🧚 A Historical Tale., part 8

When she had finished her song she descended to the shepherd, and asked him if he would rescue her from the enchantment.1

He replied he would gladly if he could.2

She told him she would return the next morning, at first in the same form which he now saw, after which she would become a serpent.3 If he would kiss her in her serpent form, she would be free.4

The shepherd promised solemnly.5

The next morning she appeared again on the cliffs and sang as before.6

When the sheep had all filed past, the maiden descended from the rocks, came to him as a serpent, and sprang upward toward him, that he might give her the serpent-kiss; but he turned aside in horror.7

The serpent suddenly vanished, with such a shriek of anguish that the shepherd was ever afterward perfectly deaf.8

She is seen on the Staufenburg bei Zorge every seven years at Easter, with a bunch of keys and a Pomeranian dog white as snow.9

She waits from eleven to twelve for a rescuer, and when the time is expired the dog barks.10

This dog is said to have been her lap-dog before the curse.11

There is a Harz legend that the Ascension took place from the mountain of the Staufenburg.12

The Accursed Maiden of Lichtenstein.13

Not far from Lichtenstein is a spring, where once a shepherd rested always at noonday and watered his flocks.14

One day, when he sat there as usual, a serpent came from under a stone and looked kindly at him.15

At first he was seized with terror, but at last felt quite at home with her.16

The second day she came again, from her head half in human form addressed the shepherd, and told him he must take courage the next day and kiss the serpent, when he would thereby become always fortunate and happy.17

She came the third day from under the stone, crept up to him, and raised her head to kiss him.18

At first he was filled with disgust, but taking courage he shut his eyes and kissed her.19

And there stood before him no longer a serpent, but a beautiful girl, and more--a princess.20

Then the shepherd forsook his sheep, went with the maiden to the king, who gave him the Princess to wife.21

The Great Hall in the Petersberg.22

One day a child plucked a flower on the Petersberg near Goslar while playing.23

Then the mountain opened, and the child came into a great hall, where many noble steeds neighed and tossed their proud heads, and the viands were served on gold and silver.24

All who sat there wore golden crowns, and a silver plate was given the child to take home.25

The parents of the child sought the _Wunderblume_, that they might also see this chamber, but failed.26

These guests of the mountain are the old Kaisers who once held their Court in Goslar.27

Spar-die-Müh.28 [1]29

[1] Spare the trouble.30

At the north end of the Bergstadt[2] Lautenthal lies the Bielstein.31

[2] Mining town.32

Below, at the north-west end of the town, the little river Innerste flows northward towards the Bielstein, and along its base.33

Above this bend in the stream, where it turns to flow along the base, only a few steps from the stream, is a cave called the Zwergloch, or Dwarf-cave.34

The level place at the foot of the Bielstein bears the name of Spar-die-Müh.35

In the cave dwelt in earlier times three dwarfs, who often lent the people of Lautenthal money, and also gold and silver plate for weddings and baptisms.36

Now it happened once that these borrowed objects were not returned.37 So when the people came again to borrow, they heard a voice call, "Spar-die-Müh!"38

And from that time the dwarfs declined to oblige the neglectful citizens in any way, and since then the place has been called Spar-die-Müh.39

The Dwarf-King Hibich.40

The Hibichenstein, near Grand, consists of two colossal limestone cliffs leaning against each other, which are said to have been formed in the distant days when giants lived in the Hercynia Sylva,[1] from a pebble which a giant threw out of his shoe.41

[1] The Hercynia Sylva of the Romans was of greater extent than the Harz mountains.42 It included the Schwarzwald, Thuringen, Bohemia, and the Harz.43

In the Hibichenstein dwelt dwarfs, who often attended the children in Grund.44

Their King Hibich was ages old, with shaggy hair like a bear, a very wrinkled face, and a long ice-grey beard, which possessed magical power.45

He always carried a silver miner's lamp that shone clear as the sun, and wore a golden crown.46

Although so small, he could stretch himself much larger.47

Formerly his dwarf majesty was allowed to appear in the upper world every five hundred years, but he is no longer permitted to leave his subterranean abode.48

He protected the forests, and played serious jokes upon those who did them any injury.49 But he was benevolent and kind to those in distress who complained to him of their trouble.50

Once a miner's wife, whose husband had long lain ill, went from Grund into the wood to gather cones for the baker, who gave her bread for them.51

When she had entered the forest, Hibich came to her and asked: "What seekest thou here?"52

Then she told him all her want and distress, whereupon he gave her a plant to cure her husband, and pointed out to her a spot where she would find plenty of cones.53

Arrived there, she could at first find none, but directly the cones began to fall in showers from the trees, not striking her, however, but all falling into the basket.54

When she lifted the basket to put it on her back, she found it much heavier than the cones had ever been before.55

Returning to the spot where the King had first met her, he asked her if she had found cones.56 Then she told him what had happened, and the Dwarf-King revealed to her that his people had done it, and added the cones were pure silver.57

He told her she was to take a sufficient number of them to make herself and her sick husband comfortable, and to provide for her children, and with the rest she was to build a church in Grund; but by no means to forget the healing plant.58

The sick man became "healthy as a fish" from the hour when he made use of this powerful herb.59

In the forester's house in Grund lived in the olden days a forester who had lost his wife early, and had an only son, a good-hearted youth, only somewhat over-inquisitive and indiscreet.60

One Sunday afternoon the forester's son, with his friend, the son of a miner, went into the wood for a walk.61

As they reached the Hibichstein they fell into a conversation concerning its height, and the miner's son said he should like to see the person who could climb to the top.62

The other said that was nothing, he would do it; but his friend endeavoured to dissuade him from his purpose, saying no one who had climbed up could ever get down again, but was always found the next day broken to pieces at the base.63

He was not be dissuaded, and climbed to the summit, where he found a large level space, and began to dance and shout for joy, and called to his friend to climb up.64 But the other shook his head, and told him not to forget he had to come down.65

Finally, when his joy had cooled, the forester's son decided to descend, but could not leave the spot, for the Dwarf-King Hibich held him enchanted to the rock for his presumption.66

He called to his friend and entreated him to go and tell his father.67

Then the forester came with his gun and would shoot his son down.68

But as he was about to fire, came Hibich and demanded what he was going to do; and as he replied he was going to shoot his son down from the mountain, the King advised him not to attempt anything so foolish.69

Again he took aim, when it began to thunder and lighten, and the rain poured down in torrents.70

Night came on, and the forester was obliged to go home till morning.71

Hardly had he gone when the dwarfs arrived, all in miners' dress, and each carrying a mine-lamp.72

They had the most skilful ladders, which they placed one on the other, and now they held together as if they had been glued.73

As soon as this ladder was ready, and reached the top of the Hibichenstein, a dwarf stood at each side and lighted the way.74

The forester's son must now seat himself on the shoulders of the dwarf on the topmost rung of the ladder; and see! the ladder is wide enough to permit them to descend between the thick line of lamp-bearing dwarfs on either hand.75

No sooner had they reached the base than dwarfs, lights, and ladder had vanished.76

Then came the old Hibich, took him by the hand, and said: "As thou hast been on the summit of the Hibichenstein, and hast suffered so much anxiety and terror, thou shalt also see the Dwarf-King's castle."77

Then they entered through a great arched door into the mountain, and the King conducted him to a large room, where stood chairs and a table.78

The walls glittered with pure ore, the ceiling was a single piece of ponderous spar, white as the driven snow, and from it hung a chandelier of mountain crystal and precious stones.79

The floor was strewed with branches of firs, and the panels shimmered with gold and jewels.80

In the centre of this superb chamber stood a table of hematite; before it a silver chair, upon which the Dwarf-King seated himself, and commanded his companion also to sit down.81

Then he struck with a silver rapier upon the table of hematite, which produced a tone the sweetness of which was never heard before.82

A thousand tiny female forms appeared in answer to the summons, bearing strawberries and raspberries; and while the King and his guest partook of the fruit, the dwarf maidens played the most delicious music.83

Afterward costly wine was brought in silver goblets.84

When the repast was ended, Hibich led his young visitor into an adjoining chamber, on one side of which was silver, on the other gold, and at the royal command, "Silver!" "85 Gold!" the forester's son must take of the metal named till he was laden with wealth.86

Then the Dwarf-King said: "Wilt thou do me a favour?87 Namely, never to permit any one to shoot at birds on the Hibichenstein; for in this way bits of the rock are broken off.88

"As long as the great Hibichenstein remains the great, my crown is secure; but so soon as it becomes the little Hibichenstein, I lose my crown, and can never appear on the earth again."89

The youth promised, and Hibich conducted him to another chamber, where stood a delicious bed of fragrant moss, wished him Gute Nacht, and promised to wake him early.90

The forester's son had slept but a short time, as it seemed to him, when he was waked up suddenly.91 It was early dawn, and he shivered, exclaiming, "How cold it is!"92

He lay under a bush at the foot of the Hibichenstein, but all the gold and silver that the Dwarf-King Hibich had given him was heaped up beside him.93

The King of Tipplers.94

A legend is told in Ellrich of an Earl von Klettenberg--not the devout founder of the Huy Wald Abbey, whose forsaken wife built Kloster Walkenried.95

The Earl rode one Sunday morning to Ellrich, as an invited guest to a grand banquet, where all the guests were to drink for a wager, the reward being a chain of gold.96

They drank for hours, till all were _hors de combat_ save four knights.97

Three of these leaned against the wall, and only the Earl von Klettenberg stood upright; to him, therefore, the victory was awarded.98

He resolved to show himself to the people as the winner, and commanded his horse to be brought.99 Four of his attendants lifted the Earl into the saddle, and he rode through the village.100

As he reached the St. Nicholas Church, he heard the chanting of vespers, rode through the open door into the church, and spurred on his horse till he had ridden through the congregation, whose vesper-chant changed to terror and dismay.101

But as he reached the steps of the altar, all the four horse-shoes fell off, and the horse and his rider sank to the ground.102

The four huge horse-shoes were nailed to the church door, where they remained for centuries, and the awful tale was oft related to trembling listeners.103

At last a fire destroyed the church, and the four horse-shoes are unhappily lost.104

The Needle's Eye105

Near Kloster Ilfeld, close by the _chaussée_, stands on a mountain a huge boulder, which has a small hole through the centre.106

All the servants from Nordhausen and the other surrounding places, when they drive into the forest the first time for wood, must creep three times through this hole--which is only done with difficulty; and as they creep in, and on the opposite side out, their comrades lash them with their whips.107

If the new-comer will not indulge in this pastime, he must pay money.108

The new pupils in the high school at Ilfeld must also, as a joke, creep through the Needle's Eye.109

This stone a giant is said to have thrown out of his shoe.110

Legend of St. Hubertus.111

St. Hubertus, the Patron Saint of the House of Anhalt, was a passionate lover of the chase.112 One day, hunting in the old oak wood on the mountain Hubertushöhe, which lies between Gernrode and Ballenstedt, when about to shoot a deer, the Saint saw a cross rise from the head of the animal, when he immediately lost his passion for hunting, and, according to the legend, "his only game became eternity and heavenly bliss."113

Bathilde von Ballenstedt.114

In the Saxon Chronicles we are told that Ludwig, King of the Franks, took Schloss Ballenstedt, and carried away captive the fair daughter of the Earl of Askanien.115

"Dost thou not hear the snorting of steeds?116 Franks are marching through the wood From the destroyed castle; in their midst The captive daughter.117 Yes, like smothered tones of anger, It rustles in the foliage of the oaks.118 Sadly they shake their tops, As if they knew of the robbery."119

UNWIN BROTHERS, PRINTERS, CHILWORTH AND LONDON.120