh trembled through the chamber.105 He threw the too-late-brought money, at the same time crossing himself, into the trunk, which immediately closed, and with the dead maiden disappeared.106

An awful roaring arose.107 Benumbed with terror, he fled from the chamber, that fell in behind him, and through the passages, that seemed to him suddenly falling into ruins.108

A tumbling stone struck him so violently on the heel that he was always obliged to wear slippers after, and from that day he never recovered his spirits.109

The Three Brothers of Zellerfeld.110

There once lived three brothers in Zellerfeld who were hunters.111 They went together one day hunting to the Schalk, when the youngest saw three partridges, and shot at one of them.112

He thought he had struck the bird, but it flew away, and he followed it to the top of the mountain where it disappeared.113

The young hunter searched the spot carefully where the bird had vanished, and found an opening, which he marked, and then went back and called his two brothers.114

All three entered the opening, and came soon to a large room containing a well-served meal on the table, and chairs placed ready.115

The three seated themselves, ate, drank, and found all excellent.116

After they had partaken of the repast, three beautiful ladies in rich attire entered, and told the brothers they were accursed and doomed to remain for ever under the earth.117 But if they would remain there three years without seeing the light of day, they would be released.118