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O.-^, VNWIN IROTHERS, THE GRESIIAM PKKS.S, CHILWORTH AND LONDON. i 1 V iMMMiMMrifc^ ©cDicateD (BV SI'ECIAI, PKRMtSSION) TO HER MAJESTY MARGHERITA, QUEEN OF ITALY. < I! (; ■.*i ijn'tijiRMMpwMnn^vm ■ '■'?^ OK I II.VI.E 9 LEGENDS OF THE TEL'KELSMAUER 12 THE WUNDERSTEIN 14. CHARLOTTE OF ni.ANKENUt'RO, I'K I NCKSS OF WOI.ri niTTEI. ... 1$ THE GRAVE UNDER ."HE LINDENS NEAR III.ANKENHURO ... 30 LEGENDS OF THE REGENSTEIN 25 THE LOST SKETCII-ItOOK OF THE RECENSI KIN CIIAI'EI. ... 3I THE FLOWER OF THE LAUENlll'RC. 46 THE WHITE STAG 52 THE FISHERMAN OF TRESEUl'RG 59 LEGEND OF VOLKMARSKELLER 66 REINHILDE OF THE KONIGSIllRd 71 THE TWELVE KNIGHTS IN THE SCHONEIllRG 78 THE GEGENSTEINE 80 THE THREE CRYSTAL GOHI.ETS AND TnUKi; GOLDEN IIALI.S OF SCHLOSS FALKENSTEIN ... 86 TIDIAN'S HOHLE, OR CAVE 87 THE M.\GDES1'RUNG AND .MAi;DErKAI r:c 89 SAGE OF SCHLOSS QUESTE.NHERG 91 HARBAROSSA AND THE KVFFIIAl.SKI; ... 92 i^f^nintn^ X CONTENTS. TlIK nURGFRAULKIN OF tJSTKRODK. I III-. KI.Y-KAIKY OK lllf. (U NTK.RSIlURIi IK.tiKNK Ol' rilK DKVII.'s MII.l TIIK ORK'.IN OV nW. KAMMEI.SIIK.RO MINK, NKAR f.OSt.AR I.KC.KNI) OK THE IIOITKI lIF.Kii TIIK WHITE I.AUV THE CIIAIT.I. OK ROSRS ■ I'RINCESS II.SK I'RINCESS II.SK ANIt Till. liKI.UliE THE II.SENSTEIN A DREAM UNDER I'RIXCESS ItSE'S KIRS Tin: RED-HAIRED TRl'DK THE WII.D HUNTSMAN THE ORIGIN OK THE I'lIIUri'ISE GRAK ARNO'S CAITURE THE PEIIIILK THE MONK AND THE Sl'RINi; IlILDEGARD ANDTIIE IIAINERIlURi; THE THREE STONE I'ARTRIDC.ES THE KORESTER AND THE ENCHANTED CASTI.E THE STEINKIRCHE AND THE HERMIT THE NYMPH RUMA AND THE WEINOARTEN IIOHI.E . . I EGEND OF THE SCHILDHERG LEGEND OF SILBERHOHL l.AUTENTHAL EVA VON TROTTA THE WEINGARTEN HOIII-E AND THE THREE MEN THE I;ELL-FOUXDER or STOLnERG ... 96 100 ... lOI ... 104 108 ... 109 113 ... 114 "S ... 116 120 ... 123 127 ... 131 • 38 ... 144 146 ... 148 149 • •• iSS 158 ... 161 163 ... i6s 172 ... 201 207 lOSLAK K . ... 9» lOO ... 101 103 ... 104 108 ... 109 iia ... 114 "5 ... ti6 120 ... 123 127 ... 131 138 ... 144 146 ... 148 149 ••• ^5S 158 ... 161 163 ... i6s 172 ... 201 207 COJVT^XTS. •|lll'. cni.r's CAVK l.KC.K.M) UK SI'. iiikim()I'i:i:r I III: maidkn's I AVi: in tiik. si'Aikmii kk TIIK 1 lIKF.r. IIKOTIIK.KS OK ZKl.I.lRKEI.I) TIIK RAVKN OK CI.AL'STIIAI THE IIERC.MONCII AM) WIllHli MANN THE NIMROD OK THE RF.HIIEKGEKKl.l ITK THE TANZIKHII IIKI /ORCE THE nWAKKS OK THE SACllSENTFIN THE IIURCCEIST OK THE HAARIirKU HIE TIIKI'.E WOOIJ-KAIKH.S HIE SIlErilERDs' TOWURS THE TKEASURE-HUNTKRS Ol 1 !1E SIKHEKTIIAL THE ENCHANTED MAIDEN OK THE /.OKCE ... THE ACCURSED MAIDEN OK I.ICIITENSTEIN ... ITIE GREAT HAl.L IN THE I'ETERSUERli SI'AR-DIE-Mi'll THE DWARK-KINC. HIIIICH THE KING OK Tiri'I.ERS THE NEEDI.E'.S rye LEGEND OK ST. HCIIERTCS UATIIII.DE VON i;AI.I.KN:iTi:i.T 210 210 211 214 216 217 218 220 223 232 236 241 246 348 249 250 250 251 257 258 258 259 LEGENDS AND TALES. AGES ago there ruled a king in Bohemia whose castle stood on a lofty mountain, where the thunder and the eagle found a home. This king had a daughter, the golden-haired Brun- hilda, the fame of whose marvellous beauty was spread far and wide. Mighty rulers and the sons of kings sought the hand of the lovely royal maiden, and among the numerous wooers came the son of the king of the Harz, who won her heart ; and after the lovers had sworn everlasting fidelity, the Harz Prince returned to his father to announce his betrothal and make arrangements for the nuptials. After his departure, there arrived a new suitor for Brunhilda's hand, whom her father feared to reject. This was one of those terrible giants who inhabited ' /i:oss,-a. steed ; Trappc, a footprint. V 2 LEGENDS AND TALES OF North Europe. They were invincible, and wherever they appeared, all yielded with terror to their might. This dreadful lover brought the Princess costly gifts of golJ, amber, and precious stones. The father, after three days' Bedenkzeit, promises the Giant his daughter. Brunhilda throws herself horrified on her knees before her father, weeping and tearing her hair ; but the king, though moved with pity, assures her the Giant h^s power to destroy him and his kingdom. From this hour Brunhilda appeared composed. She neither wept nor complained, but met her destined bridegroom with a solemn dignity. Of a truly kingly character, she constrained her agony to silence, but hoped ever for deliverance through the return of her Harz lover ; still he came not. Now the Giant had two steeds — giant steeds — one white as the i?nows of the Northland, his eyes shining like stars ; the other, the Giant's body-horse, black as the night, with eyes like the lightning, at whose run- ning his hoofs resounded like thunder, and the earth trembled and shook. Both these steeds seemed in the chase to overtake the storm, and keep time with the lightning. Brunhilda saw these giant steeds, and the thought of flight occurred to her. Was success possible.' She had never mounv^d the snowy steed. Great was the Giant's joy when Brunhilda begged to ride with him. She mounted daily the terrible 1 Hi OF le, and wherever to their might, ncess costly gifts The father, after ant his daughter, d on her knees ig her hair ; but assures her the his kingdom, i composed. She let her destined Of a truly kingly y to silence, but he return of her ant steeds — one his eyes shining y-horse, black as \, at whose run- r, and the earth :ds seemed in the p time with the md the thought never mounted runhilda begged aily the terrible * THE HARZ MOUNTAIXS. y animal, and soon could ride a race with the Giant on the mountains. At last the evening before the nuptials arrived, and Brunhilda, having arrayed herself in white robes, a golden crown, and a long white veil floating; behind her, and the amber and diamonds, the Giant's gifts, welcomed the numerous guests who thronged the royal palace, and looked lovingly upon the Giant Brautigam,' who was overwhelmed with an unheard of bliss at the lovely vision. At length the Princess rose and retired, the Giant remained to drink of the costly wines. Suddenly he heard the snorting and stamping of his war-steeds! He sprang up and looked down into the courtyard. There sat Brunhilda in her glittering robes, the golden crown still upon her head, her white veil and golden hair fluttering in the wind, in her fearless courage and queenly beauty, upon the snowy steed before the open gates. At sight of him she let loose her reins, and the mighty steed shot forth, swift as the storm-wind, like a streak of light, into the darkness of the night. The Giant uttered a cry of fury that shook the castle to its foundations, seized his battle-axe, and mounted his war-horse, crying : " If she flee to the Nidh6ggar2 in the Schlangengrund ^ I will bring her hence ! " ' 2?/-rt;//«§'a;«, bridegroom. Used only during the engagement. » Nidhdggnr, the dragon in the old German water-helL 3 Schlangengnmd^ valley of serpents. ■H 4 LEGENDS AND TALES OF And now begins the fearful race. Through meadow and forest, over mountain and ravine, flee the pursuer and pursued, the white steed always in advance, fleeing swift as a meteor through the heavens ; behind, the black steed, like a spirit from the eternal darkness. All through the night lasted the terrible ride. The earth groaned and thundered, the forests trembled, the birds and beasts fled in terror, long streaks of fire swept through the grim darkness, and the snorting of the steeds was like the roar of the Northwind. At length dawn reflects her rosy blush over moun- tain and wood. Brunhilda utters a cry of joy and triumph ! There before her lies the Harz, her lover's mountain home and future kingdom ! That distant peak is the Brocken ! She spurs on her noble steed till she reaches the Hexentanzplatz,' when suddenly he stops, rears, and plunges, and refuses to advance. Before her yawns the terrible rocky abyss of the Bode Valley, behind she hears the deadly foe advancing, uttering the most dreadful curses ! What shall she do >. Forward over the wild abyss > Backward is to fall into the arms of the enemy. The choice is not diflicult. She turns his head to the fearful chasm, and spurs him on. Like an eagle, the noble animal leaps the yawning abyss, lands safely on the other side, and impressing ' Hexentansplatz, witches' dancing-floor. ■ OF •ace. Through and ravine, flee steed always in ugh the heavens ; from the eternal rrible ride. The sts trembled, the streaks of fire 1 the snorting of rthwind. Lish over moun- cry of joy and Harz, her lover's ! That distant she reaches the stops, rears, and ;fore her yawns Valley, behind :tering the most the wild abyss } r the enemy, ns his head to ps the yawning and impressing j-floor. THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 5 its giant hoof-print in the granite, sinks exhausted, but the Princess loses her goldene Krone in the gulf beneath the Bode Kessel ! The Giant in rage and fury spurs on his dusky steed to leap after her, but falls and is broken on the rocks, and ever since, transformed into a hell-hound, he guards the golden crown in the Bode Kessel. The Princess, saved, dances for joy, and her foot- prints are still to be seen in the solid granite. The mountain has ever since been called the Ross- trappe, and the Giant Bodo ' gave his name to the valley and river. ®lje ©oilmen ^voxtxn \n tijc gohe ^esjael. " Seht ihr die alte Lauenburg Hoch aufdem Harze schimmertt ? Durch Wildniss geht der Weg hindurch Zu ihren wiisten Triimmernh 'T^^HE legend of the Gold-Krone in the Bode 1 Kessel is connected with a Countess of the Lauenburg. In the days of the Crusades there dwelt here a fair maiden, the daughter of the Earl von Lauenburg, whose lover, Conrad von Regenstein, was a Crusader. Instead of his speedy return, came tidings of his fall in the bloody combat. The broken-hearted Bratit ' Bodo— the final has been corrupted into e, Bode. ■ y< 6 LEGENDS AND TALES OF refused all other lovers, and to secure peace and free- dom declared she would bestow her hand only on the knight who could rescue Brunhilda's crown from the fearful gulf, the Bode Kessel. The news spread through all the plains of Germany, from the North Sea to the Alps, and knights and princes flocked to the banks of the Bodethal to learn the extent of the danger in such an attempt, but no man was even able to approach the brink of the fear- ful chasm.' The object of the maiden seemed gained, but, alas ! she knew not what anguish destiny had assigned her. Years had fled, and the Graf von Lauenburg held a fete in his castle. Suddenly the notes of the warder's horn resound proclaiming the arrival of a guest. The young Countess looks out of a Gothic window into the court, turns pale and trembles, as her strain- ing eyes gaze upon the entering knight. Yes ! She is not deceived ; that is the figure, the noble bearing of her lost Crusader ! " Conrad! my Conrad !" she cries, and rushes, frantic with joy, into the arms of her returned lover. " Thou dost yet live ! Thou liest not in the cold arms of death ! " " I live, am in thy arms ! " ' ' It must be remembered that the Bodethal was unapproach- able, no path whatever existing, until von Bulow caused the path to be constructed in 1818, past the Rosstrappe to the Devil's Bridge overlooking the Bode Kessel. i • OF \ peace and free- land only on the ; crown from the lins of Germany, nd knights and lodethal to learn attempt, but no irink of the fear- ained, but, alas ! ad assigned her. Lauenburg held r's horn resound Gothic window ;s, as her strain- it. 3 the figure, the id rushes, frantic i lover. " Thou ; cold arms of il was unapproach- Biilow caused the Rosstrappe to the THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. j No word more — a long embrace. The aged Earl has followed his daughter, and amid their astonishment and joy, Conrad explains how he was severely wounded and taken prisoner, and had not for long years been able to escape. The father leads the happy pair into the great hali, and announces to the assembled guests the betrothal of his daughter, and an early wedding-day. Many crowd forward to offer their congratulations, but, in the background of the hall one sees a group of knights with frowning brows. At last one of the group approaches the Earl in the centre of the hall, and cries : " You are in haste to announce the betrothal and wedding-day. Has the Regensteiner then brought up the Gold-Krone? or are you playing with so many nobles? You are surrounded by niany who will demand that the bridegroom fulfil the conditions you yourself have named, or they w;m 4^ 'cuse you of treachery, and re- nounce your allegiance." Applause followed this stern address. The Earl, surprised, glanced around the circle and met grim looks and frowning faces. But Conrad raised high his proud form, struck his sword upon the floor, so that the hall rang with the clang, and cried in a voice of thunder : " Who dares speak of treachery to Graf Lauenburg.? Those conditions were not made in jest or scorn ; his knightly word is irreproachable. I will undergo the « LEGENDS AND TALES OF tost, and will not lead my beloved home until I have redeemed it." Silence and astonishment filled the hall. But the maiden, pale with terror, exclaimed: "What I thou vnirst face the Terrible.^ plunge thyself into certain destruction, and me into fresh despair.'" Conrad assures her the danger is not so great as it appears ; that he is protected by an amulet, a cross made from the true cross of the Saviour, that has de- fended h.m from ocean perils, and rescued him from the swords and dungeons of the Saracens, and imme- diately prepares for the perilous rescue. The day arrived, the Bode was bridged with ice. hundreds of anxious spectators lined the rocks above the black flag floated from the Lauenburg and the Regenstein. Extreme unction had been administered in Kloster Wenthusen, and armed with a dagger for the combat with the transformed Giant Bodo, and an iron chain to bmd him. with a look toward heaven, Conrad plunged into the yawning gulf. The waves closed over him and drew him down into their shimmering bosom. . A long and anxious stillness-then a horrible howl burst forth from the gulf, drowning the roar and hiss of the waterfall, growing every minute louder and more terrible, as \i a thousand wolves were engaged in a death-grapple; and the waters rose in mighty billows, as if a storm-wind raged beneath ■"^'t*^-«'^pt^" ^ OF lomc until I have ^e hall. But the i: "What! thou yself into certain ir ? " not so great as it ti amulet, a cross our, that has de- escued him from cens, and imme- le. )ridged with ice, the rocks above, en burg and the tered in Kloster • for the combat J an iron chain heaven, Conrad V him down into a horrible howl le roar and hiss Jtc louder and i were engaged rose in mighty ith. THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. , Then a ray of sunshine bursts forth, making the colossal rocks glitter like silver towers, and the water- fail like dropping diamonds, and through the pearly foam appeared a hand holding the Golden Crown the howlmgs became weaker, and the whisper went round. "He has conquered!" And a loud voice rose above the raging waves. " The Hell-dog lies in chains - The Crown and the Beloved are mine ! » Hark ! What is that ? trln '"■?'' ^°''''"^' ^'^'" ^^'^'"^^ the hand trembles and vanishes with the Gold-Krone, soon all grows fearfully still, drops of blood rise to the surface then^a whole stream-the brave Crusader never' J^l'^"""^. '^' '"^"''^ '^^°"" "P f-'" the un- fa homable deeps, and carried it to the unhappy nia.den, who wUhout a tear turned her steps to the holy retreat of Kloster Wenthusen, and was ne/er seen agam. ^^ T3ETWEEN the red-roofed Thale and Dorf Nein- an^th' ' °"' '''' '''^"■"' ^°^'' ^°""d h'"«' here and there overgrown with thorns and thickets, some- times bare of all vegetation save short grass These mounds are graves of primeval days, in which urns and bones have been found. At the foot of these hills, in a semicircle, are seven 10 LEGENDS AND TALES OF iny small springs, which unite themselves in o brooklet, over which the train passes On the summit of one of these hills once stood seven trees called the Seven Brothers, of which now no trace remains. te seven daughters of the king of the HarK raoun- to the r Tr' "'"" ''^^"^^ ^^^ ^^^'^ even o the hnglKsh court. These princesses were called he Sunbeams of the mountains; and when the Lng hsh pnnces arrived in the Felsenburg of their royal father, they found assembled there princes and Hohem T '"T^ ^"' ^'^"^•"^'^' ^---a and Hohem,a. from the banks of the Danube and the amber coasts of the sea. nr^"- *^^^^""''^^"'^'°ved the English princes, and promised to go with them to their father's court Not without combat will we permit these strangers to rob us of the glory of our land." The brothers seized sword and shield, but the prin- cesses rushed into theirarms and hindered the combat. At midnight, when the full moon shone each «eet steed fled toward the rocky shores of England. Suddenly the affrighted maidens see the gtitter of arms m the faint moonlight. "What is that that glitters below on the plain?" they cry. ^ ^ V-j L » in o my Is once stood 3f which now gland to woo Harz rnoun- netratcd even 5 were called d when the urg of their princes and ■anconia and Jbc and the princes, and > court, •d, and said, se strangers lUt the prin- the combat, hone, each him on his England, e glitter of le plain ? " THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. II "Fear not," said the youths, " 'tis the waves of the Bode." " What is that whistling in the forest .'" " The thrushes sing in the shadows of the foliage." " Do you hear the rustling in the thicket >. " " 'Tis but the frightened deer." " What is that murmur .' " " The spring gushing out of the rocks." " And that whispering > " "The wind!" " You deceive us. Your eyes burn like the lightning, you have seized both sword and shield ! " " Fear not ! V/e are with you ; our arm will defend you ! " Out of the thicket rush the concealed rivals ; a furious combat follows ; the English princes are all slain, their bodies burnt and the ashes buried. The princesses returned to their father's castle, but hated the murderers of their English lovers. Every day they went with the dawn to the spot where the brothers lay in their deep slumber, and night found them still there in tears. Each princess planted a tree by her lover's grave, and when seven moons were passed away, one evening, as they sat by the graves, suddenly they felt a great joy spring up within them ; they wiped away their tears, but from them seven springs bubbled up spark- ling and clear. Smiling, they gave each other the hand, feeling the hour of reunion was come, and in the morning they were found dead, hand in hand. la LEaUXDS AND TALES OF $vnc«b« of tl)c ffi;*Mfvl»im»u«v. /^N the plain, stretching away westward from the V^ once imperial Quecllinbur}?, is the Devil's Wall, which rises in ragged rocks in the most fantastic shapes and forms, sometimes a hundred feet in height, mostly bare, but nearer to Blankcnburg adorned with foliage. This is the backbone of a mountain chain once ex- tending from Blankcnburg to Ballenstedt, which has been mostly washed away by the tempests of untold ages. These rocks are a firm sandstone with a vein of iron, containing impressions of fossils, shells, and plants, and are sometimes in such forms as to resemble the ruins .' castles or human figures. These rent and torn rocks could not fail to possess their legends. In the time of Charlemagne there lived in Blanka a maiden called Thusnelda. The report of her charms attracted the attention of the brave Egbert, who had built on the Klus near Halberstadt a strong castle. He won her affections, of course. Just at this period the doctrines of the Christian faith had penetrated into the Harz ; Egbert had be- come a convert, and had won Thusnelda also for the new faith. But the lovers were betrayed to Thusnelda's father, the wild and savage Luitprand, and he, in fury, having d from the 'evil's Wall, St fantastic ct in height, •g adorned in once cx- which has 5 of untold a vein of shells, and to resemble to possess in Blanka rt of her ^e Egbert, It a strong Christian rt had be- so for the a's father, ry, having rj//-: llARZ MOUNTAINS. 13 promised her to a companion in arms, shut her up in a gloomy room, deaf to .ill her entreaties, and laid in wait for Egbert ; hut Egbert assembled all the Chris- tians of the neighbourhood, and set off in the night to storm Luitprand's castle. Suddenly a wall of rock rose before them, and they were obliged to wait till morning, when lo ! as far as they could see.only this formidable barrierthat blocked up their way. Egbert encouraged his braves to climb it ; but when half way up, the giant rocks fell upon them and crushed every daring knight to atoms. This wall the devil had built to prevent the spread of the new faith. The other legend says the devil wished to divide with Christ the empire of the world, and therefore began this wall as the border between the two kingdoms ; but the work was not finished at the time agreed upon by the contracting parties, and the con- tract was broken. The devil, in wrath at having- laboured so much for nought, broke in pieces his partly built defence. There is a tradition that the holy Vehm,' or Fehm, formerly held her court also in the Teufelsmauer, not far from the maje.etic Reinstein. This celebrated tribunal had its origin in West- phalia, the land of the Red Earth, and was one of the most remarkable institutions of the middle ages. ' Vehiii, or /•>//;//, old Germ.in for punishment. ^^ t^ j ljWf W Wf » ^HW )', the Princess left St. Petersburg with a single femme dc chambre and a faithful man-servant, reached Paris unrecognized, sailed for America., and lived many years in Louisiana. Here she made the acquaintance of the Chevalier d'Aubert— or d'Auban— who had been in St. Peters- burg. One day, when alone with Charlotte, he fell on his knees and confessed his recognition ', the single femme dc It, reached Paris and lived many of the Chevalier sen in St. Peters- Charlotte, he fell nitior A her. ic most solemn the news of the ty of his havinjj emain as dead. THE HARZ MOUXTAIXS. »9 The death of her devoted man-servant, who had been of such service, caused her many tears, and d'Aubert devoted himself to her, became her chief prop and stay, and at length the royal widow rewarded him with her hand. D'Aubert finally fell ill, and they returned to his native France, where his recovery was her reward. They were in the habit of walking in the gardens of the Tuilcrics. One day, sitting there conversing in German, chance led the celebrated Marshal Moritz von Saxony past them. Surprised to hear his mother tongue so purely spoken by Americans, as he ima- gined, he approached them, addressed the lady, started, and instantly recognized the Princess Char- lotte of Blankcnburg, whom he had long years reckoned among the dead. Madame d'Aubert conjured him not to betray her secret, told him her story, and how it had been chiefly through his mother .she had succeeded in escaping from Russia. Delighted at the double discovery, Moritz promised to keep the secret three months, at the expiration of which time he declared it to be his duty to communi- cate the fact to the King of France, Louis XV. D'Aubert being recovered, they sailed for I'ile Bour- bon. At the end of three months Moritz revealed the secret to the French sovereign, and the governor of the island of Bourbon received forthwith the com- mand to treat Matfamc d'Aubert with royal honours. 1 30 LEGENDS AXD TALES OF I i The King wrote to Maria Theresa, acquainting her with the fabulous history of her cousin. The Emp ess wrote to Madame d'Aubert, beseeching her lO leave her husband and repair to the Austrian Court. This the Princess refu.sed to do, and remained on the island till d'Auberfs death, in 1754. After the death of both husband and daughter, she returned to Paris, settled the affairs of her husband, and retired to Brussels, where she received an annual pension from the Austrian Empress. Charlotte lived a retired life, no one but the now aged waiting-woman who had fled with her having the remotest idea of her high rank and astounding fate. Charlotte died in 1770. The portraits of the three sisters and the great Maria Theresa hang in "lankenburg Schloss. ©Ijc e^vave unhev iljc Sinhen» tttav " Sir ruhen bet einander kiihl, Waldvbglein sangen drohen, Griin Laub herunterjiei:' j\ yf ANY hundred years ago there lived a rich Earl 1 VI in the Unterharz, who was once seized with a severe illness ; he made a vow that if he should re- cover, he would consecrate his daughter to a convent life. He recovered, and the young Countess, in the first bloom of her youth, entered the convent north of and »>H5Vira»*7«::s, MM ? OF a, acquainting her sin. The Emp ess ihing her lO leave trian Court. This incd on the island • the death of both J to Paris, settled tired to Brussels, tension from the 1 a retired life, no lan who had fled of her high rank J in 1770. rs and the great ■ Schloss. »en» xxtwe '//, : lived a rich Earl nee seized with a if he should rc- iter to a convent itess, in the first ent north of and THE HARZ MOUXTAIXS. 2, near Blankenburg, where now two large lindens stand close by the bleaching-place. The maiden obeyed her father's command with a heavy heart, for a young knight contested witii heaven his claim on the bride ; and however much the novice knelt before the altar in burning tears and hand- wringing, and besought heavenly aid in renouncing all she had hitherto held dear, still her thoughts would wander beyond the dark convent walls and lonely cc !! to her lover. Nobis pacem only awakened a more bitter pain, and the A%'e, the Laudamus, the Gloria, and all the Penitential Psalms only called up his' image before her soul. Lindor was not less unhappy ; in vain he sought to approach his Braitt, wandered round and round the convent walls, climbed the trees, and watched to catch a glimpse of her, all in vain. The Abbess knew of the love of the young novice, and watched her with Argus eyes, not out of holy zeal, for the convent had long been ill-renowned for the impure life of its inmates, but out of hatred to the maiden whose father she had loved, but with an unrequited affection. She rejoiced in the deep sorrow of the daughter of the now hated Karl, whose pure, pious, unsoiled character enraged her still more, in striking contrast to her own depravity and corruption. One day the sorrowing novice, un- happily, by accident discovered how unworthily the Abbess filled her sacred office and how great the im- morality of the nuns had become, and the Abbess, to 33 LEGEXDS AXD TALES OF render Lina powerless to injure her, resolved to destroy her. ' She called together those nuns who were in her full confidence, represented to them how they had to fear betrayal from the novice Lina. and to defend them- selves they must destroy her. This would be most easily accomplished by per- mittmg a meeting with her lover after she had as- sumed the veil, suiprise her, accuse her of breaking her vow, and then wall her up alive. The reprobates approved of this diabolical plan, and as soon as Lina's novitiate was ended, and she had taken the final vows, they embraced the first oppor- tunity, when Lindor was seen in the convent grounds, by giving Lina permission to walk in the garden. It was a sultry Saturday evening, the sun had set and had left, instead of a golden twilight, only a grey' cloudy veil, which, increased by the mountain mists' spread gradually over the entire heavens, proclaiming a commg thunder-storm. Lina. althoug'i she had long languished for fresh air found no relief. She glanced toward heaven, but both moon and stars were hidden behind the dark clouds • the flowers hung sadly their drooping heac's, as if in sympathy with the maiden doomed to a convent life. She sat down much shaken on a seat of turf shaded by two lindens, and the tears streamed from her eyes. Suddenly she felt herself embraced. A cry of delighted surprise escaped her, for it was Lindor (' £S OF resolved to destroy ■ho were in her full w they had to fear i to defend them- )mph*shed by per- after she had as- e her of breaking • iabolical plan, and idcd, and she had :d the first oppor- convent grounds, n the garden, ?, the sun had set, light, only a grey, - mountain mists, ivens, proclaiming ished for fresh air, heaven, but both the dark clouds ; ig heac's, as if in to a convent life, t of turf shaded ;amed from her 1 braced. A cry T it was Lindoi, T//£ HAR/. MOUNTAIXS. n her beloved. All sorrow and pain were forgotten in the bliss o{ the meeting, and Lindor kissed the tears from her burning cheeks. A blissful moment the lovers embraced each other ; then came a feeling of duty, of assumed vows before the soul of the bride of heaven like a jend of dark- ness. She tore herself from his arms. " Lindor ! Lindor ! " she moaned, " I am lost to thee; our embrace is sin! O God! God of Love! have mercy on the sinner! Lindor! Lindor! have thou also pity ! Leave me." " Leave thee ! Nevermore ! " cried passionately the youth ; " now thou art mine for ever. Thou shalt flee with me, and no power on earth shall tear thee from me. Thou art mine, mine till death ! " "And my oath," cried Lina— "the oath I have taken .' " Lindor turned pale. " So thou hast already taken the vows, art no longer novice.' Art irrevocably chained to the convent .' " he cried in horror, for even love started back from the gulf that such an oath had made between them, opposing their union. " Then I am lost, my life-happiness is annihilated ! " " And mine too ! " sobbed Lina in his arms. "Or wilt thou flee with me? We will hide our- selves far from our native land, where no searcher can find us, and undisturbed we will be happy." But Lina refused. " My oath, my oath, would it leave us peace ? Would I not draw down thy soul to I ^Mi 24 rKGKXDS AXn TALES OF perdition ? See. my anguish will soon be over, and I "'11 wa.t for thee above. Give me up for this hfc. that (.od may grant us a blessed future, Lindor." He ga/cd on the ground and was silent. At last he J,'uve her the hand. '• Let it be so." he .said, struggling fen- firmne.ss. •• Thou art still mine ; if not here, there above. Meanwhile the .storm-clouds had blackened, and a loud clap of thunder rolled over the heads of the part- .ng lovers. Both looked up, but did not see the Abbes.s. who was watch. ng them for their destruction Now let us part for this life." said Lina, who felt her .soul elevnted and strengthened "Must it be .so.' Must I lose thee, when I have just found thee } " As they gave each other a parting embrace, Lina could not tear herself from her lover's arms, and cried. O Father m heaven ! give me strength in this part- ing hour, and forgive me if my love is sin ; but if it is not sm, bless our union." " Bless our union ! " repeated Lindor. At this mo- ment the Abbess with her nuns came forward, when lo. a flash of lightning lit up the darkness ; the lovers stood m a .sea of dazzling light ; it seemed to them they saw heaven open. Arm-in-arm, struck by the stroke, they .sank lifeless to the ground. Almost un- hurt m appearance, they found them under the lindens heavenly joy painted on their faces, and there thev made their grave. li Jl V- 'i-miiMmmm^mA .9 OF on be over, and I ^ for this life, that Lindor." silent. At last he !c said, stru^rglin^j if not here, there blackened, and a leads of the part- lid not sec the their destruction. J Lina, who felt lee, when I have g embrace, Lina arms, and cried, th in this part- sin ; but if it is "■• At this mo- : forward, when ness ; the lovers eemed to them , struck by the J. Almost un- der the lindens, ind there they 77/j: har/. MOUXTAIXS. s| The terrified Abbess had scarcely sprung back into the c(.nvent when a stream of fire, after a terrific thunder-clap, dashed the building to ruins, out of which arose a pillar of dust and flame. Only a few of the nuns were rescued. The Abbess and her plotting nuns were found awfully disfigured ; and now, it is said, the Abbess appears in form of a serpent every seven years near the grave under the lindens. $r(tcnb« of tijc llrQctteiciit. "IITHO that has visited the romantic Harz has V V not climbed the lordly sandstone mountain, the Rcinstein, wondered at its vast chambers hewn in solid rock, and gazed in silent rapture on a prospect more beautiful than that from the Brocken >. In the year 479, according to the chroniclers, the •sharp contest between the tribes of Thuringia and the Sassen « took place for the possession of the Harz mountains. Melverich, King of Thuringia, with Is army thirsting for war, crossed the mountains to re- pulse the Sassen then dwelling on the north borders of the Harz. Near Wernigerode a bloody battle was fought, in which the Thuringians were defeated, and five thousand left dead on the field. Perhaps the Hun Stones still standing betweeii Heimburgand Benzingerode have reierence to this ' Saxonn. a6 LEGESDS AND TALES OF fiery collision, and the ancient burial-places discovered contsr'""'' "" ''' '""-^ °' ^'"" ^^"^■" - ^'^'•^ h to thcr leader. Hatebolt. they owed the victory; and to prove thc.r .^ratitude they offered to build him a castle on the north borders of the Har.. in any spo" .stoTe ': "'^^^'"'^ '""'^ ^'" '---e'^> a stone mountain, which was. as if by nature, formed for a stronghold. It rose rugged and steep rom the •sandy heath to a mighty rock, and formeS a rc^v of -passable cliffs, the western summits of whicl, And Hatebolt pointed to the row of rocks and cried .n the language of the Sassen. "On this Regenstein . my Burg shall stand ! " ^cnstem That is the fortress whose magnificent position still dcl-ghts u, at whose ruins we ga.e in amazement whose halls and chambers, almost entirely hewn „ the rocks, we see the work of a far distant time when comfort and luxury were unk- own in this region rrom these grey ruins, from the grim vault.;, the hal^fallen tower, and the deep dungeon, breathe the pmt of the pas, and whispers many a legendary note in the ear. Is .t the mysterious Devil's Hole in an ancent vault, with the date 1090, near which house spectres, whose employment it is ever to fill this four ' Ref;e,islei,>, or Reinstein, row of rocks. \ ES OF il-placcs discovered those fallen in this ccofrnizcd the fact ' owed the victory; ffcrcd to build him Harz, in any spot de till he came to by nature, formed nd steep from the I formed a row of mmits of which tly broad for the af rocks and cried this Regcnstein ' cent position still in amazement, in ;ntirely hewn in stant time, when this region, grim vaults, the ^on, breathes the a legendary note vil's Hole in an :ar which house ■ to fill this four " rocks. THE HARZ MOVNTAISS. 27 feet deep and wide hole with stones; or the opening in one of the largest rock walls, which proclaims a con- quest of the castle ; or the ruinated chapel, with its tiny Gothic door and two windows, and the aumbry still in the wall at the right on entering, the over-grown moat to the east and south, the arched entrance, the many half-broken flights of stone steps? All this has an untold mystic charm. The opening in the wall was made at a seizure of the castle, which tradition tells us was accomplished by stratagem. The besiegers had lain long before the stronghold in vain, had stormed the walls and the stronger rocks without success, and finally, evidently convinced that the fortress was impregnable, had raised the siege. And now there were feasting and joy, and the Earl von Regenstein commanded the best wine to be brought. But for security, in case of another attack, he resolved to lay in fresh provisions, and accordingly sent a messenger to the surrounding villages with an order to the people forthwith to bring the needful supplies. In a short time a troop of peasants, men and women, appeared, half-bent from the weight of baskets on their backs, and tubs of butter and cheese under the arm. The great gates were opened, the drawbridge lowered, and the troop entered. But once inside, they threw baskets and tubs to the winds, seized their arms, drove back the surprised guard, and at the same I! fi ' 28 LEGENDS AND TALES OF time a party in ambush rushed over the drawbridge They cut down all that opposed them, but the Farl was nowhere to be found. When he saw himself out- witted, and that all opposition was useless, and every issue from the fortress in possession of the enemy he caused himself to be sewed up in a bed, and let down on the north and perpendicular side of the rocks with ropes. The openmg is still shown in one of the rocky chambers through which he is said to have escaped. Another legend is connected with the dungeon, which is hewn deep down in the rocks. A captured maiden had been imprisoned here, and had sat long m the darkness of constant night, hearing no sound -save that of the raging storms that beat against the rocks. Escape was impossible. One day she lay on her bed of straw, and sought comfort in fervent prayer And there dawned a distant hope in her mind. She listened to the storm, and heard the hail beat against the rock walls of the dungeon, hence they must be thin. Might she perhaps break through the rocks > They are only very porous sandstone. It is a bold thought, no sooner awakened in her mind than put in execution. She used the ring of the dungeon to break away bits of the rock, and worked many moons till she had an opening large enough to creep through But what was her despair to find she stood on a dizzy height, and the fearful depth yawned beneath her Still she did not hesitate, but began climbing down the smooth rocks, which offered only here and there a 'ALES OF I over the drawbridge. :d them, but the Earl en he saw himself out- was useless, and every ision of the enemy, he n a bed, and let down side of the rocks with vn in one of the rocky said to have escaped, d with the dungeon, le rocks. A captured :re, and had sat long fht, hearing no sound hat beat against the One day she lay on fort in fervent prayer, pe in her mind. She the hail beat against hence they must be : through the rocks > stone. It is a bold her mind than put J of the dungeon to worked many moons igh to creep through, she stood on a dizzy ■awned beneath her. gan climbing down 'nly here and there a THE HARZ MOUXTA/XS. 29 crevice to her aid. But Tradition, who belicvcth all things and never faileth, says she reached the foot of the mountain and her father's castle in .safety. Another legend relates how a wealthy countryman had lent an Earl von Rcgen.stein a large .sum of money, but when he came to demand payment was repulsed with scorn and derision. Soon after the Earl tlid not return from a predatory excursion, and many singular reports were circulated concerning his death. The countryman hoped for payment from the liarl's heir, but he treated him more roughly than his prede- cessor had done. The creditor, on Lis way home, heard suddenly a loud noise like the crackling of flames. He looked around and saw a cleft in the mountain, from which issued smoke. He went and looked in. It was the mouth of a cave, in the deeps of which pitch and sulphur flames with loud hissing enveloped each other, and in the midst of this fire-gulf he .saw a human form, over which the flames swept without consuming it, and which sought, wailing and moaning, to escape, but fell ever back into the boiling heat, with wringing of hands and tearing of hair. He soon recognized the Earl, who after some minutes saw the creditor whom he had cheated at the entrance to the cave, and bro'. out in lamenta- tions and entreaties. " Oh ! see how I must suffer for my injustice. Have pity on my anguish, forgive my crime. Take my signet ring, go to my successor, tell him what you have "T If i w 'T ' ■xo I.EG/uXDS AXD TALES OF seen, warn him not to act as I have done, and to pay my debt, that I may escape from this bed of flames." The countryman hastened to fulfil the commission, showing the signet ring. He was at once paid with heavy interest, and the castle chaplain received orders to read a mass for the suffering soul. On his way home the countryman looked again into the cave, but nothing more was to be seen either of the flames or the guilty Karl. The Spectre Maiden of the Regenstein still haunts the ruins. How solemnly the old ruinated fortress looks down upon the plain bathed in the rich lights of sunset. And around the walls and the tower sighs a spirit, and sighs the storm. Let thy stay there be short and cautious, fr- the ruins are haunted by night. A maiden form rises from the dark vault, and wanders to the tower, and to the great gates, and an innocent countenance smiles upon thee. Guard thyself well, O wanderer ; ga/c not so deep in the mournful eyes ; it is the Spectre Maiden. She bows to thee in graceful greeting, she offers thee the full lips to kiss, she beckons, she spreads out the arms. Oh, follow her not ! Her breath is poison ! If thou grant her the kiss, thou wilt fall an irrecoverable prey to death. H cr greeting, her beckon, are not for thee ; she waits hc-rc for her lover. As Crusader, he marched to the Holy Sepulchre. She is gazing after him from the tower, waiting for his I J LES OF e done, and to pay ills bed of flames," fil the commission, at once paid with ain received orders nan looked again s to be seen either :nstein still haunts jrtrcss looks down I lights of sunset, ler sighs a spirit, cautious, fr' the laiden form rises to the tower, and auntenance smiles wanderer ; gaxe it is the Spectre eful greeting, she :kons, she spreads ! Her breath is , thou wilt fall an -ting, her beckon, :!r lover. Holy Sepulchre, -r, waiting for his THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 31 return by the broken drawbridge, and wanders ever in .search of him. If she meet thee, she will fancy thou art her fallen hero-lover. If thou dost follow when she beckons, she will draw thee into an open grave with ice-cold arms. Oh ! guard thyself well when in her sight, For she haunts the Regenstein by night ! T^HE Baronin von Felsen had led her young 1 English friend. May Rosenmore, through the ruins of Schloss Regenstein, the authentic history of which begins with Kaiser Henry the Fowler, till at last they wandered to the tiny roofless chapel. As May entered it through the Gothic door, scarcely high enough to pass under without stooping, tlie first object on which her eyes fell was a crimson morocco sketch-book, closirj like a pocket-book, nearly filled with sketci s. The last two sketches were— first, an arbour, in which a lady and gentleman are seated ; the lady :s arranging roses from a basket before her, while her companion reads to her. The last sketch is the empty arbour ; the book lies open upside-down on the table, the roses' are fallen on the ground. In the pocket was a photo of a lady and gentleman together, the latter in officer's uniform. " What a contrast to these grim ruins, •„ ith all their ^^ T' !i ,1 32 LEGENDS AND TALES OF eg ndary memoncs, ,s this elegant scrap of modern at! exclauned May. " I am sure there is some sad history associated with this little book. Perhaos I may find the owner." ^ ^ "VVarun nicht?" replied the Baronin. "The woman .n the Bible found her piece of silver, the shepherd h.s lost sheep. Saul found his father's ass Jochebed found her baby, Joseph found his brethren' poor od Jacob found his long-lost Joseph, and the loser of this sketch-book may be as fortunate " A'^VT ^T ^''"n *'"■•' ''*^"' ^'^^ ««-"'■" save a Stof te n ' rf """''''' '■" '""^ '^'^ °^ S^hloss btohstein. The company sat grouped here and there under he clumps of old beeches and oaks, the de^ cast their shadows in the clear lake, graced ^ swans, and somewhere in the background the music of a military Capelle floated softly on the air May Rosenmore amused herself with a study of the varied characters present, and with German manners which were new to her. '»"ncrs, A maiden lady, the Baronin von Schattenthal. who was staying at the Castle with her young orphan niecc^ interested her with her quaint'hum'ouTand sound common sense. aun^^Sh^""'"' 'rr"' ^'* ^^'•^"^"dant to her aunt. She was a lovely child, with long auburn curls TL'.T"'"^ '""'''"--'-■ '-'^-'•'-^^' Finding tha, her aun, p^d no attention to her Lias OF It scrap of modern c there is some sad '■ book". Perhaps I ' Baronin. " The •icce of silver, the id his father's ass, bund hfs brethren, it Joseph, and the fortunate," 2 Baronin gave a ie park of Schloss )ed here and there nd oaks, the deer ake, graced with rround the music n the air, ith a study of the jerman manners, ichattenthal, who r young orphan int humour and ittendant to her ing auburn curls, , for her mother ttention to her THK IIARZ MOUNTAINS. 33 toilette nor her curls, Amalia finally whispered, " See, Tante, Gretchen has curled my hair." " I see, vny dear," said the Baronin ; " but it will do you no harm if your hair does curl, if you are a good little girl," Amalia's crestfallen, puzzled look as she walked away were amusing enough. Soon after she came back with a very knotty question, " Tante, could all our family ride on an elephant at once ? Gretchen says they coulcf" " Yes, child, several small families could ride on an elephant at once." But May was not left long at leisure to amuse her- self with the pretty child. Her hostess brought and introduced to her Baron von Stammnitz, fresh from the Heidelberg University, She soon found, however, that he was possessed of much finer cultivated hair and moustache than mind. He had dipped a little into the natural sciences, and learned a smattering of some of the absurdities of German Pantheism, and held himself competent to solve the mysteries of creation, and moral relations, of the universe and of mind, much better than the old- fashioned Moses and the Prophets, or St. Paul. It is this false moral training of the students of Germany that will prove one of her greatest dangers in the future. Baron von Stammnitz had studied English, and 4 34 LEGENDS AND TALES OF began at once to edify May by airing it. She ex- pressed her admiration ol the Harz, its history and legends. He replied, " Yes, the Harz is highly interesting, but chiefly so through its old leg-ends." But let us not be too hard on the Baron in this respect, for the English often make as ludicrous errors in German. The writer heard a young lady in Cologne order Himmelflcisch, meaning Hammelfleisch. She in- tended to ask for mutton, but in reality ordered heaven's meat. And the waiter, with his solemn, impenetrable face, replied, "I regret we have not that dish." A gentleman in Leipzig ordered Kinderbraten and Pantoffel— child roastand slippers! He wanted Kinder- braten and Kartoffel— roast beef and potatoes ! People who drop their H's in En-lish do the same in German. An English girl driving away from Ballcnstcdt, cried out, " Farewell, Arz ! " At the hotel by the Radau waterfall an old man ordered the Kellner to bring beer, and called after him, "Aberell!" Hell he meant— clear or white in con- trast to brown beer. He had been parading about and ordering the Kellner as if he owned the whole place, which made his missing h all the more amusing. But to return to the Baron. May spoke of the towered village church nestling so confidingly in the rich foliage, tnd regretted she had not yet seen the interior, but hoped to the following Sunday. 1 t V c tl s< rr wmmmrmm^ She cx- istoi-y and esting, but on in this rous errors n Cologne h. Shein- d heaven's penetrable h." )raten and :d Rinder- tcs ! the same way from old man after him, e in con- ering the ich made ce of the jly in the seen the 77//; //ARZ MOl/NTA/NS. 35 " Pray, Miss Roscnniorc, you do not keep up that absurd ,dca of going to church ? I have not been in a church for five years. While they insist on preach- ing the old fables that nobody believes any more I shall not go. I can attend to my religion much better in my ou-n room, or in the wood., where the trees form i-obler Gothic arches than any cathedral, from Koln and Halberstadt down. Even meine Mutter told me not to trouble myself about the Bible, for there was no truth in it." " Woe to any mother who could give such advice i» cned May, in great excitement. She spoke of some of the strongest proofs of the Divine origin of the Bible and asked the Baron if he could explain why it was that Christian nations were the most elevated those without the light of revelation being the degraded ones. Oh ! said he, " such a view has something beauti- ful in It ; but it is only a delusion, a transition period in the history and development of mind, I might say the Raupenkleid- chrysalis -of education, out of which the splendid and brilliant butterfly of free thought breaks forth, and Science unfolds her golden wings, and in her commanding presence, the old orthodox Bible-faith can never again lift its head "Ihere is an endless primeval matter, I may say the Urkraft-first cause-of all things, which is scattered in countless atoms in eternal space "From this primeval matter, during the course of inill.ons on millions of ages, slowly and gradually 36 LEGEXDS AND TALES OF unfolded beings, from the most insignificant to the highest. From a scrap of mud, through the effect of h'ght and heat, perhaps by contact with some other body, a frog was produced. Nearest related to the frog stands the Labyrinthodonten, whose hand-like foot- tracks have been found in the sandstone, and which is decidedly the transition between these animals and the higher species of the ape ; and from the ape, during impossiblc-to-comprehend ages, man has sprung, at first rough and animal, as we see to-day in savage races, from step to step unfolding and rising, till wc have the Mensch of our present civilization and re- finement." All this was said with a foppish, self-satisfied air, as if he were a personification of wisdom. May looked at him in amazement, wondering at his shallowness. At length she said, " Concerning origin and ancestors I will not now dispute. If you deny the Bible, we have no common ground of argument ; and if your argument be true, we have after this life— nothing. Let proud Science beware lest she scorch her ' golden wings ' in the avenging fire of Divine wrath. " If you are content with the doctrine of man's descent from an ape, originally, according to your own argument, from a frog ! I deny its truth, and claim mine from an eternal, omnipotent and holy Creator, and personal Father, not simply an eviges Sein— eternal state of being— but something infinitely and incomprehensibly more exalted." V h P n tl h( re su th ant to the the effect omc other to the frog -like foot- md which imal;i and pe, during sprung, at n savage ig, till wc 1 and re- ied air, as ty looked owness. ancestors Bible, we i if your -nothing. • ' golden jf man's /^our own id claim Creator, ! Sein — tely and T//£ IIAKZ MOi/NTA/XS. « Here the conversation was interrupted by the ap- proach of the Baronin, accompanied by a tall noble- lookmg lady attired in black. May started, for it was the lady in the r.hoto of the lost sketch-book. Her friend introduced the stranger as the Countess von Omnesky, a lady of Russian birth but who had been partly educated in Kngiand, her father having long filled an official position there under the Russian Government. The Countess was still young, only fivc-and-twcnty o« a pale, melancholy, but highly intelligent counte- nance, and her sapphire blue eyes had a mournful, far- away look in them, that touched one deeply. Their conversation turned on the beauties of Harz -scenery, and its romantic ruins, and the Countess re- marked she had only the other day visited the Rcgen- stem, and during the day had lost an object, to her of great value-a sketch-book, filled by her late husband with the exception of the last sketch, which she had herself sketched after his death. May drew forth the sketch-book, which she had purposely carried in her pocket, and handed it to her remarking she had recognized her from the photo at the first glance, and explained how it had come into her possession. The Countess turned to the sketch in the arbour' remarking, "We were sitting thus, when Karl was summoned to join his regiment at the breaking out of the last war between France and Germany. We had ?J ! i : 38 LEGEA-DS AXn TALES OF only been married three weeks when l-Vancc declared war, and my joy was broken for ever. If you will not be wearied, I will tell you the history." May assured her of her deep interest and s>m- pathy, and they seated themselves under a ma{,mificent oak near the lake. " My sister Olga and I were married on the same day to two brothers. German officers, just three weeks before the commencement of the war. We were in Switzerland at the time of the mobilization of the German army, and hastening to obey the call, we re- paired to Ikrlin, where we took leave of one another, never again all to meet in this world. " Olga and I remained a short time in Berlin, but after the reports of the battle bei Worth we grew too excited to stay so far from the scene of action ; and accordingly went to Baden, taking only our maid with us.andnotwishingtogotoan hotel, we took apartments in a private /^//.vw/ kept by a family from Edinburgh, two old maids and their brother, Mac Stab by name ; and though I have travelled over nearly all Europe their equal I have never met, and have reason to be- lieve Scotland or Germany could produce few such creatures. " You may imagine the difficulties of travelling in time of war, with soldiers being transported to active service, and the sick and wounded to hospitals ; and we lost our luggage, consisting only of two trunks. "We explained to the elder Miss Mac Stab, who m wmm c n t r; declared J will not nd sym- ifjnificciit he same cc weeks were in n of the 1, wc re- another^ :rlin, but ?rew too in ; and laid with irtments inburgh, f name ; Europe 1 to be- :w such ;lling in 3 active Is ; and inks, ab, who THE llARZ MOUXTAINS. y^ wore a couple of pig-tail curls each side of her face, that our trunks were lost, but wc hoped would be found in a day or two. " The second day passed, but our missing trunks did not appear-in fact never did-and the third morning, as poor Olga was descending the stairs for breakfast Miss Mac Stab attacked her crying out, ' See the' painted Jezebel ! with her curls and diamond rings ! The impostor seeks to deceive honest folk with her prctcnricd wedding ring and talcs of lost luggage ! ' " Olga in perfect terror, pale as marble, came rush- ing to meet me. She could not speak, and did not need to, for I had heard what had passed. I took Olga by the arm and walked firmly to the breakfast- room. Miss Mac Stab was arranging our breakfast- table as we entered. I inquired if any letters were come. " Miss Mac Stab glowered at us with an awful face, and replied savagely, in coarse tones, ' Yes, here is a letter ; but you wrote and sent it to the post your- selves ; nobody would write to the likes of you. Such grand pretensions, with your crests ! You'll not get no more letters here ; Til intercept them, and expose your falsehoods.' " We hastened to our rooms, and sent Paulina to call a carriage. I knew there was an English clergy- man in the place, the Rev. William Samper, and wc thought it better to acquaint him with our embar- rassment, as we were alone, and ask his advice. " Olga went, taking Paulina with her, and I remained LKGENDS AND TALES OF I li alone. There were two or three strangers stfiying in the house who had also gone out, hence there was no one but the family at home. " The day before, on going out for a drive, we had locked our door, and the Mac Stabs denied our right to lock any door, or even to keep any door-key. No sooner was Olga gone than Miss Mac Stab, accom- panied by her brother and sister, came upstairs and entered my room without knocking. Mr. Mac Stab demanded the keys. I told him I should not deliver up the keys till I had done with the apartments, and expressed my surprise at the insolence in thus entering my room unbidden, and the cowardice of .such conduct when no one was there to sec or hear. Miss Mac Stab, with one sweep of her hand, brushed all my writing materials on the floor, and her no less amiable brother seated himself, saying he should wait till he had the keys. ' You will wait, then,' I said, ' until my sister and maid return.' " ' My maid ' ! cried Miss Mac Stab. Just then a loud ring hurried them all away. "I locked my door till Olga returned. She had seen Mr. Samper, and shown our letters, and he would be with us in a few moments. He came and insisted on our going with him, perfect strangers though wc were, at once to his house; assuring us Mrs. Samper was expecting us, breakfast was being made ready, and our rooms awaited us. "The very atmo.sphere of their house was peace, THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 4» lying m : was no \vc had lur right cy. No , accom- airs and !ac Stab t deliver :nts, and entering conduct [iss Mac all my amiable t till he intil my t then a had seen '.ould be insisted ough we Samper e ready, pcacC; and Mrs. Samncr was like a mother to us, and the noble Christian p.iir have the warmest place in my memory and heart. The .Vllowing day Mr Samper received a letter from the Mac Stabs, claiming damages for a broken Sc'vres vase and an injured piano, amounting to four pounds — all, of course, abso- lutely fal.se. Mr. Samper wrote declining any further correspondence, and informed them the post and the law were open. " Karl and Franz, on hearing our story, sent them a .solicitor's letter, demanding an explanation of their infamous conduct to two defenceless ladies. The reply to this letter was absolute "Iience, and the sud- den disappearance of the Mac Stabs from the town. VVc found they had treated many ' adly, and had sought in various instances, by driving people to leave before the expiration of the time already paid for, or by involving them in law proceedings, to gain money. " We stayed a few days with the good minister, but in a state of feverish excitement, watching the de- scriptions of succeeding battles, and reading the lists of wounded, dead, and missing with a horrible fascination. " At last we could bear the uncertainty no longer, and assuming the dresses of nuns, we joined several actual nuns and a couple of surgeons, who were going to France to follow the second army, in which Franz and Karl served, to nurse the wounded, seeking them out on the battle-field, which was very necessary, for 42 LEGENDS AND TALES OF there were not nurses and surgeons sufficient for the need, and many died for the lack of nursing in time. " At length cc.ne the terrible battle of Mars la Tour — St. Hilaire, or Vionville — in the burning heat of August — the i6th it was— and Major Franz Omncsky was among the missing. Olga set off alone in her wild grief, to search on the battle-field, knowing we would not let her go ; and when we first missed her, we had no idea how long she had been gone. " Oh ! hou shall I attempt to depict that dreadful night-scene among the dead and dying on the field of Mars la Tour T The pale, ghastly faces looking up to God's pure, blue heavens ho fearfully calm above all this hum.an woe and anguish. " Among the heaps of the slain, stumbling over horse and rider, weseached till night grew pale before the dawn, and then we found what we sought — and dreaded to find — Franz dead, and Olga lying with her head on his breast, in a deathly swoon, her garments wet with dew, and her long beautiful hair falling over her dead husband's face. " Olga never rallied ; the grief, exposure, and fatigue were too much for her delicate frame and passionate love for Franz. We laid them both in one grave, on a knoll, under a clump of lime.s — the two brave hearts so true and noble. "Then came the i8th of August, that most mur- derous of all the engagements of the war, the battle of Gravelotte, in which the Kaiser commanded in person. THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 43 nt for the ig in time, irs la Tour ig heat of i Omncsky )ne in her nowing we lissed her, e. It dreadful he field of ooking up ilm above bling over )ale before aght — and g with her • garments illing over nd fatigue passionate [rave, on a ive hearts nost mur- e battle of in person. with a brilliant staff, Prinz Friedrich Karl, Steinmctz, Moltke, Roon, Bismarck being on it. " Colonel Karl Omnesky was among the wounded, and I hastened on to nurse him, as I hoped, to renewed life and vigour, but the moment I saw him all hope died for ever. Death was written on his noble brow, but his great, deep violet eyes looked bravely and tenderly as ever into mine. Oh those precious days t Golden is their memory, though so unspeakably sad. " He was ready to go, awaiting eagerly the change to the better land, but full of a tender sympathy and sorrow for me and his unborn child. " He never was weary of hearing that wonderful prayer of our Saviour, the seventeenth of St. John, and the fifteenth of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. " Often, accompanied by the harp he so loved. I sang his favourite lines, my heart frantic with grief, but outwardly calm, for God lent me strength. " ' Bleibe bei mir vom Morgen bis Abend, Denn ohne Uich kann ich nicht leben. Bleibe bei mir denn die Nacht ist dunkcl, Und ohne Dich darf ich nicht sterben.' " ' Abide with me from morn till eve, For without Thee I cannot live. Abide with me when night is nigh, For without Thee I cannot die.' " The nobie-hearted Kaiser honoured my dying husband, before the second army moved on, with a visit, and the tear his Majesty brushed away did honour to the Sovereign so deservedly beloved. mmmmm i \ * 1^ '^ 44 LEGENDS AND TALES OF " In peace my poor Karl died, and I closed the loving eyes — and my heart died. " I buried him beside Olga and Franz, and am building a chapel over them. " Five months after Karl's death my golden-haired Tatjana was born. For her sake I strive to reconcile myself to life. " But, alas ! my wealth and joy are— ^ ^rave ! " Sitting the other day in the enchanting valley of the graceful Use, leaping proudly and gaily in a thousand tiny watc-falls over the moss-grown stones, as if conscious of her royal origin, I wrote the following lines, which express faintly my feelings, and which I beg you to keep as a souvenir of our first meeting. ALONE. " The sun has set, the evening brightness fades. The gloom increases in the forest glades ; And a deep sadness all my soul pervades : I am alone. •' A wild bird here and there still sings to cheer His mate that nestles in the thicket near ; But ah ! no voice of love falls on my ear : I am alone. " The gentle air plays with the rustling leaves, Sweet with the fragrant odours it receives ; Afy bosom with no whispered incense heaves ; I am alone. " A distant horn the evening silence breaks, The mountain in soft echoes answer makes ; No heart responsive to my voice awakes : I am alone. ' ■^■ ■nwwwin ii «jwjmj < j B^;'cars ago, but I cannot now remember it perfectly ! I only know that it is an enchanted young noble, the son of an Karl, but how it all hangs together has escaped me. Hut we will soon learn. I will ask my ravens." So saying, she opened the windows of the hut, one towards the north, the other to the south, and murmured a few unintelligible words, and uttered one piercing whistle. Soon the beating of heavy wings was heard, and a hoarse croaking, and a pair of huge primeval ravens flew down, and sat, one on the north, one on the south window, and cried : " Kra : Kra ! Kra— h ! Wir sind da ! " And Fishersche addressed them in a loud voice : " Yc good ravens, ye arc as old as the Harz and the primeval forests, and ye know all things ; hence yc shall tell me the history of the White Stag." Then one raven flapped his wings, nodded with his head, opened his bill and cried : " Kra ! kra ! kra— h ! Ich weiss wie es geschah 1 " The son of an Karl had fallen in love with the daughter of the Ritter who dwelt ages ago in Schloss Treseburg, and came every day and stood on the r 1 A ^ ' It is a 1 grand- ), but I low that Karl, but Hut wc ^lut, one th, and ;rcd one i, and a 1 ravens he south :e : " Ye and the cnce ye with his vith the Schloss on the T///-: IfARZ MOUNTAINS. ss summit of the Hagcdorn, and ^azed across to the TrcscburK, to sec if he could catch a glimpse of the maiden, or a greeting from her. "It happened once that he met there a noble white stag, and being a passionate lover of the chase, he threw his spear, killing the animal on the spot. " Just as he was about to detach the splendid antlers, to hang up in his castle — for a pair of antlers was his coat of arms — the Waldfrau, the powerful queen of the forest and all game, suddenly broke forth from the underbrush with indignation and wrath, for the dead stag had been her favourite, and cursed the youth in words of fury : " 'Thou bloodthirsty man, thou shalt henceforth no more hunt, but be hunted ; thou shalt be thyself a stag in the place of the one thou hast killed, and shalt wander in these preserves centuries long.' "And at these words the Earl's son was transformed into that of the stag, and that is the White Stag of the Hagedorn." The raven nodded three times with his head in con- firmation of his tale, and remained silent. And Fischersche asked further: "Say on, raven, who knowest all things, if and how the enchantment may be broken." Immediately the other raven rose, flapped his wings and cried : " Kra ! Kra ! Kra-h ! Ja ! Ja ! Ja ! \\ i'^ 'f:^. 4,w«l I m H I I' I tri ' i I I (11 ' > if ' 56 LEG^'.NDS AND TALES OF " It was a deed of blood ! Blood can break the en- chantment. If a hunter who has never shed blood gives him blood that belongs neither to man nor beast, and he both drinks and eats it at the same time, the enchantment of the White Stag is broken." Fischersche would inquire further, but the ravens both remained silent, shook their heads, spread rustling their wings, and flew forth, one up the other down the roaring Bode, to their Hort « in the steep rocks of the Bodethal, which still bear the name of the Raben- stein. 2 When the ravens had disappeared, Fischersche sank in deep thought, and seemed to forget the presence of Weidemann. " That is a dark saying," she at length said, break- ing the silence, and muttered thoughtfully to herself. "Just wait, just wait, I begin to see through the thing. How was it, then ? Who can break the en- chantment ^ " "A hunt'ir who has never shed blood," replied Weidemann. " And where may we find such an one .' " " Probably nowhere." Fischersche looked at him oddly, while a flitted over her wrinkled face. " Tell me, then, hast thou ever shed blood } " The man started at the question. • Safe retreat in the rocks ; usually applied to the eagle. 2 Ravens' cliffs. smile :ak the en- >hed blood 1 nor beast, e time, the the ravens :ad rustling r down the ocks of the le Raben- jrsche sank presence of said, break- ,' to herself, irough the :ak the en- d," replied lie a smile 3d ? " the eagle. THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 57 " God forbid ! " cried he hastily. " How canst thou imaf,nne anything so dreadful of me } " " Well, well, I did not mean it so badly. I know now where I am, and listen we'l. Thou thyself canst break the enchantment. Thou art called Weide- rnann,' because thy ancestor was ranger to the knights of the Treseburg ; and dost thou not say thou hast never shed blood ? So a Weidemann is found, and it is clear why the White Stag has approached thee : he sees in thee his deliverer." The good Weidemann was speechle.^.s with astonish- ment, but doubted not the truth of Fischersche's words. " But the blood," he said meditatively — " the blood that I must give him both to eat and drink ; the blood that shall neither be of man nor beast — whence shall it come .' " " That is thy affair," said Fischersche, dryly. " That belongs to thy department ; for if the blood must not belong to the animal, perhaps it might be found in the vegetable kingdom. Reflect upon it thyself." And Weidemann leaned his head on his hand in deep thought. Suddenly his face grew bright, he sprang up and almost fell on the neck of old Fischersche. " I have it ! I have it ! " he exclaimed joyfull}'. " That is the Hypericon, or St. John's Wort. It drops " Weidemann, or IVaidemann, signifies sportsman — hunter- ranger. ifi-r" 58 LEGENDS AND TALES OF ti , • I 3 ; :i I blood on St. John's Eve and St. John's Day, and to- morrow will be St. John's Day, and the flower grows abundantly by my garden fence." Accordingly the next morning he cut a bunch of the St. John's Wort, in which at this time all wonder- power lies, and c.rried it to the White Stag on the Hagedorn. Th : stag sprang impetuously forward to meet him, and hardly had he eaten the plants, when the stag took the form of a stately youth, in knightly gold-embroidered doublet, streaming plume in his bai ret, and baldrick worked in gold and antlers. With beaming countenance and sparkling eyes he embraced the astonished Weidemann, and cried : " Have thanks, thou honest man; thou hast released me, and shalt not go unrewarded. My father, when I return home, will bestow a rich reward on the deliverer of his son. But tell me. I see there only ruins, where once a strong castle raised its towers. Who has destroyed it, and where is the radiant daughter of the Treseburg ? " " Ah, Herr ! " replied the herb-gatherer sadly, " so long as I can remember, and my parents and grand- parents, no castle has stood there, and neither knight nor maiden has dwelt in its broken walls. Dost thou, then, not know that long centuries have passed since thy enchantment began ? " " Centuries .> " cried the young noble in horror. " Yes, centuries ! " exclaimed a scorn-laughing voice, and the Waldfrau stood before them ; " that is thy punishment for thy criminal deed. Now go and THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 59 and to- ;r grows 3unch of wonder- \ on the rward to its, when knightly : in his 3. With mbraced e thanks, shalt not ome, will on. But a strong d it, and rg?" adly, " so d grand- er knight )ost thou, ised since irror. -laughing ; " that is 'W go and seek thy lordly family and thy beloved ; thou wilt find them mouldering in the vault of the dead. " Thou mayest find rest, now thy enchantment is broken. But thy punishment is not yet at an end. Every seven years, on this day, thou shalt take the form of my slain White Stag for a single day, and appear on this spot." With these words the Waldfrau vanished. The youth .shuddered, and said, deeply sighing: " Is it so t Is my age so far in the past ? Then truly I have nothing more to find in life. Neither can I find treasures at home to reward thee, honest man. Thou must be contented with my baldrick, all that I can give thee, with God's blessing." And giving him the baldrick, he walked away and was seen no more. And sometimes still, on St. John's Day, the White Stag is seen on the Hagedorn, gazing with fixed eyes into the peaceful vale. ®ljc |?{»ljerman of ®tf«»et»utr0. FROM the windings of the Bode, a huge green- stone rock rises steep and rugged, partially overgrown with the Planta genista, or wild broom, and creeping plants, nearly its entire base being washed by the waves of the clear mountain stream. On its summit, half hidden by moss and wild thorns, f 60 LEGENDS A.\D TALES OF \ I I: are grey ruins of a castle, of which no trace of its history is left to us save it > name — the Treseburg, At the foot of this massive rock, on the opposite bank of the Bode, stood, nearly two hundred years ago, a small cottage, in which dwelt a poor but good fisherman, who earned but a scanty subsistence from the fruits of his toil. At that time thousands of strangers did not, as now, visit the sublime rocky valley, to enjoy its wild and savage grandeur, and its trout and merlins, and the poor man, though naturally of a cont^^nted mind, often murmured at his poverty. Also the romantic situation jf his cottage satisfied him no longer, and when he looked across the Bode to the mighty rock, and the ruins on its top, all sorts of foolish and ambitious thoughts crowded his mind. These reflections were all the more bitter since there was a tradition in the village that he himself was a descendant of the ancient Ritter who once ru'ed in the Treseburg. And in fancy he pictured the old Schloss in its former state, throned on the proud rock, with giant round tower, and arched entrance gates, and Gothic windows, the battlements covered with soldiers in steel harness, with sword and lance. Thus he frequently sat hours at a time by his nets, lost in dreams, ever glancing again across to the wild ruins, and wishing the long-vanished centuries back again. THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 6i cc of its )urg. opposite ;d years ut good ce from as now, 'ild and and the id, often satisfied le Bode ill sorts I mind. ;t since self was 'u'ed in s in its h giant wothic Hers in lis nets, he wild :s back Once— it was a St. John's day — he saw a Grau- miinnchcn ' on the other side of the stream, who evidently wished to cross, but did not venture to wade through, since the waters had risen in the late thunder- storm, and there was at that time no bridge. Graumannchcn seemed in great embarrassment ; this awakened the pity of the fisherman, and he called across that he would come and carry "him ove. the water. He waded over and did as he had said. Graumannchcn was much pleased at this kindness, thanked the fisherman in the warmest terms, and said, " Thou art a good, obliging man, and since thou hast fulfiled my wish, I could wish that thou also hadst a wish or two that I might grant." " Ah ! " said the fisherman, " every one has wishes, I have just one, but it cannot be realized." " Only one .' " said Graumannchcn. "I would grant thee willingly two or three. But what might be thy wish ? " " My greatest wish," replied the fisherman, "is to be set back five hundred years, in order that, instead of that heap of ruins across there, the Treseburg might raise its proud battlements and tower." " Well," said Graumannchcn, " that can easily happen," and bade him close his eyes for a minute. He did so, and on opening them again gazed around him in wonder, for there opposite on the dark rock ' Little grey man. i I\ I IJ J. 1 62 LEuKXDS A\D TALKS OF stood the Trcscburg, that he had so often seen in ruins. Rca"y and truly there it stood, with white walls, colossal round tower at the entrance, battlements shimmering in the sunlight, and squires glittering in steel, with sword and lance. The fisherman almost devoured the singular picture with his eyes, and in his admiration could not turn away his gaze, till Graumannchcn put an end to his puzzlement with the question, " Thy wish is granted; art thou satisfied ? " The fisherman hesitated, for it seemed to him at the moment as if he might add another wish. At the same time the immediate fulfilment of his wish ap- peared to have its shady sides, for the soldiers who stood on the walls of the castle grew noisy, and called down to him with abusive and threatening words, and commanded him at once to bring up all the fish and other articles of provision which he had, or his last hour was come. Some even, as if in joke, bent their cross-bows toward him, and one pointed iron bolt lodged in the trunk of a rotten tree close by him. Finally the fisherman replied, " Yes, the fulfilment of my wish is delightful, and the Treseburg is a right stately Schloss ; but I should like, as my ancestors once ruled there, to be transplanted i'.ito the position of my ancestor who lived there five hundred years ago, in exactly the same circumstances." *'" Verv well," said Graumannchcn ; " also this wish THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 63 seen in 1 white lements cring in picture ot turn 1 to his granted ; m at the At the vish ap- ers who isy, and eatening g up all he had, OSS-bows ed in the iilfilment is a right ancestors ; position red years this wish can be granted," and bade him again to shut his eyes. When he opened them he found himself in a spacious hall, its stone walls adorned with armour and arms, and on a massive oak table lay also arms, partly broken, partly covered with fresh blood. From without, a wild deafening noise penetrated to the hall, mingled with loud shouting, sometimes a piercing cry of pain, and the clashing of arms. He lay himself, in steel armour, on a bench, but one arm was free from armour, and he felt a burning pain in it, and to his terror he observed a gaping wound, as from the blow of a sword, stretching from the shoulder to the elbow, and the warm blood trickled down. Just then ^ 'Inor opened, and an old squire entered and said, " I left you a moment to prepare an ointment for your wound, in order that you may yourself appear on the walls and defend the Schloss. The danger is great, Herr ! Listen ! They are storming again already, and our men are so weak from hunger and thirst, they can scarcely stand. '• I have obeyed your command, gestrenger Herr — your Lordship — and in case of the worst have buried the treasures in the small vault, three times seven paces from the tower westward, and three times seven paces from the entrance gates to the south. But hark I The gates are burst in ! We are lost ! " And the old man hastened away. The transformed ■ il^ HI ! ;) I i 64 LEGENDS AND TALES OF uncom- fishcrman grew dizzy, and felt extremely fortable. But he had little time for reflection, for the tumult grew louder and am'^ nearer. The door of the hall was br. .1 ir .>! heavy blows, and with loud shouts a troop ; ' •• - Hripping with blood, rushed in and threw thei.v f i /■:. rage upon him,.crying : " We have thee at last, ihou fc . '-nave! thou who hast robbed and murdered so many. At last the hour of retribu- tion has come." And the leade- cried : " Fasten a rope to the arch of the gates, give him an hour to say his prayers, but in the deepe.it dungeon, and then hang him for a punishment and a warning." And strong arms seized him and threw him in the dungeon on damp straw. There he lay, rnd could not for some time collect his thoughts ; but when he came to his full senses a deep sorrow seized him to see what he had brought upon himself through his foolish wish. Now he must die as a criminal, separated from wife and children, who would never know what had become of him. "Ah!" cried he in anguish. " Graumannchen ! Graumannchen ! why hast thou done this > If thou hast granted me, fool that I was, two wishes, so grant me the third-the only one I have— to return home," and hoc tears rolled down his face. But when he had dried his eyes, and opened them again, he drew a long breath, for he lay on the banks r r uncom- c tumult the hall d shouts [ in and Wc have it robbed rctribu- e arch of yers, but im for a m in the le collect ill senses i brought / he must children, him. annchen ! If thou 1, so grant rn home," ;ned them the banks THE IIARZ MOUNTAIXS. 65 of the Bode beside his nets, which had filled with fish ; and of Schloss and Rittcr was nothing to be seen — only the ruins as ever. Graumannchen stood by him, pressed his hand, and said with friendly smile : " Willst thou be henceforth contented, or hast thou still another wish ? " " Nein ! Ncin ! " cried the fisherman decidedly, " I have not a wish but to remain what I am my life long." Graumannchen took his departure with a smile, and the fisherman's dreams of castle and knight with him. For many years he related only to his wife what had happened, but as he grew old he told the history to his sons, that they might learn therefrom the same lesson as himself They laughed to themselves, and held the whole story for a dream, save one brother, who found some- thing very remarkable in it, and when he had a leisure hour he climbed the rock where the Treseburg had stood, observed the direction of the walls and the moat, and removed the moss, underbrush, and thorns. At last he seemed to have found what he sought. One clear moonlight night he mounted with hook and shovel to the ruins ; there, where once the tower had stood, he measured three times seven paces to the west from the tower, and the same distance from the gate southward. Then he began to dig and soon came to a vault. 6 I ■litl Ip 66 LEGENDS AND TALES OF The following day the villagers who had gone to gather sticks found a vault broken in, and a half- rotten chest open, but empty, and on the ground around lay scattered gold and silver coins with an unknown stamp. of fo :■ .» I H: [ i ON the borders of the wood stand the ruins of the ancient Kloster Michaelstcin, which we pass, and go up the valley, the brook acting as our guide. It conducts us first past a number of ponds, which formerly supplied the self-denying monks with carp for their fasts, and now swarm with speckled trout. Low willows adorn the banks, and bathe their locks in the waves, out of which a thick wood of slender reeds springs forth. Now the vale narrows, magnificent walls of rock rise, and picturesque waterfalls toss themselves down the stream. Suddenly the forest grows thin ; the vale divides itself in two arms, and in the dale to the right, we sec, close by the red-roofed forage-house for game, grey rocks and ruins. We ascend this dale, and stand by the ruins of the old church Michaelstcin, the mother of the later Kloster. Beneath the ruins extends a wide cave, which gave rise to the building of the church. fri or a dv sh v'c re; to co: tei wi toi th< for to, cni fav hci an( gone to a half- ground with an ns of the we pass, r guide. Js, which fith carp trout, leir locks f slender 5 of rock fes down e divides t, we sec, ime, grey ns of the :he later lich gave r//£ HARZ MOUNTAIXS. «7 This cave served centuries ago as the dwelling-place of a hermit named Volkmar, and still bears his name. Others of like mind joined themselves to Volkmar, and thus arose the brotherhood, and the forest church. One can now scarcely trace the site of the walls ; fruit-trees run wild, and lilacs mark the spot .where once the Klostcr garden lay, and besides, no trace of a human habitation where once good and holy men dwelt in the mountain solitude. This spot— this hermitage — was once a renowned shrine, and thou.sands flocked here to seek con.sola- t 'on, for in the cave was a grave where were said to rest the bones of the Virgin Mary. Let us enter the cave, which has two openings, one to the south-east, the other to the south-west ; it is of considerable height and breadth, resembling a sub- terranean chapel, formed of cross-arches, and provided with niche.s. Near the west entrance is the far-famed tomb of Mary. The small forest church could boast the protection of the great of the earth. Papal bulls gave indulgences for forty days to all who prayed at, and brought gifts to, the shrine. The Empress Matilda, the wife of Henry the Fowler, endowed it with lands, and Kaiser Otto loaded it with favours, so that an enlargement became necessary, and hence an hour's distance down the valley the larger and more magnificent Kloster was built. 68 LEGENDS AND TALES OF From the charter granted by K.i .er Otto, we learn that this cave was not first oceupied by Volkmar but that a hermitess. Liutburga. dwelt in it \ong before. Romance has brought them toRcther. _ Volkmar was a stately knight, and L.utburga the fairest of the maidens of the I larz, and they loved each other. In her heart lived only his image, and thc.r souls were knit together. . , . , * But the Kaiser challenged his knights to combat against the Wenden. who still clung to hcathemsm, and refused to recognize Christianity, or the authority of the Kaiser, , Every true knight marched to the conflict, and Volkmar girded on his sword, and the scarf that Liutburga had woven for him. and bade farewell to his beloved. , She stood on the battlements of her castle, and saw him ride away, and when she could see him no longer her sighs and tears burst forth. Before the image of the Virgin she knelt daily and prayed for his return ; but her petitions seemed un- heeded, for troops of combatants returned from battle but nowhere could she see the plumed helmet of Volkmar, and all were silent and sad at her quest.on- '" An inexpressible sorrow seized her. she clad herself in mourning garments, grew paler than the flower that droops before the mighty frost, and refused to be com- forted She could no longer dwell among men, who t t t i»^W»«BW«^"» ■"T^ismf TllE irAR/. MOUXTAINS. 60 \vc Icarii mar ; but g before. aurp.i the oved cacli and their to combat cathenism, ; authority jnflict, and scarf that farewell to le, and saw 1 no longer t daily, and seemed un- from battle, helmet of er question- clad herself le flower that d to be com- ng men, who understood not her grief, and sought the solitude of the forest. . One day in her solitary ramble she discovered thi. rocky cave, and here she resolved to retire, and spend the remainder of her days in contemplation and devotion. But her sorrow gnawed at her heart, and she sank to the .earth like a drooping flower. The dcath-anijel came, an ' kissed away her tears. Hut Volkmar was not fallen in battle, but had been only severely wounded and taken prisoner by the Wenden, and led away into their deep forests, and it .vas long before they gave him back his freedom. He fled on the wings of love to the castle of Liutburga, and hearing of her retirement he pene- trated the mountains to seek out the spot. At last he discovered the cave, and his heart as ready to burst with bliss. He called loudly her name, but no voice answered, only the echo of the mountains. He climbed the mountain, and reached the entrance to the cave. There lay Liutburga in the moss. " She sleeps ! he thought. , , .1 Yes she slept. The cheeks were ashy pale, the eye broken, cold and still the lips ; she awoke no more at his call. , The birds of the wood had sung her death-song, and the trees had showered their leaves and blossoms over the still form. 70 LEGENDS AND TALES OF i \\ '! I Volkmar returned no more to the world, which had nothing to offer his broken heart. Where Liutburga had dwelt in her grief was now his home • the crucifix before which she had knelt was his sanctuary, and henceforth he turned all his thoughts to God, and to the consolation of the sorrowing. That is the Liutburga of romance. The Liutburga of history I is indeed a highly interesting and noble personality, if less poetic. Countess Giscla, of the Harzgau, whose seat was Klankenburg Schloss, after the death of her husband, Earl Unwan, built Kloster Wenthusen, and other convents and churches. Once on a journey she was overtaken by the dark- ness, and took refuge in a Kloster. Among the nuns who welcomed her, one, Liut- burga, won her affections, and on leaving, GiseU took her home with her. After Gisela's death, Liutburga, with the consent of Bishop Thiatgrin, of Halberstadt, retired to this cave somewhere between 827 and 840, in which Bernhard, son of Gisela, built her a cell and a chapel. She was renowned for sanctity and good works, and endowed with a superior mind. A priest of the cathedral of Halberstadt wrote her biography more than a thousand years ago. We return to the later Kloster Michaclstein, which is not so rich in poetic legends. ' Sec History of Blankenburg. THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 71 which had /as now his nelt was his is thoughts wing. : Liutburga and noble ;c seat was ;r husband, and other ly the dark- , one, Liut- Giselci took le consent of to this cave ;h Bernhard, :1. id works, and dt wrote her jlstein, which Not even a ghostly monk haunts the ruins, nor wanders by moonlight in the venerable cloisters. But on the mountains that surround the dale the two monks, Hans and Henning, still hold guard. Once the Abbot, fearing the attack of an enemy, sent the unfortunate brothers out to watch, with the command not to return till the enemy approached. No enemy came, and the Abbot forgot to recall the monks. They watched conscientiously till they became stone pillars, and stand still there. The face of one, Hans, is of admirable beauty. There is a legend that once, when the enemy stormed the -ates, St. Michael suddenly appeared over the entrance in a flame, with countenance of wrath and drawn sword, at sight of whom every man fled. ^T-HE Konigsburg stood on the right bank ^f ^I^^ 1 Bode, on a mountain not far from Bodfeld. Originally it belonged to the Saxon Kaisers^ The Sausenburg was on the left bank of the Bode, about an hour's walk from Elbingerode. Of the latter nothmg is now left save the hewings in the stone masses which formed its foundations. From the battlements of its tower the hunting castles Bodfeld and Konigsburg could be seen. 72 LEGENDS AND TALES OF In this romantic neighbourhood, in the thick fi- forf-st, stand the crumbling tower and scraps of broken walls of the Konigsburg, overshadowed by the green veil of the wood, moss, ivy, and wild-flowers, and the mystic fascination of a time more than a thousand years ago. . , u * Desolate stand the ruins of the once imperial hunt- ing seat, the moat so thickly overgrown with the buck- thorn that no human foot would willingly attempt to tread it. A light sighing stirs in the foliage like a ghostly breath from the primeval days. Dost thou remember the time when we listened to the rustling and moaning of the fir-trees, like echoes of the voices of olden times ? In our dreams we saw the ancient Konigsburg in splendour, heard the forest rmg with the noise of the hunt, saw the troop of huntsmen ride back to the castle, among them many a knight, earl, and prince, and foremost rode the Kaiser with his blushing daughter Reinhilde. How radiant was the royal maiden, her green veil floating on the breeze, her clear eyes gazing fearlessly around her, her sweet face smiling like a bright morning in spring. . The Kaiser bends to her and whispers in her ear. Why do her blushing cheeks turn pale >. What has caused the smile to vanish so suddenly from her face, and the tears to rush to her eyes ? She turns in fear and looks upon her following tram. thick fi'" Df broken he green i, and the thousand rial hunt- the buck- ttempt to a ghostly istened to e echoes of we saw the forest ring huntsmen ' a knight, ;er with his green veil cr fearlessly ht morning 1 her ear. What has )m her face, owing train. THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. Why docs a noble knightly countenance there also turn pale ? i • i -.,1 :„ The Kaiser glances in surprise at his shrmkm *^''« Dear" little Reinhilde, have I grieved thee ? Hast thou understood me ? Two princes beg the honour of thy hand." , , . „„ , Reinhilde raises her eyes with firmness to his and replies • " Dear father, forgive, but I do not seek for crowns. Thou thyself hast not hidden from me how heavy is the crown. Thou hast often told me that only love makes happy ; and I have found a - -- ^eep and pure, and could shout for joy ; a heart, a kmgh^y heart is mine. Oh ! do not tear this true and noble heart from mine." The Kaiser frowns and the anger-vein swells on his brow as he replies : " Dost thou dare to speak thus to mc, thou shameless girl ? Who is the low knave, the insolent coxcomb, who has dared to raise his eyes to the Kaiser's daughter > My rage shall crush him : ruin on his head who has robbed me of the joy of mv old age-the heart of my daughter.' All stand aghast at the Kaiser's wrath, all save one noble knight, who steps fearlessly forth f-m the circle with head proudly raised, a youth of manly bcaut> the blond locks falling on his shoulders, the blue eyes blazing in just indignation, approaches the Kaiser and cries " Herr Kaiser, it was not a knave. At the breach on the bloody field thou hast said. ' Brave ,,r-/rr' 74 LEGENDS AND TALES OF Werner, thou art my bravest hero ! ' And thou hast chosen me as companion for thy kingly son. Oft hast thou said to me, ' For Werner's faithfulness where shall I find a worthy reward ?' Hcrr Kaiser, now thou hast the reward ; take back the word of scorn ; listen to the voice of love ; make two hearts happy." Gently Reinhilde clasps the father's hands ; but the anger-vein swells higher on the imperial brow. " Throw the traitor in the deepest dungeon in chains ! " he cries ; " and thou, whom I disown as daughter, get out of my sight ; let me never see thee again ! " The Kaiser sets spurs to his steed and rides to the Schloss, the attendants bring the unhappy knight to the dungeon, Reinhilde faints and sinks from her steed in the grass, and soon no sound is heard save the sighing in the firs. \ .1' fli With heavy head resting on his arm, the Kaiser sits alone in the great hall of the Konigsburg. Suddenly he starts wildly to his feet ; was that a moan that fell upon his ear? ".<■ , '-s only the rattle of the hoarse weat.ercock. Mark \ iurely that is a cry of anguish. He listens in agony, " No, no," the watcher cries from the tower. He hears the moaning of the tempest, and rain and hail- stones beat against the windows. In heartrending tones the Kaiser cries, " Reinhilde \ It was too hard and cruel ; a loving word had been better." I hou hast Oft hast lere shall o\v thou n; listen ; but the I'. igeon in isown as see thee es to the knight to from her card save .aiser sits as that a the rattle that is a iwer. He and hail- Leinhilde ! had been THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 75 Quickly he calls his old servant. " Alter, « bring" me my little daughter." The servant trembles in terror, and tears burst forth. •' What ails thee, Alter ? " cries the Kaiser. « Herr Kaiser, thou knowest thy little daughter is not here ! Thou hast disowned her " The Kaiser stares at him in horror, >' Reinhilde not here ? Since when ? " " Hcrr Kaiser, since yesterday. She has not re- turned to the Schloss ; her steed came back without its rider. We sent out messengers, but none have found her." The Kaiser turns pale. " And thou hast not told me till now ! Reinhilde. Reinhilde not here? Merciful God ! Reinhilde, my child ' Lost in the forest in storm and tempest ! Up • ring the alarm ! To horse ! to horse ! Let loose the hounds in the forest ; let the horns res^wnd that mv child may know the father calls Brin^ me my steed I will myself ride forth into the storm." And a thousand torches light up the forest, an4 the echo of a thousand voices rings far and wide, i^" ' the Kaiser's voice combats with the storm as he cie " Reinhilde ! Reinhilde ! my little daughter ! " At length despair seizes the father's heart, he thn vs himself to the earth in wild agony, beats his brow and tears his hair, while a troop of attendants stand weep ing around him. ' Old man. II !' 1 • LEGENDS AND TALES OF With a sudden light in his face, he springs to his feet and exclaims, "Back to the Schloss! There .s one who will find Relnhilde, but that one pines in the dungeon. He has loved her like me. I know his love is true ; the God of love will be with him ; he will find my little daughter." And the Kaiser commands, -. Let Werner be set free ! And when he finds Rein- hilde, she herself shall be his reward; let her be his wife, and he my son ! ' In the dark mountain cave, on the hard, cold ground, kneels the silver-haired hermit Volkmar, and without before the entrance, by the image of the Virgin, Rein- hildc, pale and trembling, is kneeling, in prayer. She vows to become the bride of heaven if the Kaiser docs not relent. , ir.,„ The -ood old man, when she ca . .e yesterday tcllmg him alHier sorrow, received her lovingly, and gave her a secu.-o refuge in his peaceful retreat. " Stay here, my daughter." he said ; "hope and trust m God. Hark ' The horns are heard, and Volkmar rises hastily fron his knees and cries, " Quick, in the cave, Reinhilde, that no one see thee ; the way leads close by the Virgin's shrine.'" The searchers come, and cry, " God greet thee Volkmar! Hast thou not seen the Kaiser's daughter?" And ^7olkmar replies, " I have only seen a bride of heaver who is resting in the cave." They xlC.c on, and Volkmar asks the trembling THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 77 3 to his rhcre is IS in the his love he will nmands, ds Rcin- r be his 1 ground, 1 without in, Rein- 'er. vShe le Kaiser ay telling i gave her jtay here, God." :mar rises the cave, cads close rrcet thee laughter?" a bride of RcinWtde," Hast thou heard! They are seeking "^Uy father has disowned me. I^ stand alone. Onlv in the Kloster can I find a home. °tnd now a sin.le -^^PP-^^SeLte ""^ii rides forth with his train and a Unight * r r.t »nd alone kneels before the shnnc and ;::;::nfa:::erndofhisvoieeReinhi.de.se>.e "7^ ended his voiee rings mightily through the foresT'as he cries in love and longing, " Remhdde ! ''Ind a Silvery voice answers, -Who calls ReinhiMe '" and Reinhilde. trembling i I . ;'i I 'I 78 LEGENDS AND TALES OF AT,OUT a Stunde' ff om Trcseburg, up the Bode, lies the picturesque «i»i3PB?a*(|f#^'<-«--i' ■ seized him guiding the fresh break- is in amaze- vn spot, in a around him liim in. lie icath him a uvful chasm, a wild and , and fancied Kantment to around him, ;, for the sun is nag grazed ht be in the shudder ran o turn back, n. He was s out of the was. ad ceased, all the sunlight, lis mind, round him to to bring his oaHMHMHUtMKMaiaHBI ^V^'^'V- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) . " And what did they ? In the middle of the pit, or cavern, a large brewer's copper, full of gold pieces, every one as large as the palm of the hand. Upon it rested a silver tray with a border of fiery carbuncles, and letters and figures in the centre formed of garnets. Beside the copper lay a new driving-whip, and on the other side lay a savage black bull-dog. The farmer stood with crossed arms for at least ten minutes, gazing at the immense treasures, thinking what was to be done to secure them without falling into the power of the savage guard — the dog. At last he exclaimed, " I will attempt it. I will not lake much, but I must have the whip ! " Encouraged, he walked into the cave, his eye alway.s 84 LEGENDS AND TALES OF fixed on the dog, till at last he reached the copper ; the dog did not move ; he plunged both hands into the gold coins, filled his pockets, and with two leaps reached his horse, where he sank down overcome with terror and joy. Recovered, he emptied his pockets, counted the glittering coins, and dreamed thereby of a happy future. His horse neighed and pawed the ground im- patiently. " Patience, old nag ! " he cried ; " I must have that beautiful whip." And again he descended emboldened into the cave, seized the whip, and turned to go, when his eye fell again upon the tempting gold ; he could not resist the allurement, and plunged both hands twice into the copper. At the second handful the dog rose and ground his teeth in rage ; but Jacob had lost all fear, and cried, " Growl away ; but one must have all good things three times, and I shall take another handful." But as he did so the eyes of the dog shot fire, an awful groaning and noise, a raging storm, thunder, lightning, with cracking of the rocks, broke forth in fury. The earth trembled, the rocks fell upon each other, trees were rent into splinters, torrents burst from the rocks, and the heavens enveloped themselves in night and flames. The unlucky farmer never knew how he got out of the cave ; only, as he came to himself, he remembered mm. IIIWMMIIflll THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 85 le copper ; lands into two leaps come with )unted the a happy round im- : have that mboldened o go, when ; he could )0th hands ground his , and cried, ;hings three ;hot fire, an n, thunder, ke forth in upon each rents burst themselves ; got out of emembered having seen the Gott-sei-bei-uns ' in the midst of a terrible confusion and fire-rain in giant form, sur- rounded by a thousand imps, rise out of the pit, holding in one claw the copper with the gold, in the other the tray. Was he or had he been dreaming ? No, for had he not the whip in his hand ? But the tremendous weight in his pockets weighed him down. Rejoiced to think of his treasure, he dived into his pockets for the gold — and what did he find ? For every piece of gold a pebble, as large again, and not one piece of gold ! He stared at the stones, crying and trembling with pain and distress. Still weeping, he mounted his horse, reached home, sank exhausted, laid himself down in his bed, from which he never rose ; and m a fortnight he lay in his grave. Since then the foul fiend has guarded his treasures in the Gegensteine, and in only one way can the en- chantment be broken and the treasure won. When a maiden, born on the ocean, pure as the dawn, comes here alone at the midnight hour of Halloween, kneels, and with raised hand calls her own name aloud three times, and chen entreats the Most High to break the enchantment, and annihilate the ' Gott-sei-bei-uns — " God be with us." A name given to the devil ; since when he appeared in disguise to deceive people, he is said to have used this hypocritical expression. (II ill 86 LEGENDS AND TALES OF monster in the rocks, they shall sink at her prayer, the treasures of gold and gems shall rise to the surface, become the maiden's possession, and the hobgoblin shall vanish for ever. '^(AX* iff ^t:\i\099 $a\hsn»Uitx. THE Lady von Falkenstein was once summoned by the Berggeist > to attend the Queen of the Gnomes in her extremity. He conducted her through long dark subterranean passages to her fairy Majesty ; and, after the birth of a son, the Queen presented her with three golden balls and three crystal goblets, with the warning to preserve them well, for the fate of the Asseburgs was closely connected with them. The three golden balls have been unhappily lost, and only two goblets remain. Two sons of the family, when visiting their widowed mother at Wallhausen, besought her to permit them to drink out of these mysterious goblets, which she imprudently allowed ; and as they struck their glasses together with a m&xty prosit, one was shattered. Deep melancholy seized the youths, and during their drive home the wild horses plunged with the carriage into a deep abyss, where the youths were found broken in pieces. Since then the two remaining ghostly gifts have • Berggeisi— spirit of the mountains. T ^jf^j-^-* ^ ler prayer, he surface, hobgoblin summoned leen of the ler through y Majesty ; ssented her oblcts, with fate of the Tl. appily lost, :ir widowed lermit them , which she heir glasses tered. during their the carriage mnd broken ' gifts have THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 87 been sacredly preserved — one, of green-yellow glass, in Hinneburg ; the other, of mountain crystal, in Falken- stein. BELOW Schoss Falkenstein, in the valley where the gentle Selke winds through her flower-strewn paths, the shepherd of the Graf von Falkenstein grazed his sheep on the dew-gathering meadows. It was the morning of St. John's Day, and every Harzer knows that St. John's Eve and St. John's Day are rich in miracles in these mountains, and unfold many a mysterious flower. Not only at this time is the St. John's wort gathered, which is said to bear a red dewdrop at midnight — hence called St. John's blood — and to be a sure remedy against every disease ; but also the Spring-zvnrsel, or caper-spurge, which bursts open gates, and even opens the earth and the rocks ; the magic wand — Wiin- schelriithe — Aaron's rod — which points out the spot where buried treasures or the precious metals lie hidden ; and the Wunderbbime — marvel of Peru — which opens the eyes of him who is so fortunate as to find this wonder-flower, so that he sees sunken or en- chanted castles, and discovers untold riches in gold, diamonds, and rubies, Tidian found a tiny blue flower, attracted to it by its perfume and its beauty, which must have been one ( LEGENDS AND TALKS OF of these miracle-working plants, for no sooner had he stuck it in his hatband than a never-before-scen cave in the side of the mountain opened its splendours to his dazzled eyes. He entered it, his mind full of tales of buried trea- sures, filled his pockets with the glittering sand and stones, with the intention of offering them for sale to a jeweller in Aschersleben. They proved to be more valuable than he had hoped, and the jeweller begged him to sell to no one but himself. The fame of this gold speedily spread, and it hap- pened the Graf von Falkenstein himself visited the goldsmith, when by chance this gold was spoken of. "Yes," said the jeweller, "it is indisputable that Tidian's gold is as good again as any other." " Tidian's gold ! " cried the Earl, surprised. " Why do you give it that name ? " " The man from whom I buy it is Tidian." Instantly it occurred to the Earl that his shepherd Tidian had lately grown rich, and he might be the seller. His avarice awoke ; he hastened home, and demanded to know the cause of Tidian's wealth. True of heart, the shepherd told him everything, showed him the concealed way to the cave, and in company they carried away much of the costly trea- sure ; till at last avarice awaked the fear in the mind of the Earl that Tidian might at some future time reveal the secret to some one else. ler had he ■seen cave :ndours to uricd trca- sand and for sale to had hoped, lo one but nd it hap- visited the poken of. itable that THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. This thought left him no peace. At length, to make himself secure of the entire wealth of the cave, he put out Tidian's eyes and shut him up in the castle dungeon. Then the Earl hurried alone to the cave ; he did not know that the flower which Tidian wore in his hat caused the cave to remain open. The unhappy shepherd tore the flower in pieces, stamped upon and cursed it and the cave, and wished it to close and never again to open until, among the descendants of the Earl, a lame, a dumb, and a blind Falkenstein had ruled. Immediately the cave shut with a thundering noise, and the greedy Earl wanders there yet, for the en- chantment is not yet broken. :d. "Why s shepherd ght be the home, and 'ealth. everything, ive, and in costly trea- in the mind future time IN the valley of the Selke, that fair Undina of the Harz, near Alexisbad, rises the majestic rock Magdesprung ; and opposite, on the other bank of the river, the Magdetrappe, both of which are so famed in fable. In the latter rock one sees the impressions of giant feet, and Romance attempts to account for them. She is at least as competent to do so as anybody else. ' Magdesprung — maiden's leap. * Magdetrafipe—mdXdcn's footprint. iiiiiaiwi LEGENDS AND TALES OF A giant virgin of the grey primeval times saw from tiie Miigdcsprung her lover on a mountain on the opposite bank. Her ardent love draws her to him, but she cannot climb the steep rocks, nor swim the Selkc, then a torrent. So she dares — for what will not love dare ? — to leap over the wide space that divides the two rocks, leaving the impress of her feet in the rock, since called the Mjigdetrappe. Another Sage h?;- a totally different motive. A maiden of the Huns, a disciple of Diana, roaming fearlessly through the vale, hears from the Magde- sprung a cry of distress. She recognizes the voice that cries for aid, and her eagle eye perceives her friend being dragged away by two mountain robbers. Her blood boils, and in the anguish of her soul the brave Hun maiden leaps the abyss, falls like an avenging angel upon the villainous mountaineers, with two blows of her spear pierces them both to the heart, and conducts her friend and favourite — for she is said to have been a Hun yucen — home to her parents. iteM saw from in on the le cannot c, then a > — to leap :s, leaving :alled the vc, 1, roaming c Magdc- voicc that her friend :rs. :r soul the s like an ncers, with the heart, she is said larents. THI-: HARZ MOUNTAINS. 91 §a0e of $cl)lo«« CHite»tenb»r(|,' THE Rittcr Knaught had a lovely little daughter, whose chief pleasure was to gather wild-flowers ; for this purpose she went often with her nurse into the forest. But one day her nurse lost sight of her, and not being able to find her, hastened in great terror to the castle to give the alarm. The Ritter summons all his retainers w 'th the horn, and they storm through the forest whole .lights and days, but of the lost child no trace. At las*, one day, as the father gazes from the battle- ments of the castle, he sees people approaching bearing the Maien,2 hears their shouts of joy, and in their midst beholds his lost Rosamund, decked as Queen of the May ! A coaler had met the child wandering through the wood, took her at first for an angel, and in his hut the retainers had found her. The happy father bestowed gifts lavishly, and in- stituted an annual Volksfest, and called his castle Questenberg. To this day a popular festival is held here, but whether connected with this tradition is uncertain. • Questen — wreaths or garlands of flowers. " Maien — green branches of the birch used to deck the May- pole, and in Thuringia and other parts of Germany the churches at Pentecost. I i0iv 93 LEGENDS ASD TALES OE The youths of Agncsdorf have the right, by an ancient statute, of digi, ng up a young oak on the Qucstenbcrg ; ' the tree must be carried, and aftci' it is planted is decorated with wreaths of flowers. They then go in procession to the parsonage, con- duct the pastor to the church, when Divine service is held ; after which all return in procession to the newly-planted oak, and after all have partaken of re- freshments they dance around it, and the youths shoot at the target. ON this mountain that overlooks the Golden Plain, amid the beech and oak woods that clothe it, stand the ruins of a square tower built of red sand- stone, broken walls, and arches of the ancient gate- way, gables, and the remains of the chapel of the fortress, where the first Electors and Emperors of Germany held their court. Tradition and romance linger with an irresistible fascination around these lonely ruins. Tradivion tells us that Barbarossa never died, but remains erichanted in the heart of the Kyffhauser. He sits in an ivory chair by a marble table, his head resting upon his arm, and his long red beard has overgrown the whole table like moss. He wears the ' The custom of digging up the young oak is now limited to once every fifteen years. y ^^iM* MMM MMIi ht, by an ik on the iid aftc:- it crs. nunc, con- nc service ion to the ken of rc- he youths Iden Plain, t clothe it, ■ red sand- :icnt gate- pel of the nperors of irresistible r died, but hauser. Ic, his head beard has ; wears the >w limited to 77/^ ///f/?/f AfOUNTALXS. 9J imperial mantle, and the knit,'htly forms of his old courtiers, like spectres, come forth from their rocky chambers and place upon his aged uncovered head the oldest crown of Germany glittering with diamonds?. His innocent daughter is his only attendant, or, accor- ing to other 'egends, a dwarf. The Kaiser's eyes are closed, but at times he seems to awake from his enchanted slumber, and new life seems to animate the stiffened limbs. liut he cannot awake, nor rise from his seat, nor leave the enchanted chamber until Germany's enemies are fallen and she is free. He seemed about to throw off the enchanted fetters in the days of Maximilian, again in Luther's time. At the time of the Rhine Treaty, and when the first Napoleon won the brilliant victories of Ulm, Auster- litz, and Jena, the eyes of the old Redbeard sparkled with anger and grief, and at his cry of rage, lightnings flashed through the dark chambers of the Kyffliiiuser, thunders rolled through its rocky caverns, and Bar- barossa slumbered again till the great victory of the Allies in the " Battle of the Nations "• awaked him, and at the death of Napoleon on St. Helena he broke the enchantment, and Napoleon sits in his place. There are many versions of this legend. One holy day, a miner rambling to the Kyffhauser, to rest under the trees and indulge in devotional re- flections, saw, as he reached the ruined tower, a monk • Volkerschlacht—h3X\Xt of Leipzig. \ •94 LEGENDS AND TALES OF with a long grey beard, who addressed him, saying, ■" Come ! I have long expected thee ; thou shalt see the enchanted Kaiser. Graumannel has brought me the Springwursel,^ and I must have a mortal to accom- pany me ; no evil shall befall thee." The monk leads him to a green spot surrounded with walls, forms with the staff which he carries a circle around him and his companion, takes from his pocket a gold-coloured velvet book, and begins to murmur and read, no word of which the miner under- stands. Suddenly there is a terrible clap of thunder. The mountain cracks, the circle on which they stand be- comes loose, and sinks slowly into the mountain ; the miner, in terror, clings to the cowl of the monk. At last they reach firm ground. Now they go through a long dark passager to great brass gates. The monk touches them with the Spring- wnrzel, and immediately they open. They enter an aisle, lighted by a brilliant lamp, and again stand before a door. The monk cries, " Hephata ! " and the door opens. They enter a large, brilliantly lighted, magnificent chapel ; the walls are of marble ; the altar is of beaten gold, and its eternal lamp bathes all in a wondrous light. The miner cannot gaze enough at the marvellous sight, rosses and recrosses himself; the monk kneels ' See Tidian's Cave. ■IP THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 95 m, saying, 1 shalt see rought me to accom- urrounded : carries a :s from his begins to ner under- ider. The stand be- ntain ; the nonk. At jerto great he Spring- y enter an ^ain stand oor opens, nagnificent s of beaten I wondrous at the golden altar and says an Ave Maria. Then he rises, commands his companion to remain standing in the middle of the chapel, and approaches the door op- posite the one by which they had entered. At his mighty word this door opens also. The imperial chamber, or throne-room, is brilliantly lighted ; on the glittering golden throne, in imperial robes, sits Barbarossa, sad and silent. The monk approaches the enchanted sovereign and bows reverently. The Kaiser returns the greeting graciously, and the monk lifts with great solemnity some object from the ground, again bows low before the monarch, and re- tires slowly to the door, seizes the hand of the aston- ished miner, who has gazed as in a dream at the splendour of the enchanted chamber, leads him to the green circle, which begins at once to rise, and soon reaches the summit of the mountain. The miner draws a long breath, receives two small metal rods from the monk, who exclaims, " Gelobt set Jesus Christ ! " and before the bewildered man can respond, " In EwigJteit / " the mysterious monk has vanished. marvellous ink kneels 96 LEGENDS AND TALES OF ®|je gtttrflfrattUln' of ®»t«vtfi»e. ONE Sunday morning early, a poor linen weaver was walking to Osterode. Aurora showed her gaily laughing and blushing face above the green mountains, a balsamic freshness floated over the valleys and streams, the peaks of the woody heights swam in the blue ether, and the dew- bathed mountain flowers sparkled in the sun's golden splendour. The songs of the birds rang out of the Ihickets, and soft chimes rose from the villages sum- moning to worship and praise— a mild, blissful peace hovered over the entire scene. It was long before the wanderer noticed these sur- rounding beauties of the morning, for a heavy sorrow lay at his heart. A beloved wife lay at home ill, six hungry children waited with her anxiously for his re- turn, and he must return with empty hands. His rich cousin, from whom he had hoped for assist- ance, had repulsed him with cruel words, and now his future lay dark and hopeless before him. But as the sun rose higher, as all Nature bloomed and sent forth her frankincense of praise, and the streams murmured of peace, he grew more composed. " How glorious ! bow wonderful ! " he thought, as. he stood still and g sed around him; "and what a mystery it is that only man is so often shut out from • Bur^/rauMn—cast\e fairy. en weaver 1 blushing freshness aks of the [ the dew- n's golden out of the ages sum- isful peace these sur- ivy sorrow )me ill, six for his re- 1 for assist- id now his e bloomed e, and the composed, ihought, as. nd what a jt out from THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 97 the universal enjoyment of creation. Why should he be crushed to the earth, and provide in sorrow and pain for his bodily sustenance, while the birds sing and the flowers bloom free from care .' Doth He not clothe the lilies, and give the rose and violet their per- fume and exquisite hues .' Can the Eternal Father care less for an immortal soul > No, no, never ! " He began again to move forward, singing that noblest hymn in the German language, which has been so perfectly translated by John Wesley, begin- ning— " Befichl Du Deine Wcger ' When he came to the lines — " All/! att/f Gib Deinem Schmerzs Und Sorgen ffitte Nacht. Lass fahren, was das Herze Betriibt und traurig iiiacht .'" — he quickened his pace with a firmer tread and lighter heart. Perhaps he would have sung on to the end of the hymn, had not a voice, clear as a silver bell, greeted him with " Guten Morgen ! " The singer looked in the direction of the voice, and stood like one transfixed at the sight of the vision before him. On the banks of the brook which flowed past hJs - " Commit thou all thy ways." 8 iMni Iffi 98 LEGENDS AND TALES OF path sat a lovely maiden clad in white, and bathed her marble-white feet in the crystal water. Before he could recover from his astonishment, the figure rose and approached him, saying in a voice of the most delicious melody — " Thou sangst just now a beautiful song, that was made for the troubled. May help be as near every one who sings it as to thee ; for know, thou art come at a most happy hour. It is only permitted me once a year to be at this spot ; and whoever meets me here and deserves it as thou, him I make happy— if wealth can make him happy. Listen, then : when the bells ring midnight, leave thy cottage, and climb the moun- tain in silence to the ruins of Burg Osterode. Between the sunken walls thou wilt find a flower; pluck it, and instantly all the treasures of the heart of the mountain will be revealed to thine eye, from which thou mayst take as much as thou wilt. Go now thy way, and carry comfort and hope to thy wife. My time is expired." The slender form, the pale, loving face, transparent as moonlight, the long golden hair, were in a twinkling vanished. Wonderfully cheered, the weaver hastened home and related his vision to his suffering wife and little children, and they waited with impatience for the appointed hoar. At last the leaden-footed hours had passed — it was midnight. The weaver kissed his wife and hastened forth. It I i bathed Tient, the voice of that was ear every art come me once s me here -if wealth the bells the moun- Between ick it, and mountain lou mayst way, and [y time is ransparent I twinkling ned home and little ce for the hours had I forth. It I ■MM THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 99 was a glorious night. The full moon shone, the quail sang her nightly song. The picturesque ruin con- trasted wonderfully in its dark grey masses with the cloudless blue of the heavens and the silver moonlight. A peculiar light shone out of an arched chamber ; he followed it, and there sat the pale maiden, adorned with a wreath of white roses in her hair. She raised her jasper-blue eyes, looked kindly on him, and beckoned him to approach and gather the shining flower. The weaver obeyed and tremblingly plucked the lily. Hardly had he the flower in his hand when a fear- ful, rumbling sound arose in the heart of the mountain, the ground close to his feet sank crashing into the depths, and a huge cauldron rose in flame, filled to the brim \\ ith glittering gold pieces. The maiden bade him take what he would, for he was so overcome with astonishment and terror that he could not move. At her friendly voice he recovered from his fear, filled pockets and hat with the coins, bowed low and reverently, left the magic chamber, and hurried back to his cottage — and the sun rose on two happy people. Every anniversary of the day they went to the ruins to thank the fairy, who, however, ever afterward remained invisible. lOO LEGENDS AND TALES OF \ AT midnight, when the moonlight rests on the rustling oaks, or the winter snow glitters and winds howl, there rises a white form from the ruins of this robber Schloss, a wreath of flowers around the head, and in the girdle a bunch of keys. Centuries ago a convent stood near, and a monk be- longing to it, longing to possess some of the treasures of the underworld, was once bold enough, as the bells rang midnight, to climb to the spot where the fairy- dwelt. He used the formula employed to open the gates of the spirit-world, and instantly, white as a swan, rose the virgin beautiful to behold. " What dost thou desire ? " she asked. The monk approached her too boldly, begging for the jewels of the depths, and she gave him such a blow with her keys that he fled in terror, and never dared to visit the place again. Soon after, as a shepherd was feeding his sheep on a meadow near, a blooming, quiet maiden came and gathered flowers, which she bound in a garland ; ap- proaching him, and looking kindly at him, she let a flower fall. He picked it up and put it in his hat- band. The maiden departed smiling, but beckoned him to follow her. I I THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. lot on the lers and ruins of unci the lonk be- ireasures the bells the fairy ; gates of van, rose Soon they reached the summit of the Guntersburg. They entered a subterranean passage, a door opened, and the youth beheld the wonders of the fairy-world. Gold and precious stones glittered in the soft star- light that illuminated the vaulted chambers. " Take what thou wilt," said the fairy ; " but choose wisely." He filled his pockets with gold and costly jewels, but in his rapid movements the flower fell from his hat. He looked around seeking the door and rushed out, hearing only the words, " Forget not the most beautiful treasure," and never stopped till he had reached the meadow and his sheep. He emptied his pockets of the precious treasures, when lo ! they were worthless stones. rging for n such a nd never sheep on ame and and ; ap- she let a I his hat- ed him to , $e0«nh of ti)f« ;7i«s»il'« 3^iU* THE summit of the Ramberg, or Victor's Hohe, is strewed > ith gigantic ruins of the primeval rocks, and is called the Brocken of the Unterharz. Two huge granite boulders, lying as if they had been placed there by hands, are the remains of the Teufelsmiihle. At the base of the mountain, in the ages long ago, a miller possessed a windmill. But the mill, an inheritance from his great-great- grandfather, was in a tumble-down condition, and when the wind blew from the north or west the sweeps stood I ,02 LEGENDS AND TALES OF motionless, for mountain and forest intercepted the " breath of God." Often the miller had sat on the summit of the mountain, and thought how nice it would be if the mill only stood there in the free, full breeze, with a strong tower, built from the materials that lay scattered around in superfluous abundance. Once, as he thus sat and mused in the twilight, the bats and owls just beginning their nocturnal rounds, a huge, swarthy labourer suddenly appeared before him, greeted him with a Gott-sei-bei-uns ! and told him he would build him a mill, so soon as the miller signed a promise with blood to be his in thirty years. Want, avarice, and vanity won the day with their unholy counsel, and the bond was signed. Suddenly .scores of little black figures issued forth from the darkness of the night, and began t > work among the rocks ; trees were cut down with a stroke, chisel and hammer rang on the granite, and the work went forward with a rapidity of enchantment. The fear of the miller rose to despair, and as he saw the roof and the huge sweeps set up and finished, and the last millstone rolled to its place, he seized it with the power of a deadly terror, threw it from the rollers with such force, that it rolled down the mountain. Then the black wings of the arch-fiend unfolded and spread themselves, he soared high in the air, let fall the millstone on the miller, who was buried beneath it and the ruins of the mill, broken to atoms. THE HARZ MOUNIAINS. 10} ptcd the t of the f the mill a strong scattered light, the rounds, a eforehim, d him he : signed a tvith their sued forth 1 t / work 1 a stroke, 1 the work It. and as he d finished, , he seized ;w it from down the [folded and , let fall the beneath it THE rich treasures of the Rammelsb?rg were discovered in 970, according to tradition, by ai-cident. Otto the Great hunted in the forest. His squi.e Ramm dismounted, tied his horse to a tree, and went after some game that had been shot. The impatient animal pawed and stamped, and his rider returning, found a glittering piece of silver ore laid bare. Another story is, that the discovery was made by a servant girl in the mill at the base of the mountain. She rose one morning before daybreak, and went out to gather wood, when she saw a fire burning on the mountain. She hurried to the spot, and found several men with white beards sitting around it. Approaching them, she asked permission to take some of the burning coals to kindle her fire. They gave no answer, but sat motionless and gazed upon the ground. At last she took some coals, saying to herself, " No answer means yes," carried them home and laid them on the health, but they would not burn. This she repeated several times, but the coals, once thrown on the hearth refused lu burn. At last it became broad day, and a great heap of gold lay on the hearth, and on the spot where she had 104 LF-^F.NDS AND TALES OF seen the fire, jtily pebbles. Search was made, and the wealth c c mountair": discovered. A similar tradition, with slight variations, is told of the Burgmiihle, or castle mill, near A.scher.-.leben, on the Woifsbcrg. The tradition is quite as probable that Askanas, grandson of Noah, died on the Wclfsbcrg in 1964 after the Cre.ition, having left the East a fev.- centuries previously to escape idolatry. HeQenh of tijc ^wfyftXbtx^* MANY and mighty tribes, as the Wendcn, Katten, and Sassen, once dwelt in the Harz. Bloody battles have been fought for the po.ssession of this district, whose dcn.se forests and impassable valleys afforded not only defence, but the pleasures of the chase. We find proofs of their existence here in huge mounds filled with human skulls and bones, and in the names of some of her villages, as, for example, Dorf Kattenstedt. These primeval mountaineers were most disturbed by a wild and powerful monastic tribe of giant size and strength, who frequently broke into the mountains, plundered their huts, murdered children, women, and old men, and led away the strong men 'nto slavery. Sometimes they only came in small numbers, but the terror of their name went before them, and caused (H THE IIARZ MOUNTAINS. 105 made, and 5, is told of r.lcbcn, on : Askanas, •g in 1964 V centuries Wenden, the Harz. possession impassable leasurcs of e in huge les, and in • example, ; disturbed giant size mountains, 'omen, and slavery, mbers, but ind caused the inhabitants, despite their peculiar bravery, without opposition, to flee into the ravines and caves, while the enemy took possession of all they could lay hands on. One called these giant people the Huns. No other race possessed such immense size and terrible strength. They were held to be uncoi icrable, a.id mighty magicians. Nevertheless, it happened that once when a body of these giants broke into these mountains, the bravest of the inhabitants united in defence against them ; clad in steel, with .shield and spear, they marched to m.cet the advancing foe. The Huns, surprised at opposition, and the sight of the huge weapons of the mountaineers, hesitated to begin the attack. Then the king of the Huns came forward and cried in scorn, " Do you fear these dwarf figures ? Tarry here ; I alone will fight their whole army, which extends itself beyond our view. As the storm-wind breaks in pieces the trees of the mountains, so shall these fall before my strong arm." He seized his lance and battle-axe, hurled his javelin into the thickest ranks of the enemy, his arrow to that point where their leader stood, and stormed after them down the hill like a rock suddenly broken from the mountain's side, crushing and destroying all on his way, defending himself against the cloud of arrows that met his advance with his huge shield. His followers remained on the summit of the hill, I ic6 LEGENDS AND TALES OF and followed with flashinn eyes their hero king, tiiat they might be ready to hasten to his aid if in danger. The crashing of his sword, as it rent helmet of oak and coat of mail resounded above the wild cry of the combatants and the clashing of shields. Unceasing was his way through the ranks, anf>^ i ,, i iii i |Mg|j| . ^ |««»M w king, that in danger. met of oak cry of the r?inks, and \t last he stood sur- ogress was id shut in, king Huns be enraged ig the sole ows weak ; ickly more ! Victory I and of our ■ch to meet I spear, and ing forward helmet and :s lifeless on people, and THE tlAR/. MOUNTAINS. 107 At length one of the ciders of the tribe exclaims, "Why do wc lament the fallen? Is not death the destiny of all. and is there a more glorious death than that of the conqueror in the hour of victory ? Let us make a ijrave for our king on the field of his victory, a grave that shall not only receive his ashes, but pro- claim his victory to the most distant centuries." And they did so. They made a funeral pile, and laid the victor, borne upon his shield, upon it, and the Huns formed a circle around the burning wood and sang the death-song, led by the bards. " The people shall see their king no more. And the halls of his palace must remain for ever desolate. Never again shall the people hear his voice, but in their hearts he shall dwell for ever." The flames grow less, the death-song ceases. In silence they gather the ashes in the sacred urn, lay the shield on the ground, the urn upon it, and hi* armour above it. Many lay upon the sacred heap what is held most dear, hunting spear or battle-axe. And now the whole tribe sets hand to the work. " Wc will build," they said, " a grave which neither man can destroy nor storms and tempests wash away." And they heaped rock on rock, and levelled whole hills to the plain to pile up the giant grave to a giant king, and called it the Hero's Grave. And that is the Sargberg, or Coffin mountain. io8 LEGENDS AND TALES OF @t:i}c iUI)iie $aht;. THE Blankcnburg family ghost is called the White Lady. A portrait bearing this name hangs in the castle, said to be a likeness of a Countess of Orlamiinde. The legend is as follows : The Earl Otto von Orlamiinde died in 1340 — .several dates are given — and left a young and beauti- ful widow, Agnes by name, a duchess by birth, and the mother of two little children, a son of three, and a daughter of two years. The widow lived alone in the Plassenburg, and thought often it were better to marry again. One day a remark of the Earl, Albert the Hand- some von Nurnberg was repeated to her : " I would willingly espouse the fair Countess Agnes, but for the four eyes." The Countess fancied he meant her two children. Seeing they stood in the way of her marriage, she re- solved to free herself of them, and engaged a man named Hager, with promises of rich gifts, to murder them. The murderer is said to have confessed his crime on the rack. According to another tale, the Countess murdered them herself by sticking pins in their skulLs. Her guilty spirit cannot rest, but w^.nders in Orla- p^^ssi!;^^^ ■HMMxHfi THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 109 ;alled the this name 1 Countess in 1340— nd beauti- birth, and three, and iburg, and the Hand- " I would but for the 3 children, .gc, she re- ;ed a man to murder is crime on t Countess > in their rs in Orla- mlindc and Blankcnburg. Her appearance always betokens death in the family. Frau Berta is also called the White Lady. She l.aunts the imperial royal palaces, and also Darmstadt and Carlsruhe. As family ghost she harms no one, greets every one she meets, never speaks, and always wears a white veil and carries a bunch of keys in her girdle. IT was a stormy, dismal winter night, when a teamster drove with a heavy load of wine along the almost impassable road near the little mountain church of Elend, at the foot of the Brocken. The disc of the moon blinked only seldom through the dark clouds, which, restless, and ever succeeded by new ones, chased each other across the heavens. A sharp north wind shook the bare branches of the trees that grew thick on both sides of the way, blew the snow in the ravines, and heaped it to huge snow-drifts, which threatened the traveller unacquainted with the locality with danger. The wind grew every moment more sharp and cut- ting, the snow deeper, and the difficulty greater for the tired horses to draw their weary load. Often the teamster stood and listened, and gazed into the darkness in search of some shelter, and called for help, and heard the echoes of his own voice ring deep ^«P" t tmn^immi^^^m^m no LEGENDS AND TALES OF in the snowy wood, but all remained desolate, dumb, and awful. No bark of a dog that so rejoices the nightly wanderer, no lowing or neighing of friendly stall. The silence of death reigned , only now and then the dark wings of some nocturnal bird of prey fluttered over his head, and a ghostly rustling was heard among the dry underbrush ; the stars seemed like silent, cold eyes looking down on the wcaiy man and horses, the clouds scudded silently past, and the snow, too, was silent as a spirit. The lonely traveller grew more terrified, and urging on his horses, the waggon suddenly sank in a deep place, and no efforts of the tired animals could move it from the spot. Loud cried the deserted man for help. No one heard. In despair he wrung his hands and besought the Virgin to aid him in his distress. Suddenly he heard a rustling in the thicket, and a female form, like the silver moon when she appears above the peaks of the mountains, glided out of the darkness into view, slender as the fir-tree of the Harz, rosy as the early dawn, fresh as meadow-dew, beautiful as eternal youth. A lustre like a sunset in spring, or an Alpine glow on the eternal snow, floated around the heavenly form, and breathed on the rigid snow masses a soft glimmer like a fairy light. Terrified, the teamster gazed at the radiant Virgin, who with an enchanting, heavenly smile approached fW " » » THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. Ill te, dumb, e nightly stall. and then y fluttered ird among iilent, cold lorses, the V, too, was ind urging in a deep lid move it .n for help, hands and ;ss. {et, and a le appears out of the "the Harz, V, beautiful Ipine glow ^enly form, ft glimmer ant Virgin, ipproached the sunken waggon, and with a single touch drew waggon and horses out of the deep plate. Surprised by the mysterious vision, and cheered by the unexpected aid, the teamster endeavoured to thank his helper and deliverer, and expresecd his regret that he had neither cup nor goblet in which to offer her a draught of wine. At these words the strange apparition touched a shrub that stretched forth its dried, thorny branches, when instantly leaves and buds burst forth, and soon the whole shrub was loaded with most beautiful roses, that breathed forth a wondrous and unwonted perfume. The Virgin Mary, for it was she herself, broke off clusters of the roses and formed a drinking-cup, and as the teamster would return it filled with wine, the vision had vanished. Meanwhile the horses had gone on with the waggon, which they now drew with perfect ease, but stood still before the chapel of Elend, and could not be brought from the spot. The teamster entered with reverence the oratorium. to thank the Almighty for his deliverance, when lo ! he recognized in the figure of the Virgin his deliverer, and placed the rose drinking-cup as a costly relic before her shrine. With amazing rapidity the fame of the miracle of the Church of Roses spread over Germany, and it became one of the most frequented and sacred shrines. liliNrtnMlMMIfMi i 112 LEGENDS AND TALES OF I it " The original of the rose-cup was sent to Rome ; but first an exact copy of it was made in clay and pre- served in Elend. The most wonderful miracles continued to be per- formed ; the devotees swarmed to the mountain church, so that it was enlarged, and seven doors were cut in its walls. THE beautiful Princess Use, daughter of King- Using of Schloss Ilsenburg, having ridden to the chase with her royal father, and her lover the Rittcr Ralf, lost her way on the wild mountains, and came at nightfall to the gates of the fairy world, over which the Fairy Queen of the mountains rules. The Queen met her with kindness, and invited her to enter her gorgeous crystal palace. Hesitating and with fear she followed the powerful sovereign ; gnomes and cobolds attended everywhere with homage. Beautiful Use tarried a whole year in the richly adorned subterranean world, witnessed the mysterious government, poVcy, and life of the fairies, the creations and destructions by the king of the giants, the hostile relations of the Fairy Queen to the Giant King, the unhappy loves of her children Rumar and Romar, and what she could not understand the amiable Queen explained to her, and introduced her fully to the fairy world. THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 113 )mc ; but and pre- be per- il church, e cut ill of King^ en to the ic Rittcr nd came er which ,e Queen inter her powerful erywhere le richly ysterious creations le hostile SCing, the Romar, amiable • fully to But all the splendour and glory of this fairy realm could not still Use's longing for her beloved Ralf, and the light of the upper world. She demanded her return, which her fairy Majesty granted, but threatened her with destruction, should she ever reveal to mortal what she had seen. Princess Use returned to the friendly light of day and rejoiced in the fidelity of her lover. But he threatened her with the loss of his love if she did not tell him where she had been so long a time, and what she had seen. The two lovers seated themselves on the soft moss. Use laid li ;r lovely head upon Ralfs breast, and gazed up into his face with her wonderful and faithful eyes ; Ralf laid his hand upon her shoulder, and beautiful Use began her tale. With caresses she betrayed the secrets entrusted to her, and described the magnificence of the Fairy Queen. The new moon rose and the stars appeared one after another in the dark-blue heavens ; fair Use chatted on, related the legends of the Harz — of the giants and dwarfs. Ralf listened at first in silent astonishment, and hung enraptured on the tales from her beautiful lips, then he began to dream and fancy, and at last fell asleep. In the grey of the morning, as he awoke, he heard still the murmuring tones of the Princess,, and as he 9 I "4 LEGENDS AND TALES OF turned to salute the princely maiden, he saw, instead of Use, a crystal-clear bubbling spring illuminated with the dawn. The water sprang gaily out of the soft moss, and murmured ever in a thousand leaps and tiny water- falls over the moss-grown rocks adown the vale. Deepest despair seized Ralfs spirit ; he knew now what he had done, and what had become of Use through her betrayed secret, a clear pure stream doomed for ever to ripple and murmur through the mountains. Ralf built a cottage near the spring, and when the new moon rose Use awaited him by the mossy bank, leaned her head caressingly on his breast, and he heard her sweet prattle till the blushing dawn spread her radiance over the silver ripplets, and then the fairy virgin vanished in the blue air. |)trince«« |(l«e anh t^e $«luoe. ii PRINCESS ILSE, says another legend, in order to escape the general deluge, fled with her lover to the Brocken. But before they had reached that witch- haunted mountain, and just when standing on the rocky wall connecting the Ilsenstein with the Wester- berg, the rock on which they stood v.'as rent asunder in order to separate the lovers, whereupon they both leaped together into the floods. iw, instead inated with moss, and iny water- vale. he knew ime of Use ire stream irough the 1 when the ossy bank, ist, and he iwn spread ;n the fairy , in order to ler lover to that witch- ing on the he Wester- ;nt asunder they both ( THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 115 THIS lordly cliff and the Westerbcrg were once connected, it is said, by a granite wall, which was rent asunder by flood and storm from the Brocken ; and according to one legend, Princess Use issues from the rock at dawn, when the weather is mild, robed in white satin, her long golden hair floating around her like a veil, a diadem of mountain crystal adorning her regal brow, lays aside her costly array, bathes in the crystal stream, and combs her golden hair. Whoever is so happy as to meet her at the right moment, she calls with friendly voice, takes him by the hand and leads him before the Ilsenstein, which at her command opens, when she conducts him to her palace in the heart of the mighty rock. There the most unheard-of splendour rivets his as- tonished gaze ; the floors, walls, and ceilings glitter with gold, silver, and precious stones ; the lofty arches are supported by columns of mountain crystal ; while carbuncles illuminate the vast chambers with a soft light. In the most magnificent of these chambers will the happy mortal find the most delightful entertainment ; and when a youth, pure, and free from all guilt, bathes in the Use at the same time as the Princess, she will be free from the enchantment. Whoever approaches her with impure heart, she " '•'•^''"'•"' ''■"'"' a-.-..,.i-;.-^:a.«»CB3i.^aa^^»4i.^ LEGENDS AND TALES OF sprinkles with water, and instantly he turns into a fir tree. " Es stehen der Tannen gar viele In Hires Bades Ndh, Es hat sie alle verzaubert Die keuschc Wasserfce /" " And many a fir tree's deepest shade Falls o'er the crystal stream ; Enchanted by the pure mermaid, Their fate to moan they seem." IT was during the heat of August, when my friend Josephine and I sat long chatting on a moss-grown stone under Princess Use's dark evergreens. Finally she went to gather some ferns and wild- flowers, and I fell asleep. Then I heard a deep voice above me say, " I am Castiglione the magician. I approached Lhe Princess Use with the guilt of falsehood on my soul, and she transformed me into the fir against which you are leaning. If she would only break the enchantment, and set me free, I would lead an hoi est, truthful life. Plead with her to release me." "How can I do that?" I asked. "I never expect to see the Princess." " Oh yes, you will. You will see her to-day." Another voice joined in—" I am Booth, of Lincoln renown. People never knew what became of me. I THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. "7 into .1 fir my friend OSS-grown and wild- ly, " I am e Princess il, and she \i you are :hantmcnt, uthful life. ■ expect to day." of Lincoln : of me. I •• came here to the Harz mountains, hoping to find favour with the noble Use after my heroic deed in free- ing my country from a tyrant ; but the Princess called my act murder, and I have been a sighing fir tree ever since." " And you deserve it," cried Castiglione. " Pull the beam out of your own eye, please," replied the infuriated Booth, "You dare to reproach me, you, who did not hesitate to add the last drop of an infant's blood to make your elixir of life .> What insolence ! " I felt sure they would come to blows right over my head. Happily a melodious voice struck in, and interrupted the quarrel. "I am Don Carlos, the unhappy son of Philip of Spain, and the victim of priestly bigotry. The In- quisitors gained my royal father's permission to make away with me, a son who loved him truly. " I escaped, and History does not tell what became of me, simply because she does not know. I fled here to Princess Use for refuge, but I approached her at an unfavourable moment, and she transformed me into this spruce. If I could only be set free I would carry out my ideas of freedom." " You are too late, my young friend," cried Castig- lione. " Your ideas have been carried out. You don't seem to have kept up with the history of events. Bismarck has set the Germans free, and cleansed the moral atmosphere of the whole empire, sent the Jesuits ' -..jiaiiwiM-wii..wi4»ui- I ii8 LEGENDS AND TALES OF adrift, and put a bayonet into the hands of every eighty men in a hundred to keep them out." Here a deep sigh was heard. " Oh, I am tired with standing so long I Walking isn't half so fatiguing. Oh, how my back aches ! " " Who arc you ? " cried Castiglionc. " I am the Wandering Jew. They keep up the story of my wanderings, but I have stood here in this tree for ages, shivering or roasting." I felt quite bewildered, and almost afraid in the midst of this odd Gesdlschaft, and shuddered as I thought more dreadful additions would speedily be made to it. Suddenly a radiant form stood before me. Such beauty no mortal eye ever beheld outside of a dream. It was the Princess Use. Her long golden curls fell nearly to her feet, over a silvery-like robe almost transpprent. Her eyes were deep violet with an expression none couid describe. Above her milk-white regal brow glittered a diadem of brilliants and sapphires. Bracelets and rings of diamonds and pearls adorned her fair arms. Extending her swan-white hand, with a ravishing smile, .she said, " Come, I will show thee my home, my palace, and thou shalt dine with me." We entered the Ilsenstein under a gigantic arch of mountain crystal ; a group of white-robed maidens met us, and attended us to the great throne-room. This was an immense chamoer, lighted by a chande- I :i. ; .,1 wKsm^ very eighty ! Walking aches ! " 2cp up the here in this raid in the lered as I speedily be me. Such if a dream. :n curls fell 3bc almost ession none :d a diadem id rings of s. a ravishing my home, itic arch of ;d maidens e-room. y a chande- I I '■■$£■■"*;' fK THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 119 lier of brilliants hung in the centre, and single lamp- shaped rubies and carbuncles hung along the sides and in the corners. The floor was of white and red roses, which were not crushed by the tread, but remained ever in rich fulness. On each side of this regal chamber were sixteen colossal Norman arches, through which one saw, on the right advancing up it, a garden of every sort of fruit-tree, all bearing ripe fruits. At the left, flowers of every clime. Fountains played, white-robed maidens moved among the fruit and flowers, or reclined on banks of violets and roses. Soft music floated around us. Between each arch was a seat. Every seat was a bank of flowers, each different from the other. Above each seat was a statue of a fairy of the Harz, alternately in mountain rystal and snowy alabaster. At the upper end, under a majestic arch, stood Princess Use's throne. The throne was one ruby, the canopy a single pearl, the steps leading up to the throne were emeralds. Near the throne, in front of an arch, stood a table of silver, and two chairs of mountain crystal beside it. The service was of gold, filled with the viands of the fairy world, and the choicest fruits and flowers. A group of fair maidens sat in a rose arbour playing harp, lute, and harpsichord, while otheris stood by the table in attendance. *****'—"" ''"'" " ' '"' '' "'•^'^^'''iTrfnr''*TmfMfi^ 1 11 130 LEGENDS AND TALES OF A pearl plate was handed un, and Princess Use her- self poured the crimson wine into gilded crystal gob- lets bearing her monogram in diamonds and sapphires, touched her glass to mine, and saying, " I drink to thy happiness," she pressed her own glass to my lips, when lo ! I awoke, and there stood Josephine, poking a fern in my face. " Oh, Josie ! " I exclaimed, " you can never know of how much you have robbed me with that stupid fern I " ^T I I I AT a time when very few men lived upon the earth, when towns and villages were few and very widely separated, when there were no roads in the mountains, and before Romulus and Remus were rescued by the motherly wolf on the yellow Tiber, or Nausikaa fell in love with Odysseus, there stood a house on the site of Schloss Ilsenburg, inhabited by a widow and her daughter Trude. Deeper in among the mountains stood an old stone '^chloss, on the granite wall connecting the Ilsenstein and the opposite-lying Westerberg, which had been bought, and was inhabited by a father and his fair daughter Use. Nobody knew who the father was, but it was sup- posed — as people do in many cases — that he was some fallen and deposed Prince. During the absence of the Prince and Princess Use THE llARZ MOUNTAINS. 131 ;ss Use hcr- Tystal gob- d sapphires, drink to thy to my lips, line, poking vtr know of tupid fern I" J upon the xe few and no roads in Remus were )w Tiber, or jre stood a n habited by an old stone le Ilsenstein ;h had been and his fair t it was siip- lie was some Princess Use on a journey, a stranger, handsome and gay, without money, sack, or scrip, but rich in self-confidence and flattering words, sought hospitality of the widow and her daughter, and was warmly received and enter- tained. Ralf " fell in love " with Trude, and a blissful sum- mer was spent gathering wild fruits and flowers and hunting birds' nests among the mountains. The nuptials were near, and the widow was busy with the bride's trousseau, when unexpectedly with Autumn arrived the foreign Prince and fair Use from their mysterious journey. Ritter Ralf, it must be confessed, was very naughty. With an eagle-eye he perceived the radiant charms of Princess Use, and poor Trude was forsaken. The widow reproached him with his perfidy, but he replied, "The eagle mates but with the eagle, and though I have fled from a severe father, I am of noble blood, and have found a Braut of my own rank." The widow swore revenge, and consoled the weep- ing Trude, begging her only to wait till Walpur- gisnacht ' and her perfidious lover should be punished. She made a league with the evil spirits of the mountains and the air, and devoted herself to the unholy arts of a witch. Walpurgisnacht arrived, the v/idow stood on the > Night before the first of May, when all evil spirits and witches, according to the legend, meet on the Brocken. See Goethe's " Faust." mmmmmtum |! im ii 122 LEGENDS AND TALES OF balcony of her house and invoked the demons and witches, who swept through the night, which rested black as destruction on the mountains, heavy as the day of wrath and vengeance. From the Brocken broke a terrrible tempest. Awful thunders rolled, lightnings in fiery serpents cut their way through the heavens and mountains, and a tremendous flood svvept down from the Brocken,, destroying all in its course. The coalers clung to the rocky walls, but Princess Use looked calmly on the wild scene, saw the rocks rent on which her father's castle stood, and it, her lover,, father, and servants all swept away ; and as she too was about to perish, a tall manly form, with majestic head and black locks — probably the Fairy King — seized her in his strong arms, wrapped her in a white mantle, and vanished. Poor Trude, from the balcony by her mother's side, saw her faithless Ralf carried down the torrent, threw herself over after him, and when the flood had subsided the widow found them in each other's arms, washed up on the banks of the river. 'u mons and lich rested avy as the ; tempest, jrpents cut itains, and : Brocken^ ut Princess the rocks- t, her lover, as she too th majestic ry King — in a white )ther's side, rent, threw id subsided washed up THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. laj EARL EBERHARD VON WURTEMBERG rode one day alone into the forest to amuse him- self with the chase. Suddenly he heard a loud roar and noise, as of a hunter riding furiously past ; he was terrified, dismounted in haste from his horse, and approaching a tree, as if for defence, cried aloud to the imagined huntsman, asking if he intended violence. " No," replied the now visible form of the hunter. " I am a man like thyself, and stand before thee quite alone. I too was formerly a noble. " I found such pleasure in the chase, that I besought God to permit me to hunt until the judgment-day. Unhappily my sinful wish was granted, and for four hundred and fifty years I have hunted the same deer. But my race and name are known to no one." Thereupon the ghostly hunter vanished. Hans von Hackelberg, a master of the hunt in Brunswick, had an unhappy dream one night on the Harzburg ; it seemed to him in his dream as if he struggled with a huge wild boar which conquered him after a long combat, and that he died of his wounds. He could not drive this terrible dream from his 'nind. Shortly after he encountered a boar in the Harz similar to the one in his dream. He attacked him ; the struggle remained long undecided ; at length Hans conquered and slew the animal. Rejoiced to ^^■k X 124 LEGENDS AI:D TALES OF see the boar stretched at his feet, he kicked the tusk with violence, exclaiming, " Thou shalt not yet kill me!" But he had struck with such force that th^ sharp tooth pierced his boot and wounded his foot. At first Hackelberg paid no attention to the wound, but continued the chase. On his return, however, the foot was so swollen, that the boot had to be cut off. He hastened back to Wolfenbuttel, but the vehicle shook the foot so that he was obliged to stop on the way at Wiilperode, where he died. Before his death he expressed a wish that he might hunt for ever, and his rash desire was granted. The Tut-Osel, or Tut-Ursel, always accompanies him. At midnight, when in storm and rain, Hackelberg with horse and dogs tears through the Thuringian Forest, the Harz, and the Hackel Forest, the night or death owl flies before him, which the people call the Tut-Osel. The wanderer, when he hears the ghostly hui listens in terror to the barki'.ig of dogs, and hears the hu ! hu ! of the chase, and the uhu of the death-owl. In a Kloster in Thuringia lived, in the primeval days of convents, a nun called Ursel — Ursula — who always disturbed the choir of nuns by her howling singing ; hence she was called Tut-Ursel. But after her death she disturbed them even more than in her lifetime, for at eleven every evening she poked her n THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 125 the tusk : yet kill thp sharp 1 to the is return, )ot had to ijttel, but )bliged to d. he might d. ompanies ackelberg huringian the night eople call itly hui hears the ith-owl. primeval iula — who r howling But after lan in her aoked her head through a hole in the church tower and tooted dreadfully, and every morning at four she joined her voice in the matin-song. For some days the holy sisters bore this lamentable disturbance ; but at last one morning one of the nuns whispered in fear to her neighbour, " That is certainly the Ursel ! " Instantly the music ceased, their hair rose to mountains, and the nuns rushed out of the church screaming: "Tut-Ursel ! Tut-Ursel !" And no punish- ment could induce a singk nun to enter the church again until a Capuchin monk from a monastery on the Danube, noted for his sanctity, was summoned. He condemned Tut-Ursel to banishment in the Harz, and to bear the form of a death-owl. Here she encountered Kackelberg, and found as much delight in the hu, hu ! of his eternal hunt as he in her uhu ! and so they hunt for ever in company. Another story is that the screech-owl is a nun who was false to her vows, and left her convent to follow H ackelberg. The origin of this legend belongs to the ancient pagaa days. It is even disputed that a person called Hackelberg existed, and if so, the legend is ages elder than the sixteenth century, the time when he is said to have lived. The Wild Hunter, the Wanderer, was Wodan him- self in the pagan days. At the introduction of Christianity we find a i r 126 LEGENDS AND TALES OF new development of the ancient myths. Wodan becomes the foul fiend, then the godless Hunter, and the Wandering Jew, In the Black Forest the eternal Hunter and the eternal Jew are regarded as the same person. They both always carry a groschen In the pocket. In some parts of Germany the harrows are placed in the fields with the teeth together, that the wanderer may rest himself. According to some authorities, he may only rest Christmas night, and then only when he finds a plough in the field ; only on that may he sit down. Every seven years the Huntsman passes over the seven mining towns of the Harz, and woe to him who calls after him. According to one legend, the Wild Huntsman met Christ at a river where He sought to quench His thirst, and would not permit Him to drink ; he also drove Him from a cattle trough, and when the Saviour found water in a horse's foot-print, and would drink there he drove Him away. As a punishment, he is doomed to wander for ever, and eat only horse-flesh. This is the pagan legend Christianized. In West and South Germany we find the Wild Army. Odin, or Wodan, was the god, top, of armies, and always went out from Walhalla at the head of his ghostly arrays while his nine Walkiiren conducted the fallen heroes back to Walhalla. Wodan nter, and e eternal the same ;n in the TOWS are , that the to some ght, and :ld ; only over the him who man met ;nch His ; he also ; Saviour lid drink :nt, he is )rse-flesh. A^est and Odin, or i always i ghostly the fallen THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 127 ONCE, long centuries ago, a Princess lived in Schloss Hohenstein who was very fond of almonds, but was firmly resolved never to marry, so she invented the following plan. She caused every prince who came a-wooing — and her suitors were countless — to eat the half of ^ double almond, and she ate its twin half. And then she said, "If you can induce me to take anything from your hand without saying "/> pensel' I am ready for marriage with you ; but if, on the other hand, I can lead you to receive any object from my hand ■without your repeating those saving words, you shall have your head shaved, and forthwith leave my dominions." But there was a trick in the stipulation, namely, the etiquette of the royal court forbade any person, on pain of death, to hand anything direct to the Princess, but rather to the lady-in-waiting, who presented it to her mistress. But if the Kaiser's daughter chose herself to hand any one anything, who was there to forbid it "i Thus it was for the luckless wooers a bitter sport, for let them exert themselves as they would to be- guile the royal maiden into taking anything from their hands, the inevitable lady-in-waiting spoiled their sport. i t !| Ljf 138 LEGENDS AND TALES OF But when Princess Huldigunde determined to get rid of a certain adorer, she grew so engaging that he became perfectly enchanted, and as he sat beside her, intoxicated with joy, she seized either a pomegranate, or an egg near her, and handed it to him, saying softly, " Keep that as a souvenir." As soon as the wooer took the object, it sprang open, and a frog, or a hornet, or bat flew into his hair or face, and in his fright he forgot to say, "fypense!" And then he was shaved on the spot, and away with him. This went on for years, and in all kings' houses princes wore wigs. It happened at last that a foreign prince saw Huldigunde, and found her fair, and saw through the trick. ..\ friendly fairy had given him an apple, which he was to smell once a year, when a prudent idea should occur to him. Just at the time when he first saw Huldigunde, it was time to smell the apple ; he smelt, and it occurred to him that if he would win the game through give and take, he must n-ither give himself nor take any thing from her. He caused his hands to be bound to his girdle, went with his marshal to court, and declared his wish to eat almonds. Huldigunde liked this Prince, and commanded almonds to be handed him. Then his marshal took them and put them in his mouth. iim i iiiww i "'^ to get that he ide her, jranate, saying sprang' into his to say, :he spot, ' houses. I foreign and saw Yhich he a should junde, it occurred lUgh give ;ake any- is girdlCv I his wish nmanded ihal took THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. '^-9 •nnnired why he carried hU hands in The Princess mquirec. wny ""t .hat ,v,y," cried Hu.digu„de,"« shall never ^„,e *= S»"'J' ^^ ed hU shoulder, and replied. Prince Otto oniy bi""&fa , some- .. Oriy when you graciously condescend to take thing from roy boots." .^^^ And the court stood aghas^ at* ^^^ "Why did you "-=„'° f ™^, Almond Princess. .uch a stupid etiquette ! cn^ed 'h ^^^ ^ ^ ^^ " Because you are so «>""'"'•„ if I cannot win you I - ^f ^^nd Huldigunde So Otto remamed "f';^,,,;^ daily to beguile liW him better -"y^^J'l^l ^J^. of fruit, Wminto «»'"«;,'^ :1 '"Jotto nodded to his flowers, even her bracelet, ou — rdr^t:S---rr ':rdtrn;rsS:;:"ana tool it from his ,0 herself, "An '"^ must be ma ,^ ^^^ so she told O""*;^,! to Wm the next day. world, and proposed to show xo MtHWlWIM . ii4Hinrtin' ' 130 LEGENDS AND TALES OF It was time for the Prince to smell the apple again, and a brilliant idea came to him. As they entered the garden, Otto exclaimed, " It is wonderfully beautiful here ; and in order that we may accompany each other without any disturbing element, I pray my Princess to adopt the etiquette of my court, and permit her hands to be bound one hour ; then we shall both be secure, and nothing disagreeable can happen to either of us." Huldigunde consented, and they walked side by side with their hands bound. The birds sang, the sun shone warm and clear, and from the trees the red cherries hung down to their cheeks. Huldigunde looked wishfully at the ripe fruit and cried, " What a pity you cannot pluck me any." But Otto replied, "Want knows no law," took a cherry in his mouth and offered it to her. The Princess could only put her mouth to his to take the •cherry, and when she had the fruit between her lips — and his kiss with it — could not at the moment say, "fypense." And Otto cried, " Good morning, Philippine ! " drew his hands from his girdle, and threw them around her her neck. m \K THE HARX MOUSTAINS, 131 pplc again, med, " It is lat we may ig element, r my court, r ; then we eeable can :d side by clear, and 'n to their B fruit and any." w," took a her. The :o take the I her lips — ament say, Ine ! " drew around her I'l A RNO, the wildest and most powerful robber A knight of the Harz, dwelt securely enthroned m his strong Burg, the Arnstein. which lay on tne Fels- berg like an eagle's nest, from whose strong walls the old eagle flew daily forth for robbery and murder. He and his castle were inaccessible ; frequentV". when the inhabitants of the neighbourhood had uated to storm his nest, he had sent them home w.th .Icedmg heads, and each time punished them bymakng worse disturbance than before. The citizens of the near-situated Ascherslecc. suf- fered most by these raids ; for when in the swe.t of the brow they had cv.ltivated their fields, and rejo.ced in view of the approaching harvest. Arno wou.d swoop down like a bird of prey, and gather the r.ch grams and fruits into his barns ; and when the wealthy mer- chants of Magdeburg. Aschersleben. and Nordhausen reckoning how they could make what was worth fifty per cent, bring a hundred, travelled past, he took p.ty on their problem-solving souls, and relieved the.r weary brains of the difficult calculations and the burden of sales by carrying off their goods to h.s castle-sometimes, indeed, the merchants themselves, whose friends redeemed them with heavy sums Often he kidnapped maidens, and .t was not at all if 132 LEGESDS AND TALKS OF unwelcome to him, as one day, while he lay in vain'in wait for booty, a troop of young girls showed itself near the wood where he lay hidden. It was then, and is still in some Harz villages, the custom on the wedding-day of a youthful pair to lead the bride out upon a mountain or a meadow, where her friends seek to take from her the bridal wreath. Dancing and singing they follow the fleeing bride, who strives to keep her treasure as long as possible, hides behind hedges and underbrush,till at last they rob her of her wreath and carry it in triumph to the bridegroom. It was such a bridal party that issued this day from the gates of Ascherslcben, to enjoy the fun after the fashion of their ancestors, for the fairest flower of Askania, Ida, a merchant's daughter, celebrated her wedding. How her bridal veil and ribbons fluttered and shimmered in the wind and sun, as she in the joy of her heart, light of foot as a fawn, flew over the meadow, pursued by her laughing companions. Shouts of merriment and scraps of song rang over the laughing landscape to the wood where Arno lay concealed, watching the chi.rming scene. "Little !r.aluen!" thought he, "if no train of waggons comes that I prefer, I can take thee ; that is not difficult, and costs no blood." And as the train came near, and the bride, ever in advance, would hide in the thicket, he seized her and bore her pitilessly away. The other maidens searched THE If.Ui/. MOU,\rAL\S. 133 \y in vain in howcd itself villages, the pair to lead adow, where ridal wreath, ig bride, who )ssible, hides ley rob her of bridegroom, his day from fun after the St flower of ilcbrated her luttered and in the joy of the meadow, ng rang over ;re Arno lay no train of thee ; that is bride, ever in sized her and dens searched . long in vain, till at last they caught sight of the fleeing robber with his booty. What consternation ! what lamentations ! breath- less they fled back to the town, proclaiming the dreadful news with loud cries. AH became uproar, women ran moaning through the streets, girls locked themselves in their rooms, as if the robber were behind them, the older citizens talked and reasoned, the younger swore revenge, and the members of the town council moved with solemn steps and imposing mien toward the town hall, where the walls of the dark council chamber should become silent witnesses of all the wisdom of their puficd-up pride and self-importance. Evening came on, the council chamber was lighted ; the palate of each worthy member of the council re- belled against the fatigue of a longer sitting, and at last the Burgermeistcr raised his voice and addressed his colleagues : " It is necessary, honourable gentle- men, that we come to a decision, and as it has been proved, through reliable witnesses, that the robber of the bride is our dangerous neighbour, the Earl von Arnstein,and the crime has been committed within, the territory of our town, and as such a crime is punishable with death, we sentence the said Arno to death by t' e hangman, do we not ? " •♦ Yes, your Worship ! " cried the chamberlain. " Of course ! " said the syndic. " Certa ily ! " echoed the town clerk. •^— •- !l >34 LEGKXDS A Mi TALES OF " Certainly ! " agreed every member of the counci' unanimously. " If we take into consideration," continued the BUrgermcister, " how much damage the said Arno of Arnstein has caused, death by the sword is too mild. Shall he not die on the wheel, or be quartered ? " " Of course ! " said the chamberlain, with a knowing nod. " Certainly ! " agreed the syndic. " How wise ! " cried one part of the councillors ; " How just ! " ano. ''er. "I am of opinion," resumed the BUrgermcister, "that the execution should take place immediately, before the said Arno does any more mischief." " Of course ! of course ! " cried the assembly. " But— but— a—" resumed his Worship, hesitating and undecided, " we must first have the criminal in our power, and that is— not— so— easy a matter. Can any one offer advice as to what is to be done ? " Silence ! All were dumb. At last one cried, " We must take him prisoner ! " " Quitr right," voted the councillors ; " he nust be taken prisoner." " That is also my opinion," said the Burgermeister. "Nevertheless it— is— no— easy matter— to accom- plish. We could march out at once with all the armed men we possess, and storm " "Yes, yes," cried the s)'ndic, "we will storm the nest 1 " THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 135 be counci' inucd the 1 Arno of too mild, cd?" . knowing uncillors ; srmcister, ncdiately, r." ly. icsitating iminal in ten Can ?" led, "We n/ust be jrmeister. ' accom- lie armed :orm the " We will storm it ! " exclaimed the town clerk, with a look intended to he brave. " How wise ! how heroic ! " was the praise on every lip, while the Burgermeister continued his interrupted address : " But we have already experienced the fact that the Arnstein is not easy to seize. By force nothing can be done" " No, by force nothing can be done ! " echoed the assembly as one man. " We might attempt to take him by strategy," con- tinued the orator ; " but Arno is cunning as a fox, and we should probably only expose our town to more robbery if he discovered that we were trying ta wa> lay him." " Certainly ! certainly ! " agreed ever>- mouth. "Hence I give it as my opinion," concluded the Burgermeister, "that as force and stratagem would only bring upon us expense and danger, and the result is uncertain, that— that— a— that we allow the matter to rest as it is, and leave the criminal to the punishment of Heaven. Do you not think so, gentle- men?" " Certairjly, your Worship, certainly ! How wise I how mild ! how forbearing ! " shouted the assembly. The Burgermeister rose with official dignity, dis- missed his colleagues with a wave of the hand, and the exhausted councillors were in the act of retirin«r. when the unhappy bridegroom rushed breathless into their midst. wtAn V-' ^\ 11 m 'l! 136 LEGENDS AND TALES OF . "What is decided?" he cried hastily, and seized the syndic by the arm. " What's that to you ? " growled that dignitary, who felt him;.elf insulted by such familiarity. " How do you dare to force yourself unbidden into the council chamber ? " " I beg your pardon, gentlemen," stammered the bridegroom, surprised. " I come to give you a capital piece of advice — the idea just occurred to me." Every face grew long from assumed dignity. " What ! you will give advice } Yoti — to us ? " But as the young man entreated chem to hear him, the Biirgermeister permitted him to speak, provided he would be short. The bridegroom unfolded his plan, which, though unwillingly, was approved of. Meanwhile, Arno concluded that his robbery of the bride was undiscovered, and was strengthened in this idea, as some days after he saw a group of maidens, decked in bridal array, ''ssue forth from the town to the same meadow. Suddenly he resolved to carry off one of them, and when they had danced themselves weary and had thrown themselves down on the grass to rest, he rushed out of the wood, and, like a vulture, swooped down upon his prey. But, to his astonishment, the maiden, instead of resisting, held him fast, and the others drew forth daggers and attacked and killed his retainers. Re- i\ seized the litary, who ' How do le council nered the u a capital e." ty- us ? " hear him, , provided :h, though ery of the ;d in this maidens, ; town to of them, r and had rest, he , swooped nstead of rew forth lers. Re- THE HARZ MOUNTALXS. 137 sistance was useless ; he could not free himself from the powerful arms of the disguised soldier. They dragged him to Aschersleben, and shut him up in a cage, where he starved to death. The bridegioom put on Arno's armour, and the troop, concealed in loaded wagons, were conducted to the Arnstein by the disguised bridegroom. The warder saw the train approaching, and at once opened the gates to admit it. Too late, when all were within the walls, he dis- covered his error. Soon they had possession of the stronghold, and the bride was restored to the bride- groom. The cage they still show in Aschersleben, and the meadow is still called the Dance meadow. There is a tradition of another knight of Arnstem, who, cold and cruel to all who in the least displeased him, was buried in the now ruined chapel. His ghost still haunts the ruins. His second wife, a cruel step-mother, who oppressed her beautiful step-daughter, keeps him company. She is the spinner of the Arnstein, doomed to spin on till her web breaks, when her spirit will be set free. Whether the ghostly monk bore relation to this cruel pair we are not told. He visits the ruins, prob- ably nightly, but can only be seen every seven years by those who were born on St. John's Eve. His duty is 'o chastise idle and deceitful servants. Jl [ B R 138 LEGENDS AND TALES OF AN old, poor, but honest man left his cottage to gather sticks and healing herbs in the wood for sale in the neighbouring town. He soon had a huge bundle of sticks bound together for his wear>', bent back— bent irom the burden of toil and of years— and a luxuriance of the healing woodroofs made gathering them a light task; but when he reached the town everybody said, " What's the need of wood now, when it is summer ? " And the apothecary declared, " It is June, and the blossoms have already absoi bed all the strength of the plants. You must bring them henceforth in May." No one had an ear for the entreaties of the distressed man, and he set off for home hopeless and dis- couraged. He saw no way of deliverance out of his deplorable condition, no relief for his suffering wife. " Yes," he sighed, ' if the bell in VVimmelburg had not been melted in the last fire, the bell through which God, the good i-ather, cured every sick person who heard its tones, there might be help for my poor wife ; or, if it is not ail a fable, of the great treasure which the monks buried in Sittichenbach, and we could find it ; or, if it is true about the hidden treasure in Eisleben, that only he can find who can watch four-and-twenty days and nights without closing his eyes. Oh ! I could watch the time, for THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. J 39 >ttage to he wood together irden of healing sk ; but ' What's and the ;ngth of n May." stressed nd dis- t of his >g wife, irg had through : person uy poor treasure and we hidden k'ho can tvithout me, for sorrow keeps me awake every' night. But all these tales must be only fancies, and the benevolent fairies in these mountains, who used to help the poor when they were near despair, are most likely long s'.nce gone, or else my trouble would have brought them to my relief And with men, oh! with men there is no pity ! " It seemed to him by these reflections as if a long, giant, shadowy form brushed past him in the twilight, whispenng in his ear, " Do not despair." He looked up, but saw nothing but the shadow of the oak under which he sat, heard nothing save the sighing of the evening wind in its branches. With a tear in his eye, he took the bundle of wood on his back and went on. A moment after he saw a shining object on his path. " Ei ! what a beautiful pebble ! " he thought. " I will take it home for the children to play with." It was already late when he reached his cottage, and mother and children were asleep. The thought of their distress when they awoke caused him to trj'- what he could do in the village, but all were deaf to his entreaties. It was a very dark night, and return- ing 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. He opened the door leading into the court ; there it was as if all were in flames. He stood astonished, and gazed at the won- derful light, observed the direction whence it came. .■.s-g.a««u.ni«.«. t40 LEGKADS .4 J ' TALES OF and perceived it came from the little room in which he had laid the pebble on the window bench. He recollected the stone he had picked up. and the belief m a good mountain spirit, and hurried to the room. 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. Bergmann examined it well, aid said. "I don't know this stone, but it must be worth money. Come with me to-morrow to the town, and if you only get a Thaler for it, it is some help." The following day they went to a jeweller, a Jew and offered him the stone. Hardly had he cast eyes' on It than he started, and cried. "Wonderful! How did you come by the stone >. " The poor man was so frightened he was unable to reply; but Bergmann, who had more experience, sa-d " It does not matter where the stone comes from ; you need only tell us how much you will give for it" "Well!" replied the Jew, "shall I have it for a hundred Thaler } " "How much.>" cried the finder, who could hardly believe his ears. " I am not in a mood for jokes ; say honestly how much you will give." "What, did I say a hundred Thaler ? " replied the Jew. for he thought the apparent anger of the seller had another cause. " I beg pardon ; I meant to say a thousand Thaler." THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 141 The two friends were speechless witl> astonishment ; Bergmann, however, answered, " How could you make us such an offer ? Give us the stone, for you will not pay what it is worth." " Indeed you are fight," said the Jew with a low bow. " You must be joking with poor Lc-i, for you must know I could not command a sufficient sum to buy so costly a jewel." The amazement of the two friends increased everj- moment, for the Jew was known to [ j one of the richest men in the place. Bergmann, hovveve; 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." " Why should I not .' " replied the jeweller. 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." " And how high do you value it } " " 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." The finder almost lost his equilibrium, while Berg- mann put his hand to his head to see if it stood in the right place. " Three kingdoms, did vou say ? " - " Three kingdoms ; and the purchaser could make money in the transaction.' An hour after, the two friends stood before the 142 LEGEXDS AND TALES OF treasurer of the Prince, for the finder could not make up his mind to undertake the iourney to Augsburg until he had provided for his wife and children, and asked him if he would advance a hundred thousand Thaler on the jcwcl,.ti]l they could sell it to r'ugger. But the treasurer was a vicious and avaricious man, who resolved to have the stons at any price, evrn 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. To prevent unpleasantness they consented, and went home laden with gold. Mothc' and children were provic'ed with every com- fort, 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. The Jew received a handsome sum, and Bergmann was independent /or life through his grateful friend. But how did matters go with the dishonourable treasurer? His punishment was swift and terrible. The next day he broke a piece from the stone, the tenth part of it, and presented himself before the Prince. " Your Highness has given me a command to pur- chase jewels, as precious and costly as were to be found, that you might present them to the Princess of 1 ii *^ Ik .^■ THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 143 a i 'fV the adjoining dominions, and thereby win her iiand .and realm. " I have not been able to find anything costly enough, and hence only one thing remains to be done. I pos- sess a stone of priceless value, an heirloom of my family, which one of my ancestors took from a Ma- homcdan Sultan. I will resign it, however painful it may be. Only look at it and judge if any female heart could withstand such splendour. 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 U.nd. Judge if I am unreasonable." " Thou shalt have it ; thou shalt have more than thy demand!" cried the Prince, as he beheld the glit- tering jewel, knd 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. The treasurer went joyfully home, dreaming of princely honours, for had he not still a greater part of the stone in his possession ? Meanwhile the Prince called his favourite courtiers, and showed them the stone. No one spoke for as- tonishment. 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 re- gretted that they faded in a few days. " What ? a pebble ,' " cried the Prince. ^ i44 I.EGEADS AND TALES OF "Yes, your Highness, only a pebble." " A pebble ? Not a precious stone ? Then I ha\'C been deceived." "Has your Highness bought it at a high price? Such stones are found in the earth, but the sunlight soon fadv'is the colours." " I have promised the treasurer half my kingdom for the stone." Command was given to arrest the treasurer, but a friend had given him warning, and he had fled. They pursued him, the Prince at their head, found the un- happy man, deceived as well as deceiving, in a tree, and shot him dead on the spot. IT was at Whitsuntide of the year 1292, as tradition tells us, that the town council of the free, imperial Muhlhausen 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 com- mitted a crime, he should be pardoned. At that time a monk of Kloster Reifenstein sat in the dungeon of the Rabenthurm '—now called the Adlerthurm 2— under sentence of death. In the days of his freedom, when he had gone on ' Rabenthurm— x^sm. tower. ' Adlerthurm— &rig\G tower. THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 145 affairs concerning his convent from Pfaffcnrodc to St. Daniel, he had often seen a spring among the hills. 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 free- dom. But the spring bubbled up in a deep valley, and a long chain of hills lay between it and the town. And the monk thought and studied, for before hi.s 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. He tossed restless on his bed of straw, longing for the dawn. Now he sank into an uneasy slumber, disturbed by the most frightful dreams. The Rabenthurm seemed to quake and tremble, he heard distant thunder, and saw the glare of the lightning. Now the foul fiend stood by his miserable bed tempting him. In exchange for his soul, he promised to conduct the water of the spring to the upper town, and pro- duced a roll of parchment containing a plan of the work. At length the unhappy man consented to the pro- posals. Again he dreamed of his childhood, of his dead II 'i-i ilj r 146 LEGEA'DS AND TALES OF 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. At break of day the monk opened the fatal roll. 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. He immediately made his proposals to the council. His freedom was promised him if the work suc- ceeded, and a body of labourers was given him for the carrying out of his plan. And soon the crystal stream gladdened the thirsting upper town with an abundance of water. But the monk, so soon as he had fulfilled his con- tract, disappeared, and even gratitude could find no trace of him. He was never seen again. Silbc0arbr ttttb tlje drtincvbuvQ. IN the thirteenth century there lived in Miihlhausen a respectable locksmith, who was also an alder- man. This Hcrr Adam had six sons and an only daughter, Hildegard, who was the . loveliest maiden of all the plains of Germany. The father's pride and joy were in these children, but his happiness was doomed to annihilation. 1 gathered the )\v again he c fatal roll, law the way s, by which difficulty to the council. ; work suc- ,'cn him for :he thirsting led his con- >uld find no Vluhlhausen o an aldcr- d an only est maiden se children, ion. 1 THE HAR/. MOUNTAINS. »47 A wild and lawless knight of the Castle Maincrburg 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. 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. Hut the father, distracted with grief, determined at once to rescue his child. 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 be- sought her aid in his bold project. 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. 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. 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. Great were the jubilee and gratitude of the citizens when they saw the fallen fortress, and great their praise of the victors. The fair Hildegard retired to the Brucken Kloster, I4S LEGIu\'DS AXD TALES Oh' where she died; and still the maidens of Muhlhausen sing many a song of her beauty and singular fate at the joyful dance of the KirchneUifest. » ©Ijc (rijvffc §tottc |Jrtvtri^nc«. ON a Hying buttress of the colossal Mari'^nkirche, in Muhlhausen, are three stone partridges, and I am about to explain to you how they came there. At the time when Germany was in the middle of the great Reformation contest, two prelates 5at to- gether 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 Muhlhausen was likely to adopt the Lutheran creed. At last one of the reverend prelates jijrew angry and c.Kclaimed : " 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." But, lo ! scarcely were the haughty words uttered, when a cooing and a fluttering of wings were heard. The prelates fled in a fright, seeing themselves • In Germany an annual festival is held in commemoration of the dedication of the church of the place, called the Kirckweih- y^j/— dedication festival. Feasting, dancing, and universal mer- riment are the order of the day. Friends are invited from far and near, and it is an occasion of general re-union in the parish. ■ f Miihihauscn ingular fiitc at Mari'^nkirchc, •t ridges, and I mc there, the middle of elates sat to- pty ones were and discussed octrincs, and the Lutheran :w angry and w turning on c faith of the r in this good ords uttered, vere heard. ; themselves imemoration of :he Kirchweih- universal mer- ivited from far 1 in the parish. THE HARZ MOVNTAIXS. ,49 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.' rijc 4?0vc»tcr itnb tl)c QBitcljrtntch (KnttU. T^HK forester of Scharzfels, with his gun on his 1 shoulder, was one day sauntering through the wood, when, as he turned a corner, he saw three men "1 a young plantation digging, and thereby doing much mi.schicf. Already a. strong oath was on his lips as the figures turned round and, through their odd, foreign appear- ance, frightened back- every expression of anger. One was a tall, from the weight of years not much bent, grey-headed old man. 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. The second was a strong, powerful youth with flam- 'ng eyes. An odd-shaped, pointed hat rested on his curly black hair, and an uncultivated beard covered the lower part of his face. 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 hps full of power. All three looked at the approaching huntsman with ■I ISO LEGENDS AND TALES OF SO much firmness and composure that he was only able to inquire, " What are you doing here, gentlemen ? You are trampling under foot the young growths, and with your scraping and digging you will destroy many a thriving tree." 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 pre- vented, 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. Theyexpressed themselves, however, willing to make indemnification, if the forester would only make his demands. 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. Several years passed away ; but every St. John's Day the forester saw and spoke with the same three strangers. At last, one sultry summer afternoon, he threw himself down under a tree, and soon sank into a deep sleep. How long he had slept he could not teil ; as he opened his eyes he saw himself in a perfectly strange place, in which directly before him rose a stately, wonderful castle, surrounded by a high wall. ■ OF : he was only re, gentlemen ? J growths, and destroy many ddress mildly, used a little ot to be prc- lis very spot necessary to jreat distance illingtomake •nly make his ^ forester that suit of it was ut hindrance, nity. ry St. John's le same three )n, he threw k into a deep t tell ; as he ectly strange se a stately, ■all. - THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. ,5, Terrified, the forester gazed around. It was certain that he had never before seen the neighbourhood, and ihat he had been transplanted from Scharzfels tci the spot by enchantment. In the anguish of his spirit he said the Creed the • Lord's Prayer, the Ave Maria, prayers for storms,' and all the others he could think of, all mingled in the wildest confusion, like one who had taken leave of his senses. But whether it was that he had left out a word, or vvas not earnest and devotional enough, the castle Lnd Its enclosing walls stood immovable. The terrified man knew of nothing better to do than to resign himself to his fate, and to observe more closely his surroundings. Dark cypresses rose behind the stone walls, and fig trees thrust their wonderfully crooked fingers forward, as if they would draw him in; shining lizards crept up the wall, glanced at him with their glittering eyes and then wriggled hurriedly into the garden, whirh he could sec through a grated gate under a great arch. Behind and among the shrubbery and trees he could see all sorts of marble figur'es ; goat-footed heathen gods, making awful faces ; small hump-backed dwarfs with cocked hats; hunters with puffed-out cheeks blowing the horn; ladies with farthingales and horse-heads ; urns around which salamanders, dragons and other poisonous worms, with open jaws and red '52 LEGEXnS AXD TALES CF tongues dragged thef. slimy lengths; and many other indescribable, diabolical objects. Among all these grinning creatures strutted a pea- cock, ,n which certainly pride made a most ridiculous figure, as he craned his beautiful neck in the brilliant •sunhght, and dragged his gorgeous tail-alas ! by means of the ugliest feet and legs ever made Suddenly the gilded, grated door flew open, an old Moor came out, bowed low before the forester with h.s hands meekly crossed before him, invited him by a wave^of the hand to follow him, and both entered L Intoxicating clouds of perfume floated toward him Irom every bush and hedge. ^ Wonderful, never-before-see,. flowers nodded to him .n greetmg from their slender stalks, and bent before nim their lovely heads. Brilliant birds flew from branch to branch before Jiim, and sang with almost human voice Then an ugly sea-cat threw itself down from some tree, with .ts winding tail twisted around some branch ground the teeth with a horrid grin, and sprang back into the thick foliage. f. . ^"^ From a side path a purple stork came forward with •solemn gravity, twisted the long neck up and down to affected compliment, scraped with his thin legs behind him, and then walked resolutely before the forester and the conducting Moor, looking almost constantly back to see if they were following. CF ind many other strutted a pea- most ridiculous in the brilhant tail— alas! by made. V open, an old : forester with vited him by a th entered the ;d toward him lodded to him d bent before branch before n from some some branch, sprang back forward with and down to ^ legs behind the forester t constantly THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. ,53 In one of the marble basins a stone vintager upset contmually the cask, and the clear, foaming new wine that streamed from the oung-hole bubbled up in the face of the sipping boy ; in another an idol, endin- »n a fish's tail, blew out of a shell the clear stream in the a.r. and the dust of drops shone in the light l.ke diamonds and rubies. White temples with ivy- entwmed pillars glittered behind the hedges The forester followed like one in a dream, resisting, yet drawn on by an irresistible, enchanting power until they reached a colossal castle, built in a style perfectly unknown to him. He climbed a marble flight of steps, and went on over costly carpets, so soft and smooth that he couid not hear his own steps. The fragrance of balsamic spices floated delightfully on the air from censers in every chamber. Richly-worked tapestry covered the walls, the softest cushions invited to repose, the light, like a soft twilight fell through green windows, and composed the spirit to a sweet calmness and peace. From the lofty ceiling rare birds warbled their delicious melodies in golden cages, and a grey parrot sat on his perch and pecked with his crooked bill the golden wires of his hated cage. Here the Moor stood still, threw open a folding- door and pushed the benumbed forester into a great salon. . ^ In the vast chamber he stood fascinated, like one in 154 LEGENDS AND TALES OF under enchantment, and gazed upon the extraordinary objects on every side. Around the costly chamber, near the magnificent walls, stood all sorts of animals in life-size, in beaten gold, a perfect imitation of nature. Amazed, the forester gazed at the beautiful forms. He never could have satisfied his eyes with looking; and who knows how long he might have stood there, if through another door the three men had not entered whom he had so often seen near Scharzfels.^ They approached him, pressed his hand in the most friendly manner, and inquired how the chamber pleased him, and which piece he would choose. After he had expressed his astonishment at the way he had been introduced into the castle, the forester, in reply to the question as to what object he should prefer if permitted to choose, said he would unhesita- tingly select the stag with his beautiful antlers. After some conversation, the eldest of the three said : " You ho.ve known us many years, and are aware that we want frequently to Scharzfels to search for metals and stones, which you stupid Germans do not prize> but which are, notwithstanding, of great value. We have ni w sufficient wealth, but we would wish to thank you for your forbearance, and entertain you as an honoured guest." The forester was conducted to a salle h manger glittering with gold, silver, and crystal. The rarest exotics beautified the table, and stood in graceful baskets and vases in every part of the apartment. \ THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 155 xtraordinary tly chamber, :s of animals imitation of :hc beautiful is eyes with might have rec men had r Scharzfcls? 1 in the most he chamber loose. It at the way the forester, ct he should lid unhesita- itlers. le three said : e aware that :h for metals do not prize> value. We uld wish to irtain you as 'e h manger The rarest in graceful artmcnt. The most delicious viands and oldest wines were served, and not till a late hour did the m.srry party seek repose. The forester sank, in his silken couch, quickly into the arms of friendly sleep. On awaking, he looked in surprise around him, for he lay under the shady beach in full view of Schloss Scharzfels. " What V droll dream ! " lie cried, springing up and brushing t^c grass and moss from his clothes. But he stood as if transfixed, as he beheld the stag he wished for— the golden stag with great diamond eyes — lying in the grass beside him ! The three men he never saw again, not even on St. J'ohn's Day. IN the grey days long ago, when paganism ruled the land, there stood on the hills near the cave called the Steinkirche — altars to the gods. Bright were the fires to Krodo in the darkness of the night, and on the opposite cliffs rose the fire pillar in honour of the goddess Ostera.* The crackling flames illuminated the country and the mountains, and invited the inhabitants of the near- lying vales and heights to the wild customs, the bloody sacrifices, and the raving dance of heathenism. ' Steinkirche — stone church. " From Ostera we have the name Easter. Hi ■I 4 I 156 LEGEXDS AXD TALES OF Then came from a southern land a hermit to this district. He beheld the smoking sacrificial altars, he heard the songs of the reeling, staggering heathen, and with a slow and solemn tread he climbed the mountain. The peculiar, reverence-awaking appearance of the stranger produced quiet among the raging throng. One seated himself here, another there, another leaned on his spear, and all listened in silence and atte.ition to what the strange figure might have to say to them. And as the tempest with hollow moan^ and wails .sweeps over the tree-tops, so the aged stranger lifted up his voice, and preached to the assembly the Chris- tian faith with ever-increasing enthusiasm. At first they heard quietly his earnest words ; but as he began to condemn the gods so dear to them, and challenged them to break in pieces their iuols, and turn to the worship of the only true God, their rage kindled. They sprang to their feet, forced him to silence, and after a short consultation voted unanimously that the blasphemer of their gods must die. In a k\v moments the trembling old man was seized by the giant forms, led down from the summit of the mountain to a place suitable for the execution. The hermit sent up a petition to the Almighty for 5,trength and courage in the trying moment, released 'limself from their arms with a Samson strength, seized irom one standing next him a wooden battle-axe, and thus addressed the bloodthirsty multitude: I 'A THE HARZ MOUNTAIXS. m crmit to this :ial altars, he heathen, and he mountain, irance of the jing throng, other lenncd nd atte.ition say to them. M. and wails ■anger lifted y the Chris- 'ords ; but as o them, and r fuols, and 1, their rage silence, and sly that the n was seized mmit of the ition. Imighty for ;nt, released ingth, seized tle-axe, and " So sure as I with this weak tool split this firn: rock, so sure as this wood produces a temple for the worship of the one eternal God in this immovable mass of stone, so true is the word, the gospel, which I proclaim to you." When he had uttered these words, he struck with trembling arm the rough cliff, and lo ! the firm rock yielded like soft clay to the weak blow of the wooden axe! And at this moment the sun shone forth from behind thick clouds, bathing rocks and wood with a warm, rosy light, and the birds in a thousand voices sang the praises of Creator and Father. And the hearts of the wild Sassen ' were opened ; with one mind they sank on their knees in reverence and adoration before the God of the white-headed old man who had received the power to work such a miracle. They vowed to a man henceforth to forsake the worship of Krodo, to remain true to the new faith, followed the venerable hermit to the banks of the Oder, and were baptized into Christ's death and resur- rection, and from every side the people flocked to hear the words of the apostle. Thus was formed in the rugged, steep cliff the primeval cave, the Steinkirche, the meeting-place of the first Christians of this neighbourhood. ' Sassen— QAi. German for Saxon. 158 JJLGEXDS AXD TALES OF \, IN the middle of fruitful fields and green meadows not far from Scharzfcls rises the ball- shaped alabaster Romcrstein, on whose summit ragged cliffs rise in the air resembling the ruins of a castle. In the days before authentic history a race of giants dwelt hereabout, who, fearing the mountain-spirit,' piled up these cliffs and constructed thus a giant fort- ress, of which these cliffs are the proud remains. Romar, a blooming youth of this race, was once hunting in the neighbouring forest for deer or wild boar. The soft air fanned gently his glowing face, the birds sang in the thicket, and the gentle influence of the hour led him to slacken his pace. Suddenly he stood still before a maiden asleep on a mossy bank under the rustling trees. Silently admiring, Romar gazed at the sleeping beauty, and the sweetest emotions filled his breast, till the stranger opened her eyes and beheld him, uttered a scream of terror, sprang up, and fled into the thickest of the forest. A moment Romar stood rooted to the ground ; then coming to his senses, he followed the fleeing maiden, and, soon overtaking her, quieted her fears by kind and ' Berggeist. "i% THE HARZ MOU.XTAIXS. 159 inortvtcn en meadows ball- shaped ragged cliffs stle. ice of giants n tain-spirit,' a giant fort- nains. e, was once or wild boar. ig face, the influence of n asleep on ;he sleeping = breast, till dim, uttered the thickest round ; then ing maiden, by kind and honest words ; and this first meeting gave rise to many others. All suspicion, every fear vanished, and love speedily filled the maiden's heart. Romar inquired after the descent of his beloved, and turned pale as he discovered that she was a nymph, and the daughter of the Bcrggeist, so hostile to his race, and a river goddess, and dwelt in the neighbouring mountain lake. The nymph reassured him, d him she was her father's favourite, and he had no, r r sed her a single request, and certainly would r c re. his consent to their union. Accordingly, during the ab^ ce of the Berggeist, they were married. A long time had passed. '' ^^omar slept one day under an oak near Ruma, who held a lovely boy in her arms. Her father, returning from his journey, stepped out of the thicket, and caipe suddenly upon them. His first glance at the pair told him what had hap- pened, and a smothered tone of anger forced itself from his trembling lips. Terrified, the nymph sprang up, and as she saw her secret discovered, and her father so enraged, she rushed toward him and entreated him to be calm. Romar now came forward and sought from the old mountain god reconciliation; but the latter only became more enraged. A wave of his hand called whole troops of well- f^m i6o LEGEA'DS A XI) TALES OF armed dwarfs together, who were commanded to lead away mother and child ; while others so maltreated Romar, that he only escaped covered with wounds to the Giant Castle. The lierfjgeist now tormented his unhappy daughter every hour to give up her husband. Ikit her love for Romar only increased, and her father in his insane rage seized the child, broke it in pieces on the rocks, cursed and swore because he could not take the same measures with his mother, created with a wave of his hand the cave, the VVeingarten Hohle, banished her into it, and left her with a laugh • ■ scorn. Banished into the earth, shut up in a cave, the entrance guarded by malicious cobolds, the wretched Ruma sought to reach Romar, and a succession of cavings in proves her efforts to set herself free ; but her watchful father always thrust her back into the depths of the earth. At last, after long years, she succeeded, by a subter- ranean way, in escaping from her father's dominions, as a full stream to spring into the light of day, and at a time when he, by the decree of an inscrutable destiny, had been attacked by a sort of torpor, she reached her old residence, the Nymph's lake, and was reunited to her faithful husband. The river which springs from the mountain on the border of the Gyps mountains is called, in honour of the faithful, loving nymph, the Ruma. Still its waters redden with the blood of her innocent child. ^'"^sb^sv THE HARX MOUNTAINS. 161 idcd to lead maltreated h wounds to The cliffs of the ruinated Giant Castle wear mournint: still, and bear the .lamc ol the hero, the Romcrstcin, or Roniar's rock. py dautjhtcr her love for I his insane )n the rocks, ,kc the same wave of his )anishcd her a cave, the :hc wretched uccession of :lf free ; but ick into the by a subter- s dominions, f day, and at able destiny, she reached was reunited intain on the in honour of :ill its waters Id. NOT far from the Lautenthal there existed in the pre-historic times the Schloss Schiltbcrfj, or Schildbcrg, of whose builders, destroyers, and history we know next to nothing. All we know is that the Kaiser Frederic I., in war against Henry the Lion, took the castle in 11 80. On the lUgged, precipitous rocks stand the ruins of a dilapidated tower, now half veiled by clouds and mists, now echoing the roar of the savage tempest. Beneath, in the still valley, is a half-sunken grave, and a weeping willow spreads sadly her branches over it. Above, on the wild rocks, once stood a strong castle, whose walls hid many a deed of horror and crime. Below, in the peaceful vale, there was a small, simple hermitage, where an old hermit had dwelt alone long years. From the high fortress the robber-band of knights rode down the mountain, for they perceived the long- desired prey in the distance. Beneath, by the quiet hermitage, appeared the pious old hermit, looked reprovingly upon them, and shook his silver-white locks. "Ye wild knights!" he cried, " ye shall no longer 12 "IB^^Kf ■ It 163 LEGENDS AND TALES CF bring disjjracc and shame upon the honour of knight- hood. No longer shall ye march forth to rob and plunder. Know, thou leader of thy robber-troop, thy time is e.xpircd. Enter my hermitage, confess, and take the communion, for thou shalt never again ride living into the valley." But the proud knight fell in a rage at the solemn admonition. " Punish the old bird of ill omen ! " he cried in a fury, and rode away. Now the hermitage chapel is wrapped in flames, and the aged hermit sinks to the ground from many wounds. Dying, he stretches forth his hands in pain, and cries after the retreating knight, " Ride on, ride till the judgment day ; ride every night through the forests, till thy horse sinks exhausted under thee, and may no pious one meet thee, but only the foul fiend of perdition I " Mourning, the robber-band rode back to the high castle, for their leader had fallen with his horse and broken his neck. They laid him in the still vault, but he cannot enjoy the peace of the grave. When the moonbeams fall soft and pale on castle and rocks, he tears in a wild gallop on his black horse below into the quiet valley. To the grave of the hermit is the ghostly ride, and there, a grey, bleeding shadow, stands the murdered old man. '^'i «P53BS5r?OTBr"' A THE hahz mou stains 163 ur of knight- to rob and »cr-trooi), thy confess, and ;r again ride t the solemn 1 omen ! " he n flames, and from many in pain, and n, ride till the 1 the forests, lee, and may foul fiend of : to the high lis horse and ! cannot enjoy )onbcams fall ars in a wild to the quiet stly ride, and :he murdered And a ghostly voice whispers, " Ride on, wicked knight, till the day of eternal retribution ; but do not terrify the good, only the wicked. And where the stumbling of thy horse once brought thee death, there shall thy ride end, there shalt thou stumbl'i every night." Already long the castle has laid in ruins ; but the knight rides ever, without rest, on a wild black steed from its lonely Lower to the hermit's wecping-willow- shadcd grave ; and the enchantment can only be broken when the robber-knight, on his night ride, meets one more wicked than himself. S«Ocnb of ${lbffrl}ol)l. IN the neighbourhood of Lccsen lies a spot called Silberhohl. It is almost round, and several feet deeper than the ground around it, and quite over- grown with swamp-moss. People go by with a shudder, for there is something the matter with the place. Centuries ago a stately castle stood on the spot, in which there was always much drinking, gambling and wild merriment. The nobles of the castle acted as if they owned the whole world ; and everything did belong to them that they could take by force, for they lived by robbing, and were guilty of much violence and cruelty. 164 LEGENDS AND TALES OF One could say Avith truth, there was not a single good heart in the Burg except the young girl Jutta. Everybody loved her, and often, when the robbers had marched out to plunder, she would visit the poor and the sick, and even the robbed, giving them food and the money she had saved. The suffering and poor called her Saint Jutta. Once the robbers had committed a monster crime. Covered with the blood of those they had robbed, they returned laden with booty to the castle. Soon the goblets stood on the oaken tables, and the unholy, lawless revel began. Suddenly the most terrible thunder rolled, a mighty flash of lightning swept the hall, the earth quaked and opened, the walls trembled, the tower shook and fell with an awful noise that was heard miles away. All sank in the gulf, which closed again, and nothing was left of the castle but a deep round spot where it had stood. Many came to see the place so marked by a Divine vengeance, and every one said, " Poor Jutta ! " Not long after the destruction of the Burg, a poor woman in a neighbouring village fell ill. She wept sore, for her three little children cried for bread, and she could work no longer. The mother folded her hands and prayed. Then she .said to herself, " Oh ! if the dear Jutta were only alive ! " Then the door was opened softly ; a light form (figeww^' jSisssmam BS^^ THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. i6s not a single ig girl Jutta. e robbers had the poor and em food and ng and poor onster crime, had robbed, stle. ables, and the lied, a mighty earth quaked er shook and les away. All nothing was where it had 3 by a Divine itta ! " Burg, a poor 11. She wept ar bread, and rayed. Then itta were only a light form wrapped in a white veil, with a gleaming diadem in her hair, came forward to the bed. "Jutta! " cried the poor mother. The figure waved the hand, glanced kindly at the sleeping children, set down a peculiar shaped basket on a table, drew a cross over the mother, and vanished. A deep sleep fell on the poor woman, and when she awoke the next morning she found the basket full of gold pieces. ' " Harmonieen hor' ich klingen. Tone stisser Himmchruh.^'' " Harmonies I hear resounding, Tones of sweet, heavenly music." WHY dost thou sit so lonely on the declivity of the mountain, innocent daughter of the Felsen- burg.? Why does the cloud of care rest on thy countenance } Why dost thou gaze with such sad longing into the vale below } The light of thy eyes is dimmed by a tear ; heavy and an.xious rests thy curly head on thy snowy arm ; as the heavenly glory crowns the head of a martyred saint, so the splendour of sunset bathes thy form. Deep and great must be the anguish that fills thy breast, and yet thou dost endure speechless and ' The valley of the lute. .jj:^ ■iiiiiiiMiwia i66 LEGENDS AND TALES OF II silent. Not a. sigh breaks from thy swelling heart, not a lament from thy lips, not a sad note from the strings of th e lute that lies hushed before thee. Weep no longer, child of grief ; brighten thy sad- dened countenance. He for whom thou art waiting, the beloved of thy soul, will come ; he will come with the quick step of love, and his glunce will chase away grief and care from thy soul. Hark ! Already it rustle?' in the wood, already his tread resounds on the roc'.s ; he climbs the mountain. With the bliss of the purest love he clasps the sorrowing maiden in his strong arms — and yet thou remainest in mourning and tears } Fairest of the blue-eyed daughters of the Harz, is thy heart cold in presence of the flame of love, as the ice of the Brocken is proof against the sun of the spring-time .' Ah ! not cold and hard was her heart ; pure and tender, as the dewdrops in the lily, it lay in her inno- cent breast, and adorned the morning of her life, till the sunny fire of love smiled down upon her. Then a never-before- imagined bliss trembled through the pure flower, her heart was filled with joy, the clear dewdrop dissolved in love. The dewdrop belongs to the sunbeams, and the heart of the maiden to the youth she loves. But fate was not favourable to the lovers — fate, the destroyer oi so many blissful bonds. Jutta was the daughter of a noble whose Schloss lay THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 167 ling heart, not ote from the T thee. htcn thy sad- u art waiting, I'll! come with 11 chase away i, already his the mountain. le clasps the and yet thou the Harz, is le of love, as he sun of the rt ; pure and ^ in her inno- r her life, till 1 her. Then through the oy, the clear >p belongs to laiden to the ers — fate, the ie Schloss lay nea: Leesen, and Ernst the son of an old warrior, who, after having fought many a battle in his youth and won many honours, now poor, weak from wounds, and forgotten by the world, had retired into solitude, to spend the remainder of his days in memories of his active life, and in the education of his only son. Under his guidance Ernst gr-^w up strong and free, a true son of the Harz, lofty of stature and of an exalted mind, with a noble heart and countenance, with a fearless glance and bold design. .Vhere the Innerste, which springs from the Baren- bruche, approaches her issue from the Harz, she quickens her course, flowing among steep, well-wooded -mountains in youthful mirth, or silently over sands, playing with the Wc.t°r-violets, which from the damp moss bend their blue heads in the crystal ripples. Beautiful rises on either bank the forest. Here grow- mighty firs, whose roots spring from the metal-rich graywacke ; there, slender beeches in the clay-slate ; yonder, maples with their lovely leaves. Wild lettuce, yellov/ and red, grows next the round shave-grass, and the water-lily and mallow rock themselves on the fragrant banks ; on the rocky mountain wall shimmers the white-browed swallow-wort, the saxifrage, and the yellow wall-pepper ; from the mossy ground of the forest spring the flaming purple toad-stool, the agaric, and the pale goat's-beard. The classic wood-singers fill the air with wondrous melodies. r,-sat»- 168 LEGENDS AND TALES OF From the topmost branches of the firs, where he has built his nrst, the tiny greenfinch sings his little song. Beneath, on the river-banks, sounds the soft flute-like voice of the white-breasted plover, the whistling of the thistle-finch ; and the blackbird and linnet, the cross-bill and thrush make the green halls merry with their ringing voices. In this valley, on the rushing, roaring Innerste, stood the cottage of unlic./n trees and stones, covered with moss, in which father and son led a contented life, A small garden surrounded it, in which Ernst loved to work ; there he listened to the tales of his father, or hunted in th ; mountain forests. One day, as he had gov;o in the direction of Goslar, a singular howling fell upon his ear. He listened, recognised the hcivl of a wolf, mingled with the piercing neighing of a horse in deadly terror, and at the same time saw a rider tearing in fear over the mountains, without giving any heed to his calls. He Lurried in the direction of the neighing and howling, where he heard at the same time a female voice crying for help. A large wolf hung on the neck ol the almost pros- trate horse, on whose back sat a charming maiden. To see this, and with practised hand to throw the javelin in the body of the beast of prey, that he sank at the feet of the horse, was the work of an instant. Quickly the youth thrust his hunting-knife in the beast, and the bowlings ceased. *1 THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 169 e firs, where ich sings his ks, sounds the ed plover, the blackbird and le green halls ring Innerste, tones, covered a contented which Ernst ; tales of his ion of Goslar, He listened, led with the terror, and at fear over the is calls, neighing and ime a female : almost pros- \g maiden, to throw the that he sank >f an instant, e in the beast, The maiden was saved, and looked gratefully upon her deliverer — and what a look ! An unspeakable bliss penetrated his breast, he stood speechless before the pure rescued maiden, and his whole soul hung on her eye. It was not the rosy cheek, not the crimson lips, that wounded his heart so deliciou-siy, but her eye. The horse was not aible 20 carry her home, her servant had fled, and 1 inst under'^ook to conduct her to her father's Burg. Arr" "d there, not all the entreaties of the rescued rsaider couid induce him to enter, but already it v. <«s diCicult to tear himself away. The impression shehadMli0^ti«»es, and promised with tears in her eye£. Ernst hu' .c ' o more vm'^m.mmHHttms hnt stood dreaming; on a aigh spot wfeni^e ie t:ou*• the wood, he rushed to meet Ivsr, and lived a blisbi.i hour in list'ning to her voice and lute, and she at last confessed she loved him with all ' r heart. But now a rich earl sought tta's hand, and the lord of the Felsenburg promised this suitor his daughter, because his debts wcix. so great that only a wealthy son-in-law could save his estates. jl I70 LEGENDS AND TALES OF k I \ In vain Jutta threw herself at her father's feet and declared she loved a handsome, good, and noble youth of ancient race. " Is he rich ? " was the father's sole question. " No ! " Alas, " no ! " Ernst was in despair, and Jutta wept hours at a time, which only spoiled her pretty eyes without doing her the least good. Jutta at last resolved to give up Ernst for her father's benefit, but she would see him once more, and assure him that her filial love could not lessen her affection for the choice of her heart. That was what caused her sadness as we first saw her, and Ernst, as he rushed towards her, must have had some presentiment of the coming trouble in her resolve. But she could not tell him her purpose, and, as they parted, whispered, " to-morrow we will see each other again." The following day was nearly gone, and evening had sent on her shadow before her. Jutta strengthened herself for her sad walk with a prayer, took her lute, and went through the garden into the forest, to the spot where she usually met her lover. Ernst was not yet there. She walked some dis- tance in the direction of his cottage to a projection of the mountain, whence she could look down into the vale, and waited there for him. Lost in her sad thoughts, her fingers swept lightly the strings of the lute, calling forth soft melodious notes. Finding comfort in the tones, the harmonies ni"f'*iigWjh. ler's feet and 1 noble youth stion. despair, and • spoiled* hcr Dod. rnst for her ice more, and t lessen her we first saw r, must have ouble in her Durpose, and, we will see . evening had strengthened 3ok her lute, forest, to the :d some dis- projection of wn into the wept lightly ft melodious e harmonies THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 171 grew louder and louder, and she listened with joy to the tones, now fancying them the voice of the nightin- gale or the thrush. At last her hands swept wildly over the strings in the strength of her sorrow. Meanwhile Ernst had approached. He listened amazed to the tones, which floated to meet him, sounding entirely different from anything hi: had ever heard from Jutta's lute before. It was as if a clear harmonious voice called back every note that flew from the strings. Slowly and in indescribable purity the harmonies echoed through the mountains, and just where Ernst stood the sweet tones trembled in the air, as if the whole vale were one great harp. " Can there be a cave here," thought Ernst, " which has such a wonderful echo.?" and turned over a moss- grown stone with his foot. Who shall describe his astonishment as he saw a white shimmering stone before him, which extended so deep as he removed the moss .'' His exclamation brought Jutta to his side, who at the sight threw herself into his arms with tears of joy. " We are saved ! It is silver ! " they both exclaimed in the same breath. Of course the earl received a Korb.^ Ernst and ' A'c^^^^—basket Er hat einen Korb bekomnen, is the German or '• He has been rejected ; " "he has got the mitten ; " that is, " he has got the basket." 173 LEGENDS AND TALES OF Jutta were married. Ernst became the director of the mine, loaded with honours for his discovery, and ever since the valley has been called the Valley of the Lute. CSwrt won ^roita. A HISTORICAL TALE. ON one of the border mountains, on the western slopes of the Harz, in gloomy desolation, rise the grey ruins of the old Schloss Staufenburg, which still remind us of a most romantic though sad history. Home-like, and at the same time sublime, silent, and solitary, must have been this now destroyed seat of kaisers and princes in the mysterious Middle Ages. Its position is fascinating, surrounded on three sides by high wooded mountains, with a wide view open to the south, which was then probably partially shut out by the primeval dense forests, now, however, extend- ing over the little mining town of Gittelde and the picturesque mountain landscape to Osterode and the high-seated Schloss Herzberg. The magic of this picture is greatly enhanced by the soft lights -^f sunset, and the dim, semi-transparent mists, which like a floating veil half hide its beauties, and fill the excited fancy with a mysterious pre-sage of that poetic something we call the Past. The mountain — on which are decaying bits of walls, mm H T//E HARZ MOUNTAINS. 173 ircctor of the ery, and ever ''alley of the the western ' desolation, Staufenburg, : though sad le, silent, and Dyed seat of liddle Ages. I three sides i^iew open to lily shut out ver, extend- Ide and the ode and the nhanced by -transparent its beauties, ous pre'^age jits of walls, where, until a few years ago, a strong square tower, eighty feet in height, with openings here and there, looked solemnly down on the vale — is cut off sharp on the east, west, and south sides from its wooded brethren that rise high above it, only on the north side sloping gradually to its base; and it is on this side one climbs to the spot where Kaiser Henry the Voglcr, or Fowler, had a decoy for birds. 1 hfc iialls trodden by royalty, the boudoirs where Beauty ruled eight hundred years ago, are fallen into green ruin ; the death-owl hoots, and bats and lizards house among their overgrown stones. Many of these ruins on the borders of the Harz mountains remind us of Henry the Fowler, who built them to defend the plains and homes of this part of Germany from the wild and lawless Huns. As Duke of Saxony he is said to have lived here with his Duchess, in this hunting-seat, when he was chosen Kaiser of the holy Roman Empire in 920 ; several other places, however, claim the honour. Later the Staufenburg came to the Earls of Katlen- burg, who had their seat near ; and after the extinction of this house it fell into the hands of the mighty Duke Henry the Lion, of Saxony and Brunswick, before whose sword even the powerful Barbarossa trembled, and remained in the possession of his descendants, several of whom wore the imperial crown. The Harz forests with their rich stores of game attracted not seldom the hunt-loving princes of Bruns- 1 74 LEG/:.\'DS AXD TALES OF wick to their deep shades, and horn and hound and the wild ho ho ! hio hi ! of the hunter were heard over mountain and vale. Then came a calmer period for the old Staufenburg, as the retired scat of princely widows, and here lived, in the fourteenth ccntury.thc Duchess Elizabeth, widow of William the Younger. Oblivion at last its green a couple of centuries in this solitude, till it is chosen as the hiding-place of a sinful love, and wild tales came to be told among the simple mountaineers of a White Lady who haunted the castle. On the grey stone balcony stood, one summer day in 1537. two persons in close conversation. The lady, arrayed in white, was of remarkable and striking beauty. A tall form of the most perfect symmetry, brilliant white complexion, cheeks of a delicate rose, very large clear blue eyes, dark brown hair falling in luxuriant natural curls, and a dainty hand and foot, made her the delight of every eye that looked upon her. The grace of all her movements seemed akin to poetry and music, and the expression of her radiant countenance betokened a noble and amiable mind. Her companion, Duke Henry the Younger, of Brunswick-Luneburg-WolfenbUttel, clasped one of her tiny hands, glittering with diamonds, in his own, stroked her magnificent hair, and gazed into her face with silent rapture. ^^S^SSSiSIWW THE HARZ MOL'NTAIXS »75 i hound and re heard over Staufcnburg, nd here hved, jabcth, widow centuries in iing-place of told among Lady who summer day n, narkable and most perfect cheeks of a dark brown nd a dainty 'ery eye that ned akin to her radiant ble mind. Vounger, of ped one of in his own, nto her face It was nearly five o'clock in the afternoon, and the coffee table, according to German custom at this hour, stood in the garden below draped in white, a silver coffee service glittered on the table, fragrant mountain strawberries lent a rich bit of colouring, and by one cup lay a spray of white roses. The broken fountain suggested a feeling of loneli- ness, and the high old grey stone walls enclosing the castle shut it out — or in — from the world beyond, and all the events now transpiring behind them were a profound secret. The white-robed figure Was I'terally dead and buried to the world, which had " assisted " at her funeral. " Oh, Henry I " exclaimed Eva von Trotta, for the youthful form belongs to no other than this Fair Rosamond of Germany, " you strive to comfort me, but in vain. All your words of kindness and passion- ate love, cannot crush the worm that is gnawing at the thread of my life — cannot silence the voice of con- .science. I must open my heart to you to-day, for every visit you make me here I tremble to think may be the last. And yet it is all wrong — all wrong, Henry ; every visit, every gift from your dear hand. is a sin against the good and noble-minded Duchess, once my motherly friend, a sin against your lawful children." "Dear Eva," said Henry, interrupting her, "our children are lawful. I gave you my left hand at the altar, the wedding-ring and its diamond keeper glitter \]. 176 LEGENDS AA'D TALES OF on this little hand I hold in mine. The Church has consecrated our union." " That is only a hollow pretension. I see it all now. Look at this beautiful Prayer liook in gold and pre- cious stones, and the Bible' with my name in gold on its cover," she continued, pointing to a small table where they lay. "They were among your gifts on our — our — our marriage daj'. I come and sit here when alone, where I can look out on the mountains, and read them and seek consolation, but find none. They are a silent reproach to me. You had no right to give them, nor I to take them. And in my Bible I opened yesterday to St. Paul's words : * i/ie husband of one zcife' They pierced like daggers to my heart. Henry, Henry, I ought to flee this spot, and never see you more ; and yet I cannot. I should die if I did not sec your dear face sometimes, and hear your voice." " My darling Eva, put away these harrowing thoughts ; they are shortening your precious life." " Oh ! why did we meet ? or meeting, why was it not earlier, when our love had been no sin > When I recall the affection and confidence of the Duchess, and reflect on my base, false friendship, my face burns with pain and shame. The world would curse me ; .she would too, if she knew. The watch I wear, that you gave me that last morning in the antechamber, ' Luther's Bible appeared two years before this scene. Eva was Protestant. r^ OF rhc Church has I see it all now. \ gold and prc- lamc in gold on ) a small tabic our — our — our len alone, where read them and cy are a silent ' give them, nor )cned yesterday ^ne xvi/e,' They lenry, Henry, I you more ; and it see your dear ese harrowing ecious life." ing, why was it sin ? When I le Duchess, and my face burns ould curse me ; ch I wear, that c antechamber, I this scene. Eva ...fff** IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 'i Wi t' s 1.0 1.1 ■^ Uii 122 ^ §^ 12.0 IS Ik L25 i_u ii.6 ■ji 0% / Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STRiiT WnSTiR.N.Y. USM (716) 172-4503 •^ \ .§v N^ ^ <^ ^^ ^\ "^rN S|L'.:«Mi F'WMMMI CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Instituta for Hlatorlcal Mlcroraproduction. / InatUut Canadian da microraproductiona hiatoriquaa r THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. when I was on duty as lady in waiting, reminds me of the flight of time, and the unceasing approach of a coming judgment. I never look upon it without a throb of bitter anguish. 'Nothing that loveth or maketh a lie ' shall enter heaven— rtwfl' my life is a lie. Oh, Henry ! I shall perish eternally, and my noble boy will grow up to curse my memory;" and leaning her head on Henry's breast, she wept bitterly. Probably Henry's own reflections were not of the most agreeable and consoling character, as he was thus compelled to recall his injustice and sin in his neglect of the Duchess. He gave, however, no expres- sion to his misgivings, but only said, pointing to the coffee-table : " Let us think of this no more ; dry up these childish tears, and let us ^o down — come, dear." " My tears are not childish, Henry, only useless. But the world will discover our dreadful secret, the Duchess and her powerful father will complain to Kaiser and Pope, your visits will be forbidden— and what will become of me and my boy .' " " Eva, I will do what I before proposed, before you came here. I will seek a divorce from the Duchess, and we will be married in the face of the empire, and your boy my favourite son, shall be my heir to the ducal throne." " God forbid ! " cried Eva in feverish, wild e.xcite- ment, clasping her hands ^nd looking up to heaven, in which attitude she presented such an enchanting grace and beauty that Henry caught her in his arms wwmmmmm MM ■ 178 LEGENDS AND TALES OF and covered her face and hair with kisses, calling her by every endearing name he could think of. " No, Henry ; never, never will I be guilty of such a gigantic wrong. My son shall never be your heir, shall never supplant your first-born sou and lawful heir. My noble Eitel' is noble in character as in name ; he would never consent no more than I. But I live in constant terror of discovery." " Do not fear that, my darling ; every servant here is bound by a solemn oath ; your faithful nurse Magda is the only one who is permitted to leave the castle, and she does so in the deepest disguise. The priest at Gandershein who united us at the convent altar is bound by his priestly vows, and the heavy bribe I gave him, to silence. The Abbess, too, who managed the details of your funeral, and the artistic priest who made your wax effigy and the plague-spots with ink on your white face and hands, are both bound by the most solemn oaths. None of these will ever betray us, and no one else knows our secret — we are safe." Henry was right. Though this relation continued seven years, and ended only through Eva's death, no one discovered the secret ; he himself revealed it :n his partial love for her only son, whom he sought to make his heir. But the lovers little imagined that one person knew Eva was not lying in the damp vaults of the convent, and that they would be at the mercy of this discoverer. ' £//<•/— noble. mmmmmmm ■ OF isses, calling her ink of. )e guilty of such er be your heir, soil and lawful icter as in name ; in I. But I live ry servant here is ul nurse Magda leave the castle, jise. The priest convent altar is e heavy bribe I 10, who managed tistic priest who le-spots with ink th bound by the ill ever betray us, e are safe." elation continued 1 Eva's death, no revealed it in his e sought to make agined that one the damp vaults be at the mercy T//£ HARZ MOUNTAINS. ,79 Their conversation was interrupted by the entrance of the little Eitel Henry, a princely boy, who inherited his mother's striking beauty, his long brown curls falling over his shoulders. " Come, Miitterchen, coffee is ready, and I have put some white rcses for you, and Babette has brought mountain strawberries : come— come. Papa," and the little fellow put up his mouth for a kiss. The mother stooped and covered his head and face with passionate kisses, and Henry, springing forward, enclosed them both in a tender embrace. Behind came nurse Gretchen in snowy cap and apron, with a lovely babe in her arms, and both parents sprang forward as if each would be the first to seize the child. To a stranger who had not been behind the scenes it was an innocent and pure family scene, betraying nothing of the wrong and bitterness these relations had caused. To explain further, we must go back in our history to Eva's childhood, and her introduction to the court of Henry the Younger, Duke of Bininswick and his Duchess Maria von Wurtemberg. A lovely spring morning dawned joyously over the castle of the Marshal Adam von Trotta— or Troth— of Brandenburg, but sorrow housed within it, for the lady of the castle must die. The invalid reclined on a huge old-fashioned sofa, propped up with silken cushions, surrounded by her husband, her two sons, Jfp --.-ix^-:, I 1 80 LEGENDS AND TALES OF and her young and only daughter Eva. It was a large and richly-furnished chamber, hung with rare paintings, but the most charming pictures of all were the views its windows commanded. The dying mother kissed and dismissed her children, knowing it was for the last time. The manly youths kissed the mother's emaciated hand and silently retired, but Eva flung herself sobbing on her breast, and refused to be comforted. At last the Marshal led her from the room. " We are alone for the last time," said the invalid, as the Marshal returned, putting her hand in his. " Move me nearer the window, that I may look once more' on the park I love so well." After a pause she exclaimed, " My poor motherless Eva !— as she will be before this morning's sun goes down. I can leave my sons with more resignation, for they are noble youths, and able to fight the world'.'", battles ; but Eva has the dangerous gift of an unusual beauty, and the world is full of snares and traps for such as she promises to be." " She is your image when I brought you home a young wife. ' She has your eyes, your brown curls, now touched with grey, and to me dearer than ever. In her I shall see your form and face every hour," " Nurse Magda has promised me never to leave her, ' In Gennanyone never says.ffrrtw/— bride— after themarriage ; but diejunge Frau— young wife. Braui is employed during the engagement. -^ UMMlWl l HMWI OF ilva. It was a lung with rare ires of all were ed her children, ' J manly youths I and silently ; on her breast, ; room. aid the invalid, ;r hand in his. may look once poor motherless ning's sun goes ore resignation, fight the world's "t of an unusual ;s and traps for ;ht you home a )ur brown curls, earer than ever, svery hour," ^•er to leave her, -after the marriage; Tiployed during the THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. t8t and her foster-sister Alice, who is strongly attached to her, will be of great assistance in watching over her as they both grow older. Keep Eva with you as long as you can, but in the event of a campaign send her to your brother." The speaker exhausted, sank into a peaceful slumber, and when the setting sun illuminated the chamber, its golden beams fell upon the face of death. They laid the mother in the old family vault ; hus- band and children brought immortelles and roses for* her cofifin, and left her to her cold but safe repose. The Marshal did as his dying wife had counselled, and kept Eva in the parental castle till her sixteenth summer. The bud had blossomed into a wonderful flower, the pride of the desolate father's heart. But the time has arrived when the soldier must go forth to battle, and Eva is sent to her aunt and uncle for a visit of indefinite length. At this period, un- decided as to Eva's home, and depressed with fears and anxieties regarding her future, business calls the Marshal to the Court of Brunswick,' then held in the ancient Castle of WolfenbUttel, 2 and this visit is des- tined to decide the fate of the youthful Eva. The piety and amiability of the Duchess Maria made such a deep impression on the mind of the -statesman and soldier, that he entreated her to become the guardian of his motherless daughter. Her Trans- ■ Emtio' s M^c-i'— Bruno's settlement, or town. ■» WolfenbUttel— \io\f% cave. TV. 182 LEGENDS AND TALES OF parency consented, and Eva became first lad>-in- waiting to the Duchess. Little did the father imagine he was thrusting his child into the wolf's den, for a worse example of a false and neglectful husband than Henry the Younger of Brunswick-VVolfenbUttel it were not easy to find. The Duke and Duchess were in no wise congenial spirits. Henry was a handsome man of fiery temper and hot blood, loved both chase and feud, possessed more physical strength and beauty than mind or virtue, troubled himself little with the duties of government or the interests of his subjects, leaving affairs of State to his minister. Henry had no sympathy for prayers and church- going, neglected his pale, youthful wife, seldom visit- ing the wing of the gloomy old castle she occupied except when etiquette demanded his presence. In this deplorable state of things Eva von Trotta appeared at Court. She stood in the courtyard by her father's war-horse to take leave of him, promised to be good, which promise she fully intended to keep ; the stern old soldier kissed her, sprang on his horse, brushed away a tear which defied all his iron firmness, stormed over the drawbridge, and never saw his fair child again. Suddenly it began to be reported at Court that Henrj' had bridged over the cleft between himself and his high-born wife. He was seen every evening at her side in the stone balcony, whence they could look down , Jl OF ! first lady-in- is thrusting his ^ example of a ry the Younger easy to find, wise congenial of fiery temper feud, possessed I mind or virtue, of government affairs of State rs and church- fe, seldom visit- e she occupied resence. Eva von Trotta ; courtyard by im, promised to nded to keep ; g on his horse, is iron firmness, k^er saw his fair 1 at Court that ;en himself and • evening at her ould look down THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 183 into the courtyard and witness the sports of the courtiers and the drilling of steeds, and his conjugal attentions were most edifying to witness ; while the new maid of honour Eva stood behind the seat of her ducal mistress, a picture of bewildering love- liness. But the Court did not permit itself long to be de- ceived by the royal hypocrite. It was not the pale, pious Duchess who had so suddenly fascinated Henry, but the maid of honour, radiant in black Genoa velvet and silver spangles, into whose clear blue eyes Henry's brown ones looked so willingly. It soon became perfectly well known to Henry when Eva was on duty in the antechamber of the Duchess, and half-hidden by the heavy hangings of the deep windows, he chatted with her by the hour, and no favourite maid dared tell her royal mistress who entertained the lady-in-waiting while she sat alone. At last, one day, the Mistress of the Robes, who had more than once reproved Eva for frivolity, and whose curiosity had got the better of her dignity, listens and hears Henry ask Eva to meet him in the evening at ten o'clock in the linden all^e for a walk to the arbour at the end of it, and the thoughtless girl consents. At the same time she sees Henry present her with a watch and his portait. Horrified, she at once informs the Duchess of this proposed rendezvous, and persuades her to accompany her in disguise to the arbour at the appointed hour. # ^' ^ 184 /.HGEXDS AXD JAI.ICS OF where, concealed behind the thick foliage, she might learn what was best to be done. Later on this same day Eva sat alone in her boudoir gazing at the portrait, an exquisite enamel set in diamonds. It wa.s a beautiful chamber, adorned with fre.scoes and paintings, mirror panellings, books, and flowers. Opposite where Eva was sitting hung a life-size portrait of Duke Henry the Lion in tapestry. The old nurse Magda had just left her beloved young mistress, and Eva held the portrait in her hand, while a tumult of emotions shook her heart. She was interrupted by a knock, and slipped the portrait hastily out of sight. It was her foster-sister Alice, who was her favourite maid. "Why do you disturb me at this hour, Alice?" inquired her mistress, who struggled to conceal her emotion. " You know I am in the habit of spending this hour alone." " Pardon, gracious lady, but I have .something to tell you which admits of no delay," replied Alice, who had caught a glimpse of the portrait, and noticed the agitation of her mistress. " I wish to leave the Court. It is my wish to enter the convent of Gandersheim. I intend to become a nun." " Become a nun ! When did that insane idea enter your head?" " I am weary of the Court. I am unhappy here. Let me go." 1F ige, she might in her boudoir enamel set in , adorned with gs, books, and ung a life-size tapestry. The beloved young ler hand, wliile nd slipped the ler foster-sister hour, Alice?" Lo conceal her lit of spending mething to tell ed Alice, who nd noticed the ave the Court. Gandersheim. ane idea enter unhappy here. THI-: HAliX MOUNTAINS. '85 Alice did not tell her of the Court gossip she had overheard, and that grief and pain drove her to the convent. "Magda will not leave me, Alice ; why will you.' Stay with me. You knew my dear mamma ; you are nearly of my own age ; I should miss you sadly." " No, I have determined to take the veil ; it is my calling. Let me go." ICva sighed, and replied, rising and laying her hand on Alice's shoulder, at the .same time glancing nervously .it the portrait of Henry the Lion, " I am not happy either, dear Alice. Oh ! I wish I had never left my uncle's castle, and the protection of my brothers. Why was I u lomed to lose my mother.' You seem to me more like a friend than a .servant, Alice ; how can I' do without you, my foster-sister .' " Again Eva paused and listened. Suddenly the portrait of Henry the Lion advanced into the room, and Duke Henry stood in the opening it had left in the wall. Eva flushed, turned pale, and stood in con- fusion, while Alice looked on in bewildered amaze- ment. But Henry said carelessly, "The Duchess is coming, Fraulein von Trotta ; I am only a minute in advance." Alice saluted and retired, muttering to herself, " It is true, then, and worse than I thought, A secret " The following day Alice departed for the convent. i;;! ^^ I ' 186 LEGENDS AND TALES OF The castle clock was ringing ten when two muffled figures stole through a postern gate of the garden wall behind it into the park, and, concealed by the darkness, hastened through by-path , to the lime-tree arbour. Here they waited some time, when at last steps and voices were heard approaching through the lime-tree avenue. Kva was saying, " Do not ask me to stay at Court, Henry. I cannot, I must go at once. The courtiers arc talking ; Alice insists on leaving me ; I know it is out of sorrow she condemns me who am so far inno- cent. Think of my youth — I am only sixteen. My mother is dead, my father absent. Oh, I cannot de- ceive the Duchess. She has been so kind to me, and she is so good. I shall return your presents, which I should never have accepted, and go back to my uncle'.s little castle." " And forsake me, and leave me to loneliness and wretchedness? Oh Eva ! pity me and remain." "And bring disgrace and misery and ruin upon you and myself, and anguish to the Duchess ? Maria's royal father is all-powerful with the Kaiser, who would betray you to the Pope, and you would be excom- municated. I do love you, Henry — but — it is too late. If we had met earlier, we might have belonged to each other. I would live shut out from the world for ever for you, and you alone, and, safe from disturbance and discovery, would be happy." " How very noble and self-sacrificing we would be ! '* •iJ|-iL_ IF ;n two muflRccI Df the garden icealed by the o the limc-trcc , when at last pj through the staj' at Court, The courtiers ; ; I know it is -n so far inno- ■ sixteen. My I, I cannot dc- ind to me, and ;sents, which I to my uncle's loneliness and remain." nd ruin upon hess ? Maria's ser, who would lid be cxcom- it is too late, longed to each world for ever isturbance and ivc would be ! ' THE hart: mountains. 187 exclaimed the Duchess, coming forward from her con- cealment. " And such is my reward for my affection bestowed upon a motherless maiden ! To such a shameful conversation must I listen between her and my husband. Hut I have the power to punish you both, and I will use it ; " and the Duchess and her attendant speedily disappeared in the darkness. The storm had broken upon them. The two figures stood in the arbour, motionless as marble, while Maria hastened to send messengers immediately to her father and other princes, acquainting them of Henry's perfidy. But Eva at buy seems suddenly to have changed her character. She forgets her former scruples, and with a single move checkmates her rival, but at what a cost! She proposes perhaps the most extraordinary plan that ever entered a human brain, and all the more astounding as coming from a girl of sixteen. "What is to become of me?" at last exclaimed Eva, starting from the stupor of terror the sudden appear- ance of the Duchess had caused. " There is not a place where I can go where disgrace and shame will not follow me." " I will seek a divorce, declare the children of the Duchess illegitimate, and we will be married." " Under the ban of Kaiser and Pope ! " cried Eva, wringing her hands in despair. After a pause, in which Eva remained buried in thought, she resumed, " I have a plan, Henry, but the world shall know nothing of our secret. You shall i4|! ! : V. \% 1 88 LEGENDS AND TALES OF give me your left hand, but I must die — I mean seem to. I shall resign my ofifice at Court and retire, osten- sibly to return to my uncle's. On the journey I will be attacked with the plague in the convent of Gan- dersheim, and die in a few hours ; and then there must be a public funeral ; the world and the Court shall see me buried. I leave the carrying out of the details to you. Leave Wolfenbiittel on some plausible plea, and in your absence I will retire. Dead to the world, I will live only for you." Henry, enraptured, caught her in his arms. " My darling Eva ! will you indeed do that } Oh ! then I am happy, and could defy the world. Here is the seal of our bond," and he placed a diamond ring on her finger. They walked arm-in-arm under the silent lindens back to the castle. The moon had risen, and bathed the night in her mystic light ; the stars looked mourn- fully down on the betrayed maiden. Was there no hand to save her from this ruinous step — no voice to warn the betrayer of his sin .' The following day, after a stormy scene between the Duke and Duchess, Henry left the castle to attend to business, as he said, and on his return found that the new maid of honour had resigned her office and left the Court. The Capuchin coi vent of Gandersheim, situated in the Duchy of Brunswick, on the river Gande, enjoyed -« ii.;=i- OF r — I mean seem nd retire, osten- : journey I will invent of Gan- then there must Court shall see f the details to usible plea, and to the world, I s arms. do that ? Oh ! ivorld. Here is 1 diamond ring e silent lindens len, and bathed 1 looked mourn- Was there no ;p — no voice to scene between castle to attend urn found that her office and eim, situated in Gande, enjoyed THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 189 an equal rank with the abbeys of Driibeck and Qued- linburg. The Abbesses of these three mitred convents • had a seat and vote in the Reichstag, and during the earliest period of their existence the abbesses were of the blood-royal, and only princesses and daughters of the nobility were admitted into their sacred retire- ment. This imperial convent Gander.sheim, once endowed with such wealth and power, was founded by Duke Ludolf of Saxoiiy in the last half of the ninth century. It obtained its greatest power under the Ottos, and the imperial princesses were often sent here for their educa- tion, or for security in times of danger. To this ancient convent I must beg my readers to accompany me. It is midnight. A fearful tempest sweeps over the mountains. The Wilde Jdger^ is out with his ghostly train, and Tut-UrseVs^ bowlings ring through the darkness. The rain beats against the windows of the convent as if it would force an entrance, flashes of lightning illuminate the night, and the thunder shakes the old building in its fury, as if it would uproot its very foundations. Before a convent altar stands a bridal pair. The bridegroom places the nuptial ring on the bride's hand ; kneeling they receive the priest'-s blessing, the young ' Mitred convents — those which had a right to a seat and vote in the Reichstag. ° Wild Hunter. 3 Tut f/rj*"/— Tooting Ursula — the nun who broke her vow. 'T^i LEGENDS AND TALES OF wife rises Frau von Kirchberg, ar.d after remaining some days in concealment in the convent, she escapes in the disguise of a monk to Schloss Staufenburg. Meanwhile tidings reach the Court at VVolfenbuttel that the retired Court lady has been attacked with a virulent plague on her homeward journey, and has expired after a painful illness of only a few hours. The Court is aghast at the news ; Henry retires to his private apartments. Duchess Maria, softened to hear of the lady Eva's death, sends members of her Court to attend the funeral. And now we have the second act of the drama in old Gandersheim. The convent church is brilliant with a thousand tapers. High on a rich catafalque before the great altar stands Eva's coffin in a blaze of light. The face of the dead is of a wondrous beauty, the long brown curls fall over the breast, the small white hands, marked with plague-spots, are crossed above the still, cold heart. The nuns, the Abbess at their head, chant the mournful dirge, and the organ weeps and wails as if it were the very soul of sorrow. The courtiers wear the deepest black, and are completely overwhelmed with the awful solemnity of the scene. Through all the ceremony the novice Alice seems like one in a dream. The sudden.iess of the thing is to her incomprehensible. Only a few days ago she took leave of her foster-sister, anJ no\v she gazes on I ii; x'-. wmk OF iftcr remaining ;nt, she escapes taufenburg. It VVolfenbuttel Lttacked with a urney, and has I few hours, lenry retires to ria, softened to lembers of her f the drama in ith a thousand efore the great ight. The face :he long brown ! hands, marked the still, cold ead, chant the nd wails as if it jrtiers wear the rwhelmed with ce Alice seems of the thing is V days ago she V she gazes on THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 191 the dead ! Finally the coffin is lowered ; they are about to close it for ever, when Alice, before the Abbess or the two priests, who alone knew the truth, can pre- vent her, rushes forward with a cry of agony and kisses the cold hands in her sorrow. Suddenly she discovers they are only wax ! Conscious of the danger to herself if she betrays her discovery, she weeps and .sobs louder than ever, and must be almost forcibly removed. They bear the coffin to the convent vaults, the courtiers return to the Court to picture the marvellous beauty of the departed Eva to the Duke and Duchess. In the meantime novice Alice is no novice. She ponders over the matter in secret. " Eva is not dead," she reflects. " Where can she be > What can it all mean >. I will find her if I walk every inch of the Harz mountains. I will disguise myself as an old woman, a seller of lace ; thus I can gain admittance everywhere. But I must get away from here without exciting suspicion." As the result of these soliloquies, Alice informs the Abbess she must relinquish her plan of becoming a nun, at least for the present, and go to her mother, who must be in great distress at the sudden loss of her nursling. But on her arrival at the castle of Wolf«enbuttel, Magda has disappeared, and no one knows what has become of her. For a period of four years, Alice, disguised in a 192 LEGENDS AND TALES OF grey wig, with an artificial hump on her back, sought Eva, wandering from castle to castle, from town to town through the mountains ; but without discovering the faintest trace of either Eva or nurse Magda. The princes of the House of Brunswick were, as I said before, passionate lovers of the chase, and Henry the Younger was no exception to his race. But suddenly this penchant increased to such an extent that his time was almost entirely absorbed with this pastime. He began to be absent weeks and even months in his favourite Harz. At length these long absences excited the suspi- cions of the Court and the Duchess. Tales came to their ears of a lady in white, v/ho had been seen at the deserted old Staufenburg. Spies were sent out several times to watch the castle, but no discovery was made. Eva remained dead for the world. Alice, who heard these reports, knowing what others did not, that Eva was not in the vaults of the convent at Gandersheim, resolved to make a visit to the Staufen- burg, thinking very likely the reports of the lady in white were not simply wild mountain tales, but having some truth in them. This she felt to be all the more probable, since in all her ramblings from town to castle no trace of the lost girl was to be found. Accordingly Alice made her way to the Staufen- burg, and after watching from the thick woods three whole days she saw her mother, Magda, issue from a OF ler back, sought , from town to lOut discovering ic Magda. rick were, as I asc, and Henry his race. But such an extent jrbed with this iven months in :ited the suspi- Tales came to id been seen at were sent out t no discovery ; world. 'ing what others >f the convent at to the Staufen- of the lady in lies, but having be all the more from town to e found. the Staufen- k woods three la, issue from a THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 193 small postern door in the outer walls, so hidden by trees and underbrush as to be unseen when shut. Alice hastened to meet her, secure of her disguise, and told her she had a special message from the Master to the Lady Eva, and must speak with her alone. Magda, terrified, exclaimed, " Who are you ? Whom do you mean by the Lady Eva } " " I am one who knows all the secret, and that the beautiful maid of honour, Eva von Trotta,does not lie in her coffin. Better if she did. But my message Is pressing and admits of no delay. My orders are to deliver it to the lady alone. Admit me here, and leave the door unlocked that I may let myself out again." Magda stared at the old hump-backed woman and her basket, and hesitated ; but seeing she knew the secret, at last concluded all was right. " Follow me," she said ; and opening the postern door and pointing out to her an outer flight of stone steps leading down to a garden, continued, " mount those steps leading to the stone balcony. You will find the lady you seek in her boudoir, which you enter from that open door. She is alone. I will wait for you here, for I dare not leave the gate open. It might be discovered, for I have seen people prowling about here lately a good deal." Alice did as directed. Arrived on the balcony she paused and gazed at the graceful but passive figure H i 194 LEGENDS AND TALES OF half reclining in a fautcuil in full view of the moun- tains. Eva is now in her twenty-first year, and lovelier than ever. Her face and hands are so white as to seem almost transparent ; her curls fall in rich masses over her white silken robe ; her blue eyes have a strange far-away look in them that strikes Alice to the heart. Suddenly Eva becomes aware of the presence of a stranger, starts out of her pensive reverie and exclaims, " Who are you > How did you get in the garden ? " " I met a servant at the postern gate in the wall," replied Alice in a constrained voice. " I told her I had a special message for you." " From Henry ? Then you know all ! Quick ! quick! What is it?" Alice hesitated, for she was so moved at sight of her playmate and foster-sister, she could not com- mand her voice to speak. " Why are you so long ? Speak. I will reward you richly if you bring me good news from Duke Henry." " I do not bring you a message from Henry of Brunswick, but from God," said Alice, slowly and solemnly. " Leave this castle, forget Henry, return to the path of duty and virtue, and seek forgiveness." " Who are you ? " cried the terrified Eva, springing from her seat. " If the Duke did not send you, who did ? Oh ! I am betrayed ! Magda ! Magda ! What have you done .' " r OF vv of the moun- 'ear, and lovelier J so white as to all in rich masses ue eyes have a strikes Alice to le presence of a :rie and exclaims, ti the garden ? " ate in the wall," " I told her I had w all ! Quick ! oved at sight of could not com- I will reward you im Duke Henry." ; from Henry of \.lice, slowly and t Henry, return to k forgiveness." ;d Eva, springing 3t send you, who ! Magda! What THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. I9S " Do not fear, White Lady of the Staufenburg, I will not betray you. I have sought you four long years, because I love you, and would save you from a life-long wretchedness. I was at your imagined funeral, and discovered the farce, but no mortal save myself knows of my discovery. " Who are you ? Why do you come here ? to threaten, to torment me } Do you want money > " " Why do I come .' You are in danger. The Duchess has spies ; stories of a White Lady in the Staufenberg are come even to the Court. The Duke's long absences excite suspicion. He is watched. Think of the storm that will burst upon you both if you are discovered. Leave here before it is too late." " Wh V do you interest yourself for a lonely creature like me, dead and buried f " " You do not know mt — how could you ? My own mother did not recognise me," and Alice threw off hu -4; and wig, and stood befon Eva, a tall, well- formed girl, nearly her own age. " Alice 1 " cried Eva, rushing to her, and seizing her in her arms. "I thought you were a nun in the convent of Gandersheim. You are come to stay with me. Oh ! say you are come to stay." " No, I will not stay here. I have sought you all this time as an old lace-seller, to warn and save you. If you will give up Henry and leave this den of sin, I will follow you wherever you go. Oh ! what words if :!ii(!( 196 LEGENDS AND TALES OF can I use to induce you to leave here ? Eva ! Eva ! it IS your foster-sister, your truest friend, who entreats you. Henry is your worst enemy. He has trodden your honour and name in the dust, but you consented, and destroyed what you might have been for ever. But repentance is left, and there is all eternity to come. " How can you stand before God } how can you dare pray ? You desecrated the holiest ; virtue and inno- cence you have made the tools of vice ; you have stolen the monstrance from the altar ; you swore a false oath before the altar of the Highest. Talk of a left-handed marriage. It is an insult to Heaven's laws. Eva! Eva ! once my pure and dear playmate, the darling of your dead mother's heart, come away with me now — naiv. No one is here to betray our flight. We will go to some distant land, and I will stay with you so long as we both live. Follow your true friend. It is the voice of Heaven you hear. Forget the unworthy murderer of your youth and purity." Eva trembled and turned pale. "What would become of my children "i " she cried, wringing her hands in anguish. " Children ! " have you children ? " " Yes, three. See, that is my noble Eitel with the long brown curls, playing in the garden." " God will protect them. You can do nothing for them even if you remain. They are in the power of their father. Come, come ; oh, listen to the voice of mm S OF re? Eva! Eva! 2nd, who entreats He has trodden 4t you consented, e been for ever. 5 all eternity to liow can you dare virtue and inno- ; you have stolen wore a false oath c of a left-handed en's laws. Eva! ite, the darling of ' with me now — flight. We will tay with you so rue friend. It is [et the unworthy "What would d, wringing her ; Eitel with the en. I do nothing for in the power of 1 to the voice of TNE HAKZ MOUNTAINS. '97 warning before it is too late," and Alice seized E^'a's hand as if she would lead her away. " I cannot ! I cannot ! I love Henry. Love his princely magnanimity, his bravery, his noble pride — even that which others hate in him I love. For him I have robbed the Duchess of her husband, deceived my brave father '-nd my brothers, desecrated God's altar, sacrificed hlie, youth, honour, happiness ; I live only for him. I cannot deceive him, cannot atone for one sin with another." " I must save you, then, by telling your brothers where you are. They will punish the vile Henry before the whole German Empire." She released Eva's hand and turned to go. With a scream Eva sprang forward, threw herself down before Alice, clasped her knees and cried, " Be merciful, Alice ; have pity on my misery. God is merciful. Do not you be cruel. Do not betray me. I am crushed and bruised, the peace of my mind and heart destroyed. I could not be more wretched. What good would it do to betray me .' and in betray- ing Henry, you destroy me, rob me of the only earthly protection I can ever hope to enjoy. Magda is a mother to my children as she was to me. She would not betray me." " My mother was your nurse, hence has a mother's feelings for you. I will not stay here. If I should see Henry, I should forget all respect for his persoi; as Duke, and give him a piece of my mind. I will keep ^i I9S LEGENDS AND TALES OF your secret, but I warn yoi' nf a coming danger. Then I can be of more servl -» you without than if I stayed here. God help I will not betray you." And hastily assuming he^ disguise, for footsteps were heard approaching, she hurried away. Three years passed away after this interview, and Eva remained securely hidden ; but Henry's absences from Court grew longer and more frequent, and at last one of the courtiers resolved to penetrate the mystery. He followed Henry to the Staufenburg, watched four whole days in the thick woods, and the evening of the fourth day, to his utter amazement, recognised Eva von Trotta in the Jitone balcony by Henry's side. The secret was out ! He hastened to the Duchess and told her what he had seen. Maria sent authorised messengers to the convent of Gandersheim, the coffin bearing Eva's name was broken open, and lo! a wooden figure with wax mask and hands ! The Duchess communicates this discovery to the King of VVurtemburg, her fa*her, letters of reproof arc sent to Henry from him and the Kaiser, and the Pope threatens him with excommunication. Henry hastens to Eva with the dreadful news ; but Alice has been before her, and Eva is prepared with another plan. "Tell them to search the Staufenburg, and they will discover their mistake. Tell them I am dead— it is true. Magda shall conduct the children to Kirchberg, and with Alice's aid they and every trace of my ■ OF ng danger. Then ithout than if I not betray you." Dr footsteps were is interview, and henry's absences luent.and at last rate the mystery, enburg, watched and the evening nent, recognised by Henry's side, to the Duchess a sent authorised sheim, the coffin pen, and lo! a nds ! liscovery to the rs of reproof arc Kaiser, and the ration. idful news ; but 1 prepared with rg, and they will am dead — it is en to Kirchberg, ry trace of my THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 199 having been here will vanish. I have a secure hiding- place." " Where, Eva ? " " You shall know to-morrow on your return from Gandersheim, Henry." She took an aflcctionatc and reluctant leave of him, calling him back two or three times before she could let him go. Then she sent for her children, wept over them, and gave her directions to Magda and Alice, and cut off Eitel's long curls that he might not be recognised, his resemblance to her with his long hair being so striking. After she had dismissed them, Eva returned to her boudoir and wrote a note to Henry. Then she took a small flask from her writing-table, poured its contents in a glass of water, and reclining in her fauteuil, drank it. Henry, on his return the following morning, has- tened to Eva's boudoir. Seeing Eva seated, and not springing up as usual to welcome him, he supposed she had fallen asleep — and so she had ; but a sight of her face revealed the dreadful truth." She had taken poison. The empty flask lay on the writing-table beside her ; near it a note addressed to himself. He tore it open. It only contained a few words. " I told you, my beloved Henry, I had a secure ^•-"f-Tflii^llri'iiiii'" ) 300 LEGENDS AND TALES OF ! ! .i« ■' I 1 ' 1 j 1'|< ' "Ij hidmg-placc. I meant the grave. Tell them I am dead. They cannot follow where I am going I would not bring ruin on you and your dominions. Oh, Henry! be good to my children, and never attempt to make Eitcl your heir. My sin was loving you. Farewell. " Yours in death, EVA." Duke Henry had the broken-hearted girl-only twenty-three-buried in the garden of the Staufen- burg, returned to Court an-i insisted on a search of the castle. They did search, of course discovering nothmg, and the mystery was still impenetrable. The Duchess Maria died a few months after her rival, and nothing was ever known of the well-guarded secret, until Henry himself betrayed it in his partiality for h.s favourite son Eitel Henry-Eva's only son and eldest child. The Duke besought the Pope to recog- nise him as the heir to the ducal throne, offering a heavy bribe. His Holiness consented, the more readily since the Duke's lawful heir, Henry Julius, had become a Protestant. But Eitel proved himself, as his mother had laid. noble in character as in name. He absolutely refused his consent to this injustice, and lived in retirement on the estate Kirchberg, which the Duke had given him, the name of which Eva's children bore. The Kirch- bergs, however, soon became extinct. The learned Duke Henry Julius, founder of a ■••- S OF Tell them I am I am going. I your dominions. dren, and never ly sin was loving n death, EVA." arted girl— only of the Staufen- on a search of ursc discovering penetrable, lonths after her he well-guarded in his partiality a's only son and Pope to recog- rone, offering a I ted, the more cnry Julius, had other had iaid, solutely refused ti retirement on iiad given him, ;. The Kirch- founder of a T/fK HARZ MOUNTAINS. Ml university, never forgot the refusal of his noble ille- t,'itimatc brother to deprive him of his birthright, and ever remained his warm friend. There were two castles in the Harz mountains, both of which bore the name of Staufenburg ; that near Zorge, an hour and a half from the beautiful ruins of Convent Walkcnricd. It is said to have been occupied during the Thirty Years' War. When built or by whom destroyed are matters of conjecture. The Staufenburg of our talc is near Gittclde. Some derive the name from the idol Stuvo^ or Stuffo, once set up on the mountain. The mountain was so steep that Staufen, or Stufen — steps — were used in climbing it, hence probably the name. ®be |!ttt«l»t0ttrt«n ^oljlc anbr tljc Crijvee l^en. THERE is perhaps no cave in all Germany con- cerning which so many legends and traditions are in the mouth of the people as this Weingartenloch. A plank crosses over a black piece of water from the outer portion of the cave further into the darkness, far from human help and human voices. The tradition is, that whoever crosses that beam will be given over to the Evil One, who governs there, and .sits, betwet-n heaps of gold and silver, by a table, with a great book before him, in which he writes the name of every person who approaches him. mms^mmm^^m^-^«!>m:m-¥^ '^ •*--"*^ ^ [ ij i ' • 1 r 1 Ij ! i ! 1 s , ill I III .Mi iiii m 302 LEGENDS AND TALES OF t ; But when three enter together, and draw lots with one another, two of thenn may depart laden with treasures, and only the third, upon whom the lot has fallen, must remain behind, and is torn in a thousand pieces by the demon. Two men from some distant country had often entered the cave, and had ahvays succeeded in enticing a third to accompany them, who always fell into the hands of the Gott-sei-bei-nns, since they so arranged it that the lot fell to him. Finally, it struck the inhabitants as something very remarkable that those who had entered the cave with the two strangers never returned, and henceforth they failed to find a follower. Then they entered the hut of a poor man in Dorf Osterhagen, who had a wife and eight children, and challenged him, with brilliant promises, to follow them into the cave. The man, whose name was Schlosser, felt little in- clination for the expedition, and absolutely refused, even if they offered him eighty Thaler. But the wife called her husband into another room, and said to him : " Thou knowest that I love thee dearly, and would sink from sorrow and anguish if thou shouldst be torn from me ; but we have eight children, and no bread in the cupboard, and no money, and with the money the strangers offer thee we should have enough for our whole lives ; so go with them, and be sure no evil will befall thee." T S OF nd draw lots with cpart laden with whom the lot has orn in a thousand »untry had often :eeded in enticing ways fell into the ley so arranged it s something very- red the cave with i henceforth they loor man in Dorf :ht children, and is, to follow them ser, felt little in- isolutely refused, to another room, that I love thee >w and anguish It we have eight i, and no money, offer thee we ves ; so go with hee." THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. ao} And she opened a cupboard, took out a plant, sewed it in his shirt in three different places, made a sign of the cross ah^ve each place, and said, "That which I have sewed in thy shirt is origanum, a sure defence against all enchantment, and even the devil ; so go in peace, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen." And Schlosser embraced his wife and children, and went with the two men, who looked, scornfully laugh- ing, at each other, after having laid eighty glittering new Thaler on the table. They wandered on until they had reached the bean —the fatal beam— where they stood still, and the men warned Schlosser solemnly, if his life was dear to him, to utter no sound till they had passed the next two caves. Schlosser promised, and the three crossed cautiously the dangerous bridge, and entered a cave filled with the most horrible vermin. Bombinas and salamanders seemed to be giving a ball. Bats fluttered thick as a hailstorm through the air. Terrible serpents and dragons coiled hissing around each other. The most hideous brood of nature was flocked together, and swarmed around the feet of the three men entering, as if to form a wall to hinder their entrance. With firmness the three went directly forward toward a second cave, which was large and lofty, and lighted with a magical splendour. At the right, against the rocky wall, shimmering m^" 'Jl \m ■ i\ 204 LEGENDS AND TALES OF with gold and silver, stood a couch of red velvet em- broidered in gold, and on the silken cushions lay a sleeping maiden of such super-terresfial beauty that bchlosser could not take his eyes from .rhe picture, and was drawn forward by force by his companions. In the next cave they stood still, drew a long breath ooked anxiously at each other, and put down their lamps. "Now. dear friend," said one of the men to Schlosser "the moment is come. In a quarter of an hour we may become rich and happy, or for ever lost in per- dition. Immeasurable wealth is in the cave we are about to enter, but only two of us can become pos- sessed of the accumulated treasures, or ever see the hght of day again ; the third, on whom the lot falls, must remain as a sacrifice to the dark ruler of the subterranean world. Be firm and follow us ! " Schlosser felt as if paralysed by lightning af: the terrible disclosure, and without knowing what he did he followed the two, who went on before, and knocked three times on a small iron door. Cracking, it sprang open, and a blood-red splendour shone forth in the great space which they now entered. Gold, silver, and precious stones lay in colossal heaps on every side, and the place sparkled and shone so that even the anxious Schlosser's heart was filJed with joy. But now from a corner a man of lofty stature came forward, with sparkling, burning eyes, black, bristly r 1 r S- OF )f red velvet em- n cushions lay a ^••ial beauty, that 1 the picture, and :ompanions. In a long breath, put down their len to Schlosser, r of an hour we iver lost in per- he cave we are an become pos- er ever see the im the lot falls, irk ruler of the )w us ! " ightning af: the g what he did, e, and knocked J-red splendour ;y now entered, colossal heaps and shone so, was filJed with r stature canrre black, bristly THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 20; hair, dark, bushy eyebrows, and a crooked, arch -A hawk-nose. In a frightful, peculiar manner he twitched his yellow face, and his garments were strange and odd. A fiery-red, gold-bordered mantk hung in bunchy folds from his shoulders ; a broad, drooping Spanish hat, with a long, waving red plume, sat sideways on his head, and a long rapier hung at his side. With a slight bow he passed the three men, and vanished through the iron door by which they had entered. The two men now challenged Schlosser to help them fill their sacks, and as soon as that was done they returned through the iron door, which shut with a loud crash behind them. " I cannot tell how it is with me to-day," said one stranger to his friend. "I am filled with fear, and my teeth chatter, and it creeps like fire in my veins. If only some misfortune does not meet us ! " "Thou art very foolish," replied the other. " Is it not the eighteenth time that we have been here, and we have always known how to turn and shuffle that the lot fell on the accompanying third person .? And where could we have found a better companion than that fellow there, out of whose eyes the most charm- ing simplicity and stupidity look, so that a child might deceive him ? " He would have added more, but Schlosser, who went on before, uttered a cry of horror, and the hearts L;il|ii i |j||i ) ii 206 k LEGENDS AND TALES OF 1 ) of the two friends sank within them, although what they saw they had seen already eighteen times. On the fatal beam over the foaming water stood the devil himself, with all the terrors peculiar to his dark majesty. Great burning eyes rolled like wheels of flaming fire in his awful face, a shaggy-haired hide clothed the spirit of the bottomless pit, and the fearful claws were extended to seize his prey. W!*^h trembling hand the eldest of the two strangers produced the cards ; but however falsely he shuffled them the death-card fell to him, and he began to quake, and grew as pale as the chalk of the wall. Under the pretext that something had been omitted, the stranger shuffled again ; but, to his terror, the death-lot fell, not upon Schlosser, but his own friend. " The third time it will surely fall on the fellow," thought the stranger to himself, and began under all sorts of excuses to shuffle again. The foul fiend raised himself to his greatest height, breathing flames of fire from mouth and nostrils, and cried in a hcl'ow, smothered voice, like the sound of distant thunder ' Only once more can ye draw lots, no more. Over that person there," point- ing to Schlosser, " I have no power ; he is defended, by a plant which he carries on his person, from every danger I " The two old sinners turned paler than ever, and OF , although what :en times. ng water stood 3 pecuh'ar to his lied like wheels §:gy-haired hide :, and the fearful lie two strangers sely he shuffled d he began to of the wall, ling had been mt, to his terror, 3er, but his own on the fellow," d began under greatest height, li and nostrils, /oice, like the e more can ye 1 there," point- is defended, by )n, from every han ever, and I'f THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. zoj looked despairingly at each other ; but the devil waved his hand, and they drew lots for the third time. The lot fell on him on whom it had fallen the first time. Like a tempest Satan threw himself on the de- spairing man, seized him with his claws, rose with him in the air, and tore him in pieces. With swelling breast, breathless, Schlosser till now had looked on all that had passed ; but at this fearful sight the last spark of firmness failed him, he closed his eyes and sank lifeless on the ground. When he awoke he was lying before the entrance to the cave ; near him a sack filled with beaten gold and silver. He looked in vain for his companion, who must have already gone away, if the terror caused by the awful fate of his friend had not killed him. Schlosser was as if paralysed, and could scarcely drag himself to the village near by. He, however, soon recovered, moved from Oster- hagen to Andreasburg, where he built a handsome house, and never forgot that it was through his wife's forethought that wealth and happiness had been won, THE traditions of the apprentices' pillar in Roslin Chapel, and of the bell-founder in Breslau, bear a strong resemblance to this of Stolberg. There was once a bell-founder in Stolberg who was IH I' ml 1 1 I 208 LEGENDS AND TALES OF a master worthy of honour, skilled in counsel and deed. He had already cast many be! is, yellow and white, the poem tells us, for churcnes and chapels, to the praise and glory of God. And his bells rang so full, so clear and pure in tone ; he cast love and faith in with the metal. And Stolberg desired also a work from his hand, and the master emplo5'ed every means to produce a perfect bell for his place of residence. But it was as if the Evil One had a hand too in the work, for the cast was a perfect failure. Vexed, he threw the bell aside, commanded his sixteen-years-old apprentice to prepare everything for a new cast on a certain day, so soon as he returned, and then departed to visit his father, who was also a bell-founder, to relate his failure and ask his advice. The thoughtful apprentice reflected unceasingly on the cause of the failure of his so skilful master in the last bell. After long speculation he discovered the cause, sprang up joyfully, worked day and night, and soon the bell stood without a flaw before the youth's delighted eyes. 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. This stone tradition still points out in the Steigerthal, moss-grown, with a bell and a club hewn in it. mmm^^"*)SSigMsA ■■« S OF d in counsel and r^ellow and white, d chapels, to the and pure in tone ; etal. rk from his hand, ans to produce a e. a hand too in the ire. ;, commanded his >are everything for 3n as he returned, r, who was also a d ask his advice. :ed unceasingly on ilful master in the :overed the cause, id night, and soon before the youth's , he went to meet on a stone resting This stone tradition moss-grown, with a TNE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 209 The apprentice could not keep his secret, and with a countenance shining with joy told his master that he had .tlready cast another bell, which was perfect, and of the sweetest tone. 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. 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. The master fled as if chascti by the furies. 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. He had soon reached him, but no help was possible. Despairing he fled. Unsettled ana a fugitive like Cain, he wandered the whole night in the forest, and when the morning dawned he had made his decision. He returned to Stolburg, presented himself before the tribunal, accused himself of his crime, and de- manded punishment. Deep was the regret, but blood demands blood, and he heard his sentence of death with unmoved com- posure. 15 1^1 II. I- ^ ^'.T' M 2,0 LEGENDS AND TALES OF DURING the Seven Years' War the soldiers stole all the horses. A farmer concealed a handsome colt in a cave in the Steigethal, or valley of the Steige, and fed it with great care. After the departure of the eneniy 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. And the ,cave is called the Celt's Cave unto this day. T N the Goslar Cathedral, of which now but a small 1 remnant remains, once existed a <^o\oss.\ ^ocA^ . statue of this renowned Saint with the Chnst-Child on ^' St'ctistopher once walked from Goslar to Halber- stadt and Harzburg, and on the way shook on the ground a pea which had got into his shoe. The pea grew, and became the sandstone rock called the Clus. u i ♦« The interior of tho rock was hewn into a chapel to the Virgin, which was a shrine of great celebrity. A Schloss once stood on the Clus. traces of which are still to be seen. ! ' *f. > .ES OF THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 211 ^ar the soldiers stole le colt in a cave in eige, and fed it with e of the enemy he le the animal, but it jnger go through the to kill it. And the ;o this day. hich now but a small ed a colossal wooden th the Christ-Child on romGoslartoHalber- \e way shook on the o his shoe. : the sandstone rock hewn into a chapel to of great celebrity. Clus, traces of which ®lje IJttrti^en'* Catw in tljc ^»»tttettJ»«r0. max w\\wt oxitt vttfob tbc $«»atcnlmv0. A YOUNG citizen of Sondershausen had, although honest, industrious, and skilful, fallen into great embarrassment. 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. He took a walk into the country in order to seek relief for his oppressed heart for a few short hours. Soon he was alone with his sorrow in the wood solitude. He climbed the Goldner, 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. He might have perhaps given expression to his trouble in loud lamentations. 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 Jungfern- loch, or Maiden's Cave. His sympathy at this sight was awakened in pro- portion to his own melancholy. He could not restrain H MBMRMM mm 313 fdM i«<||TM LEGENDS AND TALES OF himself from approaching th- graceful figure, and inquiring the cause of her grief. 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 miti- gation of her woe in drying up the tears of others. She told him she had, unseen, perceived what troubled him, and it afforded her soul sweet comfort to know that she could help him. After she had made this statement to the astonished mi-n, she bade him follow her into the cave. \/hen 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. At the same time he must solemnly promise that at the expiration ot a year, at a certain hrur, 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. He promised, and the maiden dismissed him. Of course he was now freed from his anxiety and distress, and from this day everything he undertook prospered. 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. S OF iccful figure, and t her sorrow was :roubling any one only find a miti- tcars of others. I, perceived what -)\x\ sweet comfort it to the astonished the cave. veral dark, gloomy ly lighted chamber, St filled with gold Icn's companion, at pieces of money as nbarrassment. nly promise that at ■tain hrur, he will place, because, as a lerself would suffer ismissed him. m his anxiety and hing he undertook all the demands of ted time, agreeably eived loan. TN/-: HARii MOUNTAIXS. 313 But he could not go in his cvcry-day dress to his benefactress, and the untruthful tailor neglected to deliver the red Sunday coat as promised. At last he determined, though he hud failed to reach the spot at the fixed hour, not to fail in the day. As he climbed the Burgweg— castle road— it seemed to him that the tops of the beeches sighed mourn- fully. He drew near to the cave with painful appre- hensions. No maiden was to be seen. He entered the cave, and found himself at last in the lighted chamber. But what must he see .> The benevolent maiden lay on the ground dying, her countenance distorted with sorrow and pain. Dreadful gloom enveloped the frightened man. Only the treasure in the chest glittered dismally. A long-drawn sigh trembled through the chamber. He threw the too-late-brought money, at the same time crossing himself, into the trunk, wh-ch imme- diately closed, and with the dead maiden disappeared. An awful roaring arose. 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. 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. ai4 LEGENDS AND TALES OE TIIKRE once lived three biothers in Zellcrfcld who were hunters. They went together one day- hunting to the Schalk. when the youngest saw three partridges, and shot at one of them. He thought he had struck the bird, but it flew away, and he followed it to the top of the mountain where it disappeared. 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. All three entered the opening, and came soon to a large room containing a well-served meal on the table, and chairs placed ready. The three seated themselves, ate, drank, and found all excellent. 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 evei under the earth. But if they would remain there th.-c years without seeing the light of day, they would be released. The ladies promised them the best table during the time, and conducted them to see their treasures, and pointing out three casks filled with gold, promised each one. 1tf>'. :s or [hers in Zellcrfcld t together one day Dungcst saw three •d, but it flew away, I mountain where it spot carefully where an opening, which ind called his two ind came soon to a d meal on the table, c, drank, and found ' the repast, three tered, and told the doomed to remain they would remain tie light of day, they jest table during the their treasures, and ^ith gold, promised THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 91$ They also told them they must now become black, and would only visit them once a year, exhorted the brothers to firmness, and left them. At the end of the first year they returned ; they were become somewhat whiter. At the next visit, at the end of the second year, they were grown still whiter. They exhorted the brothers earnestly to perseverance and again left them. The first half of the third year passed happily, but in the last half the eldest brother grew impatient, and asked: "Why should we remain here any longer?" But the younger reminded them of their promise. At last the second brother became undecided and restless, and finally the two resolved to remain no longer. They threatened to murder the youngest if he would not accompany them, and to save his life he yielded to their entreaties. At the proposal of the eldest, they took as much of the gold as they could carry with them. They reached Zellerfield with their wealth, agreed to keep all a secret, and began to live in luxury, each taking to himself a wife. The two elder brothers soon squandered all, but the youngest avoided their extravagance. The two elder, having lost all, determined to retura to the treasure in the mountains, and compelled the youngest to go with them. iS«^*« - '-lAJL v^ ^^ I7# C-HPf' ■iie»uii»«>^ •*«*• — iiiifiiii I 216 LEGENDS AND TALES OP They entered the familiar chamber with the table and chairs, but all was changed. Every object was draped in black, and on the table stood three mourning lamps. The three ladies entered, now coal-black, and silent, and sad ; they were followed by three men, who cried, pointing to the eldest brother, "Thou perjured rascal ! " seized him, quartered him, and packed him in a barrel, likewise the second. The youngest looked on in terror ; but the ladies exclaimed, "Thou art a true friend, and innocent. Take what thou wilt and go home. But we must remain here until we find three rescuers." ®ljc %lat>en of ©lauatljal. A GENTLEMAN in Clausthal had a raven and a maid-servant. The raven carried off all the silver spoons, and suspicion fell on the poor girl. She was tried, and under torture confessed she had stolen them. She was executed, but before her death declared her innocence. Soon after new eave-troughs were put on the gentleman's house, and the spoons were all found where the raven had hidden them. r.s- OF ber with the table k, and on the table al-black, and silent, rce men, who cried, " Thou perjured n, and packed him ror ; but the ladies :nd, and innocent, me. But we must icuers." il had a raven and a silver spoons, and She was tried, and tolen them. ;r death declared her ; were put on the ons were all found \hE HARZ mountains. 217 THERE arc numerous traditions of the Berg- monch in the mining districts. He is always seen in the dress of a master-miner, with a silver mine-lamp in his hand. It is said he was a master-miner, and begged to be permitted to inspect the mines until the Judgment Day. The Monk's valley— Monchsthal— near Claus- thal, was his favourite retreat. In St. Andreasberg the tradition is, he was a monk xvho sought to open the mine-" there, but failed. According to this tradition, he completed nearly the entire canal at the base of the Rehberg,3 called the Rehberger Graben, which conveys all the water to St. Andreasberg for the working of the Samson mine, but became bankrupt through the undertaking. Many wild tales are told of his bringing aid to the miners, and to the poor and distressed, and of hi? severity toward the wrong-doer. In the mining town Wildemann there is a tradition of a wild man who gave the place its name. Once a robber from the Thuringian Forest lived here in a cave with a wild woman ; they were clothed with moss and the branches of fir-trees. The knight Claus, founder of Clausthal, once saw ■ Bergmotuh — mountain monk. '' Wildir J/a««— wild man. 3 Rehberg—stAZ mountain. I f 3l8 LEGENDS AND TALES 0^ this wild man on the Wildmann's Cliffs, with a fir-tree, torn up by the roots, in his hand, and a bear on his back. A LEGEND of this gloomy wild mountain, at the base of which one drives from Clausthal to St. Andreasburg, lingers still with a poetic charm on and around its rocky walls, and is in harmony with its decorations. In the grey primeval days dwelt in this savage wilderness a mighty hunter, hard and rough as the rocks on which his house stood. Hunting was his pleasure and passion, and daily he ranged, with his men, the wood, which resounded with the barking of dogs and the notes of the horn,, which filled the clefts and caves of the rocks and mountains with a thousand-voiced echo. Not even the peace of the Sabbath could check the delight of the huntsman in the chase, or restrain him from his continued persecution of the animals of the woods. " A pious hermit admonished him frequently, and en- treated him not to disturb God's peace of the holy^ day with his tumult and noise ; but the sportsman closed his ears to the warnings of the old man, and ' Rehl>ergerkHppe—(MoU\\t stag mountain. 0^ fifs, with a fir-tree, id a bear on his mountain, at the Clausthal to St. ;tic charm on and liarmony with its It in this savage ind rough as the •assion, and daily which resounded lotes of the horn,, of the rocks and ;cho. :h could check the ip, or restrain him :he animals of the- Frequently, and en- peace of the holy 3Ut the sportsman the old man, and ig mountain. THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 219 the hermit returned to his hermitage accompanied by the scornful derision of the ungodly hunter. The evening of an October Sunday fell softly over the mountains ; the tops of the fir-trees, rocks, and mountains were bathed in the golden splendour of sunset ; on the whole scene lay deep silence, only the waves of the Oder murmured in the distance their eternal song; only the timid game left its secure hiding-place, stole cautiously with light, slow steps out of the thickets, aud sought the spicy plants or the cooling spring. Then resounded suddenly the noise of ihe hunt in the distance ; the game so peacefully refreshing itself fled in terror, and the tumult increased every instant. A snow-white stag flew with the rapidity of the wind over the mountains, pursued by the hunters on foot and on horseback, and surrounded by the barking pack of hounds. The ground thundered beneath the horse-hoofs, and the mountains rang with the wild "hallohs!" of the riders, the cracking of whips, and the clashing of weapons. The hunted stag -jroaned, and escaped his pursuers with his last strength. The noble animal stood breathless on the brink of the abyss which is called after him the Stag Cliff, and started back in fear and trembling from the black gulf- And louder and nearer thundered the wild call of I i 230 LEGEXDS AND TALES OF the hunters, the hunting horns came fearfully near, and as the hounds would seize their prey, the stag, in deathly terror, made the leap into the frightful deeps. And there arose a singular light, a dazzling splen- dour shone around the hunted animal, and unseen hands bore it softly below into the secure valley. But the hunters, with horse and hound, were driven by magical power to follow the stag. From the rocky cliff the whole company leaped into the depths, and huge blocks of granite and high pines sank after them and buried their mangled bodies in eternal night. From that time it has been a haunted spot, full of untold horrors, and the wanderer hastens by in fear when darkness is closing in on the mountains. And at midnight, when the death-owl hoots and soars over the vale on heavy wing, and the fantastic moonlight transforms the dry trunks of the trees into grey spirits of the night, the giant forms of hunters brush pa^it, and the firs whisper, then rear, and a smothered crash rushes on like the swelling waves of the sea. ON the spot now covered by the Tanzteich once stood a stately Schloss with lofty walls and battlements. A rich knight, whose name has been drowned in ■ 7««ir/«V'/<— dance pond. i '« V'- J ' 1, •ammta KS OF mc fearfully near, ir prey, the stag, in he frightful deeps. [, a dazzling splen- |n!mal, and unseen secure valley, hound, were driven e company leaped af granite and high leir mangled bodies launted spot, full of hastens by in fear e mountains, ieath-owl hoots and ig, and the fantastic inks of the trees into int forms of hunters :r, then rear, and a he swelling waves of ' the Tanzteich once ivith lofty walls and las been drowned in pond. TV//: HARZ MOUNTAINS. 331 the stream of time, dwelt in it in luxury and splen- dour. 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. Once the lord of the castle gave a brilliant enter- tainment. '. 'he 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 ".i the distance. And the night grew darker, and the waves of the Zorge murmured with a hollow moan, and the flowers grew wet with dew. The heavens gathered blackness, the water of the river seemed to sing a death-song, and the flowers on its banks to weep. Then the lightnings covered the mountains with flames, making the darkness still more terrible. An old man stole softly and slowly up to the castle. His garments betrayed the greatest poverty, but his countenance was noble, and his thin locks were dripping with the rain. He entered, but the servants paid no attention to him, but sat drinking. He mounted the stone stairway, and reached the ball-room, where knights and ladies whirled in the dance regardless of the storm. ^^i^i»s0^m,>ii!^%^MiM?i^i: ""mmmm^w. ft23 LEGENDS AND TALES OF He did not venture to enter, but stood timidly near t'le door, hoping that some one might take pity on his ronditicr.. He did not stand long unobserved. The master himself perceived him, but nis heart was not touched with pity. 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 ? "Thou shalt pay dearly for thy impudence, and go down •more quickly than thou camest up ! " And he seized him, dragged him to a window, and threw him, anjid the laughter of the guests, into the .depths below the castle. 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 ! " 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. 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 hor- rible dii^e. S OF THE HARZ MOUNTAINS, 333 tood timidly near jht take pity on ig unobserved. m, but nis heart nger, he pounced out of his humble under, " Insolent enter my castle ? ;nce, and go down to a window, and ; guests, into the n the midst of a irful voice, before dot blood turned se the poor, and :his spot with all nk this very hour 3 uttered, when a ^ serpent, pierced allowed, the earth I deeps, and was in the stillness of It merriment and roans and a hor- ON the spot where the few houses forming Dorf Neuhof now stand lay, centuries ago, a farm- house built of stone and ornamented with oddly-twisted chimneys. 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. And yet the owner of all, Herr Adam Neubauer, walked discontentedly up and down his room. 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 dis- pleasure broke forth in expressions of anger. " Anna," said he to his wife, a blonde of perhaps thirty year" with soft features and gentle dove eyes, m f mm 224 LEGENDS AND TALES OF " thou knowest I am patience itself, but that is too bad:-that is too bad. The people take advantage of my forbearance and kindness, and it is time to let them see that I can also be angry. 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 ! " « 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. Certainly it i.s vexatious when wicked men lay hands on our pro- perty ; but as all the people of the earth a.e not purely honourable, if thou wilt appoint guards, thou wilt soon have the pleasure of seeing the thieves face to face." " It is just that that makes me so angry," answered Neubauer— " that all the appointed sentinels do not help in the least. Since eight days, our servants, well hidden, have watched ; but no one has shown him.self, and nevertheless as much has been stolen as before. What is to be done ? " Anna heard with surprise this puzzling communica- tion, and after many suppositions on the subject she went out shaking her head, to direct household mat- ters, and Adam remained alone with his vexation. . The evening of the same day the heavens had greatly changed. It had been sultry all day, and now dark, silver-bordered clouds rose over the Harz, united and formed a colossal black wall. S OF f, but that is too :akc advantage of it is time to let Tlie first one I one ear, shall be so ;ome again, thou a Anna, in a gentle )and so excited for so. Certainly it is lands on our pro- the earth a.e not point guards, thou ng the thieves face o angry," answered :d sentinels do not s, our ser\'ants, well : has shown himself, n stolen as before. uzzling communica- on the subject she •ect household mat- ith his vexation. - / the heavens had try all day, and now »ver the Harz, united THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 335 It grew darker and darker. Hollow rolled the dis- tant thunder, the dazzling lightnings flamed, and great drops fell. 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. 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 Ira were come. 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. He had to wait long before his knocking was heard, for the storm turned the weathe-cock with a rattling noise, shook the tiles of the roof, and chrew at intervals an open-hanging shutter violently to and fro. 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. i6 1 ji lm 1 ^|B . 1 ii j 1 1 " ■ 1 i ,1 i:. i!» it6 LEGENDS AND TALES OF 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. The guest listened attentively, and tnen went out for a few minutes to look at the neighbourhood. He shortly returned, took his staff, thanked Neu- bauer 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. 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 sec the cunning rascals. And now farewell ! " He disappeared through the door and left his host in the greatest amazement at his odd advice. True, his astonishment gave place to scornful laughter, and Adam concluded to himself not to permit himself to be made a fool of; but as he found, several hours afterwards, that a new robbery had been committed, he decided, nevertheless, to follow the stranger's advice. It was a glorious still night. In the shadows sang the queenly nichtingale. The full moon shone in the cloudless heavens. The precipitous wall of the Sachsenstein stood in shadowy contrast against the star -powdered blue, and seemed in the magical moonlight as if silvered. :s OF comfortable, and in his guest that jlass, and speedily e fields with all id tiien went out ghbourhood. aff, thanked Neu- I, and said : " Ye ve, me a perfect ny counsel. If ye )b your fields, go in the air with a he cunning rascals. r and left his host dd advice, place to scornful to himself not to f ; but as he found, V robbery had been ess, to follow the I the shadows sang moon shone in the ;hsenstein stood in tar -powdered blue, igh\; as if silvered. THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. }ttf Herr Adam stood early in his pcaficld watching, and as the bell in the neighbouring Sachsa rang out the midnight hour, he struck, as the stranger had advised, with the willow rod he had brought with him up and down in the air, and soon saw, with the greatest amazement, two tiny beings, who, with folded hands and terrified mien, looked up to him. If they had taken advantage of Adam's surprise, they might have made their escape ; but fear and terror rooted them to the spot till he had recovered himself, seized them with a firm hand, and asked in a stern voice who they were, and where they came from. " Ah ! " replied one of the little creatures, " we are poor dwarfs, who house there in the Sachsenstcin, and never do anybody any harm. But hunger drove us this time to take some peas from your field. We beg you to forgive us, and we will make good the damage we have done." " Of course you will," answered Herr Neubauer, who observed closely the little men, of whose acts and deeds he had already heard so much ; " but the reckon- ing will be large, for you have long done mischief to my property. First of all, tell me how it happened that my watchers did not discover you, nor I myself till I struck with the willow rod .' " " We possess Nebelkapp'n^' ' said one of the two dwarfs, " which render us invisible to the human sight. ' Nehelkappen—mz^ziS. caps ; literally, fog caps. I wmsm^- tal LEGENDS AND TALES OF I i 1 J You knocked them off our heads with the willow rod, and then we became visible. Will you permit us to look for them ? " " Certainly not," returned Adam. " Do you fancy I shall be so stupid as to put the means into your hands of escaping ? No, no ; you follow me into my house, and will not regain your freedom till you have paid me!" The dwarfs wept, and pleaded so pitifully to be re- leased, that Adam's mild heart grew soft ; but a glance at his field hardened it again, and he took his trem- bling prisoners home with him. The next morning the two guilty dwarfs were examined, who related that they, governed by a king, had dwelt for untold ages in the caves of the Harz, more especially in the Sachsenstein, and had been happy; but now subterranean floods and landslips had caused them heavy losses, so that they had been compelled to appropriate the possessions of men for their necessities. They would, however, never again venture to do so, and once more expressed their willingness to pay for the damages they had caused, and begged to know the sum demanded of them. •• If I should reckon all the mischief you have caused," said Herr Adam, " a pretty long account would be the result ; but I demand only the value of the pea., and if you pay me three Gulden I will set you at liberty." •S OF I with the willow A^ill you permit us «• Do you fancy I ns into your hands me into my house, :ill you have paid > pitifully to be re- V soft ; but a glance he took his trem- uilty dwarfs were overned by a king, :aves of the Harz, ein, and had been oods and landslips that they had been essions of men for lin venture to do so, llingness to pay for begged to know the mischief you have iretty long account id only the value of e Gulden I will set T//E HARZ MOUNTAINS. 339 The dwarfs were well satisfied with this demand, but protested that they had neither money nor articles of value with them, and begged permission to fo and bring the money. But Adam could not be induced to permit this. Even to keep one as hostage, and allow the other to depart, he absolutely refused. " Well, then, give us a rose-leaf and a pin," begged the dwarfs. " We will write to our king, and he will undoubtedly at once release us from our painful positions." After some reflection, Adam permitted his wife, who looked at him with beseeching eyes, to bring the required objects. As so jn as the dwarfs had bescribbled the rose-leaf, they handed it to him with directions to carry it to the Sachsenstcin, and blow it in through one of the crevices, and a reply would speedily follow. The features of the little creatures grew cheerful as they heard that their odd letter had been posted as directed, and they became merry aid contented, although the day passed without anything happening for their release. But when night came on, and the moon and stars shone in a clear sky, the door of the room opened suddenly in which Adam sat with his prisoners, and a troop of handsome dwarfs, neatly dressed, entered. At their head walked the king himself, in gold and purple, and wearing a sparkling crown. SsHS&g.^aw******'**'' '■;i'^^VP^,"i^V^^t*»^i^'s A :M \ li; |l:'- !) ;■ !;? 230 LEGENDS AND TALES OF As soon as the prisoners beheld their sovereign they knelt, reverently before him, and remained in that humble position until the monarch motioned to them to rise. The presence of the pygmean ruler was indeed so commanding, that Herr Neubauer himself involuntarily uncovered his head before him. At last the king broke the silence, and said : " Ye have made two of my subjects prisoners, and I am come to interest myself on their behalf, for they are otherwise good men, who now only through pressure of circumstances have been led astray to do you damage. Moreover, that ye may see that T approve of your demand, I will cause ten times ,s much to be paid." His Majesty signed to one of his suite, who imme- diately approached, and counted from a bag which he carried under his arm thirty shining new Gulden, and laid them on the table. Adam opened his eyes on seeing so much money. He had already decided in his mind to set the delin- quents free without ransom, as soon as he had frightened them a little. Surprised at the royal generosity, he at once pro- claimed to the prisoners their liberation, who sprang up with eyes shining with joy, fell at the feet of the Dwarf King, and thanked him for their freedom in the most touching expressions of gratitude. After the king had graciously raised them from their knees, he turned again to Adam, and said : " 1 f OF their sovereign ,nd remained in irch motioned to ygmean ruler was Neubauer himself "ore him. :e, and said : " Ye isoners, and I am half, for they are through pressure istray to do you :e that ^ approve les '.s much to be THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 331 suite, who imme- Lm a bag which he 3f new Gulden, and I so much money. id to set the delin- soon as he had y, he at once pro- ration, who sprang at the feet of the their freedom in the tude. raised them from dam, and said : " 1 thank you that you have not harmed these poor people, and notify you that in future you have nothing to fear from us, for on St. John's Eve I shall march from this place over the bridge with my subjects. Already for a long period the subterranean water-floods have threatened to drive us from the Sachsenstein, which we have inhabited so long, and I shall leave only a few of my people, in order not to wholly lose this ancient possession ; from them, however, you will suffer no molestation." The sovereign bowed graciously and departed, attended by his train. The two released prisoners followed with joyful gestures, hand in hand. St. John's Eve, Frau Anna and her husband, full of curiosity, together with the servants, hid themselves near the bridge to see the dwarfs march over. Scarcely had the darkness come on, when the pro- cession appeared in sight, a well-ordered company, and the concealed heard their march till the rising of the sun, and the noise thereof was like the light trampling of a flock of sheep. Since that time nothing has been seen or heard of the dwarfs, and not only here but everj'where they are vanished ; but their memory lives in the mouth of the people, and when the icy north wind blows, and the snow beats against the windows, young men and maidens gather around the fire in confidential chat, and to the rattling of the wheel tell of the deep clefts of the mountains, where in eternal night the dwarfs I c 11 i /***■ 232 LEGENDS AND TALES OF once held their weddings, and where gnomes and nymphs and fairies in darkness dwell. THE mountain called the Haarburg, which has a summit of only small circumference, bore in a long-forgotten time a fortress, which, like most ancient castles, consisted of a single strong tower. In its walls were housed the first lords of Werni- gerode. But the mountain on which the present Schloss Wernigerode stands was adorned only with the primeval forest. For centuries the occupants of the Haarburg felt themselves happy in the grey giant tower, until a Graf Bodo" dwelt in it. He was the father of a numerous progeny, and the tower grew too small for all the children and domestics, and he often felt a wish to have a more capacious dwelling. An addition to the tower was not to be thought of, in consequence of the small space on the mountain summit ; and one evening, as he sat with his wife before the entrance to the Haarburg, and looked out on the beautiful landscape, he said to her, pointing toward the mountain where the present castle stands : " What thinkest thou ? Would it not be well if we could live yonder ? The mountain has plenty of space ; and there would be room to build spacious » Burg^ttst—paXTon spirit. OF ;re gnomes and >urg, which has srence, bore in a like most ancient >wer. lords of Werni- lich the present orned only with he Haarburg felt It tower, until a the father of a rew too small for d he often felt a lling. to be thought of, on the mountain i^ith his wife before ooked out on the ointing toward the itands : t not be well if we ain has plenty of to build spacious pint. THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 233 salons and chambers, and even a chapel, and a single moat around the whole ; then we should be able to entertain our friends, as many as could come. What is thy opinion ? " The lady of the castle quite agreed with her hus- band. They conversed long on the subject, and only separated as darkness began to settle over the vales and mountains, and the benevolent Luna hung out her silver lamp. The night was lovely, and the Countess could not rest or sleep. She opened the window, and gazed at the shining moon, sank in thought, and did not observe that the moments fled swiftly, and midnight and the owls already hovered over her head. Then, out of a corner of the chamber, with light, noiseless steps, issued an odd being, a little man, with an old, wrinkled face, a long grey beard, but with not disagreeable features. His attire consisted of a grey coat and a pointed hat, and he carried a staff. Silently the figure approached the thinking, dream- ing Countess, on whose form the soft moonlight fell, and then twitched gently her garment with his tiny hand. Alarmed, the Countess turned round, but lost all fear so soon as she beheld the form of -the grey man. She had recognised the Burggeist, who appeared seldom, but always brought happiness with him, and inquired in a gentle voice : ^ I, r 'i I W.i: 334 LEGENDS AND TALES OF " What wilt thou from me, th' . good spirit ? " " I saw thee at such a late hour sitting in troubled thought," replied the patron spirit, in a melodious voice, " and came to ask the cause of thy sorrow. What trouble lies so heavily at thy heart ? " " No sorrow troubles me," said the Countess, smiling. " Only a wish moved my soul." " And what might that be ? " inquired the spirit, with strained attention. " My husband," replied the Countess, " would wish this fortress on that spacious mountain opposite. He declares that we cannot live longer here ; and I must say, after due reflection, he is perfectly right." "Does it no longer please thee here?" asked the dwarf, with a quick-clouding face. " Ye men are right difficult to please ! Thy ancestors have dwelt here for ages, happy and contented, and now ye would forsake the tower that has sheltered thy race so long. Ye are very ungrateful. If I had known that that was all that troubled thee, I should not have left my hiding- place. But it is already late ; seek thy couch and rest well!" The spirit vanished, and the Countess followed hii advice ; tut troubled dreams sported around the head of the sleeping lady, and fantastic scenes passed before her fancy. It seemed as if she saw the dwarf from her window go out at the entrance of the tower, large as a giant, striking in the air with his hands all sorts of odd signs iS OF :ood spirit ? " fitting in troubled , in a melodious ;e of thy sorrow, lieart?" Countess, smiling. iquired the spirit, tess, " would wish ain opposite. He \ere ; and I must tly right." here?" asked the ' Ye men are right lave dwelt here for ye would forsake e so long. Ye are that that was all e left my hiding- thy couch and rest itess followed his 1 around the head ic scenes passed from her window , large as a giant, sorts of odd signs r//E HARZ MOUNTAINS. 235 and motions, and with a powerful voice she heard him cry: " Slide on ! Slideon!"' And hardly were these words out of his mouth when the Haaiburg was raised on unseen hands from its foundations high in the air, so high that the Countess was seized with giddiness, and awoke in terror. As she opened her eyes it was already light ; but the sun had not yet risen above the mountains, so she could only have slept a short time, but felt so much strengthened and refreshed that she rose, dressed, ana went to the window to enjoy the fresh morning. But who shall describe her amazement when she saw the town of Wernigerode directly beneath, and on closer observation found that the old tower Haarburg had been moved in the night to the mountain where her husband had so earnestly desired to have it. As soon as her first astonishment had passed, the Countess hastened to her still slumbering husband, led him to the window, and feasted her eyes on his boundless astonishment and joy. Filled with gratitude, she called the benevolent dwarf, to thank him ; but he did not answer the sum- mons, and has never been seen in the new Schloss. ' " Riicke dich .' Riicke dich / " •=3" 236 LEGENDS AND TALES OF ffilje ®ljrcc '^a0'b-$tAx\t*, THE great plain north of the Harz mountains was not always the smiling, fruitful tract of land the eye now beholds. A g'-eat lake covered a large portion of it ; the ground around this lake was swampy and unfruitful, and dense forests shut out the sunhght. But the deep shadows of these woodlands, where the foot of man seldom wandered, this sacred stillness, undisturbed by the noise and bustle of human life, was notwithstanding peopled. Creatures of tender form and rare beauty — not so ethereal as the air, not so material as man — danced lightly, as if home by the breezes, through the woods, which were their possession, intimately interwoven with their existence, for they grew with the trees which they inhabited, and drooped and died with them. When rhe moon mounted her blue throne, and cast her pure silvery glance over the silent and noble forests, it was as if a light shiver fell on the trees, as if thi-'y became animated, and assumed the forms of maidens, who in the pale light skipped upon the mountains, or descended to the lake or the Bode, to visit their neighbours the mermaids, still and innocent as themselves, who swam the light waves radiant in the Si .ile of Queen Luna. But as time went on these pleasant reunions were ES OF 2 Harz mountains uitful tract of land portion of It ; the ipy and unfruitful, Eght. woodlands, where iiis sacred stillness, : of human life, was tre beauty — not so .1 as man — danced :hro'igh the woods, tnately interwoven rith the trees which ied with them, ie throne, and cast silent and noble ell on the trees, as imed the forms of skipped upon the ke or the Bode, to 1, still and innocent : waves radiant in >ant reunions were T//E HARZ MOUNTAINS. zyi interrupted by the human race, which penetrated the forests, mercilessly cut down everything that stood in the way of its selfish ends, and made these peaceful regions the stage of its vain ambitions and aims, never dreaming that with every tree that was hewn down a life more pure and beautiful than its own was de- stroyed. Soon the joy at these nightly assemblies was changed to sorrow, and when the moonlight called the fairy forms of wood-nymphs and mermaids into life, they wept together over their vanished sisters and friends, and not one was sure that the following day the same sad fate would not be her destiny. A powerful Kaiser tvas come into the district with a vast retinue and an army, had built himself a Burg on the banks of the Bode, and bestowed the land on his followers, who were to cut down trees, drain swamps, and transform the wilderness into a fruitful plain. The woods gave place speedily to a bare tract, and the maiden circle grew ever smaller. There, on the mountain west of Thale, where in its bosom the ante- diluvian giant animal skeletons were found, an old warrior had received permission from the Kaiser to clear thvj land. He toiled unweariedly, dug the soil, felled the trees one after the other, till of the sacred grove only three trees were left standing. " Now, only these three trees left," thought he to himself, stretched himself wearily in the grass to rest I i^iim^sm > -I %% 338 LEGENDS AND TALES OF a minute and strengthen himself for the last stroke ; but fatigue overcame him, so that he sank into a deep sleep, and only awoke when the moon and stars shone in the heavens. Then he saw three maidens sitting under the green roof of a maple tree, silent and mournful ; their eyes were wet as if dewdrops hung in the drooping eye- lashes ; they uttered complaining words in soft tones like the rustling of the night wind in the leaves. " Let us take leave of each other," lisped softly the voice of one ; " our time is come. When the rosy dawn awakes he will come who cut down our sisters ; and as they are fallen, so must we. Desolate will be the spot that saw us so oft united in joy, lonely the moon- light that shone on our dance. The nymphs of the lake and the mountain stream will look out for us, longing for our coming, and ask, 'Where are our friends of the mountain ? Why do they not descend when the queen of the stars illuminates our palace ? ' Happy sisters, ye are as yet safe from our mourn- ful fate, for ye are secure in your retreat from the barbarian ! " " Weep not, sister ! " said another, with light moan- ing ; " weep not over our inevitable destiny. To see that we must die grieves me not, for all our beloved are gone on before us ; but that we are the last of our race, and our line becomes with us extinct, that it is that fills my heart with woe. "That our race might continue I would live on, and ES OF "or the last stroke ; le sank into a deep ion and stars shone ig under the green (urnful ; their eyes the drooping eye- v'ords in soft tones !n the leaves. ," lisped softly the ^hen the rosy dawn n our sisters ; and esolate will be the y, lonely the moon- he nymphs of the II look out for us, , 'Where are our ► they not descend dates our palace ? ' from our mourn- r retreat from the •, with light moan- 2 destiny. To see "or all our beloved ve are the last of th us extinct, that would live on, and t/:e harz mountains. 239 if I could appear in person to him who will come in the morning with his axe to annihilate us, I would entreat him for the blessing of life, and he would not refuse my entreaty. " But only night gives us being comprehensible to men ; the day confines us stiff and without form in our narrow house." " Ah ! if we could only appear to him ! " added the third ; " if we could only appear and beg him for life, we should not plead in vain ; I have seen him mourn too, have heard him lament the beautiful forest. " And what benefit would it be to him to destroy us also? What benefit has it been to him that he has destroyed our sisters ? Will the products of this soil repay the labour of tillage ? But we Avould gladly, though invisible, help him to cultivate the land during the hours when we have a form, if he would take pity and spare the last of a great race." The old soldier, who had listened in surprise to this singular conversation, could contain himself no longer. " By the sword of my Kaiser ! " he cried, springing to his feet, " cursed be the hand that should do you an injury, ye innocent beings ; destroy you I will not, no, but protect and defend you with my goods, blocd, and life. " But who are ye ? Was it a dream that charmed my senses .' " Terrified, the maidens had vanished at his first words. ■?40 LEGENDS AND TALES OF Now their voices resound from the trees as they reply to his question. 'No dream has deceived thee. Thou hast seen the last of the wood-nymphs who adorn this mountain. If thou wilt protect them, so spare the trees of the wood that still stand ; they will thank thee." Dawn broke over the mountains, the voices were silent ; they sighed in the morning wind, but the soldier could not understand the tones ; at first he was inclined to hold all for a dream, but what he had heard stood so clear in his mind that he finally doubted no longer, and zealously defended the three trees. On his dying bed he commended them to his sons, and charged them never to sell the land. Long the fields near the three trees thrived above all others, and at night three maiden forms could be seen following the plough in the moonlight. But alas 1 the trees and land came into the hands of an owner who held the story of the three wood- fairies for a fable, and he cut the trees down. Since then the mountain has been barren and fruit- less, and the three sisters have never been seen with the plough again. li: ES OF the trees as they Fhou hast seen the 3rn this mountain, e the trees of the ink thee." IS, the voices were ng wind, but the tones ; at first he :am, but what he r.d that he finally lefended the three I them to his sons, land. rces thrived above 2n forms could be lonlight. Tie into the hands f the three wood- :es down. 1 barren and fruit- er been seen with Tf/E HARZ MOUNTAINS. ©Ij« $b«fl)«v^»' TW shepherds in Quedlinburg, father and son, poor but honest people, were once watching their flocks on the green meadows. It was a lovely morning ; the lambs played with the wild flowers, the birds sang so joyfully in the neigh- bouring wood, the breezes were so miid and odorous, that the hearts of the shepherds were filled with an unusual gladness, and they both began to play a sacred air on their reed pipes. The bells of the royal convent began to ring, and their melodious harmonies penc*-ated the heart, powerful and irresistible as a voice from heaven. "There is something glorious in such a solemn chime," said the elder shepherd to his son, who sat near him. " The tones seem, to come down to us from ihe eternal heights, and remind us of our duty and our better home." " It is indeed true," replied the younger. " The chimes possess an incomprehensible power over the mind, and awake the inner life to devotion ..nd holy reflections ; and I never look across to the towers whence those bold and fearless tones rise on the air, without seeing in them landmarks pointing to heaven." " Oh, what a pity ! " added the father, " that our new church in the New Town must stand so long without either tower or bells. What a pity that a work to God's honour must remain unfinished, while the rich 17 343 LEGENDS AND TALES OF build palaces and heap up treasures. How willingly every poor person in the town would contribute, if thereby the edifice could only be completed. But without a special blessing from God, many years may pass away before the church is finished." " Father ! " cried the son, interrupting the con- versation, " where are our dogs .' I don't see them by the flock, and still the faithful creatures have never yet left their post without our commands. What can have started them and allured them away ? Where shall we find them again .> " " Yonder, my son ! " said the father, whose eye had swept exploringlythe neighbourhood, pointing toward the near forest. " I see them running as fast as possible toward the wood ; they scent game, no doubt, and are on the track." And they both whistled, and called the dogs by name, but in vain, for the hitherto so obedient animals only turned their heads slightly at the sound of the well-known voices, and then continued their wild race. Astonished at the unwonted disobedience, and anxious lest they might lose the dogs, the shepherds decided to follow them to the borders of the wood. The flock was feeding quietly in a meadow, and there was no danger of its wandering away. The border of the wood was soon reached, but no trace of the dogs was to be seen. They had already penetrated the thick underbrush, and a stripe in the dewy grass showed the way they had taken. '.fiiPfpiPiif •:s OF :s. How willingly Duld contribute, if '. completed. But J, many years may »hed." rruptjng the con- don't see them by ures have never yet nands. What can ;m away? Where her, whose eye had od, pointing toward g as fast as possible '., no doubt, and are ailed the dogs by o obedient animals t the sound of the ucd their wild race. disobedience, and logs, the shepherds rders of the wood, meadow, and there ay. }n reached, but no They had already find a stripe in the ad taken. r//E HARZ MOUXTA/yS. 343 " Wilt thou remain here, father, and watch that no wolf come out of the wood and scatter the flock ? " said the son, and hurried on in the direction the dogs had taken. The father remained standing, keeping his eyes on the lambs ; but it was not long before he heard the missing dogs bark, and fancied he heard also the voice of his son. He listened. He was not mistaken. The son called with ail his might his father's name, who, ter- rified lest something dreadful had happened, hastened after the voice. The way he had to take was perfectly strange to him, although he had often been in the same wood before ; also the forest seemed very much altered ; in the place of the young, slender trees, stood primeval, mighty oaks, and under their deep shades, through an opening in the trees, rose the grey dilapidated walls of a ruined church. At the entrance to this church, half hidden by wild briars, trees, and ivy, he saw his son standing with a look of amazement and with an uncertain air, for he too had never discovered these ruins, and curiosity and fear of enchantment fought a sharp contest in his breast. The arrival of the father, however, put an end to all fear, and after a short consultation, whether they should enter the desolate, ghost-like ruins, curiosity triumphed, so much the more, since they observed that the track 244 LEGENDS AND TALES OF of the dogs led through the bushes into the wall. With considerable effort they made their way through the rank weeds and thorns, and reached a high portal, fallen in on one side. They went through it, and saw themselves surrounded by a dim twilight, since the openings in the arch ceiling were insufficient to light the interior, and the slender arched windows were so overgrown with ivy and other plants that they stood in a green night. They could scarcely distinguish the spot where the altar had stood, and where masses of broken, scattered stones betrayed the fury of the storm that had de- stroyed it. Approaching the spot, they were seized with trembling as they discovered an old crucifix in the wall, and, bending the knee, murmured a prayer. A noise startled them ; looking around they per- ceived the dogs behind a portion of the broken altar, scratching and digging, without troubling themselves at the presence of their masters, as if they had been fastened by enchantment to the spot. The shepherds approached the corner where they were scraping and pawing, and looked attentively at the hole growing every moment larger and deeper in the ground, and soon a sheet-iron chest became visible. The dogs barked as if for joy at the discovery, stopped their work, and sprang barking from one shepherd to the other. OF the wall. With 'ay through the 1 a high portal, )Ugh it, and saw [light, since the ifficient to light indovvs were so that they stood spot where the roken, scattered n that had de- re seized with crucifix in the d a prayer, ound they per- lie broken altar, )ling themselves ' they had been ner where they d attentively at ger and deeper n chest became the discovery, king from one THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 24S The shepherds set to work to lift out the chest, which they found tremendously heavy. It contained a mass of gold and silver coins with a stamp of a time long past. Before they could recover from their astonishment, the dogs began again to scratch the ground in the same spot, and soon a second chest came to view, in which the shepherds found golden goblets, candle- sticks, and other sacred vessels of immense value. Not till now were the dogs satisfied, but as the second chest was opened they hurried back to the flock, and displayed an unwonted zeal to fulfil their duty. The two shepherds repaired to the Abbess of the St. Servatius Convent in Quedlinburg, related what had occurred, and expressed a wish that two towers should be built on the new Nikolai » church with the found treasure. At the news of the wonderful discovery, half the town went out to the wood to see the spot where the treasure had been found. But no ruin was to be dis- covered; all was vanished without leaving a trace, and even the shepherds could not find the spot again. If the treasure in their possession had not proved to the contrary, they would have held the whole thing for a dream. The Nikolai church still stands, shaded by old lin- dens, and at its west end the shepherds' two towers. ^Nikolai— St. Nicholas. ' I' ri im i ui«w i i i i i fci«wii',w)uin aaif^i«!wwg<^--- ■ 246 LEGENDS AND TALES OF and their dogs, The figures of the two shepherc hewn in the stone, still look down upon the ancient, imperial city from these towers, where they were placed so many centuries ago as memorials of a some- what unusual unselfishness. I ! MANY centuries ago there lay in the valley of the little river Sieber, where now is the Long Meadow, copper-works. A mass of scoria, the greater part of which has been employed on the chaussee, once marked the spot. The owners of these works, who are said to have been very rich, together with the works, vanished in a single night. The following morning nothing remained to be seen but this huge heap of scoria. It was said the owners had buried their treasure in it before their disappearance. Soon after that event, a blue flame was seen every night between eleven and twelve on this heap of scoria, which a black man endeavoured to keep burn- ing until midnight. The report of a Goldfeuer ' in the Sieberthal soon spread, and many saw the flame, but no one was bold enough to attempt to gain the treasure. At last a man from ' Lonau, who had experience in ' GoM/euer—Golddre. OF and their dogs, pon the ancient, here they were Drials of a some- ' in the valley lere now is the ■t of which has narked the spot, re said to have cs, vanished in a lained to be seen their treasure in ; was seen every in this heap of id to keep burn- Sieberthal soon no one was bold e. id experience in THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 247 treasure-seeking, determined to attempt it, and en- gaged several workmen to assist him in the under- taking. On the way to the spot he commanded his men : " Let no one speak while digging, or all is let." ' They all promised, and gave him the hand as pledge. Meanwhile they arrived at the spot, the work b'^gan, and soon they came to a huge cauldron filled with Holland ducats, which it was necessary to raise. Just as they had raised the vessel to the surface they heard wheels. The workmen paused and listened, when lo ! a carriage appeared drawn rapidly by four doves. The driver cried, " Guten Abend ! Geht's gut .' " But not a soul replied. Directly after came a fellow in a trough along the same road, saying hurriedly : " Shall I not also come .'" and made the most desperate efforts to reach the dove- drawn carriage. One of the workmen laughing, cried mockingly: " The poor devil must also drive I " Hutsch ! In an instant blue flame and cauldron had vanished ! The men stood gazing at each other with long faces, when instantly their hair turned grey, and they all died soon of grief and vexation. ' A search for all objects under enchantment must be con- ducted in silence. If one speaks, the charm is immediately broken. w t mi m A »«».nMMi>il>» tea i« i w^' i w i K iwt mxnMVmii^ ^ M 348 LEGENDS AND TALES OF ®bc dBttcljantebr tSftaiben of ttye iovge. LIKE Princess Use, she sometimes appears as a serpent. On the Hohegeissberg, near the river Zorge, the White Maiden of the Staufenburg » is seen every seven years with a bunch of keys. Once came a shepherd from Kloster Walkenried and pastured his flock in the vicinity of the mountain. Early in the morning the White Maiden stood on the cliffs, making her footprints in the rock, and sang gaily. When she had finished her song ^he descended to the shepherd, and asked him if he would rescue her from the enchantment. He replied he would gladly if he could. She told him she would return the next morning, at first in the same form which he no'.v saw, after which she would become a serpent. If he would kiss her in her serpent form, she would be free. The shepherd promised solemnly. The next morning she appeared again on the cliffs and sang r^\ before. When the sheep hud ail filed past, the maiden de- scended 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. The serpent suddenly vanished, with such a shriek ' The Staufenburg bei Zorge. OF les appears as a f, near the river enburg » is seen 'S. iter Walkenried )f the mountain, laiden stood on I rock, and sang le descended to >uld rescue her uld. ext morning, at aw, after which }uld kiss her in ain on the cliffs the maiden de- s a serpent, and jht give her the irror. 1 such a shriek THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 349 of anguish that the shepherd was ever afterward per- fectly deaf. 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. She waits from eleven to twelve for a rescuer, and when the time is expired the dog barks. This dog is said to have been her lap-dog before the curse. There is a Harz leg«»rd that the Ascension took place from the mountain of the Staufenburg. NOT far from Lichtenstein is a spring, where once a shepherd rested always at noonday and watered his flocks. One day, when he sat there as usual, a serpent came from under a stone and looked kindly at him. At first he was seized with terror, but at last felt quite at home with her. 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 fortu- nate and happy. She came the third day from under the stone, crept up to him, and raised her head to kiss him. At first he was filled with disgust, but taking courage he shut his eyes and kissed her. •*mmm 350 LEGENDS AND TALES OF And there stood before him no longer a serpent, but a beautiful girl, and more — a princess. Then the shepherd forsook his sheep, went with the maiden to the king, who gave him the Princess to wife. ®l}e ,..nr had an only son, a good-hearted youth, only somen at over- inquisitive and indiscreet. One Sunday afternoon the forester's sc»i, with his friend, the son of a miner, went into the wood for a walk. 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. The other said that was nothing, he would do it ; but his friend endeavoT'.red 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. He was not be dissuaded, and climbed to the «ra!:wM»s«*'-«i»««Mw« »$4 LL 'ENDS AND TALES OF summit, where he found a large level space, and began to dance and shout for joy, and called to his friend to climb up. But the other shook his head, and told him not to forget he had to come down. Finally, when his joy had cooled, the forester's son decided to descend, but could not leave the spot, for the Dwarf-King Ilibich held him enchanted to the rock for his presumption. He called to his friend and entreated him to go and tell his father. Then the forester came with his gun and would shoot his son down. But as he was about to fire, came Hibich and de- manded what he was going to do ; and as 1 ; replied he was going to shoot his son down from the mountain, the King advised him not to attempt any- thing (SO foolish. Again he took aim, when it began to thunder and lighten, and the rain poured down in torrents. Night came on, and the forester was obliged to go home till morning. Hardly had he gone when the dwarfs arrived, all in miners' dress, and each carrying a mine-lamp. They had the most skilful ladders, which they placed one on the other, and now they held together as if they had been glued. As soon as this ladder was ready, and reached the top of the Hibichenstein, a dwarf stood at each side and lighted the way. S OF 1 space, and began :d to his friend to lead, and told him the forester's son cave the spot, for enchanted to the ted him to go and n and would shoot : Hibich and de- and as 1 ; replied down from the : to attempt any- 1 to thunder and I torrents. ;as obliged to go irfs arrived, all in ine-lamp. which they placed :ld together as if and reached the d at each side and "1 T//E HARZ MOV NT A I SS. »S! The forester's son must now scat himself on tht shoulders of the dwarf on the topmost rung of the ladder ; and sec ! the ladder is wide enough to permit them to descend between the th ck line of lamp-bearing dwarfs on either hand. No sooner had they reached the base than dwarfs, lights, and ladder had vanished. 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 an.xicty and terror, thou shalt also sec the Dwarf-King's castle." 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. The walls glittered v,-;\ii 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. The floor was strewed with branches of firs, and the panels shimmered with gold and jewels. 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. Then he struck with a silver rapier upon the table of hematite, which produced a tone the sweetness of which was never heard before. A thousand tiny female forms appeared in answer to the summons, bearing strawberries and raspberries ; ii \ i !■ - i 356 LEGENDS AND TALES OF and while the King and his guest partook of the fruit, the dwarf maidens played the most deh'cious music. Afterward costly wine was brought in silver goblets. 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!" "Gold!" the forester's son must take of the metal named till he was laden with wealth. Then the Dwarf-King said : " Wilt thou do me a favour > Namely, never to permit any one to shoot at birds on the Hibichenstein ; for in this way bits of the rock are broken off. "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." 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. The forester's son had slept but a short time, as it seemed to him, when he was waked up suddenly. It was early dawn, and he sh'vered, exclaiming, " How cold it is ! " He lay under a bush at the foot of the Hibichen- stein, but all the gold and silver that the Dwarf-King Hibich had given him was heaped up beside him. mtmimm .f:s OF partook of the fruit, t delicious music, brought in silver )ich led his young '.r, on one side of , and at the royal he forester's son he was laden with 'ilt thou do me a any one to shoot in this way bits of istein remains the ioon as it becomes / crown, and can :h conducted him a delicious bed of icht, and promised I short time, as it up suddenly. It xclaiming, " How of the Hibichen- t the Dwarf-King ip beside him. T///- llARZ MOUNTAINS. 257 ®i)c ^inn <»f fRXppitvt: ALKGEND is told in Ellrich of an Earl von Klcttcnbcrg— not the dc\'out founder of the Huy VVaid Abbey, whose forsaken wife built Kloster W'alkcnricd. The Earl rode one Sunday morning to Ellrich, as an invited guest to a grand banquet, vherc all the guests were to drink for a wager, the reward being a chain of gold. They drank for hours, till all were hors de combat save four knights. Three of these leaned against the wall, and only the Earl von Klcttcnberg stood upright; to him, therefore, the victory was awarded. He resolv J to show himself to the people as the winner, and commanded his horse to V brought. Four of his attendants lifted the Earl ir j the saddle, and he rode through the village. 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. But as he reach.'d the steps of the altar, all the four horse-shoes fell off, and the horse and his rider sank to the ground. The four huge horse-shoes were nailed to the church 18 258 LEGENDS AND TALES OF door, where they remained for centuries, and the awful tale was oft related to trembling listeners. At last a fire destroyed the church, and the four horse-shoes are unhappily lost. ©lye |teeMe*« ©rjc. NEAR Kloster Ilfeld, close by the chaiiss'ee, stands on a mountain a huge boulder, which has a small hole through the centre. 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. If the new-comer will not indulge in this pastime, he must pay money. The new pupils in the high school at Ilfeld must also, as a joke, creep through the Needle's Eye. This stone a giant is said to have thrown out ot his shoe. ST. HUBERTUS, the Patron Saint of the House of Anhalt, was a passionate lover of the chase. One day, hunting in the old oak wood on the mountain Hubertushohe, which lies between Gernrode S OF ries, and the awful eners. rch, and the four e. by the chaussee, ;e boulder, which :n and the other 'e into the forest eep three times tie with difficulty ; ipposite side out, whips. ; in this pastime, d1 at Ilfeld must edle's Eye. ve thrown out ot rtK«. aint of the House ;r of the chase, ak wood on the between Gernrode THE HARZ MOUNTAINS. 259 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, ac- cording to the legend, " his only game became eternity and heavenly bliss." 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. " Dost thou not hear the snorting of steeds ? Franks are marching through the wood From the destroyed castle ; in their midst The captive daughter. Yes, like smothered tones of anger, It rustles in the foliage of the oaks. Sadly they shake their tops, As if they knew of the robbery." ■■^