{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_58185/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_58185","id":"gutenberg_58185","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58185","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Legends"],"text":"E-text prepared by David E. Brown and the Online Distributed Proofreading\nTeam (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by\nInternet Archive (https://archive.org)\n\n\n\nNote: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this\n      file which includes the original illustrations.\n      See 58185-h.htm or 58185-h.zip:\n      (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/58185/pg58185-images.html)\n      or\n      (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/58185/58185-h.zip)\n\n\n      Images of the original pages are available through\n      Internet Archive. See\n      https://archive.org/details/crystalpalaceoth00frar\n\n\nTranscriber\u2019s note:\n\n      Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.\n\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\nTHE CRYSTAL PALACE\nAND OTHER LEGENDS\n\nRetold by\n\nMARIE H. FRARY\n\nand\n\nCHARLES M. STEBBINS\n\nWith Illustrations by Herbert E. Martini\n\n\n\n\n\n\nStebbins and Company\nNew York\nPublishers\n\nCopyright, 1909\nby\nStebbins and Company\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE\n\n\nLegends have a fascination for all classes of people, but they possess\na peculiar charm for children. They constitute, in fact, a form of\nliterature particularly fitting to the mental world of the child.\nIn them fact and fancy are happily blended. Around the bare facts\nof recorded or unrecorded history, are woven the poetic ideals of a\nromantic people.\n\nNothing could be more worth a child\u2019s reading than a story of the past\nthat conveys not only an idea of the everyday life of real people,\nbut represents them also as striving after ideals in various forms of\nbeauty.\n\nNo influence is greater than the moral force of beauty. In the present\nvolume the purpose of the writers has been to present only such\nlegends as reveal simplicity, strength, and beauty. These qualities\nmake their inevitable appeal to the child fancy.\n\nThe subject matter of the book has been graded for children of eight\nor ten years. It is, therefore, well suited for use as a supplementary\nreader in the fourth or fifth grade.\n\n\n\n\nTABLE OF CONTENTS\n\n\n                                         PAGE\n\n    THE CRYSTAL PALACE                      7\n\n    THE ANGEL PAGE                         13\n\n    THE GNOME\u2019S ROAD                       21\n\n    THE LORELEI                            26\n\n    THE SUNKEN CITY                        31\n\n    THE BIRD OF PARADISE                   39\n\n    THE BELL OF ATRI                       48\n\n    THE POT OF HOT PORRIDGE                53\n\n    THE SILVER BELL                        57\n\n    THE TWO BAKER BOYS                     66\n\n    THE EMPEROR\u2019S WOOING                   70\n\n    THE MAGIC RING                         76\n\n    CHARLEMAGNE\u2019S GENEROSITY               83\n\n    THE SILVER BRIDGE                      89\n\n    THE PET RAVEN                          93\n\n    THE NIGHT OF THE STOLEN TREASURE      101\n\n    THE WATER SPRITES                     106\n\n    THE GIANT MAIDEN                      109\n\n    THE SWAN KNIGHT                       113\n\n\n\n\nTHE CRYSTAL PALACE\n\n\nMany, many years ago there lived in the village of Zurdorf, a queer\nlittle old woman. She was a very kind old lady and a good nurse. Often\nshe was called upon to care for the boys and girls of the village.\n\nThey quite enjoyed being ill because she knew so many interesting\nstories. She told them of great knights and ladies, of castles and\nfairies, of the wood nymphs and the water sprites; but best of all was\nthe story of old Father Rhine.\n\nOne night as she sat knitting, a knock came at the cottage door. She\nopened it and there stood a strange man, carrying a lantern of curious\npattern. He did not speak, but motioned to her to follow him.\n\nThe night was dark, and the rain was pouring down in torrents. Great\npools were found in the streets. Aunt Margot, as the children called\nthe old lady, hesitated to follow the stranger. It was not, however,\nbecause she was afraid of the storm, but because the man was a stranger.\n\nHe motioned to her again. She saw that his face was kindly, and so\ndecided to follow him. Down the dark street they passed, splashing\nthrough the deep pools of water.\n\nSuddenly the water became deeper, and began to eddy about Margot\u2019s\nankles. She became frightened and was about to turn and flee.\n\n\u201cI can go no farther,\u201d she shouted; \u201cwhat manner of man art thou, and\nwhither wouldst thou lead me?\u201d\n\nThe old man did not answer, but caught Margot in his arms and plunged\ninto the river Rhine. It had risen from its banks, and its eddying\nwaters had frightened Margot.\n\nDown, down, through cold green waters they sank. It seemed to Margot\nas if she were going down forever. She closed her eyes and ceased to\nstruggle.\n\nAt last they seemed to have passed out of the water, and Margot opened\nher eyes. She found herself in a wonderful crystal palace. Precious\nstones glittered all about her. The ornaments were of silver and gold.\nAs soon as she had recovered from her wonder, she was led into an\nimmense chamber. Here on a bed of crystal, with silken coverings, lay a\nbeautiful golden haired nymph, who was ill.\n\n\u201cI have brought you here,\u201d said the old man, \u201cto care for my beautiful\nwife. Nurse her tenderly back to health, and you shall never regret it.\u201d\n\nThe lovely nymph was so good to look upon that old Margot took great\ndelight in caring for her. She tended her so gently and so faithfully\nthat the golden haired lady improved rapidly. She was soon quite well.\n\nIn soft whispers she told the old nurse that her husband was a mighty\nwater spirit. Mortals called him Father Rhine. She had lived on the\nearth and was the only daughter of the Lord of Rheidt.\n\nOne day when she was at a village dance, there appeared before her\na strange man. He was clad in foamy green. He asked her to tread a\nmeasure with him. Round and round they whirled until they reached the\nwater edge. Suddenly he plunged with her into the stream, and brought\nher to the crystal palace, where he made her his happy wife.\n\n\u201cAnd now, kind nurse, we must soon part,\u201d said the beautiful lady.\n\u201cWhen Father Rhine offers to reward you, accept from him only your\nusual fee, no matter how much he urges you to take more. He loves\nhonesty, but loathes greed.\u201d\n\nJust then Father Rhine appeared. Seeing his beloved wife quite well\nagain, the river god beckoned to the nurse to follow him. He led her\nthrough many halls of the great castle. Finally they came to his\ntreasure chamber. Here all around lay great heaps of gold, silver, and\nprecious stones.\n\nThe water god was very grateful to the good nurse for saving his\nwife; so he bade her help herself. The old woman gazed upon the\njewels longingly. How well she could use them to help the poor! She\nremembered, however, what the beautiful golden haired lady had told\nher. So she selected only a small fee such as she always received. The\nmysterious man urged her to take more, but she firmly refused.\n\nThen the great water god took her by the hand and led her through a\nlong dark corridor. Suddenly she found herself again in the cold water\nof the Rhine. Slowly he rose with her through the dark flood. Up and up\nthey went until she found herself, dripping but safe, on the shore near\nher own house. As he beckoned adieu to her, Father Rhine flung a whole\nhandful of gold into her lap. Then he plunged into the river again and\nwas gone.\n\nEver since that time the little people of the village have loved to\nhear of the wonders of the crystal palace beneath the flood. So the\ngood nurse tells it over and over again. And she never forgets to show\nthe handful of gold which, she says, is the same Father Rhine gave her.\n\n\n\n\nTHE ANGEL PAGE\n\n\nA handsome lad once sought a brave and noble knight, asking leave to\nserve him as page. The knight was greatly charmed by the graceful\nmanners of the young lad, and was pleased with his unusual request. He\ngranted the lad\u2019s prayer, and never once did he have cause to regret it.\n\nThe little page did every duty with great cheerfulness and skill. He\nwas so devoted to his master that he was able to foresee almost every\nwish. It was not long before he had won his master\u2019s love, and the two\nbecame constant comrades.\n\nThe years passed swiftly by. The knight had never before been so happy,\nand never so successful. Everything seemed to turn out just as he\nwished it. Nothing had gone wrong since the day that the little page\nhad entered his gate.\n\nOne day as the two were riding along the banks of the Rhine, they\nnoticed a band of robbers coming toward them. These men had often\nsought to harm the good knight. The band was so large that it was easy\nto see that the brave knight could make no headway against them. There\nseemed to be no way of escape.\n\n\u201cWould to God,\u201d cried the brave man, \u201cthat you were safe within my\ncastle walls, my faithful little page! We are lost, my lad, but we must\nsell our lives as dearly as possible. Let us die like heroes. Do you\nget behind me, my page, and, if possible, I bid you flee.\u201d\n\n\u201cMy dear master,\u201d replied the little page, \u201cfollow me. I will show you\na way to escape. Follow me.\u201d\n\nThe page put spurs to his horse and galloped along the river bank.\nSuddenly he turned the unwilling steed directly into the rushing\nstream.\n\n\u201cRash boy, come back!\u201d called the knight, dashing forward with the hope\nof overtaking the daring page. \u201cBetter die fighting bravely than perish\nmiserably in the river. Come back, my page, come back!\u201d\n\n\u201cHave no fear, my dear master, but follow me,\u201d still cried the little\npage.\n\nThe sound of his voice rose so confidently above the noise of the wind\nand waves that the knight obeyed, hardly knowing what he was doing. A\nfew minutes later the horses had found a firm footing in the river.\nGuided by the faithful little page, the knight safely forded the\nstream. He reached the farther shore just as his enemies came down to\nthe water\u2019s edge.\n\nThe angry robbers urged their steeds into the deep water, but no trace\nof ford could be found and they were forced to give up the pursuit.\n\nThe knight\u2019s love for the little page was greatly increased after this,\nand the little page, too, seemed to love his master more and more. He\nwas only happy when in his master\u2019s presence or when doing some errand\nfor him.\n\nA short time after this happy escape from death the knight\u2019s beautiful\nwife became suddenly ill. The knight loved her as he loved his own\nlife, and was in great sorrow for fear that she might die.\n\nMany wise doctors were called to her bedside, but they could do\nnothing. They declared that there was only one thing that would cure\nher--the milk of a lioness. That could not be obtained because there\nwere no lions in the country.\n\nThe rumor of this strange remedy spread rapidly through the castle. It\ncame to the ears of the faithful little page. He at once sprang to his\nfeet and rushed out of the hall. An hour later, before any change had\ntaken place in the lady\u2019s condition, the page returned to the castle.\n\nHe went directly to the bedside of his mistress and sat down, flushed\nand panting. But in his hand he bore a cup full of the milk of a\nlioness, which was given to the patient at once. In a few moments the\ncolor crept back into the lady\u2019s pale cheeks. A new light came into\nher eyes and she sank into a sweet sleep. When she awoke she was fully\ncured. All her strength had come back, and she was very happy.\n\nThen the good knight went to seek the little page. He poured out to him\nhis thanks. He could not say enough to express what he felt for his\nfaithful servant. He wished to know all about it.\n\n\u201cTell me, my sweet, faithful page,\u201d he urged, \u201chow you were able to get\nthis remedy, which all my wealth could not procure.\u201d\n\n\u201cMy noble master,\u201d replied the page, \u201cI knew that a lioness was lying\nwith her cubs in an Arabian den, and so I--\u201d\n\n\u201cArabia!\u201d exclaimed the knight, interrupting the page, \u201cArabia! Did\nyou find your way there and back in one short hour?\u201d\n\n\u201cYes, my dear master,\u201d replied the little page, \u201cthat is the truth.\u201d\nAnd he fixed his beautiful, truthful eyes on his master\u2019s pale,\nwondering face.\n\n\u201cMy lad, who are you then?\u201d suddenly asked the knight, a nameless fear\ngnawing at his heart. \u201cWho are you? Speak; tell me everything.\u201d\n\n\u201cMaster, my noble master, ask not who I am nor whence I came,\u201d cried\nthe little page, sinking down at the knight\u2019s feet, and raising his\nbeseeching hands. \u201cDo not ask me. Let me remain by your side, my good\nmaster. Remember that no harm has come to you since I have been in your\nservice.\u201d\n\n\u201cMy page, stop this pleading and tell me what I ask. Who are you?\u201d\ncontinued the knight, paying no attention to the little page\u2019s\nbeseeching look.\n\n\u201cA spirit, O my master, a spirit of light, who for you and yours left\na home in the realms above. But now I must leave you, my master.\nFarewell; farewell.\u201d\n\n\u201cLad, lad, my sweet lad, leave me not. Stay with me still,\u201d cried the\nknight. \u201cAsk what reward you please, but do not forsake me. Remain, my\nfaithful little page, for I cannot live without you.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou have asked me what I am and whence I came, and have mentioned a\nreward. The charm, my dear master, is broken, and now I must leave you.\nIn return for the things that I have done for you so cheerfully and so\nlovingly, I ask you to place a silver bell in the midst of the forest.\nIts tinkling sound may guide many weary travelers and help them to find\ntheir way home. Dedicate the bell to God and to his angelic host, O\nmaster; and now receive my last farewell.\u201d\n\nThe little page suddenly vanished. No one saw him leave the hall nor\npass through the castle gates, and no trace of him was ever found. The\nangel page had faded from mortal sight and returned to his home above.\nHe had gone back to live with spirits as good and faithful and pure as\nhimself.\n\nThe knight at once had the silver bell placed in the forest. But he\ncould not forget his faithful page. He sought for him everywhere, and\nwhen at evening the silver tones of the little bell rang out in the\nquiet air they seemed to him like the words of an angel, and filled his\nheart with restless desire.\n\nThe noble knight seemed to lose all interest in life. His strength\nbegan to fail; his step grew slow and feeble; and one day when the\nshades of night were falling and the first tinkle of the little bell\ncame to his ear, he softly murmured \u201cMy page, my faithful little page\u201d;\nand he went to live with the spirit he had learned to love so well.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE GNOME\u2019S ROAD\n\n\nOn the high hill above the Rhine still stand the ruins of an old\nCastle. Here Kuno Von Sayne once lived. Kuno was a very proud young man\nfor he was a member of a very noble family.\n\nHe had fallen in love with the beautiful daughter of the surly old\nLord of Faulkenstein. At last he succeeded in winning the love of the\nmaiden, but of her father he had great fear.\n\nAfter many months of hoping and fearing, he decided to go to the old\nLord and ask for his daughter\u2019s hand. One beautiful morning he set out\non his mission, to the Castle of Faulkenstein. This Castle was perched\nfar up on the heights that rose above a small river.\n\nIt was a long journey, and he had almost lost his courage when he\nreached the place. However, he went at once into the presence of the\nLord of Faulkenstein and boldly made known his wish.\n\nThe grim, old Lord looked at him long and closely, then in tones that\nwere terrible to poor Kuno spoke.\n\n\u201cI will,\u201d he said, \u201cconsider the matter if you will promise to do one\nthing for me.\u201d\n\nWithout waiting to find out what he was to do, Kuno eagerly consented.\n\n\u201cThen,\u201d said the Lord of Faulkenstein, \u201cyou may wed my daughter on\ncondition that you build a convenient road over the jagged rock to the\nvillage. You are to ride up that road on your war horse before sunrise\nto-morrow morning.\u201d\n\nPoor Kuno was speechless. Nothing was to be said, for he knew how\nimpossible was the task. Many months of hard labor would scarcely\naccomplish the great work.\n\nSadly he made his way down the rocks again. He had not been able to\ncatch even a glimpse of the fair Irmangarde, his beloved, so he sat\ndown upon a rock in the valley and began to reproach himself for his\nstupidity.\n\nSuddenly he was aroused from his thoughts by a small voice calling to\nhim.\n\n\u201cKuno, Kuno Von Sayne,\u201d it said.\n\nHe looked up and there before him stood the King of the Gnomes.\n\n\u201cDespair not,\u201d said the kindly little man. \u201cMyself and my subjects will\ngladly help so good a knight; so away to the inn where you left your\nsteed. Before sunrise to-morrow morning the road shall be ready.\u201d\n\nAt this the King of the Gnomes waved his hand. A great mist rose\nand covered the hill and valley with its dense vapor. Thousands of\ndwarf-like creatures now sprang out of the ground on all sides. They\nbegan using axes, hammers, and spades with great good will. All night\nlong Kuno Von Sayne heard the crashing of great forest trees, and the\nbreaking of stones. Now and then he heard a loud rumble like thunder;\nthere was a continual clatter and crashing throughout the whole night.\nAt dawn he came from his room, and was greeted by the inn-keeper.\n\n\u201cA great storm must have raged over the valley last night,\u201d said the\nlatter. \u201cI was kept awake all the night by the noise.\u201d\n\nKuno did not pause to listen to the man\u2019s tales, but loudly called\nfor his horse. He mounted and rode rapidly away to the foot of the\nmountain. Far above him loomed the Castle of Faulkenstein. How Kuno\u2019s\nheart leaped with joy. There, indeed, was a road leading up to the\nCastle. True to his promise, the King of the Gnomes had built a broad,\nconvenient road through the forest and over the rocks. Kuno galloped\nboldly up, exchanging smiles with the kindly dwarfs who peered at him\nfrom behind every rock and tree. From the ramparts of the Castle,\nstepped the beautiful Irmangarde.\n\nKuno dashed over the arched bridge the dwarfs were just finishing and\ngreeted her gaily. The dwarfs raised a glad shout of triumph. The\nKnight of Faulkenstein was awakened by the shout. He looked out, and\nthere, stretching far out from the Castle, saw the newly built road. He\nthought he must still be dreaming, and rubbed his eyes again and again.\n\nWhen, however, he saw the beaming face of Irmangarde and Kuno, he knew\nthat he had been outwitted. So as the first sunbeams fell upon the\nCastle, lighting up the gladdened heart and blushing cheeks of the\nmaiden, Kuno claimed her as his bride. The Lord of Faulkenstein was\nproud to accept a man who could do such wonderful things as Kuno had\naccomplished during the night.\n\n\n\n\nTHE LORELEI\n\n\nCount Ludwig was the only son of the Prince Palatine. He lived with\nhis father in the castle at Stahleck. The young count had heard many\nmarvelous tales of the beautiful Lorelei and he determined to go in\nsearch of her.\n\nOne evening he stole from his father\u2019s castle to sail down the\nRhine. He hoped to catch a glimpse of the Siren Lorelei. The stars\nwere twinkling softly overhead, and the bark slowly drifted down the\nriver. Darker and darker grew the waters as the bed of the Rhine grew\nnarrower. But the young count did not notice this. His eyes were fixed\non the rocks far above, where he hoped to see the beautiful nymph.\n\nSuddenly he saw a shimmer of white drapery and golden hair. At the same\ntime he heard the faint, sweet sound of an alluring song. As he drew\nnearer, the melody became more distinct. The moonbeams fell upon the\nmaiden and seemed to make her even more beautiful. She bent over the\nrocky ledge and beckoned him to draw nearer.\n\nThe count and boatman were spellbound by the vision above them, and\nthey paid no heed to the vessel. Suddenly the boat struck against the\nrocks and went to pieces. The men struggled against the swift current,\nand all escaped except the young count. Him the Lorelei took down\nto her magic palace below the river to be her lover forever. Many\ndifferent stories about the young count\u2019s fate were related by the men\nwho escaped.\n\nThe Prince Palatine was deeply grieved over his only son\u2019s death. He\nblamed the beautiful Lorelei and longed for revenge. Finally he sent\nfor one of his greatest warriors.\n\n\u201cYou are to capture this wicked creature who has caused so much woe,\u201d\nhe said. \u201cTake a band of armed men and post them at once all around\nthe rock, so that the nymph cannot escape.\u201d\n\nThe great warrior did as he was commanded. At the head of a band of\narmed men he climbed noiselessly up the moonlit cliff and presented\nhimself before the charming Lorelei. There she sat, as usual, combing\nher golden hair and crooning her matchless song. The men hemmed her in\non all sides. They left no mode of escape except by the steep descent\nto the river.\n\n\u201cWe command you to surrender,\u201d said the captain of the band.\n\nThe nymph made no reply, but gracefully waved her white hands. The grim\nold warriors suddenly felt as if rooted to the spot. They could neither\nmove nor speak.\n\nThere they stood motionless with dilated eyes fixed upon the Lorelei.\nThey saw her remove all of her jewels and drop them one by one into\nthe Rhine beneath her feet. Then she whirled about in a mystic spell,\nchanting her magic tunes. They could understand nothing of it except\nnow and then a word about white-maned steeds and pearl shell chariots.\n\nWhen the song and dance were ended, the waters of the Rhine began to\nseethe and bubble. Higher and higher they rose, until they reached the\ntop of the cliff.\n\nThe petrified warriors felt the cold tide surge about their feet.\nSuddenly they saw a great white-crested wave rolling rapidly toward\nthem. In its green depths they beheld a chariot drawn by white-maned\nsteeds. Into this car the Lorelei sprang and quickly vanished over the\nedge of the cliff into the river.\n\nIn a few moments the angry waters had sunk to their usual level. The\nbrave warriors discovered that they could move once more. They rubbed\ntheir eyes and looked about them. No trace of the sudden rise except\nthe water drops along the face of the cliff could be seen. These shone\nin the moonlight like diamonds.\n\nThe Lorelei has never since then appeared on the cliff. But boatmen\nhave often heard the faint sweet echo of her alluring song, wafted\ntoward them on the summer breeze at midnight. It is said that she\nremains in her beautiful palace and gardens below the green Rhine,\nenjoying the companionship of her earthly lover.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SUNKEN CITY\n\n\nThere was once, we are told, a fine tract of land where now roll the\nwaves of the Zuyder Zee. On the very spot where now the fishermen\nanchor their boats and fish, there stood a beautiful city. It was\nprotected from the sea by great dykes.\n\nThe name of the city was Stavoren, and the people who lived there were\nvery wealthy. Some of them were so wealthy that they laid their great\nhalls with floors of gold and silver. But in spite of their wealth they\nwere selfish, thoughtless, and hard hearted. For the poor people they\ncared nothing.\n\nThe richest person among them was a maiden lady. She had palaces,\nfarms, ships and counting-houses--everything that one could desire. But\nshe thought of nothing except how she might increase her store. With\nthis in mind she one day summoned the captain of her largest vessel.\n\nWhen he came she bade him sail away to procure a cargo of the most\nprecious things of earth, and to return within the year. Not knowing\nexactly what she wished, the captain questioned her, but she simply\nrepeated her order and sent him away at once.\n\nThe captain set sail from Stavoren without knowing where he was going.\nAfter leaving the harbor he called his officers together and asked\ntheir advice. Each had a different opinion as to what were the most\nprecious things of earth.\n\nThe captain was plunged into greater doubt than ever. He thought over\nthe question for many long hours, smoking his pipe and scratching his\nhead. At last he said to himself that nothing could be more precious\nthan wheat, which is the staff of life.\n\nAccordingly he purchased a cargo of grain, and returned happily to\nhis native town, arriving long before the year had passed. The haughty\nlady had in the meantime told all her friends that her vessel had gone\nin search of the most precious thing of earth. She would not tell her\nclosest friend what that most precious thing might be. So everybody was\nvery curious.\n\nWhen one day her captain appeared suddenly before her and told her that\nhe had brought a cargo of wheat, her pride vanished. She flew into a\nterrible rage and commanded that every kernel be cast into the sea at\nonce. The captain was shocked at this order and plead with her to allow\nhim to give the wheat to the poor. She repeated her command.\n\n\u201cI will come down to the port myself,\u201d she said, \u201cto make sure that\nevery kernel is cast into the sea.\u201d\n\nThe captain made his way sadly back to his vessel. As he did so he met\nseveral beggars by the way and told them that a cargo of wheat was to\nbe cast into the sea. By the time the lady reached the dock the poor\nhad gathered there from all parts of the city, hoping to secure some of\nthe grain.\n\nWhen the lady approached, many imploring hands were extended toward\nher, but all was in vain. Angry and proud, she made the sailors cast\nall the wheat into the sea. The captain, powerless to prevent this\nsinful waste, looked on in quiet rage. When the last kernel had\ndisappeared beneath the water he turned to his haughty mistress.\n\n\u201cAs surely as there is a God above us,\u201d he exclaimed, \u201cyou will be\npunished for this sin. The time will come when you, the wealthiest\nperson in Stavoren, will long for a few handfuls of this wasted wheat.\u201d\n\nThe lady listened to his words in haughty silence. When he had\nfinished, she took a costly ring from her delicate hand and cast it\ninto the sea.\n\n\u201cWhen this ring comes back to me,\u201d she said, \u201cI will believe what you\nsay and fear that I may come to want.\u201d\n\nA few hours afterward the lady\u2019s cook was preparing dinner for her. He\nwas opening a large fish which had just been brought from the sea, when\nto his surprise his eyes fell upon the costly ring. He immediately sent\nit to his proud mistress. When she recognized it she turned very pale.\n\nShortly afterward there came a report that one of her counting-houses\nhad been ruined, and another report of disaster came that same evening.\nAll her counting-houses were ruined. Her fleet had been destroyed at\nsea; her palaces were burning; and her farms were laid waste by storms.\n\nIn a few hours everything that she had possessed was stripped from her.\nThe palace in which she lived burned down during the night, and she\nbarely escaped with her life.\n\nNow she was desolate, indeed! The rich people of the city cared nothing\nfor her now that her money was all gone. The poor people whom she\nhad treated with contempt allowed her to die of hunger and cold in a\nmiserable shed.\n\nThe city of Stavoren did not profit by the sad end of the haughty lady.\nThe rich people continued to enjoy life and to neglect the poor. It did\nnot matter to them what happened to their wretched fellow creatures.\nThey, like the haughty lady, were truly selfish.\n\nAs time went on the sand began to increase in the port, so that it\nwas soon impossible for ships to come to anchor. It grew worse and\nworse. The waves washed the sand up until a great sand-bar rose above\nthe waters and all further commerce was stopped. It was not very long\nbefore the sand bank was covered with little green blades. The people\ngazed upon it in surprise.\n\n\u201cIt is the Lady\u2019s Sand,\u201d they declared. \u201cFor it is the wheat that she\nhad cast into the sea that is growing there.\u201d\n\nThe wheat grew very rapidly, but bore no fruit. It did not matter to\nthe rich even if traffic had ceased. They did not suffer. The poor,\nhowever, were greatly distressed, for they now had nothing to do. They\nbesought help from the rich, but their prayers fell upon deaf ears.\n\nNot long afterward a little leak was discovered in the dyke which\nprotected the city. Through this the sea water crept into the city\nreservoir, spoiling all the drinking water.\n\nThe rich people only laughed, saying that they would drink champagne,\nsince water was not to be had. But what were the poor to do? They\ncrowded around the gates of the rich, imploring a sup of beer, but were\nrudely driven away.\n\n\u201cIt would be a good thing,\u201d said the rich, \u201cif these wretched\ncreatures should actually die. Of what use are they to themselves or to\nany one else?\u201d\n\nThe rich of Stavoren had had their last chance to do good. That very\nsame night when the revelers had returned to sleep, the sea broke down\nthe weakened dykes. Bursting in, it covered up the whole town.\n\nOver the spot where Stavoren once stood the waves now glitter in the\nbright sun light or plunge and dash when the cold winds come sweeping\nin from the sea.\n\nBoatmen come rowing up from the desolate little fishing town which\nnow bears the name of the ancient city. When the waters are smooth\nthey rest upon their oars to point out far beneath them the spires and\nturrets and palaces of Stavoren.\n\nThe streets of the old town as it lies beneath the waves, once so\npopulous, are deserted. The market place is empty. No sound is to be\nheard except when some inquiring fish, swimming through the belfries,\nstrikes one of the bells with his tail. Then there is heard a sad sound\nwhich seems to be tolling the knell of the sunken city.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BIRD OF PARADISE\n\n\nThere once lived in the monastery at Heisterbach a kindly monk, of\ngreat learning and simple manners. He had studied for many years that\nhe might settle some doubts that troubled him.\n\nHe had observed that people grow tired of even the best of things. They\ndesire to behold new scenes, to hear new music, and to taste new dishes.\n\n\u201cI wonder if it will be so in Heaven,\u201d he said to himself. \u201cShall we\nnot grow weary of beauties and joys of Heaven in the endless flow of\nages?\u201d\n\nThis question perplexed him sorely; but he was unable to answer it to\nhis satisfaction. Wearied with the doubt, he decided to put it away\nfrom him if possible. So one beautiful sunny morning in summer he\nturned his steps toward the woods that stretched away for miles back of\nthe monastery.\n\nIt was such a morning as makes one glad to be alive. Silvery clouds\nwere floating like great white ships across the blue sky. The gentle\nbreeze was playing among the branches of the trees. Flowers were\nblooming and birds were singing happily everywhere.\n\nEarth seemed to breathe forth peace and joy for all mankind. Beauty and\nblessing were everywhere. Yet, with all this to gladden him, Alfus was\nnot satisfied. His heart was not at ease.\n\n\u201cAlas!\u201d he sighed, \u201chow all is changed! The rapture with which I first\nlooked upon this lovely scene, is gone. The beauty with which it once\ngreeted me is no more. Why must it be so?\u201d\n\nAs Alfus was pondering on this thought he wandered on, paying no\nattention to the path he was following. Hour after hour passed and\nstill he walked on, until finally he became weary and decided to rest.\nHe sat down on a mossy bank and began to look about him.\n\nIt was a beautiful spot, and one which he had never visited before,\nalthough he thought he was familiar with every place in the forest. The\ntrees were tall and leafy. The branches stretched out forming beautiful\narches above him. At his feet were delicate ferns and wild flowers of\nmany different colors. He heard the drowsy hum of the bee and saw a\nbeautiful butterfly flitting about from flower to flower.\n\nHis admiration was awakened. It seemed as if he saw a new beauty in the\nthings about him, and he forgot that he was tired. Suddenly there came\nto him the song of a bird which seemed to be the sweetest he had ever\nheard. He looked and saw the bird perched upon a tree nearby. It seemed\nto pour forth its song in one strain of perfect happiness. It seemed\nso thrilling and so beautiful that Alfus could not think it earthly.\nWith intense delight the monk leaned back against the mossy bank,\nlistening to the strain. The song lasted but a moment and ceased as\nsuddenly as it had begun. Alfus desired to hear it again. He looked for\nthe bird, and waited, but it was gone. Around him all was silence. Even\nthe breeze seemed to have ceased its rustling among the leaves of the\ntrees. The monk slowly rose and began his way back through the woods to\nthe monastery.\n\nBut how everything seemed to have changed. Could it be that he was in\na part of the woods he had never visited before? He, too, did not seem\nto be the same. His steps were now halting and slow, and all his body\nseemed feeble and stiff. As he looked at his beard he saw that it was\ngray.\n\nHe walked on in amazement. The trees seemed to have become much larger\nsince he had entered the forest. Even the bushes had grown into tall\ntrees. He wondered if he were dreaming or if he had lost his mind.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nSlowly and painfully he picked his way back through the dense forest,\nand after several hours of walking came to the open land. Eagerly he\nlooked up to the monastery, but that too had changed. It was older and\ngrayer than before and seemed to have increased in size. A new portion\nhad been added, and the entrance gate was not the same which had stood\nthere when he left in the morning. Everything looked older.\n\nWhat could have happened? He had been gone but a few hours, yet all the\nworld had changed. It seemed as if he were in another century. Alfus\npassed his hand across his eyes as if to clear his sight and anxiously\nwalked on. As he passed the fountain at the village he saw some women\nwashing, but they were new to him; yet he had known every man woman and\nchild for miles around. Whence had these strange faces come?\n\n\u201cLook,\u201d cried one of them as the old man passed by. \u201cThis ancient monk\nwears the dress of the order, yet his face is new to me; I have never\nseen him before. Who can he be?\u201d\n\nTo this strange remark Alfus paid no heed. He only hastened on the\nfaster. He was beginning to doubt his senses. He went directly to the\ngate of the monastery. But this was much larger than it had been when\nhe had left. He rang the bell. The sound was no longer the same. The\nsilvery peal of the bell he had known had given place to the harsh\nclang of a much larger one.\n\nAt length there came a young monk to open the door. Alfus was amazed.\nIt was a stranger--a man whom he had never seen before. He gazed at him\nspeechless.\n\n\u201cWhat has happened,\u201d he said. \u201cWhy are all things so changed? Where is\nBrother Antony? Why does he not open the door as usual?\u201d\n\n\u201cBrother Antony!\u201d exclaimed the monk. \u201cThere is no such person here.\nI am the porter, and no one but me has opened this door for the last\ntwenty years.\u201d\n\nFor a moment poor Alfus stood on the threshold as if petrified. Then\nhe beheld two monks slowly passing along the corridor. They, too, were\nstrangers, but he reached forward and clutched one of them by the gown.\n\n\u201cBrethren,\u201d he cried in agony, \u201cI beseech you speak. Tell me what has\nhappened. Only a few hours ago I left the monastery for a quiet walk in\nthe woods, and now when I come back, behold, all is changed. Where is\nthe Abbot? Where are my companions? Is there no one here who remembers\nAlfus?\u201d\n\n\u201cAlfus--Alfus,\u201d repeated one of the monks thoughtfully to himself.\n\u201cThere has been no one of that name here for a hundred years. There was\nonce a man by that name in the monastery, but he disappeared long ago.\nI remember hearing about him when I was a small lad, but whether the\nstory is true or not, I cannot tell.\n\n\u201cHe went one morning, as was often his custom, to walk in the forest\nalone,\u201d the monk went on, \u201cand they never heard from him afterward. The\nmonks sought for him throughout the forest day after day, but no trace\nof him could be found. He seemed to have vanished from the earth. The\nAbbot thought that God must have borne him up to Heaven in a chariot of\nfire like Elijah. He was a very holy man, indeed. But all this happened\nso long ago, that it may be simply a story.\u201d\n\nAt these words a sudden light seemed to shine in the face of poor\nAlfus. He sank to his knees and clasped his trembling hands as if in\nprayer.\n\n\u201cNow I understand, O God, that a thousand years are but as a day in thy\nsight. A whole century passed while I held my breath to listen to the\nsong of the bird--the bird which sings at the gate of Paradise. Forgive\nmy doubts, O Lord, and grant that I may enter into thy rest.\u201d\n\nAs the monks looked at Alfus they saw that a great calm had settled\nupon his face. A radiant smile played about his lips. He sank back\ngently upon a settle and the wondering monks crowded about him, but to\ntheir astonishment he did not move, and when they looked more closely\nthey saw that his pure soul had flown away to his Heavenly mansion,\nthere to enjoy endless ages of unchanging happiness.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BELL OF ATRI\n\n\nIn olden times there lived in Italy a kind-hearted king. He was sorry\nfor any trouble that came to his people, and did all he could to make\nthem happy. Because of his goodness the people called him Good King\nJohn.\n\n\u201cI wish all of my people to be just,\u201d said the king. \u201cAnd I wish every\none to be treated justly.\u201d\n\nNot all of his people were as good as King John himself. Many did\nwrongs to their neighbors. And the neighbors complained to the good\nKing.\n\n\u201cI will set up a great bell in the market place,\u201d said the King at\nlast. \u201cIf any one is wronged, let him ring the bell. He shall have\njustice.\u201d\n\nSo the King had a large bell set up in the market place, where any one\ncould ring it. Then he appointed a good judge to right the people\u2019s\nwrongs.\n\nMany people rang the bell in the years that followed. All received\njustice and went away happy. The bell was used so much that the rope\nwas worn away little by little. At last it became so short that many\npeople could not reach it. Then some one fastened a piece of grape vine\nto the rope.\n\nNow, there lived in Atri an old Knight. In his younger days he had\nloved to hunt, and had kept many horses and dogs. Now he could hunt no\nmore, and so sold all his horses except the one he had liked best.\n\nIt happened that the old Knight began to think of nothing but money. He\nwished to be very rich.\n\n\u201cWhat is the use of keeping this one horse?\u201d he asked himself. \u201cHe\ndoes nothing but eat and sleep. It costs too much to keep him. I will\nturn him out to look after himself.\u201d\n\nSo the faithful old horse was turned out into the street. It was in\nthe dry, hot summer, and there was little grass to be found. The horse\nwandered about under the burning sun, getting a bite here and a bite\nthere.\n\nIn his wandering he came finally to the market place. He saw the vine\nhanging to the bell rope.\n\n\u201cThese leaves,\u201d he thought, \u201care better than nothing, though they are\nwithered.\u201d\n\nHe began to pull at the withered leaves. The very first pull set the\ngreat bell to ringing loudly. The poor horse was so hungry that he\npaid no attention to the ringing. He kept on eating, and the bell rang\nlouder and louder.\n\nThe judge heard the sounds, and wondered who was ringing the bell so\nloudly. He put on his robe and hurried to the market place.\n\nHe was greatly surprised when he saw who had rung the bell. He felt\nsorry for the poor creature, however.\n\n\u201cEven the dumb beast,\u201d he murmured, \u201cshall have justice. This is the\nhorse of the Knight of Atri.\u201d\n\nA large crowd of people had gathered in a few minutes. They told the\njudge the story of the old horse. Their stories, however, did not\nagree. The judge, therefore, decided to call the Knight himself.\n\nThe heartless old Knight said that the horse was useless to him, and\nthat he could not take care of him any longer. It cost too much money.\n\n\u201cDid he not always do his duty by you?\u201d asked the judge. \u201cDid he ever\nrefuse to carry you to the hunt, or to bring you safely home?\u201d\n\nThe old Knight had to confess that the horse had always been faithful.\n\n\u201cThe law decides, then,\u201d cried the judge, \u201cthat you shall provide him\nshelter and food as long as he lives.\u201d\n\nAt this decision all the people clapped their hands and shouted loudly.\n\nThe old Knight ordered his servant to lead the horse back to the\nstable. The people followed, cheering, because even a dumb animal could\nget justice.\n\nThe fame of the bell of Atri spread abroad through all Italy.\n\nTo-day people know very little about the other things that Good King\nJohn did. They simply remember him as the king who set up the bell of\njustice at Atri.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE POT OF HOT PORRIDGE\n\n\nIn the beautiful land of Switzerland is a little town named Zurich. Not\nfar from here is the larger city of Strasburg. The people of Zurich had\nlong looked with envy on the larger city and wanted to become a part\nof it. At last they decided to send an appeal to the magistrates. This\nthey did, but the great magistrate of Strasburg bluntly refused the\nhonor of such a union.\n\n\u201cZurich is of no importance,\u201d they said, \u201cand besides it is too far\naway to be of any help in time of need.\u201d\n\nWhen the councilors of Zurich heard the Strasburger\u2019s answer, they\nwere very angry, indeed. They even talked of challenging the great\nmagistrates.\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d said the youngest of the Zurich councilors, \u201cI will make them\neat their words. I pledge you my honor that I shall bring you a\ndifferent answer before long.\u201d\n\nThe other councilors were glad to be relieved of the matter, so\nthey agreed and returned leisurely to their dwellings. The youngest\ncouncilor went home in a great hurry. He went at once to the kitchen\nand selected the biggest pot there.\n\n\u201cWhat are you going to do with that?\u201d asked his wife.\n\n\u201cYou will see,\u201d he replied. \u201cFill it with as much oatmeal as it will\ncontain and cook it as quickly as possible.\u201d\n\nHis wife wondered much at this strange command, but she bade her\nservants build a roaring fire. This they did and soon the great pot of\noatmeal was cooking. Then such a time as they had stirring the oatmeal\nto keep it from burning.\n\nIn the meantime, the youngest councilor ran down to the quay and\nprepared the swiftest vessel. He collected a number of the best\noarsmen and when all was ready, bade two of them accompany him home.\n\nHe sprang breathless into the kitchen. The oatmeal was ready.\n\n\u201cCome boys,\u201d he cried, \u201clift the vessel from the fire and run down to\nthe boat with it.\u201d\n\nHe followed them closely and saw it placed in the boat. Then, turning\nto the men, he exclaimed,\n\n\u201cNow, lads, row with all your might. We are bound to prove to those\nstupid old Strasburgers that we are near enough to serve them a hot\nsupper in case of need.\u201d\n\nAroused by these words, the youths bent to the oars. The vessel shot\ndown the Simwat, Aar, and Rhine, leaving town, village, and farms in\nits wake. Never did it stop once till it reached the quay at Strasburg.\n\nThe councilor sprang ashore and bade the two youths follow with the\nhuge pot. He strode into the council hall and had them set it before\nthe assembled magistrates.\n\n\u201cGentlemen, Zurich sends you a warm answer to your cold refusal,\u201d he\nexclaimed.\n\nWith open mouths the Strasburgers gazed at the still steaming pot. When\nthe young Zuricher explained how it got there they laughed heartily.\nThey were so amused with the wit and promptitude of their neighbors\nthat they voted at once to grant their request.\n\nThe papers for the alliance were signed and sealed. Then the great\nmagistrates called for spoons and ate every bit of the oatmeal. They\ncalled it excellent, and it proved hot enough to burn more than one\ncouncilor\u2019s mouth.\n\nEver since then this huge iron pot has been known as the \u201cpot of\nalliance.\u201d It has been carefully kept in the town hall of Strasburg,\nwhere it can still be seen.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SILVER BELL\n\n\nIn the ancient city of Speyer, there were in olden times two great\nbells. Neither one of these was ever rung by human hands, but it is\nsaid that an angel came down from Heaven at night to ring one of these\nbells whenever a person died.\n\nOne of the bells was of iron. It was rung whenever the soul of a\nsinful person took its flight. The other bell was of pure silver. It\nhad been placed in the tower by a baron. He had erected it with the\nunderstanding that it should never be rung until there came a person\nwho really loved his fellow men.\n\nWhen this bell was erected it was muffled by many bands, so that it\ncould give forth no sound until it had been placed carefully in the\ntower.\n\nIt was agreed also, that if no person who truly loved his fellow men\nshould be found within the space of thirty-three years, the bell should\nforever remain silent. It was to be a witness against the unkindness of\nmen.\n\nThe thirty-three years were now almost completed, and no one had been\nfound in the whole country of whom it could be said that he unselfishly\nloved his fellows. Many kind deeds had been done; many brave and noble\nservices had been performed; but when examined closely, there always\nseemed to be some selfish motive behind them.\n\nThe people of the valley had looked longingly day after day at this\nbell, and had hoped and prayed that some one might appear for whom the\nbell could be rung. All longed to hear its silver sound. It was said to\ngive forth the most enchanting music. But the summers and winters came\nand went.\n\nThe young people who had seen the bell placed in the tower had grown\nold. They had waited and waited, and hope began to sink in their\nhearts. They began to think that they should never hear the sound of\nthe silver bell.\n\nAn awful pestilence broke out in the land. There was no one who knew\nhow to save the wretched people. Gloom settled down over the whole\ncity. It seemed to be threatened with utter destruction.\n\nAgain there were deeds of mercy done; again hearts bled with sympathy\nfor their fellows; again people strove to find out someone who was\ntruly unselfish in his charity. But upon examination it was found that\npeople pitied their friends, and neglected their enemies. They wept\nfor those near them, but were thoughtless of those whom they did not\nknow. Fathers and mothers were brave to protect their own children, but\ncareless about the children of other people. So, though there were many\nnoble deeds done, it was found that they were not the result of a deep\nlove for mankind in general.\n\nDuring all this time the iron bell rang almost continually. It rang by\nday, and it rang by night, until hope and cheerfulness were gone, and\ndespair and fear settled down upon every household.\n\nThe King of this land was a handsome youth, who had just come to the\nthrone. He had always had everything that his heart could desire; and\nwas not trained to bear hardships or to sympathize with the suffering\nof others. No one hoped to find comfort in him, or relief from despair.\n\nAt night, however, when the city was sunk to its fitful rest, this\nyoung king knelt in prayer for the poor and the wretched, and then rose\nto answer his prayer by his own hand. With food and clothes he loaded\nhis horse and went forth alone through the city, disguised as a peasant.\n\nNight after night he passed through the dark and wretched streets,\ncarrying his treasures to distribute among the poor. From evening\nuntil daybreak he labored alone to relieve the suffering of his people.\nThen as the last shadows fled he returned to his palace gate.\n\nThe people at last began to hope that a truly unselfish soul had\nappeared. They had, however, very little time to think of this matter\nor of the silver bell because of their wretchedness. The thought,\nhowever, that there was some one to care for them was a source of\ncomfort to many. Joy was awakened in their hearts, and joy brought\nstrength to them, until at last people returned to forge and field to\nperform their usual labors.\n\nThe man, however, who had come to them in their need had remained\nconcealed. No one had found out or even suspected who he was. Many\nthought that an angel had come to them. Many others believed that it\nwas the work of some good soul, and hoped to find out who it was. They\nbegan to believe that the silver bell might yet be rung.\n\nAt last they went to the king and besought him to issue a proclamation,\nin order that he might find out the person who had bestowed so many\nbounties upon them.\n\n\u201cSurely,\u201d they said, \u201ca truly unselfish soul has been among us,\nalthough we know not who he is.\u201d\n\n\u201cMy good people,\u201d replied the king, \u201cbe contented. Should it not be\nenough that God has sent his servant to you in the hour of your need?\u201d\n\n\u201cThis king,\u201d they murmured, \u201cin his wealth and power, enjoying the\nblessings of youth, has not known what we have suffered, and therefore\ncannot appreciate our gratitude. While we were starving in our hovels,\nhe was sitting in his castle, quaffing wine. We can expect nothing from\nhim.\u201d\n\n\u201cAt least,\u201d clamored others, \u201clet the great bell be rung, for the\nthirty-three years are now almost over. We shall never hear its notes\nof gladness unless it be rung today.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d replied the king still, \u201cbut if you will, go and pray that the\nLord may send His angel down to ring the bell, if in His perfect\nknowledge he sees a being who is worthy of the honor.\u201d\n\nThat night many people waited before the church, praying that God in\nHis goodness might send a spirit from on high to ring the silver bell.\n\nThe night slowly passed away, and lo, the sun\u2019s first rays were just\nabout to come up over the mountains. Suddenly the sun seemed to pause;\nthe dusk continued. Then there came, as it were, a splendor from the\nclouds, the brightness of which rested on the church and its tower.\nThe waiting multitude all looked up in astonishment. The bell began to\npeal. It sent forth its angelic notes--notes such as no human being had\never heard before. The waiting people were enraptured. It seemed to\nthem as if all the Heavenly Host were singing for joy.\n\nThe song of the bell was of peace and good will toward men. The sounds\nechoed and re-echoed among the mountains, and were borne away to the\nfarthest valleys.\n\nJust as the first light of the sun peeped up over the horizon, the\nsplendors faded from the tower and in their stead there appeared the\nfigure of a man clad in light. Across the tower there seemed to be a\nrow of letters. The people looked up and read: \u201cBehold, the man who\nloved truly his fellow men.\u201d\n\nThen everyone fell to his knees, for there stood the figure of their\nKing. Their hearts died within them, when they remembered how harshly\nthey had spoken of him: but they rejoiced at the same time to know that\nit was he. They all rose up and went in haste to honor him whom they\nhad scorned of late.\n\nWhen they reached the palace gate, however, they were not permitted\nto enter. The angel who had rung the bell had entered the palace\nbefore them, and had taken away with him the imperial soul that had\nunselfishly loved his fellow men.\n\n\n\n\nTHE TWO BAKER BOYS\n\n\nMany, many years ago the people in Germany lived in little towns with\nhigh walls around them. They built walls around their towns because\nthey had quarrels with other towns. The walls protected them against\ntheir enemies.\n\nSometimes people kept bee-hives on the high walls. The bees could fly\naway into the fields outside and gather honey. There were not many\nflowers inside the city to get honey from.\n\nOne morning two baker boys were hungry. They had to get up very early.\nSome fine rolls had just been taken from the oven. The boys thought it\nwould be fine to have some rolls and honey.\n\n\u201cLet\u2019s go up on the walls and get some honey out of one of the hives,\u201d\nsaid John.\n\n\u201cBut the bees will sting us,\u201d answered James. \u201cBesides the watchman on\nthe walls might see us. Then we would be in trouble of another kind.\u201d\n\nJohn, however, persuaded James to go. The two boys stole out of the\nshop, and ran across the street.\n\nIn a few minutes they were creeping up the stairs that led to the top\nof the wall.\n\nThere was no watchman to be seen. He had gotten sleepy probably, and\nhad gone somewhere to rest. But there was a noise coming from somewhere.\n\nThe boys listened, but all was quiet again. They made their way quietly\nalong the wall till they came to the hives.\n\nThen they covered their faces and got ready to rob the bees of their\ntreasure. John was just lifting the top from one of the hives, when he\nheard another strange noise. He dropped the hive hurriedly.\n\nThe noise seemed to come from the outside of the wall. The boys looked\nover, and saw a small army. It was the people of Linz, who had come to\nattack the town.\n\nBoth boys were terribly frightened at first. They saw, however, that\nsomething must be done to save the town.\n\n\u201cJames,\u201d said John, \u201cyou run yonder and ring the bell. I will tumble\nthe bee-hives down on their heads.\u201d\n\nJames did as he was told. John pushed a hive over the wall. It fell\non the leader\u2019s head and went to pieces. The bees were angry at being\ndisturbed in this way. They flew at the men and stung their hands and\nfaces, so that they were glad to run away.\n\nAnother bee-hive came tumbling down and then another. And the angry\nbees put the whole army to flight.\n\nBy this time the bell had called the people out to defend the town. But\nthe army had already departed. The two boys and the bees had saved the\ntown.\n\nThe boys were not punished. Instead the people praised them for their\nwise acts. It was decided to erect a monument in their honor.\n\nOne of the boys afterwards became mayor of the city. The other was long\nknown as the most famous baker of his time.\n\n\n\n\nTHE EMPEROR\u2019S WOOING\n\n\nThe little town of Caub is very old. Above it in olden days rose\nthe Castle of Gutenfels. Here many years ago lived Philip, Count of\nFaulkenstein and his only sister, Guda. This brother and sister were\norphans, and lived together there happily.\n\nMany suitors had come to seek the hand of the beautiful Guda, but she\nwas happy in her brother\u2019s love and wished no other. Often Philip urged\nher to choose a husband from among the many wooers.\n\n\u201cMy dear sister,\u201d he said, \u201cthe time may come when I shall have to\nleave you. War may break out at any time.\u201d\n\n\u201cI have no desire for any love or protection except yours, my dear\nPhilip. I have never seen anyone as yet who has made me wish to leave\nyou.\u201d\n\nCount Philip and Guda used to be a great deal together; where one went\nthe other went, too. So when the great tournament was held at Cologne\nthey set out together to see it. The tournament was attended by a large\nnumber of knights. One of them seemed to be greatly attracted by Guda\u2019s\nbeauty. He had won all the prizes in the contest, and yet remained\nunknown to everyone except the bishop.\n\nThe manners and conversation of the unknown knight pleased everyone,\nand especially the Count of Faulkenstein. So much was he charmed by\nthe bearing of the victorious knight that he invited him to visit his\ncastle at Gutenfels. This invitation the knight eagerly accepted.\n\nPhilip and Guda welcomed him warmly and were very much delighted with\ntheir new friend. The stranger\u2019s admiration for Guda became more and\nmore plain; day by day he grew fonder of the beautiful girl.\n\n\u201cI should delight in lingering here forever,\u201d he said at last.\n\nThis, however, could not be, for there was a great war in Germany. The\nEmperor had died leaving no heir, so there were many who claimed the\nright to the throne. Richard of Cornwall had most supporters. Many of\nthe nobles had declared for him, and were ready to take up arms in his\nbehalf.\n\nAmong those who departed for the war was Philip Faulkenstein. He set\nout, leaving behind him his guest, who promised to follow within three\ndays, to fight by his side.\n\n\u201cBefore I go,\u201d he declared, \u201cI must receive a certain message.\u201d\n\nTwo days later the message came. In the meantime the knight had won\nGuda\u2019s love and her promise to wait for him until his return. So\nGuda was left alone in the Castle of Gutenfels. Many hours she spent\nthinking about her absent lover and wishing for his return.\n\nAt last the war was ended and her brother came back, yet Guda was not\nhappy. She began to grow anxious, for she had received no tidings from\nher knight.\n\nWeeks passed by. The anxious days stole the color from her cheeks. At\nlast she withdrew to her chamber in sorrow, for she was sure that her\nknight was dead. She did not even wish to appear when the new Emperor,\nRichard of Cornwall came to visit her brother at the castle.\n\nWhen the Imperial Guest came he was clad from head to foot in heavy\narmor. He refused even to raise his vizor.\n\n\u201cI have come,\u201d he said, \u201con a personal errand. I have often heard of\nthe great beauty of your sister Guda and I wish to make her Empress.\u201d\n\nPhilip was overjoyed at the prospect of such a happy marriage for his\nsister. Joyfully he bore the Emperor\u2019s offer to her.\n\n\u201cAlas, my brother,\u201d she said, \u201cit is impossible for me to accept the\nEmperor\u2019s love; mine belongs to another.\u201d\n\nWhen her reply was carried to the Emperor, he listened calmly, without\nthe least sign of displeasure.\n\n\u201cMay I,\u201d he said, \u201chave the pleasure of beholding the lady? Perhaps I\nmay be able to win a more favorable answer.\u201d\n\nWith vizor still lowered, and speaking in muffled tones, the Emperor\naddressed Guda.\n\n\u201cWhy, fair lady, do you refuse the suit of your Emperor? Forget your\nformer lover; he is either dead or faithless.\u201d\n\n\u201cSire,\u201d she replied, \u201cyou do me the greatest honor in the world, yet\ncan I not accept it. I must remain true to him to whom I have given my\nlove. He may be dead, but I am sure he is not faithless.\u201d\n\nAt this the Emperor threw up his vizor and clasped Guda in his arms.\nAs she looked into his bright face, she recognized him who had won her\nlove as a simple knight.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nShe no longer refused to listen to his suit. Soon afterward she married\nRichard Cornwall and became Empress of Germany.\n\n\n\n\nTHE MAGIC RING\n\n\nCharlemagne was king of France and emperor of Germany. He had married\na beautiful eastern princess, whose name was Frastrada. His love for\nher was so great that his only thought was to give her happiness. All\nwondered at his devotion, but none suspected the cause.\n\nFrastrada had a wonderful gold ring. On it were inscribed mystic signs.\nFrastrada wore the ring continually, and it was this magic talisman\nthat had worked such a charm.\n\nBut the new queen did not long enjoy her power. A great illness\novertook her. During this time she thought often of the magic treasure\nand feared it would pass into other hands. So she slipped the ring from\nher finger into her mouth and quietly breathed her last.\n\nThe Emperor was quite overcome with grief. He refused to have the queen\ntaken to the cathedral, but stayed constantly by her side.\n\nIn vain the councilors and courtiers plead with him. In vain Turpin,\nthe prime minister, told him that the people had need of him. He\nrefused to leave the chamber where the queen lay, or to partake of\nfood. At last he fell asleep at his post.\n\nTurpin felt convinced that the queen possessed some charm, so he stole\nnoiselessly to her bedside. After some time he found the ring. He\nconcealed it in his own clothing, and sat down to wait for Charlemagne\nto awaken.\n\nSoon the Emperor opened his eyes. He turned from the queen with a\nshudder.\n\n\u201cTurpin, my faithful friend!\u201d he cried, as he threw himself in the\narms of the prime minister. \u201cYour presence is like balm to my wounded\nheart! You shall remain by my side forever!\u201d\n\nFrom that time on, Turpin was forced to accompany Charlemagne wherever\nhe went. The courtiers wondered at Turpin\u2019s influence. Many of them\nwere quite jealous. As for poor Turpin, he was wearied beyond all\nexpression. He could find no rest either by night or by day. Vainly he\nsought for some plan by which he might rid himself of the troublesome\ngem.\n\nAt length it happened that Charlemagne and Turpin set out from the\npalace of Ingelheim on a journey to the north. They camped one night in\na great forest. While his master lay asleep Turpin left the camp and\nwandered out into the moonlight alone. Not once before, since he had\nfound the ring, had he been free from the Emperor.\n\nHis heart swelled with a feeling of relief as he plunged into the\npathless forest. On and on he wandered, trying to think of some way\nto rid himself of the troublesome ring. Like Frastrada, he did not\nwant anyone else to come into possession of it and thus get such an\ninfluence over the Emperor.\n\nAfter long wandering he found himself at the opening of a beautiful\nglade. Before him lay a quiet pool embosomed in the dark woods. The\nmoonlight flooded the retired spot and shone like silver over the deep\nand quiet waters.\n\nTurpin was lost in admiration. He sat down on a stone and feasted his\neyes in silence on the peaceful beauty of the scene. Soon the thought\nof the magic ring came to disturb his happiness.\n\n\u201cWhat shall I do with it?\u201d he groaned.\n\nHe drew it from its hiding place in his breast and examined it closely.\n\n\u201cAh!\u201d he muttered, \u201cwhat is this I see?\u201d\n\nHe noticed by the pale light of the moon that the ring bore something\nelse beside the strange signs. On it was the image of a tiny swan. He\nlooked at it in amazement; for he had never seen the swan before.\n\nHe started up, then stopped suddenly.\n\n\u201cWhy not?\u201d he asked himself. \u201cThose deep and quiet waters would soon\nclose over and conceal the ring forever.\u201d\n\nA moment later the jewel flashed beneath the rays of the moon. A slight\nsplash was borne along by the night air. Ever widening ripples broke\nthe mirror-like surface of the pool. In the distance a snowy swan\nappeared sailing with stately calm over the ruffled waters.\n\nDelighted to be rid of the hateful jewel, Turpin now made his way back\nto the tent. Charlemagne was awake and greeted him as in the days of\nold. The charm was broken.\n\nThe morning sun rose bright and clear. The Emperor, however, became\nrestless. He proposed that they tarry in the spot another day and\nhunt in the forest. Turpin agreed, and soon the forest echoes were\nawakened by the clangor of the hunting horns.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nA royal stag was started from covert. Closely the huntsmen and hounds\nfollowed it. At last, panting and exhausted, it was brought to bay in a\nremote glade,--the very place which Turpin had visited the night before.\n\nCharlemagne had been foremost in the chase all the morning. Now he sat\nmotionless in his saddle, gazing in spellbound admiration at the sunny\nstretch of water. He observed the reflection of the blue sky, and the\nswans gliding over its smooth surface.\n\n\u201cAh! how beautiful!\u201d he exclaimed. \u201cI would fain linger here forever.\u201d\n\nThen he dismounted and threw himself down upon the smooth grass by the\nedge of the pool. There he remained in dreamy content all day long.\n\nAt last the shadows began to lengthen. The glow of the setting sun was\nreflected in the miniature lake. Charlemagne was so enchanted with the\nscene that he vowed to build a castle there. The vow was kept, and the\nstructure that arose was the beginning of Charlemagne\u2019s capital and\nfavorite city, Aix-la-Chapelle.\n\nWhen many years had passed, death came to the great Emperor. He was\nlaid at rest in the cathedral vault, not far from the spot he loved so\nwell.\n\nStrangers visiting Aix-la-Chapelle are told not to visit the magic pool\nby moonlight. At the mystic hour when Turpin dropped the ring into the\nquiet waters, the spell recovers all its former powers. Accordingly,\nshould any one visit it at that time, his longing heart would always\nlead him back to the charmed spot, however far away he might be\nwandering in the wide world.\n\n\n\n\nCHARLEMAGNE\u2019S GENEROSITY\n\n\nCharlemagne had had a new palace built for him in a beautiful spot near\nthe Rhine. When it was completed he went to visit it. The first night\nthat he slept in the palace, a very strange incident occurred. An angel\ncame and stood by his bedside.\n\n\u201cArise,\u201d it seemed to say to him, \u201carise, go forth and enter secretly\nthe house of Arnot.\u201d\n\nThe Emperor was so astonished at this command that he did not know what\nto do. He could scarcely believe that such an order could come from\nan angel, so he did not move, but the command was repeated, and then\nrepeated again.\n\nWhen the angel commanded him the third time to go and enter secretly\nthe house of Arnot, he arose, went quietly to his stable, saddled\nhis horse himself, and rode silently out into the darkness, in the\ndirection of the home of Arnot, one of his most trusted ministers.\n\nAs he was going along the dark way thoughtfully, he heard someone\napproaching, and he soon perceived that it was a knight clad in dark\narmor. Charlemagne could think of no good mission upon which a man\ncould be riding at such an hour; so he challenged the man.\n\n\u201cWhither goest thou, and upon what mission at this hour of the night?\u201d\nhe demanded.\n\nThe knight did not answer, but put spurs to his horse and charged upon\nthe Emperor. Seeing this movement, the Emperor did likewise, and the\ntwo met with a violent shock. Both were unhorsed, and in the hand to\nhand conflict which followed, the Emperor got the better of the unknown\nknight and brought him to the ground. With his sword at the throat of\nthe knight he demanded his name.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\u201cI am Elbegast,\u201d he replied, \u201ca notorious robber knight, and have\ncommitted many a bold deed. Thou art the first that has had power to\novercome me.\u201d\n\n\u201cArise,\u201d said the Emperor, without telling who he was, \u201cand come with\nme. I am on a mission like thine own.\u201d\n\nWithout hesitating, the robber knight joined his conqueror.\n\n\u201cI have vowed,\u201d said the Emperor, \u201cnot to return home until I have\nbroken into the house of the Emperor\u2019s most trusted minister.\u201d So\nsaying, he led the way to the house of Arnot.\n\nElbegast was not long in gaining entrance. Bidding his companion wait\nfor him outside, he stole noiselessly into the house.\n\nAs he approached the bed room of the minister, the sound of voices\nin earnest conversation came to his ears. He listened, and heard the\nminister disclose to his wife a plan for the murder of the Emperor on\nthe following day.\n\nForgetting the purpose for which he had come to the house, the knight\nmade his way hastily back to his companion and besought him to go at\nonce to Charlemagne and inform him of the coming danger.\n\n\u201cI, myself would gladly go to save the Emperor\u2019s life, but I would\nsurely get into trouble, because of my many evil deeds, and more than\nlikely the Emperor would not believe me. But whatever I have done,\nI hold great admiration for the man who has never been conquered in\nbattle, and who has always worked for the good of his people.\u201d\n\nThen Charlemagne and Elbegast parted, one returning to his stronghold\nin the mountains and the other retracing his steps slowly and\nthoughtfully to his palace.\n\nOn the morrow the ministers attempted to carry out the plot which\nthey had formed against the Emperor; but their plans were thwarted.\nCharlemagne took all of them into custody and they confessed their\nplot against him.\n\nCharlemagne, however, was of a noble and generous nature, and pardoned\nall those who had conspired against him. This generosity on his part\nmade them so ashamed of their plot that they vowed to serve him ever\nafterward with all true loyalty. And it is said that every one of them\nkept his promise faithfully.\n\nCharlemagne then set his mind upon reforming Elbegast, and sent a\nmessenger to him, requesting him to come to the palace.\n\n\u201cI, Charlemagne, Emperor of Germany,\u201d his message ran, \u201cwould speak\nprivately with Elbegast, the robber knight, and promise him safe\nconduct to and from the castle.\u201d\n\nElbegast came to the palace in response to the request of Charlemagne,\nand was admitted to the private council chamber. Soon a man entered,\nclad in armor; and Elbegast recognized the knight who had been his\ncompanion on the adventure to the house of Arnot.\n\n\u201cElbegast,\u201d said Charlemagne, \u201cyou recognize me and yet you do not know\nme.\u201d\n\nThen Charlemagne raised his visor, and the knight saw that he was\nstanding in the presence of the Emperor.\n\n\u201cYou have done me,\u201d went on the Emperor, \u201cfaithful duty, and I am ever\nin need of faithful servants, and offer you a place among my retainers.\nA man of your courage and skill is worthy of a place in the Emperor\u2019s\nservice.\u201d\n\nElbegast was so moved that he could scarcely speak. Charlemagne was the\nonly man who had ever been able to disarm him, and he therefore admired\nhim greatly. More than this, the kindness of the Emperor appealed to\nhim. Accordingly he willingly forsook his evil way of life and became a\ndevoted follower of the Emperor.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SILVER BRIDGE\n\n\nThere was a spot on the Rhine near the little hamlet of Kempten that\nCharlemagne, the great Emperor, always loved. There the sun seemed ever\nto shine more brightly than elsewhere; there the air was balmiest; and\nthere the quiet and peacefulness always calmed his spirit, and filled\nit with joy.\n\nTo this place he seemed always to come when he was worried with matters\nof state. When he returned from a journey or a war, he always paid his\nfirst visit to this lovely spot.\n\nAll his life long, this was the favorite spot of the great Emperor. He\nloved to see it by daylight, and he loved it by moonlight. Often did he\nwander there at night, when all the rest of the world was asleep. The\ngreen hills, the vineclad slopes, and the pleasant glades were more\nsoothing to him than sleep.\n\nHe even desired to be buried in this place, but his people would not\nhave it so; and the great man was buried in state in the beautiful\ncathedral that he had built at Aix-la-Chapelle.\n\nBut even after death his spirit longed to visit the spot that had\nbrought so much peace into his life. It is said that his spirit visits\nthe place yearly in the late summer time, even to this day.\n\nOn the most beautiful moonlight night of all the year, people say,\nCharlemagne leaves his tomb in the great cathedral and comes to this\nquiet valley of the Rhine. He comes not to do harm, nor simply to rest\nand enjoy the place. His purpose is to bless the spot which was such a\nblessing to him during his life.\n\nOn the nights when Charlemagne\u2019s spirit visits the place, the silvery\nmoonbeams may be seen to make a fairy bridge across the river. On this\nbridge the great monarch\u2019s spirit passes across the Rhine.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nHe glides back and forth, bestowing his blessing on everything in\nthe neighborhood. Every little village, every cottage, every hill\nand valley, the vineyards, the shore, and the great peaceful river\nitself--all receive his blessing.\n\nLast of all he visits the palace which he built here and called\nIngelheim, or Angel\u2019s Home. From here he returns to his rest again.\n\nThe people in this little valley are said to be more prosperous than\nthose of any other locality along the Rhine. They are also more\nhappy and more healthy. Their vineyards are always richly laden with\nbeautiful clusters of grapes.\n\nIf at any time their vineyards do not bear, the people know that for\nsome mysterious reason the spirit of Charlemagne failed to pay the\nyearly visit. They look forward, however, to the coming year, knowing\nthat their harvest will be greater than ever.\n\nThe great spirit of the Emperor never fails them two years together.\nSo century after century Charlemagne has bestowed his blessing on this\ncountry that he loved. On moonlight nights the people along the river\nwill point out to you the silver bridge on which he passes back and\nforth over the river visiting blessing upon everyone.\n\n\n\n\nTHE PET RAVEN\n\n\nOver the gate of the Castle of Stolzenfels is the figure of a Raven.\nIt has been there for several hundred years. It was placed there in\ngratitude for the help a pet raven had rendered the Princess at a time\nwhen she was in great danger.\n\nOthmar and Williswind were brother and sister. Since the death of their\nparents they had lived together in the beautiful castle, and had grown\nto love each other dearly. They were always together.\n\nThe time came when war broke out, and Othmar was called away. His going\ngrieved Williswind sorely. Now she would have no one but the servants\nwith her in the great Castle.\n\n\u201cMy dear brother,\u201d she exclaimed, \u201cwhat shall I do without you?\u201d\n\n\u201cSister mine,\u201d replied Othmar, \u201cI grieve to leave you thus alone, but\nyou know it is impossible for me to do otherwise.\u201d\n\nOthmar took with him all the able bodied men. Only the old men, women\nand children were left at home to protect his sister.\n\nIn those days many lawless robber knights roamed through the forests,\ndoing whatever pleased them. Afraid of these, Williswind ordered that\nthe Castle gates should be kept closed all the time.\n\nOne evening as she sat in the great hall of the Castle with her\nservants about her, a trumpet sounded at the gate. The women stopped\ntheir spinning, and the men ceased their polishing of arms and armor.\nThe Warder entered announcing that there was a pilgrim at the gate\nbegging for shelter.\n\n\u201cAdmit him at once,\u201d said Williswind.\n\nIn a few moments the Warder returned, accompanied by the pilgrim.\n\n\u201cBe welcome to our cheer, stranger. Such as we have we give freely,\u201d\nsaid Williswind.\n\n\u201cThanks, fair lady, for your kindness,\u201d replied the stranger, glancing\nabout the room.\n\nThe pilgrim was clad in worn garments, yet did not seem like a beggar.\nAt times cruelty and cunning appeared in his face. Secretly he looked\nabout as if to examine every part of the castle. His strange manner\ncaused Williswind great uneasiness. The thought came to her that he\nmight possibly be a robber knight in disguise.\n\nIn the morning, however, the pilgrim departed peaceably, and the young\nprincess felt calm once more. The days passed quietly by and Williswind\nbegan to look forward to her brother\u2019s return. One morning the pilgrim\nsuddenly returned, but not this time in pilgrims garments. He was clad\nin full armor, and came with a large number of followers.\n\n\u201cI come,\u201d he said, \u201cto demand the hand of the Princess Williswind in\nmarriage, and if she denies me I will take her by force.\u201d\n\n\u201cI beseech you,\u201d replied Williswind, \u201cdepart and leave me in peace. I\nhave love for none but my brother, and desire only to be left here with\nmy servants to await quietly his return.\u201d\n\nBut the evil knight only repeated his demand, saying that he would\nreturn in three days for an answer. If at the end of that time\nWilliswind did not consent freely, he would take the Castle by force\nand carry her away.\n\nWhat was to be done? Her brother was too far away to come to her aid.\nShe decided, however, to send a message to him, asking him to come at\nonce.\n\nKnowing that it would be unsafe for the princess to remain in the\nCastle the old Warder persuaded Williswind to set out for a Convent,\nwhich was not many miles away.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe robber knight, however, had left spies all about the castle and\nthe princess had not gone very far with her followers, when they were\novertaken by the knight himself.\n\nThe servants with Williswind fought bravely, but they were soon\novercome. The bold knight carried Williswind and her maid off to a\nlonely tower in the woods.\n\n\u201cHere I shall leave you,\u201d he said; \u201cbut I will return in three days to\nreceive your answer.\u201d\n\nThen he locked the heavy door, and left them alone. The two captives\nlooked about for means of escape, but they found only thick walls\nand heavily barred doors and windows. All about them was nothing but\nwilderness, so they could expect aid from no passerby. Escape was\nhopeless.\n\nThey looked about the tower for food and water, but none was to be\nfound. The unhappy girls sat and waited anxiously. They looked through\nthe barred windows. The hours seemed days. Suddenly Williswind gave a\ncry of joy.\n\n\u201cOh, look,\u201d she said, \u201cyonder is my pet raven.\u201d\n\nShe whistled to the raven. It recognized her voice and came at once.\nShe and Othmar had spent many happy hours together, teaching the raven\nto do various things. Among other things, it had learned to bring\nberries.\n\nThe bird at once seemed to understand everything, and went out into\nthe woods. Soon it returned with a few berries. Back and forth it went\nduring the whole day, bringing berries to the two hungry girls. The\nnext day and the day after, it kept them supplied with this kind of\nfood.\n\nOn the third day the robber knight reappeared. He felt sure that\nWilliswind would by this time be ready to agree to accept him, but his\nhope was in vain. The food which the bird had brought had increased\nher courage.\n\n\u201cNot for all the wealth of India,\u201d she said, \u201cwould I consent to your\nproposal.\u201d\n\nAngrily the knight rode away, declaring that he would return again in\nthree days more. The time passed very slowly in the gloomy tower. In\nspite of the raven\u2019s faithful visits, the girls became faint and weak\nfrom hunger.\n\nOn the sixth day Williswind was sitting at the window, watching eagerly\nfor the bird\u2019s return. Suddenly she saw the figure of a knight come\nfrom the thicket. As she looked at him, she saw that it was not the\nrobber knight; his armor was entirely different. Hope came to her at\nonce, and she called out loudly and waved her handkerchief through the\nbars.\n\nThe knight heard the call and turned in the direction of the tower.\nWilliswind uttered a cry of rapture; it was her brother. In his haste\nto reach home as quickly as possible, he had taken this path through\nthe forest.\n\nJust at this moment the robber knight came riding up. Seeing Othmar he\nchallenged him to fight. Down across the open space before the tower\nthe two horses came, and met with a loud clash in the center. Othmar\nheld his saddle, but the robber knight was stretched upon the ground.\n\nOthmar was not a little surprised when he entered the old Castle to\nfind that it was his beloved sister who had called to him from the\ntower. It was not long before Williswind was safe once more in the\nbeautiful Castle of Stolzenfels.\n\nOthmar was greatly pleased at the skill with which the raven had\nprovided for his sister, so he adopted a new Coat-of-Arms, with the\nraven as his emblem, and set the little figure above the gate of the\nCastle, to tell to all the world the story of the faithful raven.\n\n\n\n\nTHE NIGHT OF THE STOLEN TREASURE\n\n\nLittle Hans and his mother were standing down by the Mummelsee. It was\na big round sheet of water, surrounded by rocky slopes. On these grew\ndark pine trees, which cast their shadows far out into the water.\n\nThe water lay quietly sleeping in its dark bed. The stillness made\nlittle Hans thoughtful, and he crept close to his mother.\n\n\u201cWhy is the water so still?\u201d he whispered; \u201cand the fish,--where are\nthey?\u201d\n\n\u201cListen,\u201d answered his mother, \u201cand I will tell you a story. There are\nno longer any fish in the Mummelsee; they left it many, many years\nago. The place is haunted by Mummel, a great water god, and by his\ndaughters, the beautiful water sprites.\n\n\u201cLong years ago,\u201d the mother went on, \u201ca man committed a great crime\nin order that he might get a rich treasure. In his flight he came to\nthe Mummelsee. He could not swim across with the bag of treasure! What\nshould he do? He knew that he would be caught unless he did something\nat once.\n\n\u201c\u2018Ah! I will just drop it into the edge of the lake,\u2019 he said to\nhimself. \u2018The water is dark and no one will be able to find the\nTreasure. I will hide myself in the thick bushes, and there I will be\nsafe also.\u2019\n\n\u201cHe crawled into the bushes where they were thickest. But something was\nwrong; the bushes seemed like so many hands, that caught hold of him,\nand held him fast. He could not move. He struggled and struggled, but\nthe more he fought against them, the more firmly they held on.\n\n\u201cHe gave up the struggle, and lay quiet, looking out upon the dark\nwater. He saw something that was still more strange. What could it be?\nIt looked like the form of a giant rising from the water. The face was\nsterner than any he had ever seen.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat was it, mother?\u201d asked little Hans; \u201cwas it a ghost?\u201d\n\n\u201cIt was Mummel, the great angry god, who haunts the lake. He had never\nallowed his peace to be disturbed in the slightest way. No one could\nthrow even a pebble into the lake without being punished by him.\n\n\u201cNow he rose out of the water; and seized the frightened man. The\nbushes let go their hold on him as if by magic; and, without saying a\nword the stern god began to sink down, down into the cold, black water.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh,\u201d cried Hans, \u201cwas the man drowned?\u201d\n\n\u201cNo,\u201d answered his mother, \u201che was not drowned. The great god drew him\ndown, down to the bottom of the lake, where he has a wonderful palace.\nIn it there are all kinds of strange creatures.\u201d\n\n\u201cBut what does the man do down there? Is he still alive?\u201d\n\n\u201cYes; Mummel will not let him die; but keeps him, and makes him serve\nin the kitchen year after year.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd does he not have any rest or any holidays?\u201d\n\n\u201cHe does not need rest down there, because he is no longer mortal like\nus. But once a year he ceases, for a single night, to serve in the\nkitchen. He becomes a mortal again and comes back to earth.\n\n\u201cEvery year on the day on which he committed his crime, he puts on\nhis earthly clothes and comes up. And when he reaches the world, he\nsuddenly finds himself at the place where he stole the treasure.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\u201cHe hears some one coming, and starts to flee with the treasure on his\nback. Each time, he comes to the same spot on Mummelsee, and throws\nthe sack into the lake. Just as before, too, he tries to hide in the\nbushes and is caught and held by them.\n\n\u201cEvery year Mummel, angry as before, comes up and drags the man out of\nthe bushes, and draws him down to his palace again.\n\n\u201cMany people have heard the strange noises in the bushes along the\nshore of the lake. Some of them imagine, too, that they have seen a\nstrange form rising from the waters. They declare that on this night\nthe lake is greatly disturbed. The wind is loud, and the bushes bend\ntheir heads down to the very water.\n\n\u201cOn the night when these strange things happen, people are careful to\navoid the place. Although they like to go there at other times, they\nwould not wish to be found there on the Night of the Stolen Treasure.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nTHE WATER SPRITES\n\n\nMummel, the great angry water god, has many beautiful daughters. These\nhe guards jealously, and will allow no one to see them in their maiden\nforms except by the dim moonlight.\n\nThese beautiful water nymphs are not at all like their stern father.\nThey are pure, and gentle and graceful and kind. They never do harm to\nanyone, and are not displeased if people come to visit the lake. Indeed\nthey like to have people come to see them dance upon the water at night.\n\nThese lovely creatures would gladly help people if their father did not\nguard them so jealously; for they are kind-hearted and generous.\n\nAs it is, all they can do for mortals is to entertain them with their\nfairy dances on the silvery waters of Mummelsee. On every moonlight\nnight they can be seen flitting about on the surface of that.\n\nTheir fairy forms are so charming that people who see them cannot\nhelp forgetting their daily cares. People come to the lake tired and\ncareworn in the evening, and go away happy and cheerful.\n\nAll night long, till the first streaks of dawn, the fairy nymphs can\nbe seen, flitting charmingly from wave to wave. Their gowns are light\nand flowing like gossamers. Their beautiful golden hair, too, floats\nlightly on the gentle breeze.\n\nOnce or twice, it is said, daring youths have been drawn by their\nbeauty, and have ventured into the lake to meet them. Every attempt,\nhowever, has been disastrous. Mummel has caught the intruder and taken\nhim down to his abode below the lake. There the unhappy youth has had\nto act as a servant.\n\nWhenever anyone attempts to come too close to his daughters, too,\nMummel takes away their human shapes at once. He transforms them into\nwater lilies, and makes them stand with bowed heads along the farther\nshore of the lake.\n\nEvery morning, too, as soon as the first light of day begins to appear,\nthe beautiful figures leave their fairy dance upon the lake. Mummel\ntransforms them into their lily forms and makes them stand in the water\nalong the shore.\n\nSo the beautiful water lilies which are to be seen in Mummelsee are the\nlovely water sprites, daughters of Mummel. No one is allowed to pick\none even to this day.\n\n\n\n\nTHE GIANT MAIDEN\n\n\nMany years ago there lived a mighty race of giants. They were as tall\nas the hills, and dwelt in great castles as large as mountains. To them\nthe world was a very small place indeed.\n\nThese giants loved the world, however, and all the many beautiful\nthings in it. The sunshine, the song of birds, the green fields, the\nwoods, the rivers, and the blue sky were all charming to them.\n\nSo it was that they used to walk a great deal. They used to go\neverywhere and see everything that was good to see. When they walked,\nhowever, they stepped from hilltop to hilltop. They never went down\ninto the valleys.\n\nThe king of the giants was a great and a good man. He was kind to his\npeople, and kind to his children, and they all loved and honored him.\nOne of his children was a beautiful girl. She would soon be a woman,\nbut she still loved playthings.\n\nLike the rest of the giants, Hilda, the king\u2019s daughter, liked to\ngo walking out into the world. She often found most interesting\nplaythings. Sometimes she would bring home a bear, or a baby elephant.\n\nOne day Hilda went out for a walk. She had had to stay in the castle\nfor several days because of the rain. This was a beautiful day,\nhowever, and she walked a long way, even for a giant\u2019s daughter.\n\nThe maiden stepped over valley after valley, from hilltop to hilltop,\ntill she was far away from home. She had never gone so far before. The\ncountry seemed quite different, and it was pleasant, too.\n\nAt last she stopped and looked about her to enjoy the scene. Before her\nwas a wide valley, and in it she saw many curious things. One of them\nwas a man plowing with horses. She had never seen anything like that\nbefore.\n\n\u201cOh!\u201d she cried, \u201cwhat cute playthings they will make! They will be\nreal live playthings, too. How nice the little creature is that walks\nbehind! And the thing he is holding; that will make a fine toy. And the\nother animals will be such lovely pets. I must have them all.\u201d\n\nHilda reached down into the valley and picked up the man, the plow, and\nthe horses, and tucked them away in her apron. Then she went home to\ntell her father.\n\n\u201cSee what lovely playthings I have found!\u201d she called to him, as she\nran into the great castle.\n\n\u201cMy darling child,\u201d said the good King, \u201cthese are not playthings. You\nmust take them back and leave them where you found them. You must never\ntouch them again. This is a man, and he has a wife and children at\nhome. They will be very sad if he does not come back to them.\n\n\u201cBy and by,\u201d he went on, \u201cthe whole world will be owned by little\ncreatures like this man, and we shall be no more.\u201d\n\nThe King\u2019s daughter was very sad when she heard these things. She did\nnot want to give up such delightful playthings. But she had a kind\nheart, and she loved her father. She knew, too, that he understood\nthings much better than she did. So she put the man, the plow, and the\nhorses into her apron again, and took them back to the place where she\nhad found them.\n\nThe man was very happy when she set him down in the field again. His\ngood wife, and his children were there, too; and they rejoiced to see\nhim again. They feared something had happened to him.\n\nThe maiden looked on for a time, wondering about it all. It made her\nglad to see how happy the man and his wife and children were. She was\nno longer, sorry that she had given up her playthings, and she went\nhome with a light heart.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE SWAN KNIGHT\n\n\nElsa was a very beautiful girl. She lived with her father, the Duke\nof Brabant. Her father loved her very much, so they lived happily in\ntheir lovely home. But one day Elsa\u2019s father died, leaving her all of\nhis lands and castles. Then she had no one to care for her, and she was\nvery unhappy indeed.\n\nThe Duke of Brabant had had a trusted friend, Frederick of Telramund.\nHe undertook the care of Elsa; but he did not guard the lonely maiden\nas her father would have wished. Indeed, this man tried to force her to\nmarry him, that he might obtain all of her wealth.\n\nIn vain the lovely Elsa declared she did not love him. In vain she\nappealed to his chivalry. He cared nothing for her tears, but cruelly\ncast her into a damp prison close by the rushing river. There she must\nsuffer in loneliness until she would obey the will of Telramund.\n\nAt last Elsa sent a long message to Henry I. begging him for aid. He\ndecided that the matter should be settled in the lists. Elsa should\nchoose a champion to fight with Frederick of Telramund.\n\nPoor Elsa lost all hope when she heard this decision. She knew full\nwell that no knight in the neighborhood would dare accept a challenge\nfrom Telramund; for Telramund had fought many times and had never been\ndefeated. Day after day the herald sought someone to battle for Elsa\u2019s\nrights. It was as she had feared, no one answered the call.\n\nForsaken by all, the orphan girl turned to the helper of the helpless.\nNight and day she knelt in her narrow cell and prayed. In her great\ngrief she struck her breast with the rosary clasped in her little\nhands.\n\nThe little bell attached to the rosary, gave forth a low tinkling\nsound. These silvery tones were very soft and faint. They could\nscarcely be heard above the roar of the waters rushing past the tower.\nBut they floated out through the narrow window into the open air.\n\nThe winds of heaven caught up the sounds and whirled them rapidly away.\nFarther and farther they traveled, louder and louder they became. At\nlast it seemed as if all the bells on earth had united to ring forth\none grand deafening peal.\n\nThese loud and pleading tones reached even into the far distant temple\non Montsalvat. Here King Parsifal and his train of dauntless knights\nkept constant watch over the Holy Grail. The King was greatly alarmed\nby the tones. He knew that some poor creature needed aid, and so\nhastened into his inner temple.\n\nWithin this holy place there stood a beautiful vase, giving forth its\nrosy light. On its bright edge the King read the message from heaven.\n\u201cSend Lohengrin to defend his future bride, but let her trust him and\nnever seek to know his origin.\u201d These were the strange words which met\nthe aged King\u2019s eyes.\n\nThe King immediately sent for his son. Lohengrin was a brave young\nknight. He had been trained to receive the messages of the Holy Grail\nwith the most perfect faith. When he heard the words from his father,\nhe put on his armor, spoke his farewells, and at once prepared to mount\nhis waiting steed.\n\nSuddenly sweet music fell upon his ear. He had never heard anything\nlike it on land or sea. Soft, low, and sweet, it rose and fell and\nrose again. Then, in the distance, Lohengrin saw a stately swan come\nfloating toward him. It drew behind it a little skiff. Nearer and\nnearer came the stately swan, clearer and sweeter rose the mystic\nstrain. Both came to a pause close by the shore where the wondering\nknight stood.\n\nLohengrin sprang at once into the skiff. The swan took up its song\nagain, and soon bore him out of sight.\n\nThe day for the tournament had dawned. The last preparations had been\nmade. Many knights had gathered to view the scene. Yet not one dared to\noffer himself as champion for the lovely maiden.\n\nElsa clung to her prison bars. Tearfully she repeated for the last time\nher prayers.\n\n\u201cSend Thou the deliverer, O Lord!\u201d she cried.\n\nAll at once her sobs ceased. The far away sounds of music fell\ncomfortingly upon her ear. She looked out eagerly. There she beheld a\nspotless swan floating gently down the stream, skillfully guiding a\nlittle boat. In the boat a knight in full armor lay fast asleep on a\nglittering shield.\n\nJust as the swan passed beneath the window where Elsa stood, the\nknight awoke. His first glance rested upon her tear-stained face.\n\n\u201cWeep no more, fair maiden!\u201d he cried, springing to his feet. \u201cFear\nnaught! I have come to defend you!\u201d\n\nThe skiff passed on down the river. The prison door opened, and\nFrederick of Telramund appeared to lead Elsa to the lists. A smile of\ntriumph curled his cruel lips as he heard the herald give the last call\nfor Elsa\u2019s champion. The sound of the trumpets died away and Frederick\nhad turned to address Elsa. Suddenly a ringing voice came from the end\nof the lists.\n\n\u201cHere am I, the Swan Knight, ready to fight for the rights of the\nPrincess. I will win her cause or die.\u201d\n\nA cry of admiration arose from the crowd, as they turned toward the\nRhine. There they saw a handsome knight, standing erect in a tiny skiff\ndrawn by a swan. Spellbound they watched him. He sprang lightly ashore\nand sent the swan away. It floated down the river and out of sight,\ngiving forth its own beautiful, dreamy song.\n\nFor a moment Lohengrin knelt at Elsa\u2019s feet, making a solemn vow to\nsave her. Then he mounted his waiting steed, drew down his visor, and\ntook his place in the lists.\n\nThe struggle began. Breathlessly the knights and ladies watched it.\nNothing could be heard but the clank of steel, the heavy breathing of\nthe two knights, and the tramp of their horses feet. The dust almost\nhid them from view.\n\nSuddenly a terrible blow was heard. The great frame of Frederick of\nTelramund was seen to sway for a moment in the saddle, then to fall and\nroll in the dust. In a moment Lohengrin had dismounted. He stood with\none foot on Telramund\u2019s breast, ordering him to surrender.\n\nTriumphant cries and joyful trumpets told of the victory. Cheer after\ncheer rang through the summer air, as Lohengrin knelt before Elsa once\nmore. The cries of the knights and ladies were loud and long. They\nalmost drowned Elsa\u2019s sweet voice as she bade her champion rise and\nname his own reward.\n\nThough the low spoken tones had been unheeded by the people, not one\nword had been lost by Lohengrin.\n\n\u201cTempt me not, oh noble lady!\u201d he replied. \u201cHere at your feet where I\nwould linger forever, I cannot but confess how much I love you, and how\nI hope some day to claim your hand.\u201d\n\nThe pretty flush on Elsa\u2019s soft cheeks deepened at these words. The\nlong lashes drooped over the beautiful eyes. Timidly she held out her\nhand.\n\n\u201cYou saved me, sir knight,\u201d she softly whispered. \u201cI am yours!\u201d\n\nNot a word of this conversation had been heard by the people, for their\nshouts had been redoubled as the knight bent low over Elsa\u2019s hand and\npressed it to his lips.\n\nBefore night, however, Elsa\u2019s promise to become the knight\u2019s bride had\ngone abroad. Preparations for the marriage were begun at once.\n\nElsa had trembled with fear at the thought of a union with Frederick of\nTelramund, yet she did not hesitate in the least to give herself to the\nstrange knight who had saved her. Nor did she doubt him when he told\nher that she must never seek to know either his name or his origin.\n\nThese must remain a secret from her and from all the people or they\nwould have to part forever.\n\nMany knights and ladies attended the marriage ceremony. The young\nLohengrin and his lovely bride lived peacefully and happily for many\nyears. Their love for each other grew deeper and better as one by one\nthree beautiful children came to add to their happiness.\n\nBut Elsa, though perfectly content with her husband\u2019s unchanging love,\ncould not but notice that many of her people secretly doubted him.\nThey tried many times, and in many different ways to discover his name\nand origin.\n\nLittle by little, she, too, began to wonder. The more she thought of\nit, the more she longed to know her husband\u2019s secret. Finally, as she\nwas seated by him one day, she suddenly turned to him and asked the\nforbidden question.\n\n\u201cElsa! Elsa! Is your faith dead?\u201d cried the Swan Knight in broken\nvoice. \u201cCan you no longer trust me? I love you so, and now I must leave\nyou. Our happiness is at an end! But, before I go, your question shall\nbe answered. Come with me!\u201d\n\nHis pale face and despairing glance brought Elsa to her senses. With a\nloving cry she flung herself on his breast, begging him to forgive and\nforget her question. He sadly shook his head.\n\n\u201cIt is too late, Elsa,\u201d he replied, \u201ctoo late! You have doubted me; and\nI must leave you; but before I go you shall know all.\u201d\n\nThe knights had gathered in the great banqueting hall near the Rhine.\nThey started up in surprise when their master suddenly came in their\nmidst. He led the pale and weeping Elsa gently by the hand.\n\n\u201cListen, oh, knights,\u201d he began. \u201cThe time has come when I must leave\nyou. Before I go, it is right that you should know that I am Lohengrin,\nson of Parsifal, the great king. I was sent hither by the Holy Grail,\nto save your princess, Elsa, from Frederick of Telramund. Now the\nHoly Vessel calls me and I must go. Ere I depart, I ask you to watch\nfaithfully over my little ones and to wipe away their mother\u2019s tears.\nFarewell!\u201d\n\nThen in the midst of the silence which followed these words, while he\nheld Elsa in a last fond embrace, the low strains of the sweet music\nagain came floating down the Rhine. A moment later the swan appeared.\n\nSlowly Lohengrin tore himself away from Elsa\u2019s trembling arms. He\nsprang down the steps and into the waiting swan boat. Away it glided to\nthe strains of sad music, and bore him out of sight forever.\n\n\n\n\n      *      *      *      *      *      *\n\n\n\n\nTranscriber\u2019s note:\n\n  Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.","title":"The Crystal Palace and Other Legends","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":17661}