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THE
SPIRIT
THE GIANT MOUNTAINS.
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p i r i t
o f
mntHras.
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& I j t
S p i r i t
o f fomrfams.
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I • •
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PREFACE.
Kubezahl, the whimsical s p i r i t of the Giant Moun
t a i n s ,
a n d the
hero
pa r
e x c e l l e n c e of the following
c o l l e c t i o n o f t a l e s , i s a personage renowned, and, i n
s p i t e of h i s
queer c a p r i c e s ,
deeply respected by both
the
big
a n d
l i t t l e f o l k o f that
land
which
he
has
chosen f o r c o u n t l e s s generations t o honour, by taking
up h i s j q u a r t e r s in
the
very
heart
of
i t .
There i s
i n t h i s country n o f a i r y power presuming t o p l a c e
i t s e l f in t he ex alt ed r a n k t o which the
m i g h t y
g n o m e
b e l o n g s .
Queen
Mab,
a n d
Eobin
Goodfellow
a r e i n a double sense pigmies compared with
Eubezahl, while h i s
name s h a l l not
be
s o i l e d
by
hinting a t the s l i g h t e s t resemblance t o Old Bogie.
Yet,
a s
we
s h a l l s e e ,
the s p i r i t , when i t
s o
pleased
him,
could
well
s u s t a i n
the
part
of
e i t h e r
the
rewarding
o r the avenging g e n i u s .
There a r e
times when, perhaps,
the presence of
Eubezahl mi ght be deemed s a l u t a r y even i n old
England, where
l i t t l e boys
a n d g i r l s
can o c c a s i o n a l l y
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VI PREFACE.
be a s naughty a s t h e i r y o u n g German neighbours.
There
a r e
a l s o
m o m e n t s
when
we
wish
in
our
h e a r t s
t h a t
unpretending
a n d
apparently unheeded
w o r th
might r e c e i v e help f r o m s o m e such
b e n e f i c e n t
s p i r i t ; f o r g e t t i n g i n our
impatience
t h a t t r u e merit
never f a l l s t o the
ground,
but
sooner
o r l a t e r w i l l
meet
i t s
reward.
Now,
s i n c e
we
cannot dare t o
hope
that
the
kin g
of
the
mountains w i l l ever leave h i s
beloved
home in
the wild f a s t n e s s e s
o f
the Eiesengebirge
a n d
deign
t o right our manifold w r o n g s in a royal progress
through
these
dominions,
there
remains
t o
us
but
o ne
m e a n s
of paying him that h o m a g e which he so
r o y a l l y
d e s e r v e s .
As we ever cherish with r e s p e c t
a n d a f f e c t i o n
the
g o o d example
of
a n
absent a n d dear
f r i e n d , a n d endeavour t o copy h i s noble a c t i o n s , s o
when
we
have perused
the
s t o r y of the
deeds
a n d
words of Eubezahl,
l e t
us g o a m o n g our
brethren
a n d
s t r i v e
( n o t l o s i n g h e a r t , even though, l i k e the
g r e a t g n o m e of the mountains, we sometimes
f a l l
f r o m the r i g h t path) t o do l i k e w i s e .
Then s u r e l y
Eubezahl a n d the g o od peasants a m o n g whom he chose
t o
dwell
w i l l not
have l i v e d t h e i r
imaginary l i v e s
unprofitably in t h i s world, where s o much g o o d i s
achieved
through g o o d ex a mple
a n d
kindly i n f l u e n c e .
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CONTENTS.
PAOE
Introduction 9
How
Eubezahl Obtained
h i s Name 13
Eubezahl Punishes a
S c o f f e r
. . . 22
The Lo an 32
The Wicked Steward 39
The Plying Stick . 45
The Alchemist
48
The
Wonderful Thaler . . . 52
M o ther Alice
62
The M a g i o B o o k 75
The Patal
Plant
. . . 76
L i t t l e Peterkin
83
How
Eubezahl
Punishes T r e s p a s s e r s o n h i s
Domi ni on s 93
The
Wheel qe
Greenmantle . % 97
The Old 8hepherd i04
Eubezahl Punishes
a n I g n o r a m u s
106
The Journey t o Karlsbad HI
The Knight o f Pischbach 128
The M a g ic S t i c k 133
Eubezahl a n d the Lyin g Peasant 137
H a n s
a n d the
D o n k e y
141
How Eubezahl Puni shes Cheati ng 14 6
The Three Pedlars
148
How Eubezahl h e l p s
a
Peasant 153
The Three Carpenters
155
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Vlll
CONTENTS.
How
Bubezahl makes a
Pigtail
f o r a
Woodman . .
158
The Gambler
. . .
163
Bubezahl and
t he
Tailor
. . .
166
The
Bich Baker
. . . 169
Why i t i s best to
bear
wrong
patiently
. . . 174
How Bubezahl
helped
a Student
. . . 176
The Three Best Men
. . .
179
The Pe r iwig s
. . . 183
The
Orphans . . . . . . . . .
. . . 186
The Wicked
Nobleman
. . .
190
ThePio-Nio
. . .
19 3
The
G o od-for- n o thin g
. . . 196
The Jew
. . . 19 9
The Herb G a therer
. . .
201
Bubezahl : A Petit
Drama
. . .
2 12
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THE
S P I R I T
OF THE
MOUNTAINS.
i n t o )
I n d i a n ,
iHE G i a n t M o u n t a i n s ,
which
you
must
very well know, myyoung f r i e n d s ,
from
y ou r
lessons in geography, though
I
dare
s ay
none o f you
h av e
ever seen
them,
are
in
the
south
o f
Prussia,
and
divide
S i l e s i a
from
Bohemia and M o r a v i a .
The principal peaks
are
o f immense
height
; the G i a n t
M o u n t a i n , also
called t he
Sno w-t opped, i s 4,950
feet hi gh; also
the
S t o r m y -c ap
;
and
there a re g reat r i v e r s , such as
t he Elbe
and
the Bober, which f i r s t
begin
to flow
amid
their
r o c k y
passes.
These
m o u n t a i n s
were,
a
long t i m e ago, the abode o f a
powerful
s p i r i t .
His
territory
a b o ve ground
consisted
of only a
f ew mile?,
but un der ground i t spread much deeper and f a r t h e r .
The gnome
would
often r e m a i n for a hundred years
in his lower k i n g d o m , and seldom rose to dwell in
t he
upper
world.
At the t i m e when as
yet no human footstep
had
trodden t he s tun ted roots o f t he f ew
trees
that
grew
there,
and
before the n e i ghb ou rh o od
was
inhabited,
the lord o f the m o u n t a i n s used to amuse himself w i t h
frightening t he wi ld a ni ma ls o ut o f their
dens,
and
B
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10
INTRODUCTION.
then
he wouldhunt
them,
galloping
w i t h mad
speed
amongst the brushwo od .
But when o n e day, after a very lon g
sojourn
under g round,
he mounted to t he daylight, he
found, to his g rea t a s t oni shment, everything so
much
altered, that he scarcely knew his own k i n g d o m .
Green f i e l d s s t o o d where once n o t h i n g was to be
seen but a dark f o r e s t , and there, in t he meadows
grazed c o w s and sheep, while shepherds and dogs
w a t ched
by them. I n
t he
valleys s t o od l i t t l e cot
tages, f r o m the ch i m ne y s o f which the smoke poured
f o r t h , a n d
before the
door s happy children played
w i t h many a
shout
o f
joy.
The
gnome
wondered
greatly
a t
a l l
these new
s i g h t s ,
but
he was
yet
more
astonished a t t he human beings,
which
he had never
before seen.
His curiosity was aroused, and
he
wished to
know
more o f
them
;
so
he t o o k
their f o r m , and thought
that
he
would dwell
for
a
short
t i m e in t he
upper
world.
First
o f
a l l ,
he
entered
into
t he
service
o f
a
labourer, where
he perf o r med
his duty very welL
Whatever
he
u nde r t o o k he succeeded i n ,
and
he
g a i n ed
so much money for his
m a s t e r
that t he man
might
s o o n have become very
r i c h ,
but he
was
a
spendthrift,
and w a s t e d
a l l
the money which hi s in
dustrious,
clever
servant
earned
;
and
besides,
he
never o nce t h a n k e d him for
his faithful
s e r v i c e .
For
this reason, the mountain s p i r i t became ve xed and
a n g r y,
and
f o u n d another master, to
whom
he hired
himself as
shepherd.
The sheep
prospered exceed
in gly well under his
care,
none we re ever s i c k ,
n o r
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INTRODUCTION. 11
did
t he w olf
devour any while
they were under t he
g n o m e' s
protection ;
but
t he
man
was
a miser,
he
was
never
contented, n o r did he give his faithful
servant enough to e a t , and whenever he could find
t he opportunity he
shortened
his rightful wages.
So
t he s p i r i t
s o o n
l e f t this
m a n' s s e r v i c e ,
and
went
as
o f f i c e r to a magistrate. To this duty, a l s o , he attended
w i t h
great
z e a l ,
and
in a
very
short
t i m e
there
was
n o thief
or mu rderer to
be f oun d
; but
t he
s p i r i t
o f t he m o u n t a i n s f o u n d that the judge was a n un
just man,
and
allowed
himself
to be misled by
means
o f presents
and
f l a t t e r y . S o he would be
no
longer
servant to
him,
but r a n
away ;
and a s
he
had
a l w a y s
fallen
into
bad
ha nds, the
gnome
believed
that a l l men w e re wicked, and h a v i n g n o inclination
t o make
any
farther
t r i a l , he resolved
to g o as
f a r
as his kingdom extended and plague a n d
tease men
so that a t l a s t they should leave him and hi s k i n g
dom
to himself.
So
f r o m
t i m e
to
time,
when
he
visited
the
upper
world, he would plague travellers a n d interfere in
their
business.
He led
str ang ers as tra y
who t r e s
passed o n his
k i n g d o m , o r
he would
c o l l e c t rain-
clouds, and frighten them w i t h s t o r m and tempest.
In t he
most
barren parts
he
would place
an
inn, o r
splendid
palace
;
there
he
would
tempt
poor
f a m i shed
and tired wayfarers, and when they a ppr o a ched he
would
cause
a l l
t o
disappear.
When
r o guish
bar-
terers for
horses came on
his t e r r i t o r y , he
would
mount a splendid charger, and pretend to be some
g r a n d lord ; but
i f
he only
induced
them t o buy the
B
2
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12
INTRODUCTION.
horse, when they
had
ridden some
l i t t l e
way on i t
t he steed would suddenly chan ge into n o t h i n g but
a
w i s p
of
straw.
Presently,
i f
i t
happened
that
he
met w i t h a poor but
honest
man
riding sorrowfully
on a lean pony over
the
m o u n t a i n s, he would ride
up
to the man in t he form of a magnificent horse
man, f a l l into
conversation,
and
then lay a wager
about
s o m e t h i n g
w i t h him. Then he would himself
lose the b e t , a n d give the fortunate w i n n e r his own
beautiful
horse, and
at the
same
t i m e
would
secretly
s l i p some rouleaus of gold into his
pocket. But
a l l
this s o o n became known, and foolish boy s and a d
venturers
who
heard of
i t ,
s ought t o obtain in t he
same manner t he
b o u n t y
o f
the
mountain
s p i r i t
;
but
they w e re always
heartily deceived, for
when
in hi gh glee they mounted the horse to ride a w a y ,
i t
would in a short t i m e turn into a
dr y branch,
which s t i l l continued
t o gallop
o n
without
their
re
marking
the
cha n ge
;
and so they became t he
laughing-stock
of every town
and
village
t h r o u g h
which they
passed.
I n this manner he passed
his
t i m e ab ove gr ound,
partly
a s a p r o v o k i n g s p r i t e , and partly as bene
factor t o the poor, just as he happened t o be in
t he
humour.
The
legends
of Eubezahl, the
s p i r i t
o f
t he m ou n t a i n s , are s t i l l
current
among the v i l l a g e r s ,
and they are t o be f o u n d s ca ttered in d i f f e r e n t books.
But in
this book, my
young readers,
you
will find
them
a l l collected
together,
and written
o ut a n e w .
he authors f r o m
whom
a great part
i s
t a ke n are
Musaeus, Lehnert,
and many
others.
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f i r f o cguhiM
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14 HOW RUBEZAHL OBTAINED HIS NAME.
purple mantle. But t he o n e who was most unhappy
was
the
princess,
when
s he
f o u n d
herself
suddenly
in
the
mountain
s p i r i t ' s -
palace.
He
had caused i t
to be reared in a moment, and had i t deck ed w it h
more gold and
precious
stones th a n even the
princess
had
seen
in her
father's palacs.
She herself wore
t he
most
splendid g a r m e n t s . I n o n e place
there
s t o o d
a
wh ole
row
o f
chests
and
cupboards
f u l l
o f
o r n a m e n t s , which t he gnome said we r e a l l
f o r
her.
A beautiful g a rden
surrounded the
palace, and
t he
trees in i t bore purple and golden f r u i t s ; and o n
the
grass
p l o t ,
where
there were
most
extraordinary
and
beautiful flowers, was a c o o l , refreshing
shade.
The
mountain
s p i r i t
was
very
a n x i o u s
that
every
thing should
please his beautiful guest, and he
named her s o l e
queen
o f
a l l these
possessions. He
w a tched her ever y g la nce, s o that s he should want
for n o thi ng .
But
s t i l l ,
w i t h
a l l
t h i s ,
L e o n o r a
was
unhappy, for s he wearied
to
return
t o
her dear
father
and
c o mp a n i o n s .
The gnome noticed
w i t h pain
t he s adn es s o f t he
lovely princess, and he thought to himself, She
pines
for a m u s e m e n t ,
for
mankind
i s accus t o med
to
society, and i m medi a tely he rose to
the
f i e l d s
above,
rooted
up f r o m a f i e l d a dozen
turnips,
laid
them
in
a
pretty
basket,
and
brought
them
to
t he
princess.
Lovely
daughter
o f earth, he said t o her, you
shall
n o longer be solitary ;
in t h i s basket i s
a l l
that
you
will require to make
you
happy in this lonely
p l a c e . Take this l i t t l e w a n d , made o f m a n y-c oloured
shells ; t ouch ea ch of t he turnips w i t h
i t ,
and give
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HOW BUBBZAHL
OBTAINED
HIS NAME. 15
every o n e o f them wha tever f o r m you
please.
So
saying,
he
l e f t
the
princess.
She did n o t hesitate lon g before s he made us e o f
the m a g i c w a n d . Br in hild, cried she, my
darling Brinhild,
appear and im media tely B r inhild
was clinging
to her knees, and e mb r a c i n g
her
beau
t i f u l mistress w i t h tears o f joy.
Le o n o r a
g a v e
herself
up
to
t he
plea sure of
ha vi n g her
beloved
companion w i t h her. They wandered hand in hand
t h r o u g h t he gardens, and Le o n o r a plucked t he
f i n e s t
f r u i t
for her friend, and showed her her
beautiful dresses, and
chains,
and
s pa ng les o f gold
and
precious stones ;
and
in Brinhild'
s a s t o ni sh
ment
and
a d m i r a t i o n
s he
a l m o s t
forgot
her
g r i e f .
And
now
L e o n o r a
ch a n ged
w i t h the wand
a l l
t he
other turnips
into
her friends,
so that she
a g a i n
had
her maids-of-honour, and also her Cyprus
cat
and
her
l i t t l e
do g
w i t h
her.
And as s he
now had a l l her
old
court
state round
h e r , s he
was
very much pleased
w i t h
t he
s p i r i t
o f
the
m ou n t a i n s ,
and
for
t he
f i r s t
t i m e he
saw her smile. But her ha ppi n es s was
o f
short
duration, for to o s o o n
s he saw
that t he r o s y
complexi on o f
her
friends
became
p a l e ,
and
that
s he
was t he
o n ly r ed rose a m o n g s t
a l l
t he pale m aidens.
Yes ;
and
when o n e morning
Le o n o r a
r a n g
her
b e l l ,
there
came
stumping
into
her
room on staves
and
crutches,
i ns t ea d o f pretty m aidens,
old
women,
who
coughed and trembled
s o , that
i t was
m i se r y to see
them
; her
pet
do g lay dy i n g ;
and
the
Cyprus
cat
could n o t
creep along,
s he
was
so
weak and
o l d .
A s t o n i s hed
and
frightened
at this s t r a n ge company,
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16 HOW
RUBEZAHL
OBTAINED
HIS NAME.
t he princess f l e d
from the room
and
called t he
g n o m e ,
who
s o o n
appeared.
What have you done to my poor m a i d s and
c o mp a n i o n s ,
w i c k ed
s p i r i t
?
said s he angrily to him.
Do you
g rudge me
t he o nly pleasure I ca n
have
in t h i s dreary abode ? I f you do n o t i m medi a tely
give them back their y o u t h
and
proper f o r m s
again,
I
will
never
cease
to
hate
you,
n o r
shall
you
ever
see my face a g a i n
Do n o t
be
angry, implored
the
mountain
s p i r i t ; I cannot, w i t h a l l my power, do what i s
impossible. As long as there w e re s ap
and l i f e
in
t he turnips,
you
could, t hr o ug h y o ur m a g i c
s t a f f ,
ch a n g e
them into
wha tever
you
choose
;
but
now
they are withered—
n d
then, the
human
f r a m e must
also
chan ge according to t he laws o f
nature, and
I
c a n n o t a l t e r
i t .
But be
n o t so
s a d about i t ,
loveliest
Leo n o r a . I will
quickly bring you
more
turnips,
w i t h which you ca n a g ai n h a ve y o u r c o u r t .
Mean
while,
give
N a tu re
her
g i f t s
back
again.
The
gnome
hastened
a w a y , and
Le o n o r a touched
t he o ld m a t r o n s
with the
other end
of
her m a g i c
w a n d , and turned them a g ai n into withered turnips,
which s he
th rew
into a corner.
Then
s he
hastened
as quickly as s he
could
to her favourite resort—
green,
g r a s s y
spot
in
the
g a rden
—
xpecting
to
find
there t he f r e s h l y - f i l l e d basket. But instead o f t h i s ,
s he saw
the gnome
a ppr oa chi ng her
apparently
in
great d i s t r e s s ,
and
he said in a perplexed tone,
I pro mi sed too h a s t i l y , for I c a n n o t f u l f i l . I
have searched t he whole
count ry
t h r o u g h
in
order to
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HOW
RUBEZAHL OBTAINED
HIS NAME. 17
find just
o n e turnip
f i e l d ,
but
a l l t he
turnips h a ve be en
gathered,
and
are
withering
away
in
gloomy
c e l l a r s .
And although i t i s spring down here, everything
a b o v e
i s
covered w i t h snow and
i c e , and
we must w ai t
three months
ere
I ca n f u l f i l my
prom i se
and
y o u r
desire.
Then
t he princess
turned
her back angrily upon
t he
s p r i t e ,
and
sadly
s he s hut
herself
in
her r o o m .
She never allowed the gnome to see her f a c e , how
ever much he might
plead.
At
l a s t ,
however,
he
thought o f a plan
;
so
he
assumed
the
disguise o f a
farmer, and travelled to Schmiedeberg ; there, in
t he
m a r ke t,
he bo ug ht a don key,
and
loaded him
w i t h
great
sacks
o f
turnip
seed,
enough
to sow
a
great many f i e l d s . Then he bought a meadow, and
his attendant s p i r i t s l i t a
f i r e
under ground, so that
the m ild heat should hasten the
growth
o f the
seed.
The seed s o o n shot up, and
the
mountain s p i r i t
hoped for a g o o d crop ; and the
princess
herself
went
every
day
to
walk
in
the
turnip
f i e l d ,
but
even
the w o n d r o u s l y quick growth o f the seed was too
tedious for
her, and her eyes lost
a l l their
bright
ness, and her cheeks their bloom, w i t h a n x i o u s
waiting.
She was e n g a g e d
to be m a r r i e d to a hand
some
prince
o f a nei ghb ou r i n g country,
and her
wedding was
close
at
hand,
when
t he
s p i r i t
o f
t he
m o u n t a i n s r a n away w i t h her. P r i nce Eatibor
( s o
he was named)
s ou gh t
ever ywhere
for his
bride ;
and a t
l a s t ,
when he f oun d
a l l
his endeavours were
f r u i t l e s s , he retired into a solitary wilderness, very
s a d
at
heart. But Le o n o r a
w i s hed
just
as
much
t o re
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18 HOW RUBEZAHL
OBTAINED
HIS NAME.
tur n to P r i n ce Eatibor, as he w i s hed for
her
;
and
during
t he
solitary
days
which
s he
passed
in
her
own
ap a r t m e n t ( f o r s he angrily shunned the g n o me's
c o mp a n y ) , s he thought o f a g o o d plan to
elude
t he
watchfulness o f her keeper
and
to escape from her
i mp r i s o n m e n t .
Gradually
beautiful spring visited t he mountain
valleys
once m o r e,
and
the turn ips
became f i n e and
l a r g e . The cu n n i n g L e o n o r a would pull
o n e
up
every day, in order to make a l l k i nd s o f experiments
w i t h them ; she g a v e them numerous different f o r m s,
apparently only for her a m u s e m e n t , but s he had
a n other object in view. One da y s he turned a l i t t l e
turnip
into
a
bee,
a n d
sent
him
on
a
m e s s a g e
to
her
dear prince.
Fly, l i t t l e bee, when the
s un
r i s e s , to P rince
Eatibor,
and whisper in his ear that I s t i l l l i v e , but
that I am i mpri s o ned by the mountain s p i r i t ; do
n o t forget a word o f what I s ay ; then return quickly
to
m e,
and
bring
me
his reply.
The
l i t t l e
bee
flew
from t he princess's finger to do as he was t o l d , but
scarcely had
he
commenced his
f l i g h t
tha n a s w a l l o w
hopped d o w n , a n d
killed the poor
l i t t l e bee.
There
fore Le o n o r a made
a c r i c k e t .
Hop
hop l i t t l e
cricket, said she, over the m o u n t a i n s ,
and chirp
to
my
prince
that
I
am
w a i t i n g
for
a
release by his
s t r o n g
arm f r o m t he
power
o f t he
mountain
s p i r i t .
So
the cricket flew
andhopped
as quickly as he
could,
but a long-legged
s t o rk
was w a l k i n g alon g t he same
road, and snapped him up w i t h his beak. The
princess waited in vain for her
mes sen gers ;
yet
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HOW RUBEZAHL OBTAINED HIS NAME. 19
although
they did n o t
return,
s t i l l s he
was n o t
dis
heartened,
but
s he
g a v e
a third
turnip
the
f o r m
of
a
m a gpie, and s a i d , F ly a w a y , t h o u chattering bird,
from t ree to t r e e , until t h o u c o mest to Prince Eatibor,
then
i n f o r m him of my dreary i mp r i s o n m e n t , and
t e l l him to be, on t he third da y from t h i s , by t he
side of t he
m o u n t a i n ,
to carry me away from t he
power
o f
t he
g n o m e .
The
black
and
w h i te
magpie
flew
a w a y ,
flapping his wi n g s, f r o m tree
t o t r e e ,
and
Leo n o r a w a t ched
him as
far
as her ey e co uld reach.
In
the meantime
P r i nce Rat ib or was wandering
t h r o u g h the f o r e s t s , mourning for t he loss o f his
beautiful bride. One day, as
he
was sitting
under
a
sh ady
oak,
and
calling
sadly
t he
name
of
his
prin
c e s s , he s udden ly hea r d a n unknown voice calling ;
and l o o k i n g up,
he
saw
a magpie
flying about
amid
the
o a k branches, and then he be g a n
s a yin g
t he
w o r d s that
L e o n o r a
had t aug ht hi m. When P r i nce
Ra t ibo r hea r d
t he m e s s a g e he was f u l l
of
jo y
; he
hastened
back
to
his
c a s t l e ,
commanded a
number
o f
his horsemen to prepare for t he journey, and set o ut
joyfully for the G ia n t M oun t a in s .
Meanwhile L e o n o r a
had a l l ready for her f l i g h t .
She
appeared o n e day attired in a most splendid
fashion ; she
wore
a l l t he costly jewels which t he
lord
o f
t he
G i a n t
Mountains had
g iven
her,
and
they
s h o n e as brightly as her eyes, which sparkled w i t h
joy, for the magpie
had
safely
returned a n d
i n f o r m e d
her o f
a l l
which
had
t a k e n
p l a c e . When
t he
gnome
saw t he princess so
beautifully
dressed, he thought
that s he had
conquered
her dislike t o t he di s m al
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20 HOW RUBEZAHL OBTAINED HIS NAME.
abode, and would now l i v e happily in his solitary
k i n g d o m . He approached her kindly, and a s ked
whether s he we re s t i l l a n g ry w i t h him for havin g
t a k e n her from her stately home 1 For the f i r s t
t i m e
the
princess laughed pleasantly, and told him
s he would now willingly r em a i n w i t h him i f he
would f u l f i l just o n e childish whim for her.
To
this
t he
gnome
i m medi a tely
agreed,
and
the
princess
laughingly led him
up
to
t he
turnip f i e l d , and told
him to
count t he
turnips there, because
s he
wished
to
choose
her waiting-maids and c o mp a n i o n s , and
she should like to
know how many
w e re a t her com
mand.
I m me d i a te l y
the s p i r i t be g a n industriously
and
w i t h
great
care
to
count
the
turnips,
and
when
he
had
finished, w i s h i n g
to co n v in ce hi m s elf that he
had
made no mistake, he be g a n again.
But
he
f o u n d the number quite
different
t o
what
he had at
f i r s t , and for
the third t i m e he
was
obliged
to begin
the lon g
and d i f f i c u l t t a s k over again.
While
he
was
thus
busily
engaged,
Le o n o r a
t o o k
a d v a n t a ge
o f his absence to set
her
plan in m o t i o n .
She
chose a new, strong,
juicy turnip, and ch a n ged i t
into a
spirited horse
w i t h saddle and bridle ; then
s he
quickly
sprang
upon i t and galloped
over
he a t h
and bushes
and b r i a r s , t i l l s he came to t he valley ;
there,
P ri n ce Ea tibo r
rushed
f o r w a r d
to
meet
her,
and
then he t o o k the breathless fugitive under his
protection. When
t he gnome
had finished
his
troublesome w o r k ,
after
a great
number
o f
countings,
he hastened t o t he
princess,
but as he could n o t find
her in
her
usual s h a d y
bower,
he
hurried
t h r o u g h
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{ j e
l i o r s t
fn r n t o
i n f o a g i r o D r a n t l j .
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HOW RUBEZAHL OBTAINED HIS NAME.
21
t he covered w a l k s and foliage o f t he garden. Then
he
shouted
her
name
a l l
over
the
place,
and a t
l a s t ,
becoming
uneasy
at hearing
n o reply,
he rushed up
to the t o p of the mountain to l o o k a l l over his
territory ; there
he saw
his
beautiful
prisoner far
away
in
t he
distance, and her steed was just
passing
his
boundary. Trembling
w i t h rage, the
a n g r y
s p i r i t
gathered
some
clo uds t og et her
a n d
hurled
a
flash of lightning after the
f u g i t i v e s ,
but this only
reached the
hundred-years-old
boundary oak, and
s p l i t i t .
Beyond
this o a k hi s power ceased, and
the
thunder-clouds harmlessly dissolved into a s o f t mist.
Af ter he had w a t ched the two escaped o nes for a
very
long
time,
he
went
in
a
great
passion
down
to
his
palace, but o nly to annihilate i t along w i t h t he
beautiful garden. Then he went as deep down
under
g r o u n d as
he
could,
there
to
hide his deadly
hatred
of
mankind
in
the
very
centre
o f
the
round
e a r t h . But Prince Eatibor led hi s beautiful
Le o n o r a
in
triumph
to
her
father,
who
rew a rded
him
w i t h
the
hand
of
the
princess, and also
g a ve
him
a beautiful c i t y , which was called Eatibor, after t he
o wner. The
wondrous
adventure
which
t he
princess had met w i t h in t he G i a n t M o u n t a i n s
and
her
clever f l i g h t became known a l l over the country,
and
t he
inhabitants
o f
the
n e i g hb o u rh o o d
who
did
n o t know t he
s p i r i t
o f t he m o u n t a i n s
by his
s p i r i t
n a m e , g a v e him in mockery the nickname o f
Eubezahl,
which means
tu r n ip counter.
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Uttk^l fraislp a J f a r f f o r .
INCE Eubezahl
had
been so cun
n i n gl y deceived he never l e f t the
lower w o r l d for many centuries.
But at l a s t , t he len g t h o f t i m e
and
the
loneliness became to o oppressive, and
as
for
this
reason
he
was
in a
very
ba d
humour,
a s p i r i t o f earth,
who had r e m a i n e d
w i t h him,
o ut
o f kindness, in bis
s o l i t u d e , proposed
that they
should make
a pleasure
excursion
up
to
the G i a n t
M o u n t a i n s .
Eubezahl at f i r s t w ri n kled up his
brows
at this
i d e a ,
but
in
a
l i t t l e
while
he
consented,
and
although there we re no railways then, the jour ney
was accomplished in a m in ut e's time, for t he moun
tain s p i r i t was
able,
t h r o u g h t he power o f his w i l l ,
to be
exactly
where he wished; and accordingly
they f o u n d themselves upon a sh ad y spot, which to
this
da y
i s
called
Eubezahl'
s
pleasure
garden.
From there he looked on the valley below, where
c i t i e s , and towers, and convents we re spr ea d o ut
before him. At this sight his o ld hatred o f man
kind awakened within him, and laughing b i t t e r l y ,
he cried o u t ,
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EUBEZAHL
PUNISHES
A SCOFFER.
23
Miserable worms of earth
which have
deceived
me w i t h mockery and scorn,
now
you shall repent ;
f or I
shall plague and
tease you, s o that you shall
t h i n k
w i t h terror and fear
upon
t he s p i r i t o f t he
m o u n t a i n s .
Scarcely
had
he spoke n
these
words,
when
he
hea rd voices in the
distance.
Three young men
were
w a n d e r i n g
over the
m o u n t a i n s , and
t he most
daring o f them
cried
o ut
in a jeering
tone,
Eube-
zahl Eubezahl come d o w n , you maiden stealer
The gnome was
en r a ged
at this s c o f f i n g , and he
called the s t o r m - w i n d t h r o u g h the pine-trees to
des t r o y the poor
w r e t c h who had
called o ut so
lustily
;
but he chanced to consider that
such
a ter
rible instance o f his vengeance would frighten a l l
travellers
away f r o m the m o u n t a i n s,
and
then
there
would
be n o
opportunity
of conti nui n g
his
s a v a ge
g a m e . So for a
l i t t l e
while he l e t the offender g o
in peace, but t o o k care to remember to puni sh him
at some future time.
At t he n e x t cross-road the young man separated
from
hi s
companion s,
and
arrived safely at
Hirschberg, which
was
his native t o w n . Eubezahl
followed him to
the
i n n and there l e f t him, re
solving s o o n to return t o him. He went to his
m o u n t a i n s ,
and
planned
a way
by
which
he
could
revenge himself on t he m oc ke r .
Walking
al o n g he
met a Jew, who was g o i n g to Hirschberg. He was
very
r i c h .
This man Eubezahl looked upon as o n e
who
would be
a
g o o d i n s t r u me n t
o f
ve n ge a nce
to
him. So he assumed
the
form o f
the
young
man
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24 RUBEZAHL PUNISHES A SCOFFER.
who ha d called him by that mocking name ;
and
while he
walked
some l i t t l e way w i t h t he Jew, and
talked
in a friendly m a n n e r , he led him, w i t h o u t
t he
Jew's
r e m a r k i n g i t , into a thicket, where he
attacked him, t h r e w him down on
the
g round, and
robbed
the
I s r a e l i t e o f
his pur se, which
co nt a in ed a
large
quanti ty o f gold and jewels. Then, after he
had
belaboured
him
soundly,
he
l e f t t he
poor plun
dered
man
lying
half dead in t he
bushes, and dis
appeared. When
the
Jew
had,
after
some
hours,
recovered
f r o m
his fright and bad treatment, he
cried
loudly
for release
from t he briars
and
thorns,
which
held him
f a s t bound,
hand
and
f o o t .
Then a
venerable
man
approached
him,
who
appeared
t o
be some respectable c i t i z e n .
When he
saw
the
Jew in
such a miserable
plight,
he
s e t
him
at l i b e r t y , and g a v e him every
possible
help, re
freshing him w i t h w i n e ; and then he led him t o t he
do o r of the very i n n which the young man had
pr evi ous ly en ter ed
( t h i s
inn,
the
stranger
told
t he plundered Jew, was
the
cheapest) ; then he g a v e
him a l i t t l e m o n e y , and l e f t him.
How astonished was t he Israelite when he
entered the i n n r o o m , and saw
his
molester sitting
quite contentedly a t the t a b l e , drinkin g
w i n e
He
could
scarcely
trust
his
eyes,
for
t he
rascal
was
s o
happy and light-hearted, as i f he had t he clearest
conscience in
the
world.
Without
speaking
a
word
the robbed
man seated
himself in
a corner,
and
considered
how
he s ho uld
regain
possession
o f his property ; he
was, at t he
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RUBBZAHL PUNISHES
A
SCOFFER. 25
same
time,
more
and
more
convinced
that this was
t he rohber. He went secretly to t he judge,
and
told him what had
occurred.
I m m ed i a t el y t he
judge
sent men w i t h spears
and staves
to t he inn,
which
they
entered, and
brought the
criminal
before
t he
court
of
j u s t i c e .
Who
art t h o u } a s k ed t he principal
judge,
and f r o m
whence come s t
t h o u
V
The young man replied w i t h great frankness, and
n o t a t a l l as i f he we re frightened,
I am a
respectable
t a i l o r , and
my
name
i s
Be nedi x .
Have you n o t attacked this Jew, and robbed
him
o f
his
money
V
I have never s een t he man before, neither h a ve
I
attacked him o r
r obbed bim
o f his
money.
I
am
a respectable
t r adesma n,
and no
t h i e f .
Show y o u r c e r t i f i c a t e .
That i s a sort of l e t t e r which a t r a d e s m a n must
have
to
prove
his
honesty.
Benedix
confidently
opened hi s
k napsack, in
which he
kept
his
c e r t i f i c a t e ;
but
when
he put in his hand,
s o m e t h i n g
jingled
like gold. At this sound t he attendants thrust in
their hands a l s o , and drew o ut
a heavy purse, which
t he happy Jew recognized as
his o w n .
There
s t o o d
Benedix,
struck
dumb
w i t h
amazement
; his
k nees
trembled,
and he became as wh i t e as chalk ;
no word could he s a y in his j u s t i f i c a t i o n .
Miscrean t said
t he
judge, angrily,
ca n
you
s t i l l
deny
y o u r
cri me ?
Have mercy,
my
lord, implored the poor
y o u t h
;
o
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26 BUBEZAHL PUNISHES
A
SCOFFER.
I c a l l Heaven to wi t ness that I am innocent, and
know
n o t h i n g o f the
robbery.
You
are
convicted,
a n s we r ed
t he
judge.
The
f o u n d pur s e s pea k s
clearly enough for
y o u r
cri me ;
only confess, before the torture compels you to do s o .
The t e r r i f i e d
Benedix,
however, could do n o t hi n g
but repeat
that he
was
i n n ocent
; but when the poor
t a i l o r saw t he rack and a l l t he i n s t ru me n t s for his
torture,
he
confessed,
although
he
knew
n o t h i n g
about i t .
The t r i a l
now
began,
and
Benedix was
condemned to
be
hanged.
The
people who
w e re
i n
court loudly praised the wisdom and justice of t he
judge's sentence,
but
loudest of a l l that
c i t i z e n
who
had released t he
Jew and was now
in t he
h a l l .
That
man
w as,
as
you
may
guess,
no
other
t h a n
Bubezahl, who
had
secretly placed
the Jew's
money
in t he k n a p s a c k of t he un fo rt un at e t a i l o r , in order
to revenge himself for his m ockery.
In
the meantime a clerg y m a n
was
brought
to
t he
poor sinner to prepare him for death ; but when he
f o u n d
Benedix
lying
unconscious,
he
considered
i t
necessary that his
sentence should
be
postponed,
be
cause i t w a s impossible to converse w i t h a man who
was insensible,
and
so the council
g r a n t ed
him a r e
prieve o f
three
days. When
Rubezahl heard
this
he went sullenly back t o his m o u n t a i n s , there t o
aw ai t
the
time.
During
these
three
days,
as
he
was
w a n d e r i n g about t he
neighbourhood,
he f o u n d a
young
woman
lying
under a tree weeping. Her
dress
was
poor, but ver y neat and clean,
and
her
hands seemed accust o med to
h a r d w o r k .
Now and
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KUBEZAHL PUNISHES A SCOFFER. 27
then s he dried
her
eyes w i t h
them, and sighed
so
heavily
that
even
Eubezahl
was
m o v ed .
So he
a g ai n
t o o k t he f o r m o f the c i t i z e n ,
and
approaching t he
young
woman,
a s k ed her why s he wept so sadly.
Ah said she, I am
unfortunate,
and
have
t he ruin o f
a n
o therwise
good
young man to a n s w e r
f o r .
The gnome
was
astonished.
How, he asked,
ca n that
be
—
o ur
counte
n a n c e
looks
good, and you to
be
f u l l o f
w ickedness 1
But, t r u l y ,
men are
a l l
wicked
and
deceitful.
Ah,
s i r , there
you
are
w r o n g .
B e ned i x i s really
a
good,
honest man,
and
ha s no f a l s e heart. I have
been
t he
caus e o f
his
ruin
and
death,
for he
i s
doomed to die by t he
hangman.
Benedix i s my
husband, and we h av e scarcely been m a r r i e d a year ;
but
o ur
business did n o t
prosper,
and we suffered
much
hunger
and
s o r r ow. Very often I was s a d
and discontented ; and then, o n Sundays, I saw my
neighbours
w a l k i n g
in
nice
clothes
to
church,
while
I was forced to s i t , needle in hand, mending and
patching o ur
old
g a r me n t s .
He
was
noble
and
coura geous t h r o u g h a l l o ur adversity
;
but so much
did my discontent distress him,
t h a t ,
o n e day, he
strapped
his
bundle on
his
shoulders, and s a i d , I
will
g o
into
t he
G i a nt M o un ta in s,
where
I
have
relations. Very likely
they
will lend me a few
t h a l e r s , w i t h
which I ca n
buy
a
f i e l d . Then,
at
any r a t e , we shall
h av e
some corn
for
bread ;
and
perhaps i t will also
buy
you a new
cap
or
a
jacket.'
Good Benedix I Then
he
set
o f f ,
consoled and
o
2
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28
BUBEZAHL PUNISHES A
SCOFFER.
happy, to Hirschberg. But my sinful discontent
ha s
tempted
him
to
s t e a l
others'
r i c h e s ,
and
for
my
fault he must s u f f e r a terrible
death.
I c a n n o t
survive him, but I will g o a n d t a ke a l a s t farewell
o f my poor
husband ; yet fatigue
and s o r r o w have
robbed me o f a l l my s t ren g th
before
I am half
w a y .
Kubezahl
was
touched
by
t he
a n g u i s h
and
s o r r o w
o f the woman ; and for her sake, he forgot t he
vengeance
which
he had sworn to wreak
upon
her
husband.
Be comforted, said he to t he weeping woman.
You shall have y o u r B e n ed i x
a g ai n
before t he
sun
s e t s .
Know,
a l s o ,
for
y ou r
consolation,
that
he
i s
innocent, and ha s n o t c o m m i t t e d t he robbery. But
re me mbe r, after this lesson, to be more
con te n ted
w i t h y ou r l o t ; for you now know
how much
better
i t i s to be poor and innocent, t h a n rich
and guilty.
Ah, s i r
'
cried
the woman,
s i n k i n g
on
her
k nees
before
hi m ,
God
will
r e w a r d
y o u
for
thus
consoling m e. Indeed,
you
are a g o o d
angel
whom
God
ha s sent
m e, al th ou gh
I am
n o t worthy
o f such
k i nd ne s s
; f o r ,
for
t he s a k e o f ea r thly
c o m f o r t and riches h av e I risked
my soul's
salvation.
Leave
that
alone,
said
BubezahL
I
am
no
angel, but a citizen o f Hirschberg. I
have
many
friends
amongst t he
judges there, and
they shall
s o o n
give me
y o u r
husband safe and sound, only go
home
a n d
be
o f
g o o d
cheer.
So the poo r
woman returned thankfully to her
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RUBEZAHL PUNISHES A
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h o me, and her soul was f u l l o f joy. Then
Rubezahl
assumed
t he
form
o f
t he
cle r g y m a n
who
was to pr epa r e t he poor
sinner
for death, and went
to
t he prison.
Oh how
s a d
and cast
down he
f o u n d
t he poor
t a i l o r For
a lon g t i m e he
conversed w i t h t he
prisoner in a serious manner
;
t hen he
s a i d ,
I
am
more
and
more
convinced
that
you
are
innocent, my s o n ; but I do n o t
know how
t o help
you, for y ou r witnesses are so s t r o n g and justice
desires some s a c r i f i c e . I f there were o nly means
to release you, I would n o t hesitate o n e minute. I
have t h ou gh t o f a w a y . You shall ch a n g e clothes
with
m e,
and
then
leave
t he
prison.
My
long
r obe
will deceive
t he
gaoler, so that
he
will
readily
open
t he
doo r
for you. Here i s a loaf for you to eat on
y o u r w a y,
a n d
g o
home to
y ou r
wi fe as f a s t as
y o u r
leg s w ill
carry y ou.
But, my kind s i r , said Benedix thoughtfully,
you
will
get
into
g rea t t ro uble
and
suspicion
i f
you
aid my f l i g h t . Perhaps at l a s t they may
torture you, and far s ooner would I die th a n that
such
should happen
to so good and pious a man as
you a r e . I f I am in n ocent o f the t h e f t , I deserve
punishment for many other
s i n s ,
and would rather
suffer i t
th a n
ha v e y o ur
murder heavy on my
co n
science.
The gnome
was
much
astonished at t he feelings
o f the noble B enedi x,
and rejoiced
that
he
could
make
amends for a l l
t he injury he
had
d o n e him.
He replied,
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30 KUBEZAHL
PUNISHES
A SCOFFER.
Do
n o t fear for m e,
my
eon,
my position
will
shield
me
from such
a punishment ; and
besides,
1
have
many
powerful
friends
and
relations
in this
t o w n , who
will n o t allow any o n e to harm me .
Poor Benedix
was
very happy that he should
come
o f f
unscathed from such
danger, and
he
quickly
arose,
w i t h many
t h a n k s to the n o ble Eubezahl,
and
l e f t the prison. But his heart f e l t faint at telling a
l i e , and
when
he
passed t he turnkey
his teeth
chattered
and his
k nees knocked
together,
with
t he fear that he might know him ; but a t l a s t he
came safely o ut of the
t o w n , and before
sunset he
was
w i t h
his wife.
What jo y i t was to her to see her darling Bene
dix s a f e
and
well a g a i n
F i r s t ,
they b o th thanked
God for his
w o nderful
deliverance, and
t he n e x t
thing Benedix thought
o f
was
a
good meal, for
after a l l the da n ge r he hadg o n e t h r o u g h his hunger
was
very sharp, so his wife
quickly fetched him
a l l that s he had in her
poor
kitchen,
and B e ned i x
cut open t he loaf
which the
good father had g iven
him for his
journey.
But l o
when the knife
was
put
i n , i t made
a strange
noise, and
a
lump
o f
shining
g old f e l l o ut upon t he t a b l e . Now, for
the f i r s t
time, Benedix
and
his wife discovered
who
hadbeen
their generous benefactor,
and
they thought o f
him
w i t h
grateful hearts. Soon
they
l e f t their
home
to g o to P r a gue, where Benedix purchased a beau
t i f u l house, and s o o n became well
known and
re
spected.
His
wife enjoyed the prosperity
for
which
she had
so
long
wished, but
s he
did n o t
m i s u se
her
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RUBEZAHL PUNISHES A SCOFFER.
31
riches,
for s he was very good to
the
poor, instead o f
dressing
herself
in
f i n e
clothes, as had
o nce
been
her
d e s i r e .
Benedix r em a i n ed g oo d
and honour
a b l e , a s he a l w a y s
had
been, and that helped him
n o t
a l i t t l e in brin gin g good cu s t o m to hi s bus in es s .
On the third
da y
after
Benedix
had
l e f t Hirsch-
berg, t he supposed poor criminal was to be led to
t he
gallows.
Many
th ou s a nd s
of
people
w er e a s s em
bled
to witness
the tragedy. But when the hang
man had d o n e hi s duty, the delinquent struggled so
t e r r i b l y ,
that the people would have sto ned the
executioner for
giving
him so
much pain. But in a
- l i t t l e
while
a l l was s t i l l ; t he limbs of t he corpse
stretched
out,
and
the
crowd
dispersed.
But the n e x t morning some peasants came to t he
t o w n ,
who
said that the hanged man s t i l l lived, for
he was
moving
his
hands
and
f e e t .
Then t he
learned co un ci l s en t
o ut
a deputation to t he gallows,
to learn t he truth, but what did this wi se deputation
find
instead
of
the
delinquent
?
A
bundle
of
straw,
clothed
in
o ld r a g s ,
like a scarecrow,
which
you
often
see placed in f i e l d s to frighten away
the
spar
rows.
They
w e re a l l very much astonished a t t h i s ,
and
they s h o o k their powdered heads so much that
the
powder flew about. A f te r
long
consideration,
they
at
- l a s t
ordered
t he
s t r a w
man
to
be
t a k e n
down,
and
caused the intelligence
t o
be spread that,
durin g
t he night, t he heavy
wind had blown
t he
l i t t l e
thin t a i l o r from the g a llo w s o ver t he walls o f t he
t o w n .
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PEASANT who
had
a wi fe and
six
children, had,
t h r o u g h
many
great
misfortunes,
become so po o r
that very often he knew
n o t how
to
obtain
bread for his family.
One day
he
s a i d '
to
his
wife,
You
have
some
cousins
in
t he
m o u n t a i n s . I will g o to them ; perhaps
God
will
open
their hearts, to lend me a
hundred
thalers,
which
would
enable
us to release
ourselves from
this m i s er a ble po v er t y.
God
g r a n t they
may,
said his wife, but w i t h
l i t t l e hope
in her tone, for
s he
knew
how
her
cousins
had
never
troubled
them
selves at
a l l
about her. Early t he n e x t
morning
t he peasant set out,
and
walked
a l l
day, until at l a s t
he arrived, very
much
t i r e d , at
his
cousins' house,
when
he told
them
o f his d i s t r e s s , and implored
their
help. But a l l o f
them
sent him o f f w i t h hard,
bitter
wo rds,
and
he
was
compelled
to
hear
many
s h a rp speeches
from t he
thoughtless people,
such as
people who never laid up
for
a r a in y
da y
deserved
to be poor, &c.
With a heavy heart he again tu r ned homewards,
andwhen he came to t he m o u n t a i n s he was terribly
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THE LOAN. 33
oppressed w i t h agitation and f e a r . In his journeys
thither
he
had
l o s t two
days'
wages,
and
now
he
f e l t
s o
weak
that
he
was certain he
should
n o t
be
able to
work t he ne x t day. At home his la n g ui shi ng w if e
was expecting him, w i t h
s i x hungry
children,
andhe
should arrive
empty
handed
—
o m o n e y , no bread.
Oh how could his hea r t bea r such m i s e r y The
poo r
man
thought
and
considered how
he
could
obtai n
r e l i e f .
All
at
once t he s t o r i e s o f the
mountain
s p i r i t occurred to him. I will seek him, said he
;
perhaps he will
listen
to my s a d t a l e . So he
cried
o u t ,
Eubezahl
Eubezahl
and i m medi a tely
a s o o t y charcoal burner s t o o d
before
him,
w i t h
a
great
stick
in his
hand.
He
had
such
a
wild,
r a g g e d
beard and glaring eyes, that t he
peasant
did
n o t for
a
moment doubt
this to be the
g n o m e ,
and
he g athered up
a l l
hi s coura ge to make his
request.
I have
n o t
called you from curiosity, began
he,
but
from
distress and
s o r r ow.
Dearest
lord
o f
t he
m ou n t a i n s , I implore
you to
help me o ut o f my
trouble. And then he told him about his wife
and
children, and o f the p i t i l e s s cousins, and begged s o
earnestly
that Kubezahl wouldlend him t he hundred
thalers, which he said he would repay w i t h
interest
in
three
years,
when
he
hoped
to
be
much
r i c h e r .
How
Am I a usurer
1
a s k ed t he mountain
s p i r i t , angrily. Go to men,
y ou r
brethren,
borrow
of them as much as you can, but leave me in peace,
and
never
c a l l
me a g a i n ;
i f
you
do , i t
will be as
much as
y o u r
l i f e i s worth
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34 THE LOAN.
The peasant was n o t t e r r i f i e d at these h a r d wo rds,
but
pictured
the
m i s e r y
and
w a n t s
o f
his
family
in
t he most g l o w i n g colours.
If
you
will n ot help m e, at least strike me dead
w i t h y o ur
s t i c k , so
that I
may no longer
be a wi t ness
to sufferings
which
I ca n n o t a l l e v i a t e .
Eubezahl
stared
a t
the peasant,
and
then l i f t e d
his
heavy
stick
high
in
t he
a i r ,
s ee m i n g
as
t h o u g h
he
were o n t he po i n t of striking him dead at o n e stroke ;
but
suddenly
stopping,
he
commanded the
peasant
t o
follow him. They
went t h r o u g h
thick brushwood
and t r e e s , until they came to a valley clo sed in on
a l l sides by
rocks
; at o n e
en d
there
was
t he
entrance
to
a cavern,
where
no
daylight
could
enter, but there was a
l i t t l e
blue flame which spran g
o ut o f the
earth, and
i llum in at ed t he s t o n y walls
with a n unearthly glow. Ex cept in g a n iron
chest,
t he ca ve contained only
a n o pen
pannier, f i l l e d
w i t h
newly-coined t h a l e r s .
There
t a ke
the
money,
as
much
as you
require,
and, i f you ca n write, you may make me o ut a bond
for i t , said Eubezahl, as he t o o k o ut o f the case
paper
and
wr it in g materials.
The peasant,
m ea n t im e, w it h g rea t con scien t ious
ness, cou n ted o n e hundred t h a l e r s , and no m ore.
Then
he
w r o t e
t he
bond
as
well
as
he
was
able,
and
Eubezahl locked i t up in
the
iron c h e s t .
Now go, said t he mountain
s p i r i t ,
a n d
make
g o o d us e o f t he money ; remember t he way to t he
entrance o f t he r o c k y
valley, and
do n o t forget the
day of
payme n t,
for
I am a very
s t r i c t
c r e d i t o r .
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THE LOAN. 35'
Here i s also s o m e t h i n g for y o u r children, which ha s
n o t h i n g
to
do w i t h
the
bo nd.
So saying, he
plunged
his hand deep
into t he
pannier, and g a v e the happy father s o much that he
could
scarcely
hold
i t alL He l e f t
the mountain
s p i r i t w i t h
a grateful heart,
and
f o u n d his way
o ut
o f the r o c k y valley, t a k i n g great care to notice the
path,
and
then
went
home
strengthened
w i t h
t he
w i n g s
of
joy. H i s
wife
was
sitting sorrowfully by
t he empty hearth when he entered
the
room ; s he
knew
how l i t t l e poverty could reck o n upon wealthy
r e l a t i o n s , and
s he scarcely had courage
to
look
her
husband in t he f a c e , for fear o f reading disappointed
hope
depicted
t h e r e . How
her
heart
beat
w i t h
glad surprise when t he pea s a n t
opened his
wallet,
and t o o k
o ut
o f i t meat, sausages, and white bread
and biscuits for the children.
Your cousins, said he to
the
astonished woman,
n o t
only
received
me kindly, but have also lent
me
a l l
t he
money
I
a s k ed
them
f o r .
His wife was s t i l l more surprised, and s he
t h a n k e d t he
merciful
God in
heaven
who guides
men's
hearts as t he
w a t e r
brooks. And now a
new l i f e seemed to
dawn
in
the
peasant's
dwelling.
He bought seed, and sowed some patches o f
g round,
and
he
also had
two
cows.
There
seemed
a
charm
in the
mountain
s p i r i t ' s m o n e y .
Soon
t he
small parcels of g r o u n d increased to a f i n e meadow
and
a
f i e l d
o f wheat. For miles round no produce
was so g o o d as that which came from his f i e l d s ;
nowhere
w e re better c o w s ;
and
the g o o d
peasant
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36
THE LOAN.
succeeded so well that
he
was s o o n able to put
by
some
m o n e y .
Me a n while, pay-day
was
approaching, so t he
peasant
said to his wife
and
children,
Put o n y our
holiday
clothes.
Jack
may
harness
t he horse, and we will g o and pa y o ur
cousins
t he
money which they h a ve lent us
for
three years. I t
was
n o
small
delight
to
t he
children,
while
their
mother was
pleased
to
be
able to
show
her
cousins
how happy they a l l were. When they
arrived at t he
G i a n t
M oun t a in s , t hey stopped
t he
c a r t , and a l l o f them
g o t
down,
partly
to
make t he
burden lighter for t he ho rse, as
the
father s a i d , and
partly
to
show
the
children
a
pretty
sh ady
path.
But they
a l l remarked
that
their father looked
very
carefully about him, t he deeper they entered t he
f o r e s t , which made his w i f e at l a s t a n xiously
inquire,
Have
we
come the wrong
way 1
Then
t he
peasant
r ela ted t o
her
and
his
children
how un kindly
their
relations had dismissed him,
and
how the mountain
s p i r i t
had pitied and
helped
him. At
f i r s t ,
when
they hea rd
that Eubezahl
had
lent them t he money, they were frightened; but
when
he
bade them remember how happy t he
mountain
s p i r i t
had
made
them,
they
th ou gh t
no
lo ng er o f f e a r . A f te r this t he
peasant
went farther
on alone, in order to find o ut t he en t r a n ce to t he
r o c k y
valley, but
although
he
knew
he
was i n t he
right place, he
could
n o t find i t a n y where. He
s h o o k the money in t he purse, that the
s p i r i t should
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THE LOAN. 37
hear
the
sound,
and
appear, so that he
might pay
him a t once.
But
no
o n e was v i s i b l e .
Quite des
pairing he came back at l a s t ; so his wife and children
sat
down w i t h him,
and
waited many
hours. Then
he called him
by
that mocking
n a m e , which,
when
t he s p i r i t heard i t , he seldom l e f t
the
unlucky person
who
said
i t
unpunished ;
and
when, after t h i s ,
Eubezahl did
n o t appear,
he resolved
to
leave
t he
money under some piece o f
rock,
where he thought
t he
lord of the m o u n t a i n s would find i t . Just as he
was g o i n g
to put this idea into
execution,
a mighty
w h i r l w i n d arose, while
clouds o f dust and withered
leaves flew about, and the children, who had caught
sight
o f
a
piece
o f
paper
which was
blown
hither
and
thither by
the
w i n d, r a n about for a long
while
after
i t . One of t he boys at l a s t caught i t , and as i t waa
such beautiful
white
paper he brought
i t
to
his f a t h e r .
Judge
t he a s t o n i s h m e n t o f t he father when
he
recognized his own bond, at
the
b o t t o m of which
was
written,
Eepaid
by
gratitude.
Nowmy benefactor knows that I h a ve honestly
kept my w o r d, and w i s hed to pa y my debt,
joyfully
cried
the peasant ;
and
that
i s
far better
t o me
t h a n
t he present of t he
money. But
n o o n e shall dare to
speak in mypresence ag ainst Rubezahl, for w i thout
him
I
should
now
be
sunken
in
poverty
and
distress.
And
now
he
wished t o g o t o the cart
and
return
home, but his wife
so earnestly
begged o f
him to
g o to
t he miserly cousins and shame
them
well for
their
unkindness.
When
they arrived in the v i l l a g e , they
were
no longer to
be
found. One w a s
dead, and
t he
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38 THE LOAN.
other wa s driven
a w a y
f r o m h i s
house
f o r
s o m e
fraud
which he
ha d
committed. B ut our peasant remained
industrious
a n d
simple-hearted,
leading
a
q u i e t ,
contented
l i f e , a n d always helping
h i s
neighbours in
d i s t r e s s , s o that he became m o r e a n d m o r e beloved
a n d honoured by
a l l who
knew him,
while h i s
pros
p e r i t y increased
;
a n d
h i s
descendants s t i l l
dwell in
the
mountains.
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WxM
S k f o a r f c
(HERE was o nce a k n i g h t w h o, by
sudden
death,
l o s t
b o t h his wife
and
c h i l d . This made him so miserable
that the w o r l d n o longer afforded him
any
pleasure. He
was
very
desolate
in hi s c a t t l e .
I f he rode o ut to hunt,
the
forest
seemed
to o
n a r r o w for him ; w i n e s did n o t exhilarate him ;
and he
shut his ears to t he co mf or tin g words o f
his relations. At l a s t he resolved to
leave
his home for a f ew years ; so he f i l l e d hi s purse
w i t h gold, ordered his faithful servant to saddle his
horse,
and
delivered
up
hi s
estate
to
his
steward,
Lutz,
and then he
set
o f f on
his
journey.
While t he k n i g h t
had
ruled his do m i n i o n s, his
villagers and retainers
had
led
a
happy
l i f e , but
now i t was changed. The s tewar d, Lutz, com
manded t he older people of the
village
which belonged
to
the
castle
to
appear
before
him,
and
then
he
told
them that
f r o m
that t i m e they
w e re
to pay double
tribute, and that they must work for him f i v e days
in
t he
week,
instead
o f three.
Then
he told
them
t o depart, w i th ou t listening to their
remonstrances.
F o r t he f i r s t t i m e t he people saw what a wicked
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40 THE
WICKED STEWARD.
man the steward (who
ha d
been s o humble t o a l l
when the knight w a s a t home) r e a l l y w a s . When
they reached the c a s t l e d o o r , they looked sadly at
each o t h e r , a n d shook hands with heavy h e a r t s , and
then they a l l went t h e i r way t o t e l l the sad news t o
the o t h e r s . The w o m e n , when they heard i t , wept
a n d lamented, a n d the men were a n g r y a n d indig
n a n t ;
but
they
determined
t o wait
q u i e t l y
a
l i t t l e
w h i l e , a nd s e e wha t
would
c o me
of i t .
And they co m me nced a s usual t o w o r k i n the
steward's grounds f o r three d a y s , a n d o n the fourth
d a y , considering that they ha d done enough, they
began t o w o r k i n t h e i r own f i e l d s . B ut i n
the
middle
of
the
day
came
the
s t e w a r d ,
Lutz,
with
a
number of a r m ed men, i n t o
the
v i l l a g e , a n d drove
the
p e a s a n t s ,
heavily
f l o g g i n g
them, i n t o the
f i e l d s
belonging t o the
c a s t l e .
He threatened a l s o to
punish them s e v e r e l y
i f
he
again found
them d i s
obedient ;
a n d
when they
desired t o
s e e
h i s
autho
r i t y f o r
demanding
such
unreasonable
t h i n g s ,
he
r a i s e d
h i s
sword, a n d s a i d , See
here i s authority
enough f o r you.
So
the
poor peasants were
compelled
t o neglect
t h e i r f i e l d s ; a n d then happened soon enough w h a t
they f e a r e d .
Neglecting
the c u l t i v a t i o n o f
their
g r o u nd
rendered
them
unable
t o
pa y
t h e i r
former
t r i b u t e , a n d e s p e c i a l l y
now
that i t w a s doubled.
S o the aged men went t o the
s t e w a r d ,
a n d
begged
him o n t h e i r krees t o r e t r a c t h i s harsh c o m m a n d s .
B ut Lutz hunted them with a whip out of
the
c a s t l e . I t w a s heartrending t o s e e the old
men
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THE
WICKED STEWARD.
41
w i t h
their whi te silvery hairs so u n k i n dl y treated.
When
the
peasants
we re
n o t
able
to
f u l f i l
these
un
merciful
commands,
and the t i m e came to pay and
they
had no
money,
t he ha r d-hea r t ed Lutz
t o o k
their
c a t t l e
from them
to pa y himself in that
w a y .
At
this a young pea s a n t accused the s t e w a r d o f
dealing
wickedly
; Lutz
made
his
servants
s e i z e
him
and
b i nd
him
f a s t
to
t he
t a i l
o f
his
horse,
and
he
was led to
the
c a s t l e , and
thrown
into a
d a r k
dun ge o n,
where
pois on ous
worms and toads crawled
about. When
this was known
in the v i l l a g e ,
a l l
t he peasants
g r o a n e d and
lamented, but
most
o f
a l l
Anna,
the
bride
of t he
young c o u n t r y m a n , who
had
drawn
down
the
steward's
vengeance
upon
him
s e l f . No
o n e
could console her, and s he wandered
cryin g into
t he
forest There
s he met a
t a l l knight,
who
was
clothed
from head to foot
in
glittering
s t e e l . Anna s h r a n k
back at the unexpected a p
pearance ;
but
when t he rider
( f o r he was on horse
back)
l i f t e d
his
v i s o r ,
and
s he
saw
a
noble,
manly
cou n te n a nce
looking
kindly
at her,
s he g a i n ed
courage.
Why
do
you weep, my
child?
a s k ed he, in
such
a sweet
t o n e
that Anna f e l t wonderfully
c o m f o r t ed; and s he opened
her
whole heart,
and
told
him
t he
history
o f
the
s t e w a r d
from
be g i n n i n g to
end. The
k n i g h t listened to i t
attentively, and
then
he
told her
to c a l l a l l
t he
elders
from
t he v i l l a g e , while he would
w a i t
for
them
at t he cha pel before the
c a s t l e .
Anna hastened to
obey his
command,
and, before
D
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42 THE WICKED
STEWABD.
the hour glass had been twice turned,
a l l
were at
t he
appointed
s p o t .
Dear friends,
began
t he steel-clad k n i g h t, I
have heard o f the
w ic kedness
o f Lutz t o w a r d s y ou,
and as I am a wandering knight, ever fig ht in g
against
wrong and succouring t he oppressed, I will
also give you y ou r r ig ht s a ga in . G o , c a l l y ou r young
men
together,
that
I
may
lead
them to
s t o r m t he
steward's c a s t l e .
How was
i t that such w i se
and
s a ge o ld
men
should i m medi a tely
place such
implicit
faith in
t he
s t r a n ge horseman ? But
i t
seemed t o
them
as
though
they must obey him, and they hastened into t he
village
to
make
known
t he
knight's
intention.
Then old
and
young t o o k up a r m s , even i f they
were o nl y staves and hayforks,
and
they
has
tened to t he chapel,
where
the k n i g h t was a w a i t
i n g
them. None
who
were able to s w i n g a cudgel
r e m a i n e d
behind.
When
a l l
t he villagers were
a s se mbled
the
rider
glanced
over
t he mult i tude,
and
then s a i d ,
I f
you
h av e
any
cou r a ge in y ou r hearts, f oll ow
me in perfeet confidence. I will
conquer
the
castle
for
you,
and
treat the s t e w a r d as he deserves. But
whoever i s
afraid
l e t him stay at
home.
Then
t he
peasants
shouted,
and
c r i e d ,
Lead
us so they hastened t o w a r d s t he c a s t l e , the
knight, in his glittering
a r m o u r ,
at t he head o f hi s
br a ve
troop.
When
they
had
reached t he c a s t l e
t he
knight
. c a l l e d
o ut to
Lutz,
in a voice o f thunder, to
show
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THE WICKED STEWARD. 43
himself upon t he ramparts. The s t e w a r d
imme
diately
appeared,
merely
from
curiosity,
and
he
l o o k e d maliciously down
upon the
knight, who c r i e d ,
Surrender, Lutz
and
do
n o t
hesitate longer
than
i t will
t a ke
for
twelve grains
ip run t h r o u g h
t he
hour
glass.
Oh, how t he s t e w a r d
mocked and
laughed a t
them
He
called
the
k n i g h t
a
r o v i n g
t h i e f ,
and
t he peasants
criminals,
escaped
from t he
gallows.
Then
he
disappeared
in a g reat passion,
and
com
manded his servants to drive
the
mob
away
f r o m t he
postern.
Then there came a s h o w e r o f a r r o w s down
upon the
peasants.
But, oh, how
w o nder ful
—he
dea dly i n st r um en t s
m i s s e d
their
ai m,
and at
t he
same moment t he stranger k n i g h t raised his im
mense battle-axe,
and
clove the d o o r o f the
c a s t l e
w i t h
o n e stroke. High in t he a i r
he
waved
his
powerful sw ord, and rushed in ; extr a ordi na ry
coura ge
seized t he
peasants,
and,
shouting loudly,
they
followed
him.
In
v a i n
was
a l l
opposition
f r o m
t he steward's men. The battle-axe destroyed their
r a n k s like lightning, and they t h r e w
their
arms
away and begged
for mercy. The s t e w a r d had
hidden himself, but he
was
s o o n found, for his own
people betrayed him.
When
t he young peasant
had
been
released
f r o m
his
dun ge o n,
t he
steward's
servants w e re banished f r o m t he p l a c e .
Af ter
this
t he
k n i g h t
drew f o r th a document
which cont ai ned
news
o f t he death of
the
lord o f
the c a s t l e , who had bequeathed his pos