🧚 A Historical Tale., part 5 · page 2

Every dawn brought a new festival, and even night was turned into day; but neither discipline nor virtue ruled in the brilliant assemblages of his numerous guests.65

Once the lord of the castle gave a brilliant entertainment.66 The merriment of the guests rang out into the night; in the wildest dance mingled men and women, youths and maidens, and loud music smothered the rolling thunder which could be heard in the distance.67

And the night grew darker, and the waves of the Zorge murmured with a hollow moan, and the flowers grew wet with dew.68

The heavens gathered blackness, the water of the river seemed to sing a death-song, and the flowers on its banks to weep.69

Then the lightnings covered the mountains with flames, making the darkness still more terrible.70

An old man stole softly and slowly up to the castle.71 His garments betrayed the greatest poverty, but his countenance was noble, and his thin locks were dripping with the rain.72

He entered, but the servants paid no attention to him, but sat drinking.73

He mounted the stone stairway, and reached the ball-room, where knights and ladies whirled in the dance regardless of the storm.74

He did not venture to enter, but stood timidly near the door, hoping that some one might take pity on his condition.75 He did not stand long unobserved.76

The master himself perceived him, but his heart was not touched with pity.77

With a countenance red with anger, he pounced upon the trembling man, thrust him out of his humble posture, and cried in a voice of thunder, "Insolent beggar! how couldst thou dare to enter my castle?78 Thou shalt pay dearly for thy impudence, and go down more quickly than thou camest up!"79

And he seized him, dragged him to a window, and threw him, amid the laughter of the guests, into the depths below the castle.80

But the beggar stood suddenly in the midst of a wonderful light, and cried in an awful voice, before which all merriment died, and the hot blood turned to ice: "Cursed are ye who despise the poor, and give him over to death; cursed be this spot with all your pleasure and luxury; ye shall sink this very hour in night and darkness!"81

And lo! scarcely were the words uttered, when a hissing flash of lightning, like a fiery serpent, pierced the castle, a fearful clap of thunder followed, the earth opened, the castle sank in the hidden deeps, and was seen no more.82

Only the lonely wanderer hears in the stillness of the night a gloomy noise like distant merriment and shouting, mingled with smothered groans and a horrible dirge.83

The Dwarfs of the Sachsenstein.84

On the spot where the few houses forming Dorf Neuhof now stand lay, centuries ago, a farmhouse built of stone and ornamented with oddly-twisted chimneys.85

A green meadow valley lay before the house, on which fat, comfortable-looking cows were grazing; well-scoured milk-pails hung on the garden fence, fruit-trees were trained on the house-walls, a powerful dog lay basking in the glowing sunshine before the door; from the well-populated barn-yard one heard an animated conversation among the feathered tribes, where a peacock was chairman, and made short emphatic speeches, and a turkey-cock filled the office of crier; in short, all bore the stamp of wealth and comfort.86

And yet the owner of all, Herr Adam Neubauer, walked discontentedly up and down his room.87

His sharp eye had long observed that pilfering hands had laid hold of his field-products, and it had pained him excessively that one would steal from him, for he had never permitted the needy to depart with empty hands; but in the last night so much had been stolen from his pea-field that his hitherto silent displeasure broke forth in expressions of anger.88

"Anna," said he to his wife, a blonde of perhaps thirty years, with soft features and gentle dove eyes, "thou knowest I am patience itself, but that is too bad--that is too bad.89 The people take advantage of my forbearance and kindness, and it is time to let them see that I can also be angry.90 The first one I catch stealing, if he has only taken one ear, shall be so punished that he will forget to come again, thou mayest depend on it!"91

"But, dear husband," replied Frau Anna, in a gentle voice, for she had not seen her husband so excited for a long time, "do not excite thyself so.92 Certainly it is vexatious when wicked men lay hands on our property; but as all the people of the earth are not purely honourable, if thou wilt appoint guards, thou wilt soon have the pleasure of seeing the thieves face to face."93

"It is just that that makes me so angry," answered Neubauer--"that all the appointed sentinels do not help in the least.94 Since eight days, our servants, well hidden, have watched; but no one has shown himself, and nevertheless as much has been stolen as before.95 What is to be done?"96

Anna heard with surprise this puzzling communication, and after many suppositions on the subject she went out shaking her head, to direct household matters, and Adam remained alone with his vexation.97

The evening of the same day the heavens had greatly changed.98 It had been sultry all day, and now dark, silver-bordered clouds rose over the Harz, united and formed a colossal black wall.99

It grew darker and darker.100 Hollow rolled the distant thunder, the dazzling lightnings flamed, and great drops fell.101 Fearfully raged the storm in the tops of the firs and beeches, and drove dust and gravel in wild whirls up the mountain path, on which now a wanderer, with hair wildly blowing in the wind and fluttering garments, descended.102

Not a ray of light pierced the clouds save the fire of the lightning, followed ever more quickly by the deafening claps of thunder; in torrents the clouds now poured their streams on the mountains, the firm rocks seemed to quake to their foundations; it was as if the _Dies Iræ_ were come.103

Shivering with the cold rain, the wanderer hastened to the house of Adam Neubauer, which, by the flashes of the lightning, he had long perceived in the distance.104

He had to wait long before his knocking was heard, for the storm turned the weathercock with a rattling noise, shook the tiles of the roof, and threw at intervals an open-hanging shutter violently to and fro.105

At last the hospitable door was opened, and the honest house-father received the stranger--a perhaps sexagenarian of lofty stature, powerful frame, with a shrewd countenance and snow-white hair--with the greatest readiness; and Frau Anna hurried away to look out dry garments from her husband's wardrobe, and to order from larder and cellar a strengthening, refreshing repast.106

The stranger soon found himself comfortable, and Herr Adam took so much pleasure in his guest that he became confidential by the first glass, and speedily related to him his losses in the fields with all particulars.107

The guest listened attentively, and then went out for a few minutes to look at the neighbourhood.108

He shortly returned, took his staff, thanked Neubauer for the hospitable reception, and said: "Ye were to me as to a near relative, me a perfect stranger; hence, hear as a reward my counsel.109 If ye would discover the thieves who rob your fields, go out at midnight and strike about in the air with a willow rod, and ye will soon see the cunning rascals.110 And now farewell!"111