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diff --git a/40283-0.txt b/40283-0.txt index 80124ae..cd53ac5 100644 --- a/40283-0.txt +++ b/40283-0.txt @@ -1,39 +1,4 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Rudy and Babette, by Hans Christian Andersen - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Rudy and Babette - Or, Capture of The Eagle's Nest - -Author: Hans Christian Andersen - -Illustrator: Helen Stratton - -Release Date: July 20, 2012 [EBook #40283] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RUDY AND BABETTE *** - - - - -Produced by Bruce Albrecht, Matthew Wheaton and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 40283 *** RUDY AND BABETTE @@ -4129,359 +4094,4 @@ Archaic and inconsistent spelling and punctuation retained. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Rudy and Babette - Or, Capture of The Eagle's Nest - -Author: Hans Christian Andersen - -Illustrator: Helen Stratton - -Release Date: July 20, 2012 [EBook #40283] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RUDY AND BABETTE *** - - - - -Produced by Bruce Albrecht, Matthew Wheaton and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - RUDY AND BABETTE - - _Or, The Capture of the Eagle's Nest_ - - By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN - - - WITH TWENTY ILLUSTRATIONS - - By HELEN STRATTON - - - A. L. BURT COMPANY, - - PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK - - - - - CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I. LITTLE RUDY - CHAPTER II. GOING TO THE NEW HOME - CHAPTER III. UNCLE - CHAPTER IV. BABETTE - CHAPTER V. THE RETURN HOME - CHAPTER VI. A VISIT TO THE MILL - CHAPTER VII. THE EAGLE'S NEST - CHAPTER VIII. I HOLD FAST TO BABETTE - CHAPTER IX. THE ICE-MAIDEN - CHAPTER X. THE GODMOTHER - CHAPTER XII. THE POWERS OF EVIL - CHAPTER XIII. IN THE MILLER'S HOUSE - CHAPTER XIV. VISIONS IN THE NIGHT - CHAPTER XV. CONCLUSION - THE FELLOW-TRAVELER - THE OLD BACHELOR'S NIGHTCAP - THE GARDEN OF PARADISE - - - - -RUDY AND BABETTE; - -OR, - -THE CAPTURE OF THE EAGLE'S NEST. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -LITTLE RUDY. - - -Let us now go to Switzerland, and see its wonderful mountains, whose -steep, rocky sides are covered with trees. We will climb up to the -fields of snow, and then make our way down to the grassy valleys, with -their countless streams and rivulets, impetuously rushing to lose -themselves in the sea. The sunshine is hot in the narrow valley; the -snow becomes firm and solid, and in the course of time it either -descends as an avalanche, or creeps along as a glacier. There are two -of these glaciers in the valleys below the Schreckhorn and the -Wetterhorn, near the long village of Grindelwald. They are a -remarkable sight, and therefore many travelers from all countries come -in the summer to visit them: they come over the high mountains covered -with snow, they traverse the deep valleys; and to do this they must -climb, hour after hour, leaving the valley far beneath them, till they -see it as if they were in an air-balloon. The clouds hang above them -like thick mists over the mountains, and the sun's rays make their way -through the openings between the clouds to where the brown houses lie -spread, lighting up some chance spot with a vivid green. Below, the -stream foams and blusters; but above it murmurs and ripples, and looks -like a band of silver hanging down the side of the rock. - -On either side of the path up the mountain lie wooden houses. Each -house has its little plot of potatoes; and this they all require, for -there are many children, and they all have good appetites. The -children come out to meet every stranger, whether walking or riding, -and ask him to buy their carved wooden châlets, made like the houses -they live in. Be it fine or be it wet, the children try to sell their -carvings. - -About twenty years since you might have seen one little boy standing -apart from the others, but evidently very desirous to dispose of his -wares. He looked grave and sad, and held his little tray tightly with -both hands as if he was afraid of losing it. This serious look and his -small size caused him to be much noticed by travelers, who often -called him and purchased many of his toys, though he did not know why -he was so favored. His grandfather lived two miles off among the -mountains, where he did his carving. He had a cabinet full of the -things he had made. There were nut-crackers, knives and forks, boxes -carved with leaves and chamois, and many toys for children; but little -Rudy cared for nothing so much as for an old gun, hanging from a -rafter in the ceiling, for his grandfather had told him it should be -his own when he was big enough to know how to use it. - -Though the boy was little, he was set in charge of the goats; and Rudy -could climb as high as any of his flock, and was fond of climbing tall -trees after birds' nests. He was brave and high-spirited, but he never -smiled except when he watched the foaming cataract, or heard the -thundering roar of an avalanche. He never joined in the children's -games, and only met them when his grandfather sent him to sell his -carvings; and this employment Rudy did not much like. He would rather -wander alone amongst the mountains, or sit by his grandfather while he -told him stories of former ages, or of the people who lived at -Meiningen, from whence he had come. He told him they had not always -lived there, but had come from a distant northern country called -Sweden. Rudy took great pride in this knowledge; but he also learnt -much from his four-footed friends. He had a large dog, named Ajola, -who had been his father's; and he had also a tom-cat who was his -particular friend, for it was from him he had learnt how to climb. - -"Come with me on the roof," the cat said to him; for when children -have not learnt to talk, they can understand the speech of birds and -animals quite as well as that of their father and mother; but that is -only while they are very little, and their grandfather's stick seems -as good as a live horse, with head, legs, and tail. Some children lose -this later than others, and we call them backward. People say such -funny things! - -"Come with me, little Rudy, on the roof," was one of the first things -the cat had said which Rudy had understood: "it is all imagination -about falling; you don't fall if you are not afraid. Come; put one of -your paws so, and the other so! Feel for yourself with your fore-paws! -Use your eyes and be active; and if there's a crevice, just spring and -take firm hold, as I do!" - -Rudy did as he was told, and you might often have seen him sitting -beside the cat on the top of the roof; afterwards they climbed -together to the tops of the trees, and Rudy even found his way to the -rocky ledges which were quite out of the cat's reach. - -"Higher! higher!" said the trees and the bushes; "see how we can -climb. We stretch upwards, and take firm hold of the highest and -narrowest ledges of the rocks." - -So Rudy found his way to the very top of the mountain, and often got -up there before sunrise; for he enjoyed the pure invigorating air, -fresh from the hands of the Creator, which men say combines the -delicate perfume of the mountain herbs with the sweet scent of the -wild thyme and the mint found in the valley. The grosser part of it is -taken up by the clouds, and as they are carried by the winds, the -lofty trees catch the fragrance and make the air pure and fresh. And -so Rudy loved the morning air. - -The happy sunbeams kissed his cheek, and Giddiness, who was always -near, was afraid to touch him; the swallows, who had built seven -little nests under his grandfather's eaves, circled about him and his -goats, singing: "We and you! and you and we!" They reminded him of his -home, his grandfather, and of the fowls; but although the fowls lived -with them in the same house, Rudy had never made friends with them. - -Although he was such a little boy, he had already traveled a -considerable distance. His birthplace was in the canton of Vallais, -whence he had been brought over the mountains to where he now lived. -He had even made his way on foot to the Staubbach, which descends -through the air gleaming like silver below the snow-clad mountain -called the Jungfrau. He had also been to the great glacier at -Grindelwald; but that was a sad story. His mother lost her life at -that spot; and Rudy's grandfather said that it was there he had lost -his happy spirits. Before he was a twelvemonth old his mother used to -say that he laughed more than he cried, but since he had been rescued -from the crevasse in the ice, a different spirit seemed to have -possession of him. His grandfather would not talk of it, but every one -in that district knew the story. - -Rudy's father had been a postilion. The large dog, which was now lying -in the grandfather's room, was his constant companion when traveling -over the Simplon on his way to the Lake of Geneva. Some of his -relations lived in the valley of the Rhone, in the canton of Vallais. -His uncle was a successful chamois-hunter and an experienced guide. -When Rudy was only a twelvemonth old his father died, and his mother -now wished to return to her own relations in the Bernese Oberland. Her -father lived not many miles from Grindelwald; he was able to maintain -himself by wood-carving. So she started on her journey in the month of -June, with her child in her arms, and in the company of two -chamois-hunters, over the Gemmi towards Grindelwald. They had -accomplished the greater part of their journey, had passed the highest -ridge and reached the snow-field, and were now come in sight of the -valley where her home was, with its well-remembered wooden houses, but -still had to cross one great glacier. It was covered with recent snow, -which hid a crevasse which was much deeper than the height of a man, -although it did not extend to where the water rushed below the -glacier. The mother, while carrying her baby, slipped, fell into -the cleft, and disappeared from sight. She did not utter a sound, but -they could hear the child crying. It was more than an hour before they -could fetch ropes and poles from the nearest house, and recover what -seemed to be two corpses from the cleft in the ice. They tried every -possible means, and succeeded in restoring the child, but not his -mother, to life; so the old man had his daughter's son brought into -his home, a little orphan, the boy who used to laugh more than he -cried; but he seemed to be entirely changed, and this change was made -down in the crevasse, in the cold world of ice, where, as the Swiss -peasants think, lost souls are imprisoned until Doomsday. - -[Illustration: She started on her journey, with her child in her arms, -and in company of two chamois-hunters.] - -The immense glacier looks like the waves of the sea frozen into ice, -the great greenish blocks heaped together, while the cold stream of -melted ice rushes below towards the valley, and huge caverns and -immense crevasses stretch far away beneath it. It is like a palace of -glass, and is the abode of the Ice-Maiden, the Queen of the Glaciers. -She, the fatal, the overwhelming one, is in part a spirit of the air, -though she also rules over the river; therefore she can rise to the -topmost peak of the snow mountain, where the adventurous climbers have -to cut every step in the ice before they can place their feet; she can -float on the smallest branch down the torrent, and leap from block to -block with her white hair and her pale blue robe flying about her, and -resembling the water in the beautiful Swiss lakes. - -"I have the power to crush and to seize!" she cries. "They have robbed -me of a lovely boy whom I have kissed, but have not killed. He now -lives among men: he keeps his goats amid the hills, he ever climbs -higher and higher away from his fellows, but not away from me. He -belongs to me, and I will again have him!" - -So she charged Giddiness to seize him for her, for the Ice-Maiden -dared not venture among the woods in the hot summer time; and -Giddiness and his brethren--for there are many of them--mounted up to -the Ice-Maiden, and she selected the strongest of them for her -purpose. They sit on the edge of the staircase, and on the rails at -the top of the tower; they scamper like squirrels on the ridge of the -rock, they leap from the rails and the footpath, and tread the air -like a swimmer treading water, to tempt their victims after them and -dash them into the abyss. Both Giddiness and the Ice-Maiden seize a -man as an octopus seizes all within its reach. And now Giddiness had -been charged to seize little Rudy. - -"I seize him!" said Giddiness; "I cannot. The miserable cat has taught -him all her tricks. The boy possesses a power which keeps me from him; -I cannot seize him even when he hangs by a branch above the precipice. -I should be delighted to tickle his feet, or pitch him headlong -through the air; but I cannot!" - -"We will succeed between us," said the Ice-Maiden. "Thou or I! I! I!" - -"No, no!" an unseen voice replied, sounding like distant church bells; -the joyful singing of good spirits--the Daughters of the Sun. These -float above the mountain every evening; they expand their rosy wings -which glow more and more like fire as the sun nears to setting over -the snowy peaks. People call it the "Alpine glow." And after sunset -they withdraw into the snow and rest there until sunrise, when they -again show themselves. They love flowers, and butterflies and human -beings; and they were particularly fond of Rudy. - -"You shall never catch him--you shall never have him," said they. - -"I have captured bigger and stronger boys than he," said the -Ice-Maiden. - -The Daughters of the Sun now sang a song of a traveler whose cloak was -carried away by the storm: "The storm took the cloak but not the man. -You can grasp at him, but not hold him, ye strong ones. He is -stronger, he is more spiritual than we are! He will ascend above the -sun, our mother! He has the power to bind the winds and the waves, and -make them serve him and do his bidding. If you unloose the weight that -holds him down, you will set him free to rise yet higher." - -Thus ran the chorus which sounded like distant church bells. - -Each morning the sunbeams shone through the little window of the -grandfather's house and lighted on the silent boy. The Daughters of -the Sun kissed him, and tried to thaw the cold kisses which the Queen -of the Glaciers had given him, while he was in the arms of his dead -mother, in the deep crevasse, whence he had been so wonderfully -rescued. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -GOING TO THE NEW HOME. - - -Rudy was now a boy of eight. His uncle, who lived in the Rhone valley -at the other side of the mountains, wished him to come to him, and -learn how to make his way in the world; his grandfather approved of -this, and let him go. - -Rudy therefore said good-by. He had to take leave of others beside his -grandfather; and the first of these was his old dog, Ajola. - -"When your father was postilion, I was his post-dog," said Ajola. "We -traveled backwards and forwards together; and I know some dogs at the -other side of the mountains and some of the people. I was never a -chatterer, but now that we are not likely to have many more chances of -talking, I want to tell you a few things, I will tell you something I -have had in my head and thought over for a long time. I can't make it -out, and you won't make it out; but that doesn't matter. At least I -can see that things are not fairly divided in this world, whether for -dogs or for men. Only a few are privileged to sit in a lady's lap and -have milk to drink. I've never been used to it myself, but I've seen a -little lap-dog riding in the coach, and occupying the place of a -passenger. The lady to whom it belonged, or who belonged to it, took a -bottle of milk with her for the dog to drink; and she offered him -sweets, but he sniffed at them and refused them, so she ate them -herself. I had to run in the mud beside the coach, and was very -hungry, thinking all the time that this couldn't be right; but they -say that there are a great many things that aren't right. Would you -like to sit in a lady's lap and ride in a carriage? I wish you could. -But you can't arrange that for yourself. I never could, bark and howl -as I might!" - -This is what Ajola said; and Rudy put his arms round him, and kissed -his cold, wet nose. Then he took up the cat, but puss tried to get -away, and said,-- - -"You're too strong! and I don't want to scratch you. Climb over the -mountains, as I taught you. Don't fancy you can fall, and then you -will always keep firm hold." As he said this, the cat ran away; for he -did not wish Rudy to see that he was crying. - -The fowls strutted about the room. One of them had lost its tail -feathers. A tourist, who imagined he was a sportsman, had shot its -tail off, as he thought it was a wild bird. - -"Rudy is going away over the mountains," said one of the fowls. - -The other one replied, "He's in too great a hurry; I don't want to say -good-by." And then they both made off. - -He then said good-by to the goats; they bleated "Med! med! may!" and -that made him feel sad. - -Two neighboring guides, who wanted to cross the mountains to beyond -the Gemmi took Rudy with them, going on foot. It was a fatiguing walk -for such a little boy; but he was strong, and never feared anything. - -The swallows flew part of the way with them. "We and you! and you and -we!" they sang. Their route lay across the roaring Lütschine, which -flows in many little streams from the Grindel glacier, and some fallen -trees served for a bridge. When they gained the forest at the other -side, they began to mount the slope where the glacier had quitted the -mountain, and then they had to climb over or make their way round the -blocks of ice on the glacier. Rudy sometimes was obliged to crawl -instead of walking; but his eyes sparkled with pleasure, and he -planted his feet so firmly that you would think he wanted to leave the -mark of his spiked shoes behind him at every step. The dark earth -which the mountain torrent had scattered over the glacier made it look -almost black, but still you could catch sight of the bluish-green ice. -They had to skirt the countless little pools which lay amongst the -huge blocks of ice; and sometimes they passed by a great stone that -had rested at the edge of a cleft, and then the stone would be upset, -and crash down into the crevasse, and the echoes would reverberate -from all the deep clefts in the glacier. - -So they went on climbing. The mighty glacier seemed like a great river -frozen into ice, hemmed in by the steep rocks. Rudy remembered what he -had been told, of how he and his mother had been pulled up out of one -of those, deep, cold crevasses; but he soon thought no more of it, and -it seemed no more than many other stories which he had been told. -Occasionally, when the men thought the path too rough for the boy, -they offered him a hand; but he was not easily tired, and stood on the -ice as securely as a chamois. Now they got on rock, and clambered over -the rough stones; then they would have to walk through the pine-trees, -or over pasture-lands, whilst the landscape was constantly changing. -Around them were the great snow mountains--the Jungfrau, the Mönch and -the Eiger. Every child knew their names, and, of course, Rudy knew -them. Rudy had never before been up so high; he had never walked over -the wide snow-fields: like the ocean with its waves immovable, the -wind now and again blowing off some of the snow as if it were the foam -of the sea. The glaciers meet here as if they were joining hands; each -forms one of the palaces of the Ice-Maiden, whose power and aim is to -capture and overwhelm. The sunshine was hot, the snow was brilliantly -white, and seemed to sparkle as if covered with diamonds. Countless -insects, most of them butterflies or bees, were lying dead on the -snow; they had gone up too high, or been carried by the wind, and had -been frozen to death. A threatening cloud hung over the Wetterhorn, -looking like a bundle of black wool; it hung down, heavy with its own -weight, ready to burst with the resistless force of a whirlwind. The -recollection of this whole journey--the encamping for the night, at -such a height, the walk in the dark, the deep clefts in the rock, worn -away by the force of water during countless years--all this was fixed -in Rudy's memory. - -An empty stone hut beyond the _mer de glace_ gave them shelter for the -night. Here they found pine branches for fuel, and they quickly made -a fire and arranged the bed as comfortably as they could. They then -seated themselves about the fire, lighted their pipes, and drank the -hot drink which they had prepared. They gave Rudy some of their -supper, and then began to tell tales and legends of the spirits of the -Alps; of the mighty serpents that lay coiled in the lakes; of the -spirits who were reported to have carried men in their sleep to the -marvelous floating city, Venice; of the mysterious shepherd, who -tended his black sheep on the mountain pastures, and how no one had -seen him, although many had heard the tones of his bell and the -bleating of his flock. Rudy listened to all this, though he was not -frightened, as he did not know what fear was; and as he was listening -he thought he heard the weird bleating; it grew more and more distinct -till the men heard it too, and left off talking to listen, and told -Rudy to keep awake. - -This was the Föhn, the blast, the terrible tempest, which sweeps down -from the mountains upon the valleys, rending the trees as if they -were reeds, and sweeping away the houses by a flood as easily as one -moves chessmen. - -[Illustration: They then seated themselves about the fire, and began -to tell tales of the spirits of the Alps.] - -After a time they said to Rudy that it was all over, and he might go -to sleep; and he was so tired with his long tramp that he obeyed at -once. - -When day broke, they pushed forward. The sun now shone for Rudy on new -mountains, new glaciers, and snow-fields. They were now in the canton -of Vallais, and had crossed the range which could be seen from -Grindelwald, but were yet far from his new home. Other ravines, other -pastures, woods, and mountain-paths now came into sight, other houses, -and other people; but they were strange and deformed-looking beings, -with pale faces, and huge wens hanging from their necks. They were -_crétins_, feebly moving about, and looking listlessly at Rudy and his -companions--the women were particularly repulsive to look at. Should -he find such people in his new home? - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -UNCLE. - - -Rudy had now come to his uncle's house, and found to his relief that -the people were like those he had been used to. There was only one -_crétin_, a poor silly boy--one of those who rove from one house to -another in the canton of Vallais, staying a month or two in each -house, and the unfortunate Saperli was there when Rudy came. - -Uncle was a great hunter, and also knew the cooper's trade. His wife -was a lively little person, and almost looked like a bird; her eyes -were like those of an eagle, and her long neck was quite downy. - -Rudy found everything new to him--dress, habits and customs, and -language, though he would soon get used to that. They seemed more -comfortably off than in his grandfather's house. The rooms were large, -and the walls were decorated with chamois' horns and polished guns, -and there was a picture of the Virgin over the door; fresh Alpine -roses and a burning lamp stood before it. - -Uncle was, as I have said, one of the most successful chamois-hunters -in the neighborhood, and also one of the best guides. Rudy soon became -the pet of the household. They had one pet already, an old hound, -blind and deaf; he was no longer able to go out hunting, but they took -care of him in return for his former services. Rudy patted the dog, -and wished to make friends; but he did not care to make friends with -strangers, though Rudy was not long a stranger there. - -"We live very well here in the canton of Vallais," said uncle; "we -have chamois, who are not so easily killed as the steinbock, but we -get on better than in the old days. It is all very well to praise -former times, but we are better off now. An opening has been made, and -the air blows through our secluded vale. We always get something -better when the old thing is done with," said he; for uncle had much -to say, and would tell tales of his childhood, and of the days when -his father was vigorous, when Vallais was, as he said, a closed bag, -full of sick folk and unfortunate _crétins_; "but the French soldiers -came, and they were the right sort of doctors, for they killed both -the disease and the persons who had it. The French knew all about -fighting; they struck their blows in many ways, and their maidens -could strike too!" and here uncle nodded at his wife, who was a -Frenchwoman. "The French struck at our stones in fine style! They -struck the Simplon road through the rocks; they struck the road, so -that I may say to a child of three years old, 'Go to Italy, keep right -on the highway!' and the child will find himself in Italy if he only -keeps right on the road!" and then uncle sang a French song, "Hurrah -for Napoleon Buonaparte!" - -[Illustration: His uncle would tell tales of his childhood.] - -Rudy now heard for the first time of France, and of Lyons, a great -town on the river Rhone, where his uncle had been. - -In a few years Rudy was to become an active chamois-hunter. His uncle -said he was capable of it; he therefore taught him to handle a gun and -to shoot. In the hunting season he took him to the mountains, and made -him drink the warm blood from the chamois, which keeps a hunter from -giddiness. He taught him to know the seasons when avalanches would -roll down the mountain sides, at midday or in the afternoon, according -to whether the sun had been strong on the places. He taught him to -watch how the chamois sprang, and notice how his feet fell that he -might stand firm; and that where he could obtain no foothold he must -catch hold with his elbows, grasp with his muscles, and hold with his -thighs and knees--that he might even hold with his neck if necessary. -The chamois were very wary,--they would send one to look out; but the -hunter must be still more wary,--put them off the scent. He had known -them so stupid that if he hung his coat and hat on an alpenstock, the -chamois took the coat for a man. Uncle played his trick one day when -he and Rudy were out hunting. - -The mountain paths were narrow; they were often a mere cornice or -ledge projecting over a giddy precipice. The snow was half melted, and -the rock crumbled beneath the feet; so the uncle laid himself down at -full length and crept along. Each stone, as it broke off, fell, -striking and rolling from ledge to ledge till it was out of sight. -Rudy stood about a hundred paces from his uncle on a projecting rock, -and from this point he saw a great bearded vulture swooping over his -uncle, whom it seemed to be about to strike over the precipice with -its wings, to make him its prey. Uncle had his eye on the chamois, -which he could see with its kid on the other side of the ravine; Rudy -kept his eye on the bird, knew what it would do, and had his hands on -his gun ready to fire; the chamois suddenly sprang up, uncle fired, -the animal fell dead, the kid made off as if it was used to dangers. -At the sound of the gun the bird flew away, and uncle knew nothing of -his danger until told of it by Rudy. - -[Illustration: "Hold fast, Rudy!" shouted his uncle, and Rudy clung to -the tree.] - -As they were going home in the best of humors, uncle whistling one of -his songs, they suddenly heard a strange noise not far off; they -looked round them, and saw that the snow on the side of the mountain -was all in motion. It waved up and down, broke into pieces, and came -down with a roar like thunder. It was an avalanche, not over Rudy and -uncle, but near, too near, to them. - -"Hold fast, Rudy!" he shouted; "fast, with all your power!" - -And Rudy clung to the stem of a tree; uncle climbed above him up to -the branches and held fast, while the avalanche rolled past at a -distance of a few yards; but the rush of air broke the trees and -bushes all around like reeds, and cast the fragments down, and left -Rudy pressed to the earth. The tree-stem to which he had held was -broken, and the top flung to a distance; there, among the broken -branches, lay uncle, his head crushed; his hand was still warm, but -you would not know his face. Rudy stood pale and trembling; it was the -first shock in his life, the first time he had felt horror. - -It was late when he brought the tidings of death to what was now a -sorrowful home. The wife was speechless and tearless until they -brought the body home, then her grief broke forth. The unfortunate -_crétin_ hid himself in his bed, nor did they see him all the next -day; but in the evening he came to Rudy. - -"Write a letter for me! Saperli cannot write! Saperli can go with the -letter to the post!" - -"A letter from thee?" exclaimed Rudy. "And to whom?" - -"To the Lord Christ!" - -"What do you mean?" - -And the half-idiot, as they called the _crétin_, cast a pathetic -glance at Rudy, folded his hands, and said solemnly and slowly: - -"Jesus Christ! Saperli wishes to send a letter to ask Him that Saperli -may lie dead, and not the man in this house." - -And Rudy took him by the hand. "That letter would not go there! that -letter would not bring him back." - -But it was impossible for Rudy to make him understand. - -"Now thou art the support of the house," said the widow, and Rudy -became so. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -BABETTE. - - -Who is the best shot in the canton of Vallais? Even the chamois knew. -"Take care of Rudy's shooting!" they said. "Who is the handsomest -huntsman?" "Rudy is!" said the maidens, but they did not say, "Take -care of Rudy's shooting!" nor did their serious mothers say so either; -he nodded to them as lightly as he did to a young girl; for he was -brave and joyous, his cheeks were brown, his teeth sound and white, -and his eyes coal-black and sparkling; he was a handsome fellow, and -not more than twenty. The ice-cold water did not hurt him in swimming; -he swam like a fish, could climb better than any other man, could hold -fast like a snail to the walls of rock, for his muscles and sinews -were good; and you saw when he leapt that he had taken lessons from -the cat and from the chamois. Rudy was the surest guide to depend -on, and might have made his fortune in that way; his uncle had also -taught him coopering, but he gave little thought to that, for his -pleasure and delight was in shooting the chamois; and in this way he -earned money. Rudy was a good match, as they say, if he did not look -above his own position. And he was a dancer among dancers, so that the -maidens dreamt of him, and some of them even thought of him when -waking. - -[Illustration: "Rudy gave me a kiss at the dance!" said Annette to her -dearest friend.] - -"He gave me a kiss at the dance!" said Annette, the schoolmaster's -daughter, to her dearest friend; but she ought not to have said that -even to her dearest friend. Such a secret is not easy to keep: it is -like sand in a bag full of holes, it will run out; and they all soon -knew that Rudy had given her a kiss at the dance, though he had not -kissed the one that he wanted to kiss. - -"Just watch him!" said an old huntsman; "he has kissed Annette; he has -begun with A and he will kiss all through the alphabet." - -A kiss at the dance was all that the gossips could say against Rudy so -far; but although he had kissed Annette, she was not the flower of his -heart. - -Down at Bex, among the great walnut-trees, close to a little rapid -mountain stream, there lived a rich miller; his dwelling-house was a -big building of three floors, with small turrets, roofed with shingle -and ornamented with metal plates which shone in the rays of the sun or -the moon; the biggest turret had for a weather-cock a glittering arrow -which had transfixed an apple, in memory of Tell's marksmanship. The -mill appeared fine and prosperous, and one could both sketch and -describe it, but one could not sketch or describe the miller's -daughter; at least, Rudy says one could not, and yet he had her image -in his heart. Her eyes had so beamed upon him that they had quite -kindled a flame; this had come quite suddenly, as other fires come, -and the strangest thing was, that the miller's daughter, the charming -Babette, had no thought of it, as she and Rudy had never spoken to -each other. - -The miller was rich, and his riches made Babette hard to approach; -"But nothing is so high," said Rudy to himself, "that a man can't get -up to it; a man must climb, and he need not fall, nor lose faith in -himself." This lesson he had learnt at home. - -It happened one day that Rudy had business at Bex, and it was quite a -journey, for the railway did not then go there. From the Rhone -glacier, at the foot of the Simplon, between many and various -mountain-heights, stretches the broad valley of the Rhone, whose flood -often overflows its banks, overwhelming everything. Between the towns -of Sion and St. Maurice the valley bends in the shape of an elbow, and -below St. Maurice it is so narrow that it hardly allows room for more -than the river itself and a narrow road. An old tower stands here on -the mountain side, as a sentry to mark the boundary of the canton of -Vallais, opposite the stone bridge by the toll-house; and here begins -the canton Vaud, not far from the town of Bex. As you advance you -notice the increase of fertility, you seem to have come into a garden -of chestnuts and walnut-trees; here and there are cypresses and -pomegranates in flower; there is a southern warmth, as if you had come -into Italy. - -Rudy arrived at Bex, finished his business, and looked about him; but -never a lad from the mill, not to mention Babette, could he see. This -was not what he wished. - -It was now towards evening; the air was full of the scent of the wild -thyme and of the flowers of the limes; a shining veil seemed to hang -over the wooded mountains, with a stillness, not of sleep, nor of -death, but rather as if nature were holding its breath, in order to -have its likeness photographed on the blue vault of heaven. Here and -there between the trees, and across the green fields stood poles, to -support the telegraph wires already carried through that tranquil -valley; by one of these leaned an object, so still that it might have -been mistaken for a tree-stump, but it was Rudy, who was as still and -quiet as everything about him; he was not asleep, and he certainly was -not dead. But thoughts were rushing through his brain, thoughts -mighty and overwhelming, which were to mold his future. - -His eyes were directed to one point amidst the leaves, one light in -the miller's parlor where Babette lived. So still was Rudy standing, -that you might believe he was taking aim at a chamois, for the chamois -will sometimes stand for an instant as if a part of the rock, and then -suddenly, startled by the rolling of a stone, will spring away; and so -it was with Rudy--a sudden thought startled him. - -"Never give up!" he cried. "Call at the mill! Good evening to the -miller, good day to Babette. A man doesn't fall when he doesn't think -about it; Babette must see me at some time if I am ever to be her -husband." - -Rudy laughed, for he was of good cheer, and he went to the mill; he -knew well enough what he wished for--he wished for Babette. - -The river, with its yellowish water, rushed along, and the willows and -limes overhung its banks; Rudy went up the path, and as it says in the -old children's song: - - "to the miller's house, - But found no one at home - Except little Puss!" - -The parlor cat stood on the steps, put up his back, and said "Miou!" -but Rudy had no thought for that speech; he knocked at the door; no -one heard, no one opened it. "Miou!" said the cat. If Rudy had been -little, he would have understood animals' language, and known that the -cat said: "There's no one at home!" So he went over to the mill to -ask, and there he got the information. The master had gone on a -journey, as far as the town of Interlaken "_inter lacus_, between -the lakes," as the schoolmaster, Annette's father, had explained it in -a lesson. The miller was far away, and Babette with him; there was a -grand shooting competition--it began to-morrow, and went on for eight -days. Switzers from all the German cantons would be there. - -Unlucky Rudy, you might say, this was not a fortunate time to come to -Bex; so he turned and marched above St. Maurice and Sion to his own -valley and his own mountains; but he was not disheartened. The sun -rose next morning, but his spirits were already high, for they had -never set. - -[Illustration: The cat stood on the steps, put up his back and said, -"Miou!" as Rudy knocked at the door.] - -"Babette is at Interlaken, many days' journey from hence," he said to -himself. "It is a long way there if one goes by the high road, but it -is not so far if you strike across the mountains, as I have often done -in chamois-hunting. There is my old home, where I lived when little -with my grandfather; and the shooting-match is at Interlaken! I will -be the best of them; and I will be with Babette, when I have made -acquaintance with her." - -With his light knapsack, containing his Sunday suit and his gun and -game-bag, Rudy went up the mountain by the short way, which was, -however, pretty long; but the shooting-match only began that day and -was to last over a week, and all that time, he was told, the miller -and Babette would spend with their relations at Interlaken. So Rudy -crossed the Gemmi, meaning to come down near Grindelwald. - -Healthy and joyful, he stepped along, up in the fresh, the light, the -invigorating mountain air. The valley sank deeper, the horizon opened -wider; here was a snow-peak, and there another, and soon he could see -the whole shining range of the Alps. Rudy knew every snow-mountain, -and he made straight for the Schreckhorn, which raised its -white-sprinkled, stony fingers high into the blue air. - -At length he crossed the highest ridge. The pastures stretched down -towards his own valley; the air was light, and he felt merry; mountain -and valley smiled with abundance of flowers and verdure; his heart was -full of thoughts of youth: one should never become old, one need never -die; to live, to conquer, to be happy! free as a bird--and he felt -like a bird. And the swallows flew by him, and sang, as they used to -do in his childhood: "We and you, and you and we!" All was soaring and -rejoicing. - -Below lay the velvety green meadow, sprinkled with brown châlets, and -the Lütschine humming and rushing. He saw the glacier, with its -bottle-green edges covered with earth-soiled snow; he saw the deep -fissures, and the upper and the lower glacier. The sound of the -church bells came to him, as if they were ringing to welcome him home; -his heart beat more strongly, and swelled so that Babette was -forgotten for a moment, so large was his heart and so full of -memories! - -He again went along the way where he had stood as a little urchin with -the other children, and sold the carved châlets. He saw among the -pines his grandfather's house, but strangers now lived in it. Children -came along the path to sell things, and one of them offered him an -Alpine rose; Rudy took it as a good omen, and he thought of Babette. -He soon crossed the bridge where the two Lütschine unite; the trees -here grew thicker, and the walnuts gave a refreshing shade. He now saw -the flag waving, the white cross on a red background, the flag of the -Switzers and the Danes; and now he had reached Interlaken. - -This, Rudy thought, was certainly a splendid town. It was a Swiss town -in Sunday dress; not like other places, crowded with heavy stone -houses, ponderous, strange, and stately. No! here it seemed as if the -châlets had come down from the mountains into the green valley, close -by the clear, rapid stream, and had arranged themselves in a row, a -little in and out, to make a street. And the prettiest of all the -streets--yes, that it certainly was!--had sprung up since Rudy was -here, when he was little. It seemed to have been built of all the -charming châlets which his grandfather had carved and stored in the -cabinet at home, and they had grown up here by some power like the -old, oldest chestnut-trees. Each house was a hotel, with carved -woodwork on the windows and doors, and a projecting roof, and was -elegantly built; and in front of the house was a flower-garden, -between it and the broad, macadamized road; all the houses stood on -one side of the road, so as not to hide the fresh green meadows, where -the cows wandered about with bells like those in the high Alpine -pastures. It seemed to be in the midst of lofty mountains, which had -drawn apart in one direction to allow the snow-clad peak of the -Jungfrau to be seen, most lovely of all the Swiss mountains. - -There were a great many well-dressed visitors from foreign countries -as well as many Switzers from the different cantons. Each competitor -had his number in a garland on his hat. Singing and playing on all -kinds of instruments were to be heard everywhere, mingled with cries -and shouts. Mottoes were put up on the houses and bridges, flags and -pennons floated in the breeze; the crack of the rifles was frequently -heard, and Rudy thought this the sweetest sound of all; indeed, in the -excitement of the moment he quite forgot Babette, although he had come -on purpose to meet her. - -The marksmen now went in the direction of the target. Rudy went with -them, and was the best shot of them all--he hit the bull's-eye every -time. - -"Who is that young stranger who shoots so well?" the onlookers asked -each other. "He talks French as they do in canton Vallais. But he also -speaks German very well," others replied. - -"They say he was brought up near Grindelwald," one of the competitors -remarked. - -There was life in the fellow, his eyes shone, his arm was steady, and -for that reason he never failed in hitting the mark. Courage comes -with success, but Rudy had a store of natural courage. Admiring -friends soon gathered around him, and complimented him on his success; -he altogether forgot Babette. Then some one laid his hand on his -shoulder, and spoke to him in French. - -"You belong to the canton of Vallais?" - -Rudy turned, and saw a burly individual with a rosy, good-humored -face. It was the wealthy miller from Bex; his stout form almost -concealed the pretty, slim Babette, but she looked at Rudy with her -sparkling, dark eyes. The miller was glad that a rifleman from his own -canton should prove the best shot, and should have won universal -applause. Rudy was certainly in luck, for although he had forgotten -his principal object in coming, she had now come forward to him. - -When neighbors meet one another at a distance from home they generally -get to talking, and make each other's acquaintance. Because Rudy was -a good shot he had become a leader at the rifle competition, just as -much as the miller was at Bex, because of his wealth and his good -business; so they clasped each other by the hand for the first time; -Babette also offered her hand to Rudy who squeezed it, and looked at -her so earnestly that she quite blushed. - -The miller spoke of their long journey, and how many large towns they -had come through; and it certainly seemed to have been a very long -journey, as they had traveled by the steamboat, and also by rail and -by post-chaise. - -"I came the nearest way," said Rudy. "I walked over the mountains; no -road is too high for a man to come over it." - -"And break your neck," said the miller. "You look just the man to -break his neck one day, you look so headstrong." - -"A man doesn't fall if he doesn't think about it," replied Rudy. - -The miller's relatives in Interlaken, with whom he and Babette were -staying, asked Rudy to visit them, as he was from the same canton. -This was a chance for Rudy; fortune favored him, as she always does -favor those who endeavor to succeed by their own energy, and remember -that "Providence gives us nuts, but we have to crack them for -ourselves." - -Rudy was welcomed by the miller's relatives as if he had belonged to -the family, and they drank to the health of the best shot, and Babette -clinked her glass with the others, and Rudy thanked them for the -toast. - -In the evening they went for a stroll on the road by the big hotels -beneath the old walnut-trees, and there was such a throng, and the -people pushed so that Rudy was able to offer his arm to Babette. He -said he was glad to have met the people from Vaud. The cantons of Vaud -and Vallais were very good neighbors. He seemed so thoroughly pleased -that Babette could not resist the inclination to press his hand. They -walked together just like old acquaintances, and she was very amusing. -Rudy was delighted with her naive remarks on the peculiarities in the -dress and behavior of the foreign ladies; and yet she did not wish to -make fun of them, for she knew that many of them were amiable and -worthy people--indeed, her own godmother was an English lady. She had -been living in Bex eighteen years ago, when Babette was christened, -and she had given her the valuable brooch she was now wearing. Her -godmother had twice written to her, and Babette was now hoping to see -her and her daughters in Interlaken. - -"They were two old maids, almost thirty!" said Babette; but you must -remember that she was only eighteen. - -Her little tongue was never still for an instant, and all that Babette -had to say was intensely interesting to Rudy; and he told her all -about himself--that he had frequently been to Bex, and knew the mill -well, and that he had often seen her, though he did not suppose she -had ever noticed him; and how he had called at the mill, hoping to see -her, and found that her father and she were away from home, a long way -from home, indeed, but not so far that he could not get over the -barrier which divided them. - -He told her a great deal more than this. He told her that he was very -fond of her, and that he had come here on purpose to see her, and not -for the rifle competition. - -Babette was very quiet when he told her this; she thought he set too -high a value on her. - -While they continued rambling, the sun set behind the mighty wall of -rock; the Jungfrau stood out in all its beauty and magnificence, with -the green of the tree-clad slopes on either side of it. All stood -still to admire the gorgeous spectacle, and both Rudy and Babette were -happy in watching it. - -"There is no place more lovely than this!" said Babette. - -"No, indeed!" exclaimed Rudy, and then he looked at Babette. - -"I must go home to-morrow," he said, after a short silence. - -"You must come to see us at Bex," Babette whispered to him; "my father -will be pleased." - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE RETURN HOME. - - -Oh what a load Rudy had to carry home with him over the mountains the -next day! He had won three silver cups, two rifles, and a silver -coffee-pot; this would be of use to him when he began housekeeping. -But that was not the heaviest thing; there was something heavier and -stronger which he carried with him--or which carried him--on that -return journey over the mountains. The weather was wild, dull, heavy, -and wet; dense clouds covered the mountain tops like a thick veil, -quite hiding the snowy peaks. From the valleys he heard the sound of -the woodman's ax, and huge trunks of trees rolled down the steep -mountain sides; they seemed only like small sticks, but they were big -enough for masts. The Lütschine rushed along with its continual hum, -the wind shrieked, and the clouds hurried across the sky. Then Rudy -discovered that a young maid was walking at his side; he had not seen -her until she was quite near. She also was about to climb over the -mountain. The girl's eyes had a strange power; you could not help -looking at them, and they were wonderful eyes, very clear, and -deep--oh, so deep! - -"Have you a sweetheart?" said Rudy, for that was all he could think -of. - -"No, I have not," laughingly replied the maiden; but she did not look -as if she spoke the truth. "Don't go round all that way," she then -said. "You must bear more to the left; that is the shortest way." - -"Yes, and tumble down a crevasse!" said Rudy. "You're a fine one to be -a guide if you don't know better than that!" - -"I know the way," she replied, "and my thoughts have not gone astray. -Yours are below, in the valley, but here, on high, you should be -thinking of the Ice-Maiden; people say that she does not love men." - -"I fear her not!" exclaimed Rudy. "She had to yield me up when I was a -baby, and I am not going to yield myself up to her now that I am a -man." - -It grew darker, and the rain poured down; then came the snow, -dazzling and bewildering. - -"Take my hand," said the maiden, "I will help you;" and she touched -him with her ice-cold fingers. - -[Illustration: "Have you a sweetheart?" said Rudy.] - -"You needn't help me!" returned Rudy; "I don't need a girl to teach me -to climb!" and he hurried on, leaving her behind. The snow came down -all around him, the wind shrieked, and he heard strange sounds of -laughing and singing behind him. He believed she was one of the -spirits in the Ice-Maiden's train, of whom he had heard tales when he -spent the night up in the mountains as a boy. - -The snow ceased to fall, and he was now above the clouds. He looked -behind him, but saw nobody; yet he heard a strange singing and -yodeling that he did not like, as it did not sound human. - -When Rudy was quite at the highest ridge, from which the way tended -downwards towards the Rhone valley, he saw above Chamonix, in a patch -of blue sky, two bright stars shining and twinkling; they reminded him -of Babette, and of his own good fortune, and the thought made him feel -quite warm. - -[Illustration: Rudy believed she was one of the spirits in the -Ice-Maiden's train.] - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -A VISIT TO THE MILL. - - -"What splendid things you have brought back with you!" cried his old -foster-mother; and her eagle eyes sparkled, and her lean neck waved -backwards and forwards more than ever. "You are lucky, Rudy! Let me -kiss you, my dear boy!" - -And Rudy submitted to be kissed; but he looked as if he regarded it as -a thing which had to be put up with. "What a handsome fellow you are -getting, Rudy!" said the old woman. - -"Don't talk such nonsense," Rudy replied, laughing; but nevertheless -he liked to hear it. - -"I say it again," said the old woman. "You are very lucky!" - -"Perhaps you may be right," he rejoined, for he was thinking of -Babette. - -He had never before been so anxious to go down the valley. - -"They must have gone home," he said to himself. "They were to have -been back two days ago. I must go to Bex." - -So Rudy went to Bex, and found his friends at home at the mill. They -received him kindly, and had brought a message for him from the family -at Interlaken. Babette did not speak much; she was very quiet, but her -eyes spoke volumes, and that satisfied Rudy. Even the miller, who had -always led the conversation, and who had always had his remarks and -jokes laughed at on account of his wealth, seemed to delight in -hearing of all Rudy's adventures in his hunting; and Rudy described -the difficulties and perils which the chamois-hunters have to face -among the mountains--how they must cling to, or creep over, the narrow -ledges of snow which are frozen on to the mountain sides, and make -their way over the snow bridges which span deep chasms in the rocks. -And Rudy's eyes sparkled as he was relating these hunting adventures, -the intelligence and activity of the chamois, and the dangers of the -tempest and the avalanche. He perceived as he went on that the miller -grew increasingly interested in his wild life, and that the old man -paid especial attention to his account of the bearded vulture and the -royal eagle. - -Among other things, he happened to mention that, at no great distance, -in the canton of Vallais, an eagle had built its nest most ingeniously -under a steep projecting rock, and that the nest contained a young one -which nobody could capture. Rudy said that an Englishman had offered -him a handful of gold the other day if he could take him the eaglet -alive; "but there is a limit to everything," said he. "That eaglet -cannot be taken; it would be foolhardy to try." - -But the wine assisted the flow of conversation; and Rudy thought the -evening all too short, though he did not start on his return journey -until past midnight, the first time he visited the mill. - -Lights were still to be seen at the windows of the mill; and the -parlor cat came out at an opening in the roof, and met the kitchen cat -on the gutter. - -"Have you heard the news at the mill?" said the parlor cat. "There's -love-making going on in the house! The father doesn't know of it. Rudy -and Babette have been treading on each other's paws all the evening -under the table. They trod on me more than once, but I kept quiet, -lest it should be noticed." - -"I would have mewed," replied the kitchen cat. - -"Kitchen behavior will not suit the parlor," said the parlor cat; "but -I should like to know what the miller will say when he hears of the -love-making." - -What will the miller say, indeed? Rudy, also, wanted to know that; and -he would not wait very long without finding it out. So a few days -later, when the omnibus rolled over the Rhone bridge between Vallais -and Vaud, Rudy was in it, in his usual high spirits, happy in the -expectation of a favorable answer to the question he intended to ask -that same evening. - -In the evening, when the omnibus was returning Rudy was again inside; -but the parlor cat had great news to tell. - -"Do you know it, you from the kitchen? The miller knows everything. -That was a fine end to the expedition! Rudy came here towards the -evening, and he and Babette had much to whisper about; they stood in -the passage which leads to the miller's room. I lay at their feet, but -they had neither eyes nor thoughts for me. 'I am going straight in to -your father!' said Rudy; 'that is the fair thing.' 'Shall I accompany -you?' said Babette; 'it will encourage you.' 'I have sufficient -courage!' said Rudy, 'but if you go too, he must look kindly on us, -whether he will or no!' And they both went in. Rudy trod violently on -my tail. Rudy is very clumsy! I mewed, but neither he nor Babette had -ears to hear me. They opened the door, and they both went in, I in -front; but I sprang up on the back of a chair, for I could not tell -how Rudy would kick. But the miller kicked! and it was a good kick! -out of the door, and into the mountains to the chamois! Rudy may aim -at them, and not at our little Babette." - -"But what did they talk about?" asked the kitchen cat. - -"Talk?---- They talked of everything that people say when they go -a-wooing: 'I am fond of her, and she is fond of me! and when there is -milk in the pail for one, there is also milk in the pail for two!' -'But she sits too high for you!' said the miller; 'she sits on grits, -on golden grits; you can't reach her!' 'Nothing sits so high that a -man can't reach it, if he will!' said Rudy; for he was very pert. 'But -you can't reach the eaglet--you said so yourself! Babette sits -higher!' 'I will take them both!' said Rudy. 'Yes, I will give her to -you, when you give me the eaglet alive!' said the miller, and laughed -till the tears stood in his eyes; 'but now I thank you for your -visits, Rudy; come again in the morning, and you will find no one at -home! Farewell, Rudy!' And Babette also said farewell, as miserable as -a little kitten that can't see its mother. 'An honest man's word is as -good as his bond!' said Rudy. 'Don't cry, Babette; I shall bring the -eaglet!' 'You will break your neck, I hope!' said the miller, 'and so -put an end to your race!' I call _that_ a kick! Now Rudy is off, and -Babette sits and cries, but the miller sings German songs that he -has learnt on his journey! I won't grieve over that now; it can't be -helped!" - -"But yet there is still some hope for him," said the kitchen cat. - -[Illustration: "You are lucky, Rudy!" said his foster-mother; "let me -kiss you, my dear boy!"] - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THE EAGLE'S NEST. - - -From the mountain path sounds the yodeling, merry and strong, telling -of good spirits and dauntless courage; it is Rudy--he is going to see -his friend Vesinaud. - -"You will help me! we will take Ragli with us. I must capture the -eaglet up the face of the mountain!" - -"Won't you take the spots of the moon first; that is as easy!" said -Vesinaud. "You are in good spirits!" - -"Yes, for I am thinking of getting married! But now, to be in earnest, -I will tell you what I am intending!" - -And soon Vesinaud and Ragli knew what Rudy wished. - -"You are a daring lad!" said they. "You will not get there! You will -break your neck!" - -"A man does not fall down when he does not think of it!" said Rudy. - -At midnight they set off with poles, ladders, and ropes; the way was -through thickets and bushes, and over rolling stones, always up, up in -the gloomy night. The water rushed below; the water murmured above, -heavy clouds drove through the air. When the hunters reached the -precipitous face of the mountain it was still darker, the rocky walls -were almost met, and the sky could only be seen high up in a small -cleft. Close by, under them, was the deep abyss with its rushing -waters. All three sat quite still, waiting for daybreak, when the -eagle would fly out; for they must first shoot it before they could -think of taking the young one. Rudy sat down, as still as if he were a -piece of the stone he sat on. He had his gun in his hand ready to -shoot; his eyes were fixed on the topmost cleft, where, under a -projecting ledge, the eagle's nest was concealed. - -After waiting long, the hunters heard high above them a cracking, -rushing sound; and suddenly they saw a great, hovering object. Two -gun-barrels were pointed as the great black figure of the eagle flew -out of its nest. One shot was heard; for a moment the bird moved its -outstretched wings, and then slowly fell, as if with its greatness and -the extension of its wings it would fill the whole of the chasm, and -carry the hunters with it in its fall. The eagle sank into the depths; -and brushing against the branches of trees and bushes, broke them as -it fell. - -And now the hunters began work. They tied three of the longest ladders -together, setting them up from the last secure foothold at the side of -the precipice. But the ladders did not quite reach; the nest was -higher up, hidden safe below the projecting rock, where it was as -smooth as a wall. After some deliberation they decided to tie two -ladders together, and lower them into the cleft from above, and join -them to the three which had been set up from below. With great trouble -they drew up the two ladders and secured the rope; they were then -suspended over the projecting rock, and hung swinging over the abyss, -and Rudy took his place on the lowest rung. It was an ice-cold -morning, and vapors rose from the black chasm. Rudy sat out there as a -fly sits on a waving straw which some bird has taken to the top of -some high factory-chimney; but the fly can fly away if the straw gets -loose, while Rudy can only break his neck. The wind whispered about -him, and below, in the abyss, rushed the hurrying water from the -melting glacier, the Ice-Maiden's palace. - -When Rudy began to climb, the ladders trembled and swung like a -spider's web; but when he reached the fourth ladder he found it -secure, for the lashing had been well done. The topmost ladder was -flattened against the rock, yet it swung ominously with Rudy's weight. -And now came the most dangerous part of the climb. But Rudy knew this, -for the cat had taught him; he did not think about Giddiness, which -hovered in the air behind him, and stretched its octopus-like arms -towards him. Now he stood on the highest rung of the ladder, and found -that after all it did not reach high enough for him to see into the -nest; he could only reach up to it with his hands. He tested the -firmness of the thick plaited boughs that supported the lower part of -the nest, and when he found a thick and firm bough, he pulled himself -up by it till he got his head and chest over the nest. But there -poured upon him an overpowering smell of carrion; putrefying lambs, -chamois, and birds lay here torn to pieces. Giddiness, which was not -able to reach him, puffed the poisonous exhalation into his face, to -confuse him, and below, in the black gaping depth, over the hurrying -water, sat the Ice-Maiden herself, with her long greenish hair, -staring with deathly eyes like two gun-barrels, and saying to herself, -"Now I shall capture you!" - -[Illustration: It was captured alive.] - -In a corner of the nest he saw a large and powerful eaglet, which -could not yet fly. Rudy fastened his eyes on it, held himself with -all the force of one hand, and cast, with the other hand, a noose over -the young bird. Thus, with its legs entangled in the line, it was -captured alive. Rudy threw the noose with the bird in it over his -shoulder, so that it hung a good way below him, and by the help of a -rope he made himself fast till his toes reached the highest rung of -the ladder. - -"Hold fast! don't believe you will fall, and you won't fall!" this was -his old lesson, and he stuck to it; he held fast, he scrambled, he was -certain he should not fall, and he did not fall. - -And now was heard a yodel, so vigorous and joyful. Rudy stood on the -firm rock with his eaglet. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -"I HOLD FAST TO BABETTE." - - -"Here is what you demanded!" said Rudy, entering the miller's house at -Bex; and, setting on the floor a large basket, he took off the cloth, -and there glared from it two yellow, black-rimmed eyes, so sparkling, -so wild, that they seemed to burn and devour everything they saw; the -short, strong beak gaped, ready to bite, the neck was red and downy. - -"The eaglet!" shouted the miller. Babette gave one scream, and sprang -aside, but she could not turn her eyes away from Rudy or the eaglet. - -"You are not to be frightened!" said the miller. - -"And you always keep your word!" said Rudy; "each has his own -characteristic!" - -"But how is it you did not break your neck?" inquired the miller. - -"Because I held fast!" answered Rudy, "and that I do still! I hold -fast to Babette!" - -"First see that you have her!" said the miller with a laugh; and that -was a good sign, Babette knew. - -"Let us get the eaglet out of the basket; it looks dangerous. How it -stares! How did you catch it?" - -And Rudy had to tell them, and the miller stared, opening his eyes -wider and wider. - -"With your boldness and luck you can maintain three wives!" said the -miller. - -"Thank you! thank you!" cried Rudy. - -"Yes; still you have not got Babette!" said the miller, and jestingly -slapped the young hunter on the shoulder. - -"Have you heard the news in the mill?" said the parlor cat to the -kitchen cat. "Rudy has brought us the eaglet, and will take Babette in -exchange. They have kissed each other and let father see it! That is -as good as an engagement. The old man didn't kick; he drew in his -claws, and took his nap after dinner, and let the two sit and wag -their tails. They have so much to say, they won't be finished before -Christmas." - -Nor had they finished before Christmas. The wind scattered the brown -leaves, the snow drifted in the valley and on the high mountains. The -Ice-Maiden sat in her noble palace, which grows in the winter; the -rocky walls were coated with ice, there were icicles ponderous as -elephants where in the summer the mountain-torrent poured its watery -deluge; ice-garlands of fantastic ice-crystals glittered on the -snow-powdered fir-trees. The Ice-Maiden rode on the whistling wind -across the deepest valleys. The snow carpet was spread quite down to -Bex, and she could come there and see Rudy within doors, more than he -was accustomed to, for he sat with Babette. The marriage was to take -place towards the summer; he often had a ringing in his ears, so -frequently did his friends talk of it. There was summer, glowing with -the most beautiful Alpine roses, the merry, laughing Babette, -beautiful as spring, the spring that makes all the birds sing of -summer and of weddings. - -[Illustration: Rudy and Babette.] - -"How can those two sit and hang over each other?" said the parlor cat. -"I am now quite tired of their mewing!" - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE ICE-MAIDEN. - - -The walnuts and chestnut-trees, all hung with the green garlands of -spring, spread from the bridge at St. Maurice to the margin of the -Lake of Geneva along the Rhone, which with violent speed rushes from -its source under the green glacier--the ice palace, where the -Ice-Maiden lives, whence she flies on the wind to the highest -snow-field, and there, in the strong sunlight, stretches herself on -her drifting bed. And as she sits there she looks with far-seeing -glance into the deepest valleys, where men, like ants on a sunlit -stone, busily move about. - -"Powerful Spirits, as the Children of the Sun call you!" said the -Ice-Maiden, "you are creeping things! with a rolling snowball both you -and your houses and towns are crushed and effaced!" And she raised her -proud head higher, and looked about her and deep down with deathly -eyes. But from the valley was heard a rumbling, blasting of the rocks; -men were at work; roads and tunnels were being made for railways. - -"They play like moles!" said she; "they are digging passages, -therefore I hear sounds like musket-shots. When I move my castle the -sound is louder than the rolling of thunder." - -From the valley arose a smoke, which moved onward like a flickering -veil; it was the flying plume from a locomotive, which was drawing a -train on the recently opened railway, the winding serpent, whose -joints are the carriages. - -"They play at masters down below, the Powerful Spirits!" said the -Ice-Maiden. "Yet the powers of nature are mightier!" and she laughed -and sang, and the valleys resounded. - -"Now there is an avalanche rolling!" said the men below. - -But the Children of the Sun sang yet higher of human ideas, the -powerful means which subdue the sea, remove mountains, fill up -valleys; human ideas, they are the lords of the powers of nature. At -the same moment there came over the snow-field, where the Ice-Maiden -sat, a party of mountain climbers; they had bound themselves to one -another with cords for greater security on the smooth plain of ice, -near the deep precipices. - -"Creeping things!" said she. "You the lords of nature!" and she turned -herself away from them and looked mockingly down into the deep valley, -where the railway train was rushing past. - -"There they sit, these _thinkers!_ they sit in their power! I see them -all! One sits proud as a king, alone! there they sit in a cluster! -there half of them are asleep! and when the steam dragon stops they -get out, and go their way. The thinkers go out into the world!" And -she laughed. - -"There is an avalanche rolling again!" said those down below in the -valley. - -"It will not reach us!" said two people behind the steam dragon; "two -souls with one thought," as they say. It was Rudy and Babette; the -miller also was with them. - -"As luggage!" said he. "I am with them as something necessary!" - -"There sit those two!" said the Ice-Maiden. - -"Many chamois have I crushed, millions of Alpine roses have I snapped -and broken, not leaving the roots! I will blot them out! Thinkers! -Powerful Spirits!" And she laughed. - -"There's an avalanche rolling again!" said those down below in the -valley. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -THE GODMOTHER. - - -At Montreux, one of the nearest towns which, with Clarens, Vernex, and -Glion, form a garland at the northeastern end of the Lake of Geneva, -lived Babette's godmother, an English lady of position, with her -daughters and a young relative; they had recently arrived, but the -miller had already paid them a visit, told them of Babette's -engagement, and of Rudy and the eaglet, and of his visit to -Interlaken--in short, the whole history--and they had been highly -delighted and pleased with Rudy and Babette, and with the miller; and -at last made them all three come, and so they came--Babette must see -her godmother, the godmother see Babette. - -Near the little town of Villeneuve, at the end of the Lake of Geneva, -lay the steamboat which in its half-hour's journey to Vernex lies -under Montreux. This is a shore which poets have praised; here, under -the walnut-trees, on the deep blue-green lake, sat Byron, and wrote -his melodious lines on the prisoner in the Castle of Chillon. Yonder, -where Clarens is reflected with its weeping willows in the lake, -wandered Rousseau, dreaming of Heloïse. The river Rhone glides forth -under the high, snow-capped mountains of Savoy; here lies, not far -from its outlet in the lake, a little island--indeed, it is so small -that from the shore it seems to be a boat out there; it is a rock -which, more than a hundred years ago, a lady had surrounded with a -stone wall, covered with soil, and planted with three acacia-trees, -which now overshadow the whole island. Babette was quite enraptured -with the little spot--it was to her the most charming in the whole -voyage; she thought they ought to stay there, for it was a most -delightful place. But the steamboat passed by it, and stopped, as it -always did, at Vernex. - -The little company wandered hence between the white, sunlit walls -which enclosed the vineyards about the little mountain town of -Montreux, where fig-trees cast a shade in front of the peasants' -cottages, and laurels and cypresses grow in the gardens. Half-way up -stood the boarding-house where the godmother was living. - -They were very cordially received. The godmother was a tall, kind lady -with a round, smiling face; as a child she must have been like one of -Raphael's angel heads, but now she was an old angel head, as her -silvery hair was quite curly. The daughters were handsome, -delicate-looking, tall and slim. The young cousin, who was with them, -was entirely dressed in white from top to toe, with yellow hair and -whiskers, of which he had so much that it might have been divided -between three gentlemen, and he at once paid great attention to little -Babette. - -Handsomely bound books, pieces of music, and drawings were spread over -the large table, the balcony doors stood open overlooking the -beautiful, extensive lake, which was so bright and still that the -mountains of Savoy, with the country towns, woods, and snowy tops, -were all reflected in it. - -Rudy, who was always bold, lively, and confident, felt himself out of -his element, as they say; and he moved about as if he were walking on -peas on a smooth floor. How slowly the hours passed! as if on the -treadmill. And now they went for a walk, and it was just as tedious; -Rudy might have taken two steps forward and then one back, and still -kept pace with the others. They walked down to Chillon, the old gloomy -castle on the rock, to see the instruments of torture, and -death-chambers, the rusty chains on the rocky walls, the stony bed for -those sentenced to death, the trap-doors through which the unfortunate -beings were precipitated downwards and impaled on the iron spikes -amidst the surf. They called it delightful to see all this. It was a -place of execution, elevated by Byron's song into the world of poetry. -Rudy felt it altogether the scene of executions; he leaned against the -great stone window-frames and looked into that deep, bluish-green -water, and over to the little solitary island with the three acacias; -he wished himself there, and away from the whole chattering party; but -Babette felt herself particularly cheerful. She said she had been -unusually entertained; she found the cousin perfect. - -"Yes, a perfect chatterbox!" said Rudy; and it was the first time that -Rudy said anything which displeased her. The Englishman had presented -her with a little book as a memento of Chillon; it was a French -version of Byron's poem, _The Prisoner of Chillon_, which Babette -could read. - -"The book may be good enough," said Rudy, "but I don't care for the -much-combed fellow who gave it you." - -"He seemed to me like a meal-sack without any meal!" said the miller, -laughing at his own wit. Rudy also laughed, and said that it was very -well put. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -THE COUSIN. - - -A few days later, when Rudy came to call at the mill, he found the -young Englishman there. Babette was just offering him some boiled -trout, which she herself must have garnished with parsley, it looked -so dainty. That was quite unnecessary. What business had the -Englishman here? What did he come for? To enjoy refreshments from the -hands of Babette? Rudy was jealous, and that amused Babette; it -gratified her to get a glimpse of all sides of his disposition, both -strong and weak. Love was as yet but play to her, and she played with -Rudy's whole heart; and though, as one may say, he was her happiness, -the chief thought of her life, the best and grandest in the world; -yes--but the more gloomy did he look, so much the more did her eyes -laugh; she could almost have kissed the blond Englishman with the -yellow whiskers, if by that means she could succeed in sending Rudy -fuming away, for by that she would know how she was beloved by him. -But this was not right or prudent of little Babette, only she was no -more than nineteen. She did not think much of it; she thought still -less how she could explain her conduct, which was more free and easy -with the young Englishman than was suitable for the miller's modest -and recently betrothed daughter. - -The mill was situated where the highroad from Bex runs under the -snow-covered peak which, the country people call the Diablerets, not -far from a rapid, grayish-white mountain stream, like foaming -soap-suds. This did not drive the mill; it was driven by a lesser -stream, which was precipitated from the rock on the other side of the -river, and was dammed up by a stone wall so as to increase its force -and headway, and carried into a closed wooden basin by a broad channel -away over the rapid river. This channel was so abundantly supplied -with water that it overflowed, and made a wet, slippery path for those -who used it as a short cut to the mill. The idea occurred to the young -Englishman to use it, and dressed in white, like a working miller, he -clambered over in the evening, guided by the light shining from -Babette's room. But he had not learnt to climb, and nearly went -head-foremost into the stream, but escaped with wet sleeves and -bespattered trousers. Muddy and dirty he came below Babette's windows, -clambered up into the old lime-tree and imitated the call of an owl, -for he could not sing like any other bird. Babette heard it, and -peeped through her thin curtains; but when she saw the white man, and -easily guessed who it was, her little heart beat with fright and with -resentment. She hastily put out her light, saw that all the -window-bolts were fastened, and left him to hoot. - -[Illustration: "Babette peeped through the curtains."] - -It would be terrible if Rudy were now in the mill, but Rudy was not in -the mill; no, what was much worse, he was just below it. There was -high talk, angry words; there would be fighting, perhaps murder. - -Babette opened her window in alarm, called Rudy's name, and told him -to go away. - -"You will not let me stay!" he shouted; "then it is an appointment! -You are expecting good friends, better than me! Shame on you, -Babette!" - -"You are detestable!" said Babette; "I hate you!" and now she was -crying. "Go! go!" - -"I have not deserved this treatment!" said he, and he went; his cheeks -were like fire, his heart was like fire. - -Babette flung herself on her bed, and wept. - -"I love you so much, Rudy! and you can believe that of me!" - -And she was angry, very angry, and that did her good, for otherwise -she would have been deeply grieved; now she could fall asleep and -sleep the invigorating sleep of youth. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -THE POWERS OF EVIL. - - -Rudy left Bex, and took the homeward path up the mountains, in the -fresh, cooling air, the domain of the Ice-Maiden. The thick foliage of -the trees deep below him looked as if they were potato plants; the -firs and the bushes appeared even less, the Alpine roses bloomed near -the snow, which lay in separate patches as if it were linen put out to -bleach. There was a single blue gentian, and he crushed it with the -butt-end of his gun. - -Higher up he saw two chamois. Rudy's eyes sparkled, his thoughts took -a new flight; but he was not near enough to them for him to shoot with -confidence; so he climbed higher, where only coarse grass grew among -the blocks of stone; the chamois went placidly along the snow-fields. -Rudy hurried on eagerly, surrounded by misty clouds, and on a sudden -he stood in front of a precipitous rocky wall, and the rain began to -fall in torrents. - -He felt a parching thirst, his head was hot, but his limbs were cold. -He seized his hunting-flask, but it was empty; he had not thought of -it when he rushed up the mountain. He had never been ill, but now he -had a presentiment of it; he was tired, he felt a desire to throw -himself down and go to sleep, but everything was streaming with water. -Strange objects vibrated before his eyes, but he saw on a sudden, what -he had never seen there before, a newly-built low house, leaning -against the rock, and at the door stood a young maiden. He thought it -was the schoolmaster's Annette, whom he once had kissed at a dance, -but it was not Annette, and yet he had seen her before, perhaps near -Grindelwald, that night when he went home from the shooting match at -Interlaken. - -"Where do you come from?" he demanded. - -"I am at home!" said she. "I am watching my flock." - -"Your flock! Where do they graze? Here are only snow and rocks!" - -"You are very clever!" said she with a laugh. "Here behind us, lower -down, is a beautiful meadow! that is where my goats go. I take good -care of them! I don't lose one; what is mine remains mine!" - -[Illustration: She came out with a bowl of wine and gave it to Rudy to -drink.] - -"You are brave!" said Rudy. - -"You also!" replied she. - -"Have you any milk? Pray give me some, for I am intolerably thirsty!" - -"I have something better than milk!" said she, "that you shall have! -Yesterday some travelers came here with their guide; they forgot half -a bottle of wine, such as you have never tasted; they will not fetch -it, and I don't drink it, so you can have it." - -And she came out with the wine, poured it into a wooden bowl, and gave -it to Rudy. - -"That is good!" said he. "I have never tasted any wine so warming and -fiery!" and his eyes sparkled, and there came an animation, a glow -into him, as if all sorrow and depression had evaporated; and the -gushing, fresh human nature coursed through his veins. - -"But this is surely the schoolmaster's Annette!" he exclaimed. "Give -me a kiss!" - -"Then give me the pretty ring you have on your finger!" - -"My engagement ring?" - -"Exactly so!" said the girl; and she poured wine into the bowl, and -held it to his lips, and he drank it. The joy of living was in his -blood, he felt as if all the world belonged to him, and why should he -worry? Everything is for us to enjoy and to make us happy! The stream -of life is a stream of joy; to ride on it, to let ourselves float on -its surface, that is felicity! He looked at the young girl: it was -Annette, and still it was not Annette; even less was it the goblin -phantom, as he had called her, he met near Grindelwald. The girl here -on the mountain was fresh as the new-fallen snow, blooming as an -Alpine rose, and nimble as a kid, but still formed out of Adam's ribs, -as human as Rudy. And he put his arms around her, and gazed into her -wonderfully clear eyes. It was only for a second, and in this--who can -explain it? was it the spirit of life or of death that filled -him?--was he raised on high, or did he sink down into the deep, -murderous abyss of ice, deeper, ever deeper? He saw the walls of ice -like blue-green glass; endless crevasses gaped around him, and water -dripped sounding like chimes, and gleaming like pearls in bluish-white -flames. The Ice-Maiden gave him a kiss, and it chilled him through his -backbone and into his brain. He gave one cry of pain, dragged himself -away, stumbled and fell, and it was night before his eyes. The powers -of evil had played their game. - -[Illustration: "The Ice-maiden gave him a kiss."] - -When he reopened his eyes the Alpine maiden was gone, as was also the -sheltering cottage. Water drove down the bare rocky wall, the snow lay -all round him; Rudy shivered with cold, he was soaked to the skin, and -his ring was gone, his engagement ring which Babette had given him. -His gun lay by him in the snow; he took it up and wished to discharge -it, but it missed fire. Watery clouds lay like solid masses of snow in -the crevasse; Giddiness sat there and lured on her helpless prey, and -under her there was a sound in the deep crevasse as if a huge rock -were falling, crushing and sweeping away everything that would stop it -in its fall. - -But in the mill Babette sat weeping. Rudy had not been near her for -six days--he who was in the wrong, he who ought to ask her -forgiveness, because she loved him with her whole heart. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -IN THE MILLER'S HOUSE. - - -"What horrid nonsense it is with these human beings!" said the parlor -cat to the kitchen cat. "Now it is broken off again with Babette and -Rudy. She is crying, and he does not think any more of her." - -"I can't endure that," said the kitchen cat. - -"No more can I," said the parlor cat, "but I won't grieve over it! -Babette may now be the beloved of the red whiskers! but he has not -been here since he wished to get on the roof." - -The powers of evil have their game, both without us and within us. -This Rudy had discovered and thought over. What was it that had taken -place about him and in him on the top of the mountain? Was it a -vision, or a feverish dream? Never before had he known fever or -illness. He had made an examination of his own heart when he judged -Babette. Could he confess to Babette the thoughts which assailed him -in the hour of temptation? He had lost her ring, and it was exactly in -that loss that she had regained him. Would she confess to him? It -seemed as if his heart would burst asunder when he thought of her; -there arose within him so many memories; he seemed really to see her, -laughing like a merry child. Many an affectionate word she had spoken -in the abundance of her heart came like a gleam of sunshine into his -breast, and soon it was all sunshine therein for Babette. - -She might be able to confess to him, and she ought to do so. - -He went to the mill, and confessed, beginning with a kiss, and ending -in the admission that he was the offender. It was a great offense in -him that he could distrust Babette's fidelity; it was almost -unpardonable! Such distrust, such impetuosity might bring them both to -grief. Yes, indeed! and therefore Babette lectured him, and she was -pleased with herself, and it suited her so well. But in one thing Rudy -was right--godmother's relation was a chatterbox! She wished to burn -the book which he had given her, and not have the least thing in her -possession that could remind her of him. - -"Now that's all over!" said the parlor cat. "Rudy is here again, they -understand each other, and that is the greatest good fortune, they -say." - -"I heard in the night," said the kitchen cat, "the rats say the -greatest good fortune is to eat tallow-candles and to have quite -enough rancid bacon. Now, which shall I believe--rats, or a pair of -lovers?" - -"Neither of them!" said the parlor cat. "That is always safest." - -The greatest good fortune for Rudy and Babette was close at hand; the -wedding day--the most beautiful day, as they called it. - -But the marriage was not to take place at the church at Bex, or in the -miller's house; the godmother wished the wedding to be held at her -house, and that they should be married in the pretty little church at -Montreux. The miller stuck to it that this request should be complied -with; he alone was aware what the godmother intended to give the -bride for a wedding present, and considered they ought to make so -slight a concession. The day was fixed. On the previous evening they -were to journey to Villeneuve, and to proceed in the early morning to -Montreux by boat, that the godmother's daughters might deck the bride. - -"There will be a feast here the day after the wedding," said the -parlor cat. "Otherwise I would not give one mew for the lot." - -"There _will_ be a feast!" said the kitchen cat; "ducks and pigeons -are killed, and a whole deer hangs on the wall. It makes my mouth -water to look at it! In the morning they start on their journey." - -Yes, in the morning! This evening Rudy and Babette sat together, as -betrothed, for the last time at the mill. - -Out of doors was the Alpine glow, the evening bells chimed, the -daughters of the sunbeams sang: "May the best thing happen!" - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -VISIONS IN THE NIGHT. - - -The sun was set, the clouds came down in the Rhone valley between the -high mountains, the wind blew from the south, a wind from Africa, but, -over the high Alps, a tempest, rending the clouds asunder, and, when -the wind had swept by, for one instant it was quite still; the torn -clouds hung in fantastic shapes among the tree-clad mountains, and -over the rushing Rhone; they hung in shapes like antediluvian -monsters, like eagles hovering in the air and like frogs leaping in a -pool; they came down over the rapid stream, they sailed over it -although they sailed in the air. The river bore on its surface a -pine-tree torn up by the roots, watery eddies flowed before it; that -was Giddiness--there were more than one--moving in a circle on the -onward-rushing stream. The moon shone on the snow-covered mountain -tops, on the black woods and the strange white clouds, visions of -night, spirits of the powers of nature; the mountain peasants saw -them through the windows, they sailed below in crowds before the -Ice-Maiden who came from her glacier palace, and sat on her -frail-craft, the uprooted pine-tree, carrying the glacier water with -her down the stream to the open lake. - -"The wedding guests are coming!" That was what whistled and sang in -the air and the water. - -There were visions without and visions within. Babette dreamed a -strange dream. - -It appeared to her as if she was married to Rudy, and that many years -had passed. He was now hunting chamois, but she was at home, and there -sat with her the young Englishman with the yellow whiskers. His -glances were warm, his words had a power of witchcraft; he held out -his hands to her, and she was obliged to follow him. They left her -home and went down the mountain, ever down, and it seemed to Babette -as if there lay a burden on her heart, which was always growing -heavier. It was a sin against Rudy, a sin against God. And then on a -sudden she was standing deserted; her clothes were torn by the -thorns, her hair was gray. She looked up in her grief, and on the edge -of a cliff she saw Rudy. She held out her arms towards him, but did -not venture to call or pray. Nor would it have helped her, for she -quickly saw that it was not he, but only his hunting-jacket and hat, -which were hanging on his alpenstock, as hunters set them to deceive -the chamois. And in the depth of her affliction Babette wailed out: -"Oh, that I had died on the day I was married, the day of my greatest -happiness! that would have been a happy life! that would have been the -best thing that could happen for me and Rudy! None knows his future!" -and in her impious grief she precipitated herself into a deep chasm in -the rocks. The spell was broken, and with a cry she awoke. - -The dream had vanished, but she knew that she had dreamed something -dreadful, and that she had dreamed of the young Englishman, whom she -had not seen or thought of for several months. Was he in Montreux? Was -she about to see him at the wedding? Her pretty lips tightened at the -thought, and she knit her brows. But soon there came a smile, and her -eyes gleamed; the sun was shining so beautifully outside, and the -morning was that of her wedding with Rudy. - -He was already in the parlor when she came down, and soon they were -away to Villeneuve. They were a very happy couple; and the miller with -them laughed and beamed in the highest spirits; he was a good father -and an upright man. - -"Now we are the masters at home!" said the parlor cat. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -CONCLUSION. - - -It was not yet evening when the three happy people reached Villeneuve, -and sat down to their repast. After dinner the miller sat in an -easy-chair with his pipe, and took a little nap. The young couple went -arm in arm out of the town, then by the carriage road under the rocks -so thick with bushes, skirting the deep bluish-green lake. The gloomy -Chillon reflected its gray walls and massive towers in the clear -water; the little island with the three acacia trees lay still nearer, -appearing like a bouquet in the lake. - -"It must be delightful out there!" said Babette; she had still the -strongest inclination to go there, and that wish could be immediately -fulfilled; there lay a boat by the bank, the line that held it was -easy to unfasten. They could not see any one from whom to ask -permission, and so they took the boat, for Rudy could row well. - -The oars caught hold of the water like the fins of a fish, the water -that is so pliable and yet so strong, that is all a back to bear, all -a mouth to devour, mildly smiling, softness itself, and yet -overwhelming and strong to rend asunder. The water foamed in the wake -of the boat, in which in a few minutes the couple had gained the -island, where they landed. There was not more than room enough on it -for two to dance. - -Rudy turned Babette round two or three times, and then, hand in hand, -they seated themselves on the little bench beneath the overhanging -acacias, and gazed into each other's eyes, while all around them was -illuminated in the splendor of the setting sun. The pine forests on -the mountains put on a lilac hue like heather when in flower, and -where the trees ceased and the bare rock came into view it glowed as -if the mountain was transparent; the clouds in the heavens were -lighted up as if with red fire, the whole lake was like a fresh, -blushing rose-leaf. Already, as the shadows lifted themselves up to the -snow-clad hills of Savoy, they became bluish, but the topmost peaks -shone as if of red lava, and for one moment looked as if these glowing -masses had raised themselves from the bowels of the earth and were not -yet extinguished. That was an Alpine glow, such as Rudy and Babette -could never hope to see the equal of. The snow-covered Dent du Midi -had a splendor like the face of the full moon when it is rising. - -"So much beauty! so much happiness!" they both said. - -"The earth has no more to give me!" said Rudy. "An evening hour like -this is a whole lifetime! How often have I felt my good fortune as I -feel it now, and thought, 'If all were now ended, how fortunately I -should have lived! How blessed is this world!' and the day ended; but -a new one began again, and it seemed to me that it was fairer still! -Heaven is infinitely good, Babette!" - -"I am so happy!" said she. - -"Earth has nothing more to give me!" exclaimed Rudy. - -And the evening bells chimed from the mountains of Savoy, from the -mountains of Switzerland; the dark blue Jura lifted itself towards the -west in a golden luster. - -"God give thee what is grandest and best!" exclaimed Babette. - -"That He will!" said Rudy. "To-morrow I shall have it! to-morrow thou -wilt be mine! my own little, charming wife!" - -"The boat!" cried Babette at that moment. - -The boat, which was to take them back, had broken loose and drifted -from the island. - -"I will fetch it!" said Rudy, throwing off his coat; and he pulled off -his boots, sprang into the lake, and took rapid strokes towards the -boat. - -Cold and deep was the clear, bluish-green water from the mountain -glacier. Rudy looked down below, only one single glance--and he -thought he saw a golden ring rolling, and gleaming, and playing--he -thought of his lost betrothal ring, and the ring became larger, and -expanded into a sparkling circle, and in that shone the clear glacier; -interminable deep crevasses yawned around him, and the dripping water -sounded like a carillon of bells and gleamed with bluish flames; in an -instant he saw what we have to tell in so many words. Young huntsmen -and young maidens, men and women, once swallowed up in the crevasses -of the glacier, stood here alive, with open eyes and smiling mouth, -and deep under them came the sound of church bells from submerged -towns; a congregation knelt under the church arches, pieces of ice -formed the organ-pipes, mountain torrents played on it. The Ice-Maiden -sat on the clear, transparent floor; she raised herself up towards -Rudy, kissed his feet, and there ran a deadly coldness through his -limbs, an electric shock--ice and fire! one does not know the -difference at the first touch. - -"Mine! mine!" sounded about him and in him. "I kissed thee when thou -wast little! I kissed thee on the mouth! now I kiss thee on the toe -and on the heel--thou art mine altogether!" - -And he was lost in the clear blue water. - -All was still; the church bells ceased to ring, the last notes died -away with the splendor on the red clouds. "Mine thou art!" sounded -again in the depths; "Mine thou art!" sounded in the heights, from the -Infinite. - -The icy kiss of Death overcame that which was corruptible; the prelude -was over before the drama of life could begin, the discord resolved -into harmony. - -It is beautiful to fly from love to Love, from earth into the Heaven. - -Do you call that a sad story? - -Unfortunate Babette! It was a fearful time for her! the boat drifted -farther and farther away. No one on shore knew that the bridal pair -were on the little island. Night drew on; the clouds descended and it -became dark. She stood there alone, despairing, weeping. A furious -storm broke over her; lightning illuminated the mountains of Jura, -Switzerland, and Savoy, and thunder rolled continuously. The -lightning was almost as bright as the sun; one could see each single -vine as at midday, and then immediately everything would be shrouded -in the thickest darkness. The flashes formed knots, rings, zig-zags; -they struck round about the lake, they shone from all sides, while the -peals were increased by the echoes. On the land people drew the boats -higher up the banks; every living thing sought shelter, and the rain -poured down in torrents. - -"Wherever are Rudy and Babette in this furious storm?" said the -miller. - -Babette sat with clasped hands, with her head in her lap speechless -with grief. - -"In that deep water!" she said within herself. "He is deep down, as -under the glacier!" - -And she remembered what Rudy had told her of his mother's death, of -his own rescue, and how he had been brought up as one dead out of the -crevasse in the glacier. "The Ice-Maiden has him again!" - -And the lightning flashed as blinding as a ray of the sun on the white -snow. Babette started; the lake lifted itself at that instant, like a -shining glacier; the Ice-Maiden stood there, majestic, pale blue, -shining, and at her feet lay Rudy's corpse. "Mine!" said she; and -round about was again darkness and gloom, and rushing water. - -"Cruel!" moaned Babette. "Why then should he die, when the happy day -was come! O God! enlighten my understanding! shine into my heart! I -cannot understand Thy ways, but I bow to Thy power and wisdom!" - -And God shone into her heart. A flash of thought, a ray of light, her -dream of last night, as if it were real, seemed to shine through her; -she called to mind the words which she had spoken: she had wished for -_the best thing_ for herself and Rudy. - -"Woe is me! was that the seed of sin in my heart? was my dream a future -life, whose string must be snapped for my salvation? Miserable me!" - -She sat wailing in the gloomy, dark night. In the deep stillness she -thought that Rudy's words sounded again, the last he had uttered: -"Earth has nothing more to give me!" They had been said in the -abundance of happiness, they came back to her in the depth of her -grief. - -[Illustration: The Ice-Maiden stood there, majestic, pale blue, -shining, and at her feet lay Rudy.] - -A couple of years have elapsed. The lake smiles, the banks smile; the -vines put forth swelling grapes; steamboats with waving flags hurry -past, pleasure-boats with both their sails set fly like white -butterflies over the expanse of water; the railway above Chillon has -been opened, and leads deep into the Rhone valley. At every station -visitors get out, they come with their red guide-books and read to -themselves what remarkable things they have to see. They visit -Chillon, they see from thence in the lake the little island with the -three acacias, and read in the book of a bridal pair who, in the year -1856, sailed thither one evening, of the bridegroom's death and: "next -morning the bride's despairing cry was first heard on the shore." - -But the guide-books make no mention of Babette's quiet life with her -father, not in the mill--strangers live there--but in the pretty -house near the railway station, where from the windows she often looks -out in the afternoon over the chestnut trees to the snow mountains -where Rudy used to disport himself; she sees in the evenings the -Alpine glow, the Children of the Sun encamping above and repeating the -song of the traveler whose mantle the whirlwind carried away; it took -the covering, but not the man himself. - -There is a rosy luster on the snow of the mountains, there is a rosy -luster in every heart where the thought is: "God lets that which is -best come to pass!" but that is not always revealed to us as it was to -Babette in her dream. - - - - -THE FELLOW-TRAVELER. - - -Poor Johannes was sorely afflicted, for his father was ill, past all -hope of recovery. Besides their two selves, not a soul was present in -the little room. The lamp on the table was flickering, and it was late -at night. - -"You have been a good son, Johannes," said the sick father, "and God -will, no doubt, help you on in the world." And he gazed at him with -mild and thoughtful eyes, fetched a deep sigh, and then died--though -he only looked as if he had gone to sleep. But Johannes wept; for now -he had nobody in the wide world--neither father, mother, sister, nor -brother. Poor Johannes! He knelt down beside the bed, kissed his dead -father's hand, and shed many, many bitter tears! But at length his -eyes closed, and he fell asleep against the hard bedpost. - -He had then a strange dream. He thought the sun and moon came down to -him, and he saw his father again in full health and freshness, and -heard him laugh as he used to do when he was pleased. A pretty girl, -with a gold crown on her long, shining hair, presented her hand to -him; and his father said: "Look what a bride you have won. She is the -loveliest maid upon earth." He then woke, and all these fine things -vanished; his father lay dead and cold in his bed, and nobody was near -them. Poor Johannes! - -In the following week, the dead man was buried. The son followed close -behind the coffin, for he was never again to behold the father who had -loved him so dearly. He heard them fling the earth down upon the -coffin, and still saw a little corner of it left; but, at the next -shovelful, even that disappeared. Then he felt as though his heart -would break, so afflicted was he. They sang a psalm round the grave, -and it sounded so beautiful that it brought tears into Johannes' eyes. -He wept, and felt relieved. The sun shone down gloriously on the green -trees, just as if it meant to say: "You must not be so mournful, -Johannes. Look how beautifully blue the sky is yonder! Your father is -up above, and is begging of the All-merciful that you may thrive at -all times!" - -"I will always be good," said Johannes, "then I shall join my father -in heaven; and what joy it will be to meet him again! How much I shall -have to tell him, and how much he will have to teach me about the -delights of heaven, just as he used to teach me here on earth. Oh, -what joy that will be!" - -He fancied it all so plainly that he smiled, while the tears still ran -down his cheeks. The birds in the chestnut trees kept twittering, -"Twit! twit!" They were gay, although they had been at the funeral; -but they knew that the dead man was now in heaven, and had wings much -larger and more beautiful than their own; and that he was happy, -because he had been good here on earth: and, therefore, they were -pleased. Johannes saw how they flew from the green trees out into the -wide world, and then he wished to fly away also. But he first cut out -a large wooden cross to place on his father's grave; and when he -brought it thither in the evening, he found the grave decked with -gravel and flowers. This had been done by strangers, who all esteemed -the worthy man who had gone to his last home. - -Early the next morning, Johannes packed up his little bundle, and put -into his girdle his whole legacy, consisting of fifty dollars and a -couple of silver shillings, with which he meant to wander forth into -the world. But first of all he repaired to his father's grave in the -churchyard, where he repeated the Lord's Prayer, and then said, -"Farewell!" - -Abroad in the fields through which he passed, all the flowers looked -fresh and lovely in the warm sunshine. And they nodded in the wind, -just as if they meant to say: "Welcome to the greenwood! Is it not -delightful here?" But Johannes turned round to give a last look at the -old church, in which he was christened as an infant, and where he used -to go with his father every Sunday to hear the service, and to sing -his psalm; and in so doing he perceived, in one of the upper loopholes -of the church tower, the little goblin belonging to it, who stood -with his little pointed, red cap on his head, shading his countenance -with his arm, so that the sun might not stream into his eyes. Johannes -nodded farewell to him; and the little goblin waved his red cap, laid -his hand on his heart, and then kissed his hand to him, to show that -he was kindly disposed towards him, and wished him a happy journey. - -Johannes now thought of how many beautiful things he should see in the -wide world, so large and so magnificent as it was; and he went on and -on much further than he had ever been before. He did not know the -places through which he passed, nor the people whom he met. He was now -abroad in a foreign land. - -The first night he was obliged to lie on a haycock in the open fields, -for he had no other bed. But this he thought was so nice a bed that -the king himself could not be better off. The field, and the haycock, -with the blue sky above, certainly formed a very pretty bed-chamber. -The green grass, dotted with little red and white flowers, was the -carpet; the elder bushes and hedges of wild roses were the nosegays -that decorated the room; and his washing-basin was the brook, with its -clear, pure waters, where the reeds were nodding to bid him good night -and good morning. The moon was a large lamp, high up in the blue -ceiling, and one that could not set fire to the curtains. Johannes -might sleep in peace, and he did so, nor did he wake till the sun -rose, and all the little birds around were singing: "Good morrow! Good -morrow! Are you not yet up?" - -The bells were ringing for church, for it was Sunday. The people were -going to hear the preacher, and Johannes followed them, sang a psalm, -and heard the word of God. He felt just as if he were in his own -parish church, in which he had been christened, and where he sang -psalms with his father. - -In the churchyard were several graves, some of which were overgrown -with very high grass. And he thought how his father's grave would grow -to look the same in the end, as he would not be there to weed it and -deck it. So he fell to work and tore up the grass, and set up the -wooden crosses that had fallen down, and replaced the wreaths that had -been blown away by the wind, thinking all the time, "Perhaps some one -is doing the same for my father's grave, as I am unable to take care -of it." - -Before the church door stood an aged beggar, leaning on a crutch. -Johannes gave him his silver shillings, and then went forth on his -way, lighter and happier than he had felt before. - -Towards evening there arose a violent storm, which made him hasten to -find a shelter. Darkness soon came on; but at length he reached a -small and lonely church that stood on a little hill. - -"I will sit down in a corner," said he, as he went in; "I am so tired -that I need rest." He then sat down, and folded his hands, and said -his evening prayer; and before he perceived it, he was fast asleep, -and dreaming, while a thunderstorm was raging abroad. - -When he awoke, it was in the middle of the night, but the fearful -storm was over, and the moon shone in through the window to greet him. -In the middle of the church stood an open coffin, in which lay the -body of a man, that was awaiting burial. Johannes was not fearful, for -he had a good conscience; and, besides, he knew that the dead never -injure any one. It is only living, wicked men that do any harm. Two -such bad characters stood beside the dead man that was lying in the -church awaiting burial, and they wanted to vent their spite, by not -letting him rest in his coffin, and casting his poor body outside the -church door. - -"Why do you want to do so?" asked Johannes. "It would be very wicked. -In Christ's name, let him rest in peace!" - -"Oh, stuff and nonsense!" said the two hideous men; "he has taken us -in. He owed us money, and couldn't pay it; and now he is dead into the -bargain, and we shan't recover a penny! Therefore we will take our -revenge, and he shall lie outside the church door like a dog." - -"I have nothing in the world but fifty dollars," said Johannes, "which -form my whole patrimony; yet will I willingly give them to you, -provided you promise truly to leave the dead man in peace. I shall -manage without the money. I have strong and healthy limbs, and a -merciful God will assist me in times of need!" - -"Of course," said the ugly men, "if you pay his debt, we will neither -of us lay a finger upon him--that you may depend upon." And hereupon -they took the money which he gave them, laughed aloud at his simple -good nature, and went their ways. Then he laid the body carefully back -into the coffin, folded the dead man's hands, took leave of him and -continued his way through a large forest, in a contented frame of -mind. - -All around him, wherever the moon shone through the trees, he saw -numbers of elegant little elves at play. His presence did not disturb -them, for they knew him to be a good and harmless son of the earth; -for it is only bad people who are not privileged to see the elves. -Some of them were not taller than the breadth of one's finger, and -wore their long yellow hair fastened up with gold combs. They were -rocking themselves, two by two, on the large dewdrops that sparkled on -the leaves and the tall grass. Now and then the drop would roll away, -and down they fell between the long blades, occasioning a deal of -laughter and merriment amongst the tiny folk. It was a pretty sight. -Then they sang, and Johannes recognized distinctly all the pretty -songs he had learned as a little boy. Large speckled spiders, with -silver crowns upon their heads, were set to build suspension bridges -and palaces from one hedge to another, which, when spangled by the -dew, glittered like glass in the moonshine. These frolics continued -till sunrise, when the little elves crept into the flower-buds and the -wind took possession of their bridges and palaces, which were tossed -upon the air as cobwebs. - -Johannes had just left the forest, when the full-toned voice of a man -cried out to him, "Ho there, comrade! whither are you going?" - -"Into the wide world," said he. "I have neither father nor mother, and -am a poor boy; but the Lord will help me in time of need." - -"I am likewise going into the wide world," said the stranger. "Shall -we keep each other company?" - -"Willingly," said he; and so they walked on together. They soon felt a -mutual liking for each other, for both were good; only Johannes soon -found out that the stranger was much wiser than himself. He had -traveled throughout nearly the whole world, and could tell of -everything that existed. - -The sun was already high when they sat down under a tree to eat their -breakfast, just as an old woman was coming up to them. She was very -aged, and almost bent double, and supported herself on a crutch-stick, -while she carried on her back a bundle of firewood, which she had -gathered in the forest. Her apron was tucked up, and Johannes saw -three large rods of fern and willow twigs peeping out at each end. -When she was quite close to our travelers, her foot slipped, and she -fell with a loud scream, for she had broken her leg--poor old woman! - -Johannes at once proposed that they should carry the old woman home; -but the stranger opened his knapsack, and took out a box, saying that -he had an ointment which would immediately make her leg whole again, -and so strong that she would be able to walk home by herself, just as -if the accident had never happened: only he required that she should -give him in return the three rods she carried in her apron. - -"That would be well paid," said the old woman, nodding her head in a -peculiar manner. She did not like giving up the rods; but, on the -other hand, it was still more disagreeable to be lying there with a -broken limb. So she gave him the rods, and the moment he had rubbed -her leg with the ointment the old dame got up, and walked much better -than before. Such were the effects of the ointment; and truly it was -not of a sort to be purchased at the apothecary's. - -"What do you want with these rods?" asked Johannes of his -fellow-traveler. - -"They are three very pretty herb-brooms," said he, "and I like them, -because I am a foolish fellow." - -They then went on a good deal further. - -"Look how overcast the sky appears!" said Johannes, pointing before -them. "Those are frightfully heavy clouds." - -"No," said his fellow-traveler, "they are not clouds; they are -mountains--fine, large mountains--at the top of which one may overlook -the clouds, and breathe fresh air. And delightful it is, believe me, -to stand there! To-morrow we shall assuredly be far out in the wide -world." - -But they were not so near as they looked, and it took a full day -before they had reached the mountains, where the black forests were -towering up to the sky, and where blocks of stone might be found as -huge as a large town. It seemed a somewhat difficult undertaking to -cross them; therefore, Johannes and his fellow-traveler turned into an -inn, in order to rest and gather strength for the next day's -excursion. - -A number of persons were assembled in the tap-room of the inn, where a -man was exhibiting a puppet-show. He had just set up his little -theater, and the people were sitting round to see the play. But, right -in front, a stout butcher had sat himself down in the very best place, -while a great bulldog by his side--who looked wondrously snappish--sat -staring like the rest of the audience. - -The play now began. It was a very pretty piece, with a king and queen, -who sat on a splendid throne, with gold crowns on their heads and long -trains to their robes; for their means allowed them to indulge in such -luxuries. The prettiest little puppets, with glass eyes and large -mustaches, stood at all the doors, and opened and shut them, to let in -fresh air. It was a very agreeable play, and not at all mournful. But, -just as the queen got up, and passed across the stage, no one knows -what the huge bulldog took into his head; but, being no longer held by -the butcher, he jumped right into the theater, and seized the queen by -the middle of her slender waist, so that it cracked again. It was -quite shocking to hear. - -The poor man who exhibited the show was both frightened and sorry for -the loss of his queen, for she was the most elegant puppet in his -stock, and the ugly bulldog had bitten her head off. But when the rest -of the spectators had retired, the stranger who traveled with Johannes -said that he would set her to rights, and taking out his box, he -smeared the puppet with the same ointment that had cured the old -woman's broken leg. The moment this was done, the puppet was whole -again, and could even move all her limbs of herself, and no longer -required to be pulled by wires. The puppet was like a human being, -except that it could not speak. The showman was vastly delighted, for -now he had no longer any occasion to hold this puppet, who could dance -of her own accord, which none of the others could do. - -Late at night, when all the folks at the inn had gone to bed, somebody -was heard to sigh so dreadfully deep, and so frequently, that the -whole household got up, to see what could be the matter. The showman -went to his little theater, for it was from thence the sighing -proceeded. All the wooden puppets were lying in a heap; the king and -his body-guard it was who were sighing so piteously, and staring with -their glass eyes, because they wished to be smeared a little like the -queen, in order that they might move of themselves. The queen knelt -down and lifted up her pretty crown, saying, "Take this, but do smear -my husband and my courtiers." The poor showman could not then help -crying, for he was really sorry for his puppets. He immediately -promised Johannes' fellow-traveler all the money he might earn on the -following evening through his puppet-show, if he would only smear four -or five of his prettiest puppets. But the fellow-traveler said he did -not require anything but the large sword that he wore at his side, on -receiving which, he besmeared six puppets, that immediately danced so -gracefully that all living girls that beheld them were irresistibly -impelled to dance likewise. The coachman and the cook began dancing, -then the waiters and the chambermaids, and all the strangers present, -as well as the shovel and the tongs--only the latter fell down at the -very first leap. They had indeed, a merry night of it! - -Next morning, Johannes started with his fellow-traveler, before any of -the others were astir, and crossed the large forest of fir-trees, in -their way up the high mountains. They climbed to such a height that -the church steeples below looked like little blue berries in the green -grass, and they could see for miles and miles around, where they had -never yet been. Johannes had never before seen so much at once of the -beauties of this lovely world. And then the sun shone so warmly -through the fresh blue air, and the huntsmen's horns echoed so -beautifully between the mountains, that tears came into his eyes, and -he could not forbear exclaiming, "All-merciful God! what a kind Father -Thou art to us, to have given us all the fine things to be seen in the -world!" - -His fellow-traveler likewise stood with folded hands, and gazed upon -the forest, and the towns that lay in the bright sunshine. At the same -moment, they heard a lovely sound above their heads, and on looking -up, they perceived a large white swan hovering in the air, and singing -as no bird had ever sung before. But its voice grew weaker and weaker, -till its head drooped, and it slowly dropped down to their feet, where -the poor bird lay quite dead. - -"Two such beautiful wings," said the fellow-traveler, "so white and so -large as this bird's, are worth some money; so I will take them with -me. You see it was well that I obtained a sword." And he cut off the -two wings of the dead swan at a single blow, and kept them. - -They now traveled many miles across the mountains till they at length -reached a large city containing hundreds of towers, that shone like -silver in the sunshine. In the midst of the town stood a handsome -marble palace, roofed with pure red gold, in which dwelt the king. - -Johannes and his fellow-traveler did not care to enter the town -immediately, but went into an inn, situated in the outskirts, in order -to dress themselves; for they wished to look tidy when they walked -through the streets. The landlord informed them how good a man the -king was, and that he never injured anybody; but as to his -daughter--heaven defend us!--she was a bad princess indeed! Beauty she -possessed in abundance: nobody was prettier or more elegant than -herself. But what of that? She was a wicked witch, and was the cause -of many accomplished princes having lost their lives. She had given -leave to everybody to woo her. Any one might present himself, be he a -prince or a beggar; it was all the same to her. Only he must guess -three things that she had thought of and questioned him about. If he -succeeded, he was to marry her, and become king over all the land at -her father's death; but if he could not guess the three things, he was -then to be hung, or to have his head struck off. Her father the old -king, was deeply concerned at all this: but he could not forbid her -being so wicked because he had once declared that he would never -meddle with her lovers and that she might do as she liked about them. -Every time a prince came to try his luck at guessing, in order to -obtain the princess's hand, he was sure to fail, and was, therefore, -hung or beheaded. He had been warned betimes that it would be safer to -desist from his suit. The old king was so afflicted at the mourning -and wretchedness thus occasioned that, for one whole day in the year, -he and all his soldiers used to kneel and pray that the princess might -grow good; but she would not. The old women who tippled brandy used to -color it quite black before they drank it; this was their way of -mourning, and they could not well do more. - -"What a shocking princess!" said Johannes. "She deserves the rod, and -it would do her good. If I were the old king, she should have been -thrashed long ago." - -They now heard the mob cheering outside the inn. The princess was -passing, and she was really so beautiful that everybody forgot how -wicked she was, and therefore hurrahed. Twelve beautiful maidens, -dressed in white silk clothes and holding golden tulips in their -hands, rode by her side on coal-black horses. The princess herself was -mounted on a snow-white steed, with diamond and ruby trappings. Her -riding-dress was of gold brocade; and the whip she held in her hand -looked like a sunbeam. The gold crown on her head resembled the little -stars twinkling in the heavens, while her mantle consisted of -thousands of splendid butterflies' wings stitched together. Yet, in -spite of this magnificence, she was herself far more beautiful than -her clothes. - -When Johannes caught sight of her, his face grew as red as a drop of -blood, and he was struck completely dumb; for the princess exactly -resembled the beautiful girl with the golden crown, whom he had -dreamed of the night his father died. He thought her most beautiful, -and could not help loving her passionately. It could not be possible, -thought he, that she was a wicked witch, who ordered people to be hung -or beheaded when they were unable to guess what she asked. "But since -every one, down to the poorest beggar, is free to woo her," said he, -"I will repair to the palace, for I cannot resist doing so." Everybody -advised him not to attempt such a thing, as he must inevitably fail -like the rest. His fellow-traveler, likewise, warned him to desist; -but Johannes thought he should succeed. He brushed his shoes and his -coat, washed his hands and face, combed his pretty flaxen hair, and -then went alone into the town, and proceeded to the palace. - -"Come in," said the old king, when Johannes knocked at the door. -Johannes opened it, and the old king came forward to meet him in his -dressing-gown and embroidered slippers; he wore his crown on his -head, and bore his scepter in one hand and his ball in the other. -"Wait a bit," said he, putting the ball under his arm, to leave one -hand free to present to Johannes. But the moment he heard he came as a -suitor, he began to weep so violently that both ball and scepter fell -on the floor, and he was fain to wipe his eyes with the skirts of his -dressing-gown. Poor old king! - -"Think not of it," said he, "you will fare as badly as all the others. -Come, you shall see." - -He then led him into the princess's pleasure-garden, and a frightful -sight was there to behold! From every tree hung three or four kings' -sons who had wooed the princess, but had been unable to guess her -riddles. At every breeze that blew, all these skeletons rattled till -the little birds were frightened, and never dared to come into the -garden. All the flowers were propped with human bones; and human -skulls might be seen grinning in flowerpots. It was an odd garden for -a princess. - -"Now, you see," said the old king, "your fate will be just the same as -that of all the others whose remains you behold. Therefore give up -the attempt. You really make me quite unhappy, for I take it so to -heart." - -Johannes kissed the good old king's hand, and assured him that all -would be well; for he was quite enchanted with the lovely princess. - -As the princess then rode into the palaceyard, accompanied by all her -ladies, they went out to greet her. She was marvelously fair to look -upon, as she presented her hand to Johannes. And he thought a great -deal more of her than he did before; and felt certain she could not be -a wicked witch, as everybody said she was. They then went into a room -where little pages handed them sweetmeats and gingerbread-nuts. But -the old king was so out of sorts, he could not eat at all. Besides, -the gingerbread-nuts were too hard for him. - -It was agreed that Johannes should return to the palace on the -following morning, when the judges and the whole council would be -assembled to see and hear how the guessing was carried on. If he -succeeded, he was then to return twice more; but there never yet had -been anybody who had been able to solve any question the first time, -and in each case his life was forfeited. - -Johannes felt no anxiety as to how he should fare. On the contrary, he -was pleased, and thought only of the beautiful princess; and was quite -confident that God would help him through his trials. Though how this -was to be accomplished he knew not, and preferred not troubling -himself to think about the matter. He capered along on the high-road, -as he returned to the inn where his fellow-traveler was waiting his -return. - -Johannes could not cease expatiating on the gracious reception he had -met with from the princess, and on her extreme beauty. He quite longed -for the morrow, when he was to go to the palace and try his luck at -guessing. - -But his fellow-traveler shook his head mournfully. "I wish you so -well!" said he. "We might have remained together a good deal longer, -and now I must lose you! Poor, dear Johannes! I could weep, only I -will not spoil your joy on the last evening that we may ever spend -together. We will be merry--right merry! To-morrow, when you are gone, -I shall be able to weep undisturbed." - -All the inhabitants of the town had immediately heard that there was a -new suitor for the princess's hand, and there prevailed universal -consternation. The theater was closed; the pastry-cooks put crape -round their sugar-husbands; and the king and the priests were on their -knees in the church. This sadness was occasioned by the conviction -that Johannes could not succeed better than all the other suitors had -done. - -Towards evening Johannes' fellow-traveler prepared a goodly bowl of -punch, and said: "Now let us be merry, and drink the princess's -health." But after drinking a couple of glasses, Johannes proved so -sleepy, that he could not possibly keep his eyes open, and fell fast -asleep. His fellow-traveler then lifted him gently out of his chair, -and laid him in bed; and when it was quite dark, he took the two large -wings he had cut off from the dead swan, and fastened them firmly to -his own shoulders. He then put into his pocket the largest rod that -he had obtained from the old woman who fell and broke her leg; and -opening the window, he flew over the town, straight to the palace, -where he placed himself in an upper corner of the building right under -the princess's bed-chamber. - -The whole town was perfectly quiet. The clock now struck a quarter to -twelve, when the window opened, and the princess, wrapped in a flowing -white mantle, and provided with a pair of black wings, flew over the -city towards a large mountain. But the fellow-traveler made himself -invisible; and as he flew behind the princess, he thrashed her with -his rod till she bled. What a strange flight through the air it was! -The wind caught her mantle, which swelled out on all sides like the -large sail of a ship, and the moon shone through it. - -"How it does hail, to be sure!" said the princess, at every blow she -received from the rod; and such weather suited her. At last she -reached the mountain, and knocked for admittance. Then came a noise -like a clap of thunder, while the mountain opened, and the princess -went in. The fellow-traveler followed her, for nobody could see him, -as he was invisible. They went through a long, wide passage, where the -walls shone brilliantly from the light of above a thousand glittering -spiders that were running up and down and illuminating them like fire. -They next entered a large hall built of silver and gold; red and blue -flowers as large as sunflowers were beaming from the walls; but nobody -could pluck them, for the stems were ugly, venomous serpents, and the -flowers were the flames their jaws kept vomiting forth. The whole -ceiling was covered with glow-worms and light-blue bats that were -flapping their thin wings. It looked quite frightful. In the middle of -the floor stood a throne that was supported by the skeletons of four -horses, whose harness had been furnished by the red, fiery spiders. -The throne itself was of milk-white glass, and the cushions were -little black mice that kept biting each other's tails. Above it was a -canopy of a deep-red cobweb, dotted with the prettiest little green -flies that sparkled like precious stones. On the throne sat an old -magician, with a crown on his ugly head and a scepter in his hand. He -kissed the princess on her forehead, and placed her beside him on his -splendid throne, and then the music struck up. Huge black grasshoppers -played the jew's-harp, while the owl beat a tattoo on its own body, -having no better drum. It was a ludicrous concert. Little dark-colored -goblins, with a will-o'-the-wisp in their caps, danced about the room. -But nobody could see the fellow-traveler, who had placed himself right -behind the throne, where he could see and hear everything. The -courtiers, who now came in, were very delicate and genteel. But -anybody who could see what is what, would quickly perceive what they -were made of. They were nothing better than broomsticks with cabbages -for their heads, whom the magician had conjured into life, and whom he -had tricked out in embroidered clothes. However, they did just as -well, as they were only wanted for show. - -After a little dancing, the princess related to the magician that she -had a new suitor, and consulted him as to what she should ask him -next morning when he came to the palace. - -"I will tell you what," said the magician; "you must choose something -easy, and then he'll never hit upon it. Think of one of your shoes. -He'll never guess that. Then you will have him beheaded, and mind you -don't forget to bring me his eyes to-morrow night." - -The princess bowed, and said she would not forget to bring them. The -magician then opened the mountain, and she flew back; but the -fellow-traveler followed her, and struck her so smartly with the rod, -that she sighed most deeply over such a hail-storm, and hastened all -she could to reach her bed-chamber through the window. The -fellow-traveler then returned to the inn, where Johannes was still -asleep, took off his wings, and went to bed likewise, for he might -well be tired. - -Johannes woke at an early hour next morning. His fellow-traveler got -up, and told him that he had had a strange dream that night about the -princess and her shoe, and therefore urged him to ask whether it was -not her shoe that the princess was thinking about? For this he had -learned from the magician in the mountain. - -"I may as well ask that as anything else," said Johannes. "Perhaps -your dream may turn out to be the truth, for I trust in God to help me -through. Still, I will take leave of you, because should I guess -wrong, I shall never see you again." - -They then embraced one another, and Johannes went into the town, and -walked to the palace. The whole hall was filled with people. The -judges sat in their armchairs, with their heads propped up by -eider-down cushions, because they had so much to think about. The old -king stood wiping his eyes with a white pocket-handkerchief. The -princess now entered. She looked more beautiful than even the day -before, and saluted the assembly with charming grace. But she extended -her hand to Johannes, saying: "Good morning to you." - -Johannes was now called upon to guess what she had thought of. Bless -me! how kindly she did look at him! But no sooner had he pronounced -the single word "shoe," than she turned as pale as chalk, and trembled -all over. Still, this did not serve her much, since he had guessed -correctly. - -But, goodness! how pleased the old king was--he cut a caper that was -quite pleasant to behold! And all present clapped their hands, to -cheer both him and Johannes, who had been successful in this, his -first ordeal. - -The fellow-traveler was likewise much rejoiced on hearing how matters -had turned out. But Johannes folded his hands and thanked his God, who -he felt certain would help him through the two next times. On the -following day, he was to make a second attempt at guessing. - -The evening passed much the same as the foregoing one. When Johannes -had gone to sleep, his fellow-traveler flew after the princess to the -mountain, and thrashed her more violently than before, having taken -two rods with him. Nobody saw him, and he heard all that was said. The -princess was to think of her glove, and this he repeated to Johannes, -as if it had been a dream. So that he was able to guess correctly, -which occasioned great joy amongst the inmates of the palace. The -whole court cut capers as they had seen the king do the first time. -But the princess lay on the sofa, and would not speak a word. All now -depended on whether Johannes could guess right the third time. If he -succeeded, he was to marry the beautiful princess, and reign over the -land at the old king's death. But if he guessed wrong, he was to -forfeit his life, and the magician would have his beautiful blue eyes. - -On the preceding evening, Johannes went to bed early, said his -prayers, and then fell into a quiet sleep. But his fellow-traveler -tied his wings to his back, and put his sword at his side, and taking -the three rods with him, flew towards the palace. - -It was as dark as pitch, and there was such a storm that the tiles -were flying off from the roofs of the houses, and the trees in the -garden, where hung the skeletons, bent like so many reeds beneath the -wind. It lightened every moment, and the thunder rolled along as -though it was a single clap that lasted through the whole night. The -window now opened, and the princess flew out. She was as pale as -death, but she laughed at the bad weather, and thought it was scarcely -bad enough. And her white mantle fluttered in the wind like a large -sail, while the fellow-traveler thrashed her with the three rods till -her blood flowed, and she could scarcely fly any farther. She managed, -however, to reach the mountain. - -"This is a violent hail-storm," said she; "I was never out in such -weather before." - -"There may be too much of a good thing," observed the magician. - -She now told him that Johannes had guessed aright the second time, and -should he succeed again on the following morning, he would then have -won, and she would never again be able to come to the mountain, or to -practise magic arts as she had hitherto done; therefore was she quite -out of spirits. - -"He shall not be able to guess it," said the magician, "for I will -find out something that he will never hit upon, unless he is a greater -conjurer than myself. But now let's be merry!" And then he took both -the princess's hands, and they danced about with all the little -goblins, wearing will-o'-the-wisp lights, that were in the room. The -red spiders jumped just as merrily up and down the walls; it looked as -if the fiery flowers were emitting sparks. The owl beat the drum, the -crickets whistled, and the black grasshoppers played on the -jew's-harp. It was a frolicsome ball. - -When they had danced enough the princess was obliged to go home, for -fear of being missed in the palace. The magician said he would -accompany her, that they might be together a little longer. - -They then flew away through the bad weather, while the fellow-traveler -broke his three rods across their shoulders. The magician had never -been out in such a hail-storm before. Just on reaching the palace, and -on bidding the princess farewell, he whispered, "Think of my head." -But the fellow-traveler heard him, and just as the princess slipped in -at her bedroom window, and the magician was about to turn round, he -seized him by the long black beard, and cut off his ugly head at a -single stroke from his sword, so that the magician had not even time -to see him. He then threw the body into the sea, to serve as food for -the fishes; but he merely dipped the head in the waters, and then tied -it up in his silk handkerchief, and took it to the inn, and went to -bed. - -Next morning he gave the bundle to Johannes, bidding him not open it -till the princess should ask him what she was thinking of. - -There were so many spectators in the large hall of the palace, that -they stood as thick as radishes tied in a bunch. The council sat on -their armchairs with the soft cushions, and the old king was dressed -in new clothes; his golden crown and scepter had been furbished up; -and the whole scene looked very solemn. But the princess was pale as -ashes, and wore a coal-black dress, as though she were attending a -funeral. "What have I thought of?" asked she of Johannes. And he -immediately opened the silk handkerchief, when he was himself quite -startled on beholding the ugly magician's head. Everybody shuddered, -for it was frightful to look at; but the princess sat like a statue, -and could not speak a word. At length she rose and gave her hand to -Johannes, for he had guessed aright. She looked neither to the right -nor the left, but sighed out: "Now you are my master! Our wedding will -be celebrated this evening." - -"So much the better," said the old king, "that's just what I wish." -All present cried "Hurrah!" The soldiers on parade struck up their -music in the streets, the bells were set-a-ringing, the pastry-cooks -took the black crape off their sugar-husbands, and rejoicings were -held everywhere. Three oxen, stuffed with ducks and chickens, and -roasted whole, were placed in the middle of the market-place, and -every one was free to cut a slice; the fountains spouted the most -delicious wine; and if one bought a penny cracknel at the baker's one -received six large biscuits as a present--and the biscuits had raisins -in them! - -Towards night the whole town was illuminated, the soldiers fired -cannons, and the boys let off pop-guns; and there was a deal of -eating, and drinking, and crushing, and capering at the palace. All -the fine gentlemen and the beautiful young ladies danced together, and -one might hear them from afar singing the following song:-- - - "Here are many maidens fair, - Who twirl like any spinning-wheel, - And tread the floor as light as air; - Still round and round, sweet maiden, reel, - And dance away the mazes through, - Until the sole has left your shoe." - -But the princess was still a witch, and could not endure Johannes. -This struck his fellow-traveler, and therefore he gave Johannes three -feathers out of the swan's wings, and a small phial containing only a -few drops, and told him to place a large vat full of water in front of -the princess's bed, and when the princess was about to get into bed, -he must give her a slight push, so that she should fall into the -water, into which he must dip her three times, having taken care first -to shake in the feathers and the contents of the phial. The magic -spell would then be broken, and she would love him tenderly. - -Johannes did all that his fellow-traveler suggested. The princess -shrieked aloud when he dipped her into the water, and struggled out of -his hands under the form of a coal-black swan with fiery eyes. The -second time she rose to the surface the swan had become white, all but -a black ruff round its neck. Johannes prayed to God, and made the bird -dive down a third time, when it was suddenly transformed to the most -beautiful princess. She was far lovelier than before, and thanked him, -with tears in her eyes, for having broken the spell that bound her. - -On the following morning, the old king came with all his court, and -the congratulations lasted till late in the day. Last of all came -Johannes' fellow-traveler, with his stick in his hand, and his -knapsack at his back. Johannes embraced him affectionately, and said -that he must not go away, but stay with him, for he was the cause of -all his happiness. But his fellow-traveler shook his head, and said in -a mild and friendly voice: "No; my time is now up. I have but paid a -debt. Do you remember the dead man whom his wicked creditors would -fain have ill-used? You gave all you possessed that he might rest in -peace in his grave. I am that dead man!" - -And at the same moment he vanished. - -The wedding rejoicings now lasted a full month. Johannes and the -princess loved each other dearly, and the old king lived to see many a -happy day, and dandled his little grand-children on his knee, and let -them play with his scepter. And Johannes became king over the whole -land. - - - - -THE OLD BACHELOR'S NIGHTCAP. - - -There is a street in Copenhagen oddly named Hysken Strâde, and one -naturally asks what Hysken signifies, and why Hysken at all. Common -report says it is a German word, but in justice to the German tongue -this is not the case, since it would then have been Hauschen, of which -Hysken is the Danish corruption, and it means "the street of tiny -houses." - -For many a year it consisted of nothing but wooden booths, such as may -be seen to this day in the market-place; possibly they were a little -larger. The window-panes were not of glass, but horn, for at that time -glass was too expensive for general use. Remember, we are speaking of -many years ago. Your great-grandfather would have called them "the -olden times." Yes, several hundred years ago. - -Trade in Copenhagen was entirely, or nearly so, in the hands of -wealthy Bremen and Lübeck merchants, whose clerks (for they themselves -stayed at home) lived in the Hysken Sträde, in the booths of this -street of tiny houses, and sold beer and groceries. Delicious German -beer it was too, and all kinds for sale--Bremen, Prussian, and -Brunswick, and spices of every variety--saffron, aniseed, ginger and -above all pepper. Indeed, this was the staple commodity--hence the -German clerks in Denmark acquired the nickname Pepper-folk--and since -they were bound not to marry whilst in that country, many grew old and -gray in service, and, as they performed their own domestic services -themselves they became crabbed old fellows with whimsical ideas. This -being so, it became usual to dub all crotchety old bachelors -"pepper-fogeys," an expression now naturalized into the German -language. This must be borne in mind if you would understand what -follows. - -These pepper-fogeys used to be unmercifully ridiculed, and told to -pull down a nightcap over their ears and toddle off to bed, and many -are the doggerel verses in which the nightcap figures. Yes, fun was -poked at the pepper-fogeys with their nightcaps, just because they -were so little known. And why should not one wish for a nightcap? you -may ask. Listen, and I will tell you. - -Hauschen Street was in those days unpaved, and wayfarers stumbled -along as if it were a little side-alley. So narrow indeed was it, and -so huddled together the booths, that in summertime a sail would be -stretched from side to side, and strong was the fragrance of saffron -and ginger pervading the stalls, behind which there served for the -most part old men. They were not, however, clothed, as in the -portraits of our ancestors, with peruke, knee-breeches, elegant -waistcoat and tunic of ample cut, as you might suppose. - -No, these old pepper-fogeys were no dandies to be portrayed on canvas, -though one could well wish to have a picture of one as he stood at the -counter, or betook himself with leisurely gait to church on holy days. -A broad-brimmed hat, high in the crown, in which maybe the younger -among them would sport a feather, a woolen shirt beneath a wide -flapping collar, a close-fitting jacket, a loose cloak worn over it, -and the trousers tucked into the broadly-peaked shoes, for stockings -had they none. At his belt a knife and fork, and a larger knife for -self-defense--a necessary precaution in those days. - -Such was the costume of old Anthony, one of the oldest of the -pepper-fogeys, only in place of the broad-brimmed high-crowned hat he -always wore a sort of bonnet, under which was a knitted skullcap, a -veritable nightcap, which never left his head. One or other, for he -had two, was always on his head day and night. He formed a perfect -study for an artist, so lean and wizened was he, so wrinkled his brow, -his fingers so skinny, his eyebrows so bushy. He was said to be a -native of Bremen; but in truth, though his master was, old Anthony was -born at Eisenach, hard by the Wartburg. He never told the others, but -pondered over it the more. - -The old fellows did not often come together. He stayed in his own -room, a dim light penetrating the opaque window-panes. Seated on the -bed, he chanted his evening psalm. Theirs was not a happy -lot--strangers in a strange land, heeded by none, save to be brushed -aside when in the way. - -On black nights, when the rain was pelting down outside, it was far -from cosy within. Not a lamp visible, save that which threw a light on -a picture of the Virgin painted on the wall. Hark to the rain beating -in torrents on the masonry of the castle-wharf! Such evenings were -long and dreary without some task. To arrange and rearrange things in -the house, to make paper bags, to polish scales, is not work for every -day. One must find other things to do, as did old Anthony. He would -darn his clothes, and patch up his boots. And when at last he went to -bed, true to his habit, down he would draw his nightcap, but soon -raised it to see the candle was quite extinguished. He would snuff out -the wick between finger and thumb, pull down his nightcap, and turn -over to sleep. But it occurred to him to see if the ashes on the -little hearth in the corner were quite burnt out; if they were damped -enough, lest a stray spark should kindle a fire, and do damage. - -Up he would get again, creep down the ladder (for steps they could not -be called), and finding not a spark in the ash-pan, would go back in -peace. But before he was half in bed he would have a doubt whether the -bolts and shutters of the shop were secured, and down once more went -the tottering feet, his teeth a-chattering with the cold, for never -such biting frost as in late winter. Then, pulling up the coverlet and -drawing down his nightcap, he would dismiss all thoughts of business -and the day's toil from his mind. But no happier than before--old -memories would weave their fantastic shapes before his fancy, and a -many thorn lay hidden in the garlands. - -When one pricks one's finger tears brim to the eyelids, and oftentimes -old Anthony shed hot and bitter tears, that glistened like pearls. The -largest pearls would fall on the coverlet with so sad a sound that it -seemed his heart's strings were breaking. - -Brightly would they glisten and illumine pictures of his childhood, -never fading memories. - -As he dried his tears on the nightcap, the scenes would vanish, but -not the source of his tears: that lay deep in his heart. - -The scenes did not follow the natural sequence of life; the saddest -and most joyful together, but the last had the deepest shadows. - -The beech forests of Denmark are admitted by all to be fine, but -fairer still to the eyes of old Anthony were those around the -Wartburg. More majestic and lofty the aged trees around the baronial -castle, where the foliage of creepers trailed over the stone -buttresses. Sweeter there the perfume of apple-blossoms. Vividly did -he call them to mind, and a shining tear rolled down his cheek, -wherein he saw two children, a boy and a girl, at play. The boy, -rosy-cheeked and curly-haired, with clear blue eyes, was himself, the -little Anthony. The girl had brown eyes, dark hair, and a merry, -bright expression. She was the Burgomaster's daughter, Molly. The -children were playing with an apple, which they shook to hear the pips -rattle inside. They shared the apple and ate it up, all but one pip, -which the little girl proposed they should plant in the earth. - -"Then you will see something you'd never think of," said she; "an -apple tree will grow, but not all at once." So they busied themselves -planting it in a flower-pot. He made a hole, and she laid the pip in, -and both heaped on the earth. - -"Mind," said she, "you don't dig up the pip to see if it has struck -root. Indeed, you mustn't. I did so--only twice--because I knew no -better, and the flowers withered." Anthony kept the flower-pot, and -every day the winter through watched it, but nothing was to be seen -but the black earth. Then came the spring and warm sunshine, and two -little twigs peeped forth from the pot. "Oh, how lovely!" cried -Anthony, "they are for Molly and me." - -Soon came another shoot; whom could that represent? Then another and -yet another, and every week it grew, till it became a big plant. All -this was mirrored in a single tear. Brush it away as he might, the -source dwelled deep in his bosom. - -Not far from Eisenach is a ridge of rocky heights, treeless and bare, -known as the Venusberg. - -Here was the abode of Venus, goddess of heathen mythology, known also -to every child round about as Lady Holle. She it was who lured the -knightly Tannhäuser, the minstrel of the Wartburg, to her mountain. - -Little Molly and Anthony would ofttimes stand at the foot of the -mountain, and one day she asked him, "Do you dare knock and say, 'Lady -Holle! Lady Holle! open the door. Tannhäuser is here'?" But Anthony -was afraid, only his playmate ventured. - -"Lady Holle! Lady Holle!" she cried, loud and clear, but the rest so -low and indistinct that he believed that she did not utter it. She -looked so winning and was of such high spirit. When they were at play -with other children in the garden, Molly alone of them all would dare -to kiss him, just because he was unwilling and resisted. "I dare kiss -him," she would cry, and throw her arms round his neck, and the boy -would submit to her embrace, for how charming, how saucy she was, to -be sure! - -Lady Holle, so people said, was beautiful, but her beauty was that of -a wicked temptress. The noblest type of beauty was that of the devout -Elizabeth, tutelary saint of the land, the pious lady whose gracious -actions were known near and far. Her picture hangs in the chapel lit -up by silver lamps, but she and Molly bore no resemblance to one -another. - -The apple tree they had planted grew year by year till it was so large -it had to be planted anew in the open air, where the dew fell and the -sun shed his warm rays; and it flourished and grew hardy, and could -bear the wintry blast, blossoming in the springtide as if for very -joy. In the autumn it bore two apples--one for Molly, one for Anthony. -Rapidly grew the tree, and with it grew Molly, fresh as one of its -blossoms; but not for long was Anthony fated to watch this fair -flower. - -All things here on earth are subject to change. - -Molly's father left the old home and went afar. Nowadays, by the -railroad, it takes but some few hours, but in those times over a day -and night, to travel so far east as to Weimar. - -Both Molly and Anthony cried, and she told him he was more to her -than all the fine folk in Weimar could be. - -A year passed by--two, three years--and only two letters came: the -first sent by a letter-carrier, the other by a traveler--a long and -devious way by town and hamlet. - -How often had he and Molly together read the story of Tristan and -Isolde, and bethought them the name Tristan meant "conceived in -tribulation." But with Anthony no such thought could be harbored as -"She has forsaken me." - -True, Isolde did _not_ forsake Tristan; buried side by side in the -little churchyard, the lime trees met and entwined over their graves. -Anthony loved this story, sad though it was. - -But no sad fate could await him and Molly, and blithely he sang as he -rode in the clear moonlight towards Weimar to visit Molly. - -He would fain come unexpected, and unexpected he came. - -And welcome they made him. Wine-cups filled to the brim, distinguished -company, a comfortable room, all these he found, but it was not as he -had pictured it, dreamed of it. - -Poor Anthony could not make it out, could not understand them, but we -can. We know how one may be in the midst of others and yet be -solitary; how one talks as fellow-voyagers in a post-chaise, boring -one another, and each wishing the other far away. - -One day Molly spoke to him. "I am straight-forward, I will tell you -all. Since we were playmates together much has altered. It is not only -an outward change in me, you see. Habit and will do not control our -affections. I wish you well, Anthony, and would not have you bitter -towards me when I am far away, but love, deep love, I cannot feel for -you. Fare thee well!" - -So Anthony bade her farewell. No tear bedimmed his eye, but he felt he -had lost a friend. Within four and twenty hours he was back in -Eisenach; the horse that bore him, bore him no more. - -"What matter?" said he, "I am lost. I will destroy whatever reminds me -of the Lady Holle. The apple tree--I will uproot it, shatter it. Never -more shall it bloom and bear fruit." - -But the tree was not injured. Anthony lay on his bed, stricken with -fever. What can avail him. Suddenly a medicine, the bitterest medicine -known to man, cured his fever, convulsing body and soul. Anthony's -father was no longer the rich merchant he had been! - -Troublous days, days of trial, awaited them. Misfortune fell upon the -home; the father, dogged by fate, became poor. So Anthony had other -things to think about than the resentment he cherished in his heart -towards Molly. He must take his father's place, he must go out into -the great world and earn his bread. - -He reached Bremen: hardship and dreary days were his lot--days that -harden the heart or sometimes make it very tender. How he had -misjudged his fellow-men in his young days! He became resigned and -cheerful. God's way is best, was his thought. How had it been if -heaven had not turned her affection to another before this calamity? -"Thanks be to heaven," he would say. "She was not to blame, and I have -felt so bitter towards her." - -Time passed on. Anthony's father died, and strangers occupied the old -home. But he was destined to see it once more. His wealthy master sent -him on business that brought him once more to Eisenach, his native -town. - -The old Wartburg was unchanged--the monk and nun hewn on its stones. -The grand old trees set off the landscape as of old. Over the valley -the Venusberg rose, a gray mass in the twilight. He longed to say, -"Lady Holle! Lady Holle! open the door to me. Fain would I stay -forever." It was a sinful thought, and he crossed himself. Old -memories crowded to his mind as he gazed with tear-bedewed eyes at the -town of childhood's days. The old homestead stood unchanged, but the -garden was not the same. A roadway crossed one corner of it. The apple -tree, which he had _not_ destroyed, was no longer in the garden, but -across the way. - -Still, as of old, bathed in sunshine and dew, the old tree bore -richly, and its boughs were laden with fruit. One of its branches was -broken. Wilful hands had done this, for the tree now stood by the -highway. - -Passers-by plucked its blossoms, gathered its fruit, and broke its -branches. Well might one say, as one says of men, "This was not its -destiny as it lay in its cradle." So fair its prospects, that this -should be the end! Neglected, forsaken, no longer tended, there -between field and highway it stood--bare to the storm, shattered and -rent. As the years roll by it puts forth fewer blossoms, less -fruit--and its story comes to a close! - -So mused Anthony many a lonely evening in his room in the wooden booth -in a strange land, in the narrow street in Copenhagen, whither his -rich master sent him bound by his vow not to marry. - -Marriage, forsooth, for him! Ha, ha! he laughed a strange laugh. - -The winter was early that year with sharp frost. Outside raged a -blinding snowstorm, so that every one that could stayed indoors. And -so it befell that his neighbors never saw that for two days his shop -was unopened, nor Anthony been seen, for who would venture out if not -compelled to? - -Those were sad, dismal days in his room, where the panes were not of -glass, and--at best but faintly lighted--it was often pitch dark. For -two days did Anthony keep his bed; he lacked strength to rise. The -bitter weather affected his old joints. Forgotten was the -pepper-fogey; helpless he lay. Scarce could he reach the water-jug by -the bedside, and the last drop was drunk. Not fever, not sickness, -laid him low: it was old age. - -It was perpetual night to him as he lay there. - -A little spider spun a web over the bed, as if for a pall when he -should close his eyes forever. - -Long and very dreary was the time. Yet he shed no tears, nor did he -suffer pain. His only thought was that the world and its turmoil were -not for him; that he was away from them even as he had passed from the -thoughts of others. - -At one time he seemed to feel the pangs of hunger, to faint with -thirst. Was no one coming? None could come. He thought of those who -perished of thirst, thought how the saintly Elizabeth, the noble lady -of Thüringen, visited the lowliest hovels, bearing hope to and -succoring the sick. Her pious deeds inspired his thoughts; he -remembered how she would console those in pain, bind up their wounds, -and though her stern lord and master stormed with rage, bear -sustenance to the starving. He called to mind the legend how her -husband followed her as she bore a well-stocked basket to the poor, -and confronting her demanded what lay within. How in her great dread -she replied, "Flowers I have culled in the garden." How when he -snatched aside the cloth to see whether her words were true, wine, -bread, and all the basket held miraculously changed to roses. - -Such was the picture of the saint; so his weary eyes imagined her -standing by his bed in the little room in a strange land. He raised -his head and gazed into her gentle eyes. All round seemed bright and -rosy-hued. The flowers expanded, and now he smelt the perfume of -apple-blossoms; he saw an apple tree in bloom, its branches waving -above him. It was the tree the children had planted in the flower-pot -together. - -And the drooping leaves fanned his burning brow and cooled his parched -lips; they were as wine and bread on his breast. He felt calm and -serene, and composed himself to sleep. - -"Now I will sleep, and it will bring relief. To-morrow I shall be -well; to-morrow I will rise. I planted it in love; I see it now in -heavenly radiance." And he sunk to rest. - - * * * * * - -On the morrow--the third day--the storm abated, and his neighbors came -to see old Anthony. Prone he lay, clasping in death his old nightcap -in his hands. - -Where were the tears he had shed, where the pearls? They were still in -the nightcap. True pearls change not. The old thoughts, the tears of -long ago--yes, they remained in the nightcap of the old pepper-fogey. - -Covet not the old nightcap. It would make your brow burn, your pulse -beat fast. It brings strange dreams. The first to put it on was to -know this. It was fifty years later that the Burgomaster, who lived in -luxury with wife and children, put it on. His dreams were of unhappy -love, ruin, and starvation. - -"Phew! how the nightcap burns," said he, and tore it off, and pearl -after pearl fell from it to the ground. "Good gracious!" cried the -Burgomaster, "I must be feverish; how they sparkle before my eyes." -They were tears, wept half a century before by old Anthony of -Eisenach. - -To all who thereafter put on the nightcap came agitating visions and -dreams. His own history was changed to that of Anthony, till it became -quite a story. There may be many such stories; we, however, leave -others to tell them. - -We have told the first, and our last words shall be, "Don't wish for -the old bachelor's nightcap." - - - - -THE GARDEN OF PARADISE. - -THE FOUR WINDS. - - -There once lived a king's son, who possessed a larger and more -beautiful collection of books than anybody ever had before. He could -read in their pages all the events that had ever taken place in the -world, and see them illustrated by the most exquisite engravings. He -could obtain information about any people or any country, only not a -word could he ever find as to the geographical position of the Garden -of the World; and this was just what he was most desirous of -ascertaining. - -His grandmother had told him, when he was quite a little boy, and -beginning to go to school, that each flower in the Garden of the World -was the most delicious cake, and had its stamina filled with luscious -wine; on one stood written historical facts, on another geography or -arithmetical tables--and so one need only eat cakes to learn one's -lesson, and the more one ate, the more history, geography, and -arithmetic one acquired. - -He used to believe this. But when he grew a little older, and had -learned more and become wiser, he began to understand that there must -be better delights than these in the Garden of the World. - -He was now seventeen, and nothing ran in his head but this garden. - -One day he went to take a walk in the forest, all alone, as he best -liked to be. - -As evening came on, the sky grew overcast, and there came on such a -shower, that it seemed as if the heavens had become one vast sluice -that kept pouring down water; besides this, it was darker than it -usually is, even at night, except at the bottom of the deepest well. -At every step, he either slipped on the wet grass, or stumbled over -some bare rock. Everything was dripping wet, and the poor prince had -not a dry thread about him. He was obliged to climb over huge blocks -of stone, where water was running down from the thick moss. He was -near fainting away, when he heard a singular rushing noise, and -perceived a large cavern, lighted up by a huge fire, piled up in the -middle, and fit to roast a whole deer. And this, indeed, was being -done. A very fine deer, with its branching horns, was placed on a -spit, and slowly turned round between the felled trunks of two -pine-trees. An elderly woman, as bony and masculine as though she were -a man in female attire, sat by the fire, and kept throwing in one log -of wood after another. - -"Come nearer," said she, "and sit by the fire, and dry your clothes." - -"There is a great draught here," observed the prince, sitting down on -the ground. - -"It will be much worse when my sons come home," returned the woman. -"You are in the Cavern of the Winds. My sons are the Four Winds of -Heaven--can you understand that?" - -"Where are your sons?" asked the prince. - -"It is difficult to answer a silly question," said the woman. "My sons -are now at it, with their own hands. They are playing at shuttle-cock -with the clouds, up there in the King's hall." And she pointed above. - -"Oh, that's it!" quoth the prince. "But you seem to speak rather -harshly, and are not as gentle as the women I am accustomed to see." - -"Because they have nothing else to do. But I must be harsh, to keep my -boys in any order; which I manage to do, headstrong as they are. You -see those four bags hanging on the wall? Well, they are every bit as -much afraid of them as you used to be of the rod behind the -looking-glass. I bend the boys in two, I can tell you, and then pop -them into the bag, without their making the least resistance. There -they stay, and don't dare come out till I think it proper they should. -But here comes one of them." - -It was the North Wind who came in, diffusing an icy coldness around. -Large hailstones jumped about on the floor, and snowflakes were -scattered in all directions. He wore a bearskin jacket and clothes; -his cap of sea-dog's skin came down over his ears; long icicles clung -to his beard, and one hailstone after another fell from the collar of -his jacket. - -"Don't go too near the fire at once," said the prince, "or your face -and hands might easily get frozen." - -"Frozen, quotha!" said the North Wind, with a loud laugh. "Why, cold -is my greatest delight! But what kind of little snip are you? How did -you come into the Cavern of the Winds?" - -"He is my guest," said the old woman; "and if that does not satisfy -you, why, you need only get into the bag. Do you understand me now?" - -Well, this did the business at once; and the North Wind then began to -relate whence he came, and where he had been staying for nearly a -month past. - -"I come from the Arctic Sea," said he, "and I have been on Bear's -Island, with the Russian sea-cow hunters. I sat and slept at the helm, -as they sailed away from the North Cape; but whenever I happened to -wake, the petrels were flying about my legs. What comical birds they -are! They will flap their wings suddenly, and then remain poised upon -them, and quite motionless, as if they had had enough of flying." - -"Don't be so diffuse," said the mother of the Winds. "And so you -reached Bear's Island?" - -"It's a beautiful place! There's a ballroom floor for you, as smooth -as a plate! Heaps of half-thawed snow, slightly covered with moss, -sharp stones, and skeletons of sea-cows and bears were lying about, -together with the arms and legs of giants in a state of green decay. -It looks as if the sun had never shone there. I blew slightly on the -mist, that the hovels might be visible, and there appeared a hut, -built from the remains of a ship that had been wrecked, and covered -over with sea-cows' skins. The fleshy side was turned outwards, and it -was both red and green. A living bear sat growling on the roof. I went -to the shore, and looked after birds' nests, and saw the unfledged -youngsters opening their beaks and screaming lustily; so I blew into -their thousands of throats, and they learned to shut their mouths. A -little farther on, the sea-cows were rolling about like giant worms -with pigs' heads, and teeth a yard long." - -"You tell your adventures right pleasantly, my son," said his mother; -"it makes my mouth water to hear you." - -"Then the hunting began. The harpoon was flung right into the -sea-cow's chest, so that a smoking jet of blood spurted forth like -water from a fountain, and besprinkled the ice. Then I thought of my -part of the game. I began to blow, and set my vessels, the towering -icebergs, to stick the boats fast. Oh! what a whistling and a bawling -there was! Only I whistled louder than all of them. They were obliged -to unpack the dead sea-cows, the chests, and the tackle upon the ice; -I then shook snowflakes over them, and left them and their spoils to -sail in their pent-up vessels towards the south, to drink salt-water. -They will never return to Bear's Island." - -"Then you have done mischief?" said the mother of the Winds. - -"Let others tell of the good I may have done!" said he. "But here -comes my brother from the West. I like him the best, because he smacks -of the sea, and brings a nice bracing cold with him." - -"Is that the little Zephyr?" asked the prince. - -"Yes, that is the Zephyr!" said the old woman; "but he's not so very -little either. Some years ago he was a pretty boy; but that is now -over." - -He looked like a wild man; but he wore a roller round his head, that -he might not get hurt. In his hand he held a mahogany club, hewn from -an American mahogany forest. It was no small weight to carry. - -"Whence do you come?" asked the mother. - -"From the wild forests," said he, "where tangled bindweed forms a -hedge between each tree, where water-snakes lie in the damp grass, and -where man seems to be a superfluous nonentity." - -"What have you been doing there?" - -"I looked into the deep river, and saw it had rushed down from the -rocks, and then became dust, and flew towards the clouds to support -the rainbow. I saw a wild buffalo swimming in the river, but he was -carried away by the tide. He had joined a flock of wild ducks, who -flew up into the air the moment the waters dashed downwards. The -buffalo was obliged to be hurled into the precipice. This pleased me, -and I raised a storm, so that the oldest trees sailed down the river, -and were reduced to splinters." - -"And was that all you did?" asked the old woman. - -"I cut capers in the savannahs, I stroked wild horses and shook -cocoanut trees. Oh! I have plenty of tales to tell! Only one must not -tell all one knows, as you well know, good mammy." And he kissed his -mother so roughly, that she had nearly fallen backwards. He was a -shocking wild lad. - -Now, in came the South Wind in a turban and Bedouin's flying mantle. - -"It is very cold hereabouts!" said he, throwing wood upon the fire. -"It is easy to perceive that the North Wind has preceded me." - -"It is hot enough here to roast a northern bear!" said the North Wind. - -"You are a bear yourself!" answered the South Wind. - -"Have you a mind to be both put into the bag?" asked the old woman. -"There! sit down on that stone, and tell us where you have been." - -"In Africa, mother," returned he. "I was amongst the Hottentots, who -were lion-hunting in Caffraria. The grass in their plains looks as -green as an olive. An ostrich ran a race with me, but I beat him -hollow. I reached the yellow sands of the desert, which look like the -bottom of the sea. I met a caravan. They killed their last camel to -obtain some water; but they only got a very little. The sun was -scorching above, and the sand equally scorching beneath one's feet. -The desert stretched out into boundless expanse. I then rolled in the -fine loose sand, and made it whirl about in large columns. A fine -dance I led it! You should have seen how dejected the dromedaries -looked as they stood stock still, and how the merchants pulled their -caftans over their heads. They threw themselves on the ground before -me as they would before Allah, their God. They are now all buried -beneath a pyramid of sand; and when I come to puff it away, the sun -will bleach their bones, and travelers will see that others have been -there before them: a fact which is seldom believed in the desert, -short of some tangible proof." - -"Then you have done nothing but mischief!" said his mother. "Into the -bag with you!" And before he had time to perceive it, she had taken -the South Wind round the waist, and popped him into the bag. He -wiggled about on the ground; but she sat upon him, and then he was -forced to lie still. - -"Your sons are a set of lively boys!" said the prince. - -"Yes," answered she; "and I know how to correct them. Here comes the -fourth." - -This was the East Wind, who was dressed like a Chinese. - -"Oh! you come from that neighborhood, do you?" said his mother. "I -thought you had been to the Garden of the World?" - -"I am going there to-morrow," said the East Wind. "To-morrow will be a -hundred years since I was there. I have just returned from China, -where I danced round the porcelain tower till all the bells were set -a-jingling. The government officers were being beaten in the street; -the bamboo stick was broken across their shoulders; and these were -people belonging to the several degrees from the first to the ninth. -They cried out: 'Many thanks, my fatherly benefactor!' But the words -did not come from their hearts, so I made the bells jingle, and sang! -'Tsing! tsang! tsu!'" - -"You are a wanton boy!" said the old woman. "It is well you are going -to-morrow to the Garden of the World, for that always improves your -mind. Pray drink abundantly from the fountain of wisdom, and take a -small phial and bring it home full for me." - -"I will," said the East Wind. "But why have you put my brother from -the South into the bag? Take him out again; I want him to tell me -about the phoenix, for the princess in the Garden of the World -always asks after him when I pay her my visit every hundredth year. -Open the bag, there's a dear mammy, and I'll give you two pocketfuls -of tea-leaves, all green and fresh, just as I plucked them from the -bush on the spot where it grew." - -"Well, for the sake of the tea, and because you are mammy's own boy, I -will open the bag." - -This she accordingly did, and out crept the South Wind, looking rather -foolish, because the strange prince had witnessed his disgrace. - -"There is a palm-tree leaf for the princess," said the South Wind. -"The old phoenix, the only bird of his sort in the wide world, gave -me this leaf. He has traced upon it with his beak the whole history of -his life during the hundred years that form its span. She may, -therefore, be now enabled to read how the phoenix set fire to his -nest, and sat upon it as it was burning, like the widow of a Hindoo. -How the dried twigs did crackle! and what a smoke there was! At length -out burst the flames: the old phoenix was burnt to ashes, but an egg -lay glowing hot in the fire. It burst with a loud report, and the -young bird flew out; and now he is king over all the other birds, and -the only phoenix in the world. He has bitten a hole in the leaf -which I gave you, and that is his way of sending his duty to the -princess." - -"Now let us eat something," said the mother of the Winds. And they all -sat down to partake of the roast deer. The prince sat beside the East -Wind; therefore, they soon became good friends. - -"And pray what kind of a princess may she be whom you are talking so -much about and where lies the Garden of the World?" - -"Ho, ho!" said the East Wind. "What! have you a mind to go there? -Well, you can fly over with me to-morrow, though I must tell you no -mortal ever visited it before. It is inhabited by a fairy queen, and, -in it lies the Island of Happiness, a lovely spot where death never -intrudes. Get upon my back to-morrow, and I'll take you with me; for I -think it can be managed. But now don't speak any more, for I want to -sleep." - -And then to sleep they all went. - -The prince awoke at an early hour next morning, and was not a little -surprised on finding himself high above the clouds. He sat on the -back of the East Wind, who was holding him faithfully; and they were -so high in the air that forests, fields, rivers, and lakes lay beneath -them like a painted map. - -"Good morning!" said the East Wind. "You might just as well have slept -a bit longer, for there is not much to be seen in the flat country -beneath us, except you have a mind to count the churches. They look -like chalk dots on the green board." - -It was the fields and the meadows that he called the "green board." - -"It was uncivil of me not to take leave of your mother and brothers," -observed the prince. - -"When one is asleep, one is to be excused," replied the East Wind. - -And they began to fly quicker than ever. When they swept across the -tree-tops, you might have heard a rustling in all their leaves and -branches. On the sea and on the lakes, wherever they flew, the waves -rose higher and the large ships dipped down into the water like -swimming swans. - -Towards evening, when it grew dark, the large towns looked beautiful. -They were dotted here and there with lights, much after the fashion of -a piece of paper that has burned till it is black, when one sees all -the little sparks going out one after another. The prince clapped his -hands with delight, but the East Wind begged him to let such -demonstrations alone, and rather attend to holding fast, or else he -might easily fall down and remain dangling on a church steeple. - -Fast as the eagle flew through the black forests, the East Wind flew -still faster. The Cossack was scouring the plains on his little horse, -but the prince soon outstripped him. - -"You can now see Himalaya," said the East Wind, "the highest mountain -in Asia--and now we shall soon reach the Garden of the World." They -then turned more southwards, and the air was soon perfumed with spices -and flowers. Figs and pomegranates grew wild, and clusters of blue and -red grapes hung from wild vines. They now descended to the earth, and -reclined on the soft grass, where the flowers seemed to nod to the -wind as though they had said--"Welcome!" - -"Are we now in the Garden of the World?" asked the prince. - -"No, indeed!" replied the East Wind; "but we soon shall be. Do you see -yon wall of rocks, and that broad cavern, where the vines hang down -like a huge green curtain? That's the road through which we must pass. -Wrap yourself in your mantle, for burning hot as the sun is just -hereabout, it is as cold as ice a few steps farther. The bird who -flies past the cavern feels one wing to be in the warm summer abroad -while the other is in the depth of winter." - -"So then this seems to be the way to the Garden of the World?" asked -the prince. - -They now entered the cavern. Oh, how icy cold it was! Only it did not -last long. The East Wind spread out his wings, and they beamed like -the brightest fire. But what a cavern it was, to be sure! The huge -blocks of stone from which the water kept dripping down, hung over -them in the oddest shapes, sometimes narrowing up till they were -obliged to creep on all-fours, at other times widening into an -expanse as lofty as though situated in the open air. It looked like a -chapel for the dead, with petrified organs and dumb organ-pipes. - -"We seem to be crossing through an abode of Death to reach the Garden -of the World!" said the prince. But the East Wind did not answer a -syllable, and merely pointed forwards where the loveliest blue light -met their eyes. The blocks of stone above their heads rolled away into -a mist that finished by assuming the shape of a white cloud on a -moonlight night. They were now in a most delightfully mild atmosphere, -as cool as the mountain breeze, and as perfumed as a valley of roses. -A river, clear as the air itself, was running along, filled with gold -and silver fishes; scarlet eels, that emitted blue sparks at every -motion, were disporting in the depths of the waters; while the broad -leaves of the water-lilies that lay on its surface showed all the -tints of the rainbow; the flower itself was a reddish-yellow burning -flame that received its nourishment from the water as oil feeds the -flame of a lamp. A marble bridge, as delicately sculptured as though -it had been made of lace and glass beads, led across the water to the -Island of Happiness, where bloomed the Garden of the World. - -The East Wind took the prince on his arm and carried him over. And the -flowers and leaves sang the sweetest songs of his childhood, but in so -lovely a strain of melody as no human voice ever yet sang. - -Were they palm-trees or gigantic water-plants that grew on this -favored spot? The prince could not tell, for never had he seen such -large and luxuriant trees before. The most singular creepers, too, -such as one only sees represented in gold and colors in the margins of -illuminated old missals, or twined around the first letter in a -chapter, were hanging in long festoons on all sides. It was a most -curious mixture of birds, and flowers, and scrolls. Just by a flock of -peacocks were standing on the grass displaying their gorgeous fan-like -tails. The prince took them for live creatures, but found, on touching -them, that they were only plants--large burdock leaves, which, in this -favored spot, beamed with all the glorious colors of the peacock's -tail. A lion and tiger were disporting with all the pliancy of cats -amongst the green hedges, that were perfumed like the flower of the -olive-tree; and both the lion and the tiger were tame. The wild -wood-pigeon's plumage sparkled like the fairest pearl, and the bird -flapped the lion's mane with its wings; while the antelope, usually so -shy, stood near and nodded its head, as if willing to join them at -play. - -Now came the fairy of the garden. Her clothes were radiant as the sun, -and her countenance was as serene as that of a happy mother rejoicing -over her child. She was young and beautiful, and was followed by a -train of lovely girls, each wearing a beaming star in her hair. The -East Wind gave her the leaf sent by the phoenix, when her eyes -sparkled with joy. She took the prince by the hand and led him into -her palace, whose walls were of the hues of the most splendid tulip -when it is turned towards the sun. The ceiling was a large radiant -flower, and the more one looked at it, the deeper its calyx appeared -to grow. The prince stepped to the window, and looked through one of -the panes, on which was depicted Jacob's dream. The ladder seemed to -reach to the real sky, and the angels seemed to be flapping their -wings. The fairy smiled at his astonished look, and explained that -time had engraved its events on each pane, but they were not merely -lifeless images, for the leaves rustled, and the persons went and came -as in a looking-glass. He then looked through other panes, where he -saw depicted the events of ancient history. For all that had happened -in the world lived and moved upon these panes; time only could have -engraved so cunning a masterpiece. - -The fairy then led him into a lofty, noble hall, with transparent -walls. Here were a number of portraits, each of which seemed more -beautiful than the other. There were millions of happy faces whose -laughing and singing seemed to melt into one harmonious whole; those -above were so small that they appeared less than the smallest rosebud -when represented on paper by a mere dot. In the midst of the hall -stood a large tree with luxuriant drooping branches. Golden, apples, -both great and small, hung like china oranges amid the green leaves. -From each leaf fell a sparkling red dewdrop, as if the tree were -shedding tears of blood. - -"We will now get into the boat," said the fairy, "and enjoy the -coolness of the water. The boat rocks, but does not stir from the -spot, while all the countries of the earth glide past us." And it was -wonderful to behold how the whole coast moved. First came the lofty -snow-capped Alps, overhung with clouds and overgrown with fir-trees. -The horn was sounding its melancholy notes, while the shepherd was -caroling in the vale. Then banana-trees flung their drooping branches -over the boat; coal-black swans swam on the water, and flowers and -animals of the strangest description might be seen on the shore. This -was New Holland, the fifth part of the world, that glided past, with a -view of the blue mountains. One could hear the hymns of the priests -and see the savages dancing to the sound of drums and trumpets made of -bones. Egypt's pyramids reaching to the clouds, overturned columns and -sphinxes, half buried in the sand, followed in their turn. The aurora -borealis next shone upon the extinguished volcanoes of the north. -These were fireworks that nobody could have imitated! The prince was -delighted; and he saw a hundred times more than what we have -mentioned. - -"Can I remain here forever?" asked he. - -"That depends on yourself," replied the fairy. "If you do not long for -what is forbidden, you may stay here forever." - -"I will not touch the apple on the Tree of Knowledge," said the -prince; "here are thousands of fruits equally fine." - -"Examine your own heart, and if you do not feel sufficient strength, -return with the East Wind who brought you hither. He is now about to -fly back, and will not appear again in this place for the next hundred -years. The time would seem to you here to be only a hundred hours, but -even that is a long span for temptation and sin. Every evening, on -leaving you, I shall be obliged to say: 'Come with me!' I shall make a -sign with my hand, yet you must stay away. If once you followed, your -longing would increase at every step. You would then enter the hall -where grows the Tree of Knowledge I sleep beneath its perfumed, -drooping branches. You would bend over me, and I should be forced to -smile. But if you pressed a kiss on my lips, then would the garden -sink into the earth and be lost for you. The sharp winds of the desert -would howl around you, the cold rain would trickle over your head, and -sorrow and distress would fall to your lot." - -"I will remain here," said the prince. And the East Wind kissed his -forehead, saying, "Be firm, and then we shall meet again in a hundred -years. Farewell! farewell!" And the East Wind spread his large wings, -and they shone like the lightning in harvest time, or like the -northern lights in a cold winter. - -"Farewell! farewell!" sounded from the flowers and the trees. Storks -and pelicans flew in long rows, like streaming ribbons to accompany -him to the boundaries of the garden. - -"We will now begin our dances," said the fairy. "At the close, when -I'm dancing with you, and just as the sun is sinking, you will see me -make a sign, and you will hear me say, 'Come with me.' But do not do -it. For a hundred years shall I be obliged to repeat the same thing -every evening; and each time when it is over will you gain fresh -strength. In the end you'll cease to think about it. This evening will -be the first time--and now you are warned." - -The fairy then led him into a large room made of white transparent -lilies. The yellow stamina in each flower pictured a little golden -harp that yielded a sweet music partaking of the combined sounds of -stringed instruments and the tones of the flute. Lovely girls with -slender aerial figures, and dressed in lightest gauze, floated through -the mazes of the dance, and sang of the delights of living and being -immortal, and blooming forever in the Garden of the World. - -The sun now set. The whole sky was one mass of gold that imparted the -tints of the richest roses to the lilies; and the prince drank of the -sparkling wine handed to him by the young maidens, and felt a bliss -he had never before experienced. He saw the background of the ballroom -now opening, and the Tree of Knowledge stood before him in such -streams of light that his eyes were dazzled. The singing that rang in -his ears was soft and lovely as his mother's voice, and it seemed as -if she sang, "My child! my beloved child!" - -The fairy then made him a sign with her eyes, and cried most sweetly: -"Come with me! Come with me!" And he rushed towards her, forgetting -his promise, though it was but the first evening, and she continued to -beckon to him and to smile. The spicy perfumes around grew yet more -intoxicating; the harps sounded sweeter; and it was as if the millions -of smiling faces in the room, where grew the tree, nodded and sang: -"We must know everything! Man is the lord of the earth!" And there -were no more tears of blood dropping down from the leaves of the Tree -of Knowledge; but he thought he saw red sparkling stars instead. - -"Come with me! come with me!" said the thrilling tones; and at each -step the prince's cheeks glowed more intensely, and his blood rushed -more wildly. - -"I must!" said he; "it is no sin, and cannot be one! Why not follow -when beauty calls? I will see her asleep; and provided I do not kiss -her, there will be no harm done--and kiss I will not, for I have -strength to resist, and a firm will." - -And the fairy cast aside her dazzling attire, bent back the boughs, -and in another moment was completely concealed. - -"I have not yet sinned," said the prince, "and do not intend to sin!" -And then he pushed the boughs aside; there she lay already asleep, and -lovely as only the fairy of the Garden of the World is privileged to -be. She smiled in her dreams; yet as he bent over her, he saw tears -trembling between her eyelashes. - -"And do you weep for me?" whispered he. "Oh, weep not, most admirable -of women! I now begin to understand the happiness to be found in this -place. It penetrates into my blood, and I feel the joys of the blessed -in this my earthly form! Though it were ever after eternally dark for -me, one moment like this is happiness enough!" And he kissed the tears -in her eyes, and his mouth pressed her lips. - -Then came a thunder-clap, so loud and so tremendous as never was heard -before. Down everything fell to ruins--the beautiful fairy, the -blooming garden, all sank deeper and deeper still. The prince saw the -garden sinking into the dark abyss below, and it soon only shone like -a little star in the distance. He turned as cold as death, and closed -his eyes, and lay senseless. - -The cold rain fell on his face, and the sharp wind blew over his head. -He then returned to consciousness. "What have I done?" sighed he. -"Alas! I have sinned, and the Island of Happiness has sunk down into -the earth!" And he opened his eyes and saw a distant star like that of -the sinking garden; but it was the morning star in the sky. - -He got up and found himself in the large forest close to the Cavern of -the Winds. The mother of the Winds sat by him, and looked angry, and -raised her arm aloft. - -"The very first evening," said she. "I thought it would be so! If you -were my son, you should be put into the bag presently." - -"Into it he shall go, sure enough!" said Death. He was a stalwart man -with a scythe in his hand, and large black wings. "In his coffin shall -he be laid, but not yet. I'll only mark him now, and allow him to -wander about the world yet awhile, to expiate his sins and to grow -better. But I shall come at last. When he least expects it, I shall -put him into the black bag, place it on my head, and fly up to the -stars. There, too, blooms a lovely garden, and if he be good and -pious, he will be allowed to enter it; but should his thoughts be -wicked, and his heart still full of sin, then will he sink in his -coffin yet lower than he saw the Garden of the World sink down; and it -will be only once in every thousand years that I shall go and fetch -him, when he will either be condemned to sink still deeper, or be -borne aloft to the beaming stars above." - - - * * * * * - - - A. L. Burt's Catalogue of Books for - Young People by Popular Writers, 52-58 - Duane Street, New York - - -BOOKS FOR GIRLS. - - -=Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. By LEWIS CARROLL.= 12mo, -cloth, 42 illustrations, price 75 cents. - - "From first to last, almost without exception, this story is - delightfully droll, humorous and illustrated in harmony with the - story."--=New York Express.= - -=Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There.= By LEWIS -CARROLL. 12mo, cloth, 50 illustrations, price 75 cents. - - "A delight alike to the young people and their elders, extremely - funny both in text and illustrations."--=Boston Express.= - -=Little Lucy's Wonderful Globe.= By CHARLOTTE M. YONGE. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "This story is unique among tales intended for children, alike - for pleasant instruction, quaintness of humor, gentle pathos, - and the subtlety with which lessons moral and otherwise are - conveyed to children, and perhaps to their seniors as - well."--=The Spectator.= - -=Joan's Adventures at the North Pole and Elsewhere.= BY ALICE -CORKRAN. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "Wonderful as the adventures of Joan are, it must be admitted - that they are very naturally worked out and very plausibly - presented. Altogether this is an excellent story for - girls."--=Saturday Review.= - -=Count Up the Sunny Days=: A Story for Girls and Boys. By C. A. -JONES. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "An unusually good children's story."--=Glasgow Herald.= - -=The Dove in the Eagle's Nest.= By CHARLOTTE M. YONGE. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "Among all the modern writers we believe Miss Yonge first, not - in genius, but in this, that she employs her great abilities for - a high and noble purpose. We know of few modern writers whose - works may be so safely commended as hers."--=Cleveland Times.= - -=Jan of the Windmill.= A Story of the Plains. By MRS. J. H. -EWING. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "Never has Mrs. Ewing published a more charming volume, and that - is saying a very great deal. From the first to the last the book - overflows with the strange knowledge of child-nature which so - rarely survives childhood: and moreover, with inexhaustible - quiet humor, which is never anything but innocent and well-bred, - never priggish, and never clumsy."--=Academy.= - -=A Sweet Girl Graduate.= By L. T. MEADE. 12mo, cloth, -illustrated, price $1.00. - - "One of this popular author's best. The characters are well - imagined and drawn. The story moves with plenty of spirit and - the interest does not flag until the end too quickly - comes."--=Providence Journal.= - -=Six to Sixteen=: A Story for Girls. By JULIANA HORATIA EWING. -12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "There is no doubt as to the good quality and attractiveness of - 'Six to Sixteen.' The book is one which would enrich any girl's - book shelf."--=St. James' Gazette.= - -=The Palace Beautiful=: A Story for Girls. By L. T. MEADE. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "A bright and interesting story. The many admirers of Mrs. L. T. - Meade in this country will be delighted with the 'Palace - Beautiful' for more reasons than one. It is a charming book for - girls."--=New York Recorder.= - -=A World of Girls=: The Story of a School. By L. T. MEADE. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "One of those wholesome stories which it does one good to read. - It will afford pure delight to numerous readers. This book - should be on every girl's book shelf."--=Boston Home Journal.= - -=The Lady of the Forest=: A Story for Girls. By L. T. MEADE. -12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "This story is written in the author's well-known, fresh and - easy style. All girls fond of reading will be charmed by this - well-written story. It is told with the author's customary grace - and spirit."--=Boston Times.= - -=At the Back of the North Wind.= By GEORGE MACDONALD. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "A very pretty story, with much of the freshness and vigor of - Mr. Macdonald's earlier work.... It is a sweet, earnest, and - wholesome fairy story, and the quaint native humor is - delightful. A most delightful volume for young - readers."--=Philadelphia Times.= - -=The Water Babies=: A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby. By CHARLES -KINGSLEY. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "The strength of his work, as well as its peculiar charms, - consist in his description of the experiences of a youth with - life under water in the luxuriant wealth of which he revels with - all the ardor of a poetical nature."--=New York Tribune.= - -=Our Bessie.= By ROSA N. CAREY. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price -$1.00. - - "One of the most entertaining stories of the season, full of - vigorous action, and strong in character-painting. Elder girls - will be charmed with it, and adults may read its pages with - profit."--=The Teachers' Aid.= - -=Wild Kitty.= A Story of Middleton School. By L. T. MEADE. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "Kitty is a true heroine--warm-hearted, self-sacrificing, and, - as all good women nowadays are, largely touched with the - enthusiasm of humanity. One of the most attractive gift books of - the season."--=The Academy.= - -=A Young Mutineer.= A Story for Girls. By L. T. MEADE. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "One of Mrs. Meade's charming books for girls, narrated in that - simple and picturesque style which marks the authoress as one of - the first among writers for young people."--=The Spectator.= - -=Sue and I.= By MRS. O'REILLY. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 -cents. - - "A thoroughly delightful book, full of sound wisdom as well as - fun."--=Athenæum.= - -=The Princess and the Goblin.= A Fairy Story. By GEORGE -MACDONALD. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "If a child once begins this book, it will get so deeply - interested in it that when bedtime comes it will altogether - forget the moral, and will weary its parents with importunities - for just a few minutes more to see how everything - ends."--=Saturday Review.= - -=Pythia's Pupils=: A Story of a School. By EVA HARTNER. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "This story of the doings of several bright school girls is sure - to interest girl readers. Among many good stories for girls this - is undoubtedly one of the very best."--=Teachers' Aid.= - -=A Story of a Short Life.= By JULIANA HORATIA EWING. 12mo, cloth, -illustrated, price $1.00. - - "The book is one we can heartily recommend, for it is not only - bright and interesting, but also pure and healthy in tone and - teaching."--=Courier.= - -=The Sleepy King.= A Fairy Tale. By AUBREY HOPWOOD AND SEYMOUR -HICKS. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "Wonderful as the adventures of Bluebell are, it must be - admitted that they are very naturally worked out and very - plausibly presented. Altogether this is an excellent story for - girls."--=Saturday Review.= - -=Two Little Waifs.= By MRS. MOLESWORTH. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, -price 75 cents. - - "Mrs. Molesworth's delightful story of 'Two Little Waifs' will - charm all the small people who find it in their stockings. It - relates the adventures of two lovable English children lost in - Paris, and is just wonderful enough to pleasantly wring the - youthful heart."--=New York Tribune.= - -=Adventures in Toyland.= By EDITH KING HALL. 12mo, cloth, -illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "The author is such a bright, cheery writer, that her stories - are always acceptable to all who are not confirmed cynics, and - her record of the adventures is as entertaining and enjoyable as - we might expect."--=Boston Courier.= - -=Adventures in Wallypug Land.= By G. E. FARROW. 12mo, cloth, -illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "These adventures are simply inimitable, and will delight boys - and girls of mature age, as well as their juniors. No happier - combination of author and artist than this volume presents could - be found to furnish healthy amusement to the young folks. The - book is an artistic one in every sense."--=Toronto Mail.= - -=Fussbudget's Folks.= A Story for Young Girls. By ANNA F. -BURNHAM. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "Mrs. Burnham has a rare gift for composing stories for - children. With a light, yet forcible touch, she paints sweet and - artless, yet natural and strong, - characters."--=Congregationalist.= - -=Mixed Pickles.= A Story for Girls. By MRS. E. M. FIELD. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "It is, in its way, a little classic, of which the real beauty - and pathos can hardly be appreciated by young people. It is not - too much to say of the story that it is perfect of its - kind."--=Good Literature.= - -=Miss Mouse and Her Boys.= A Story for Girls, By MRS. MOLESWORTH. -12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "Mrs. Molesworth's books are cheery, wholesome, and particularly - well adapted to refined life. It is safe to add that she is the - best English prose writer for children. A new volume from Mrs. - Molesworth is always a treat."--=The Beacon.= - -=Gilly Flower.= A Story for Girls. By the author of "=Miss -Toosey's Mission=." 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "Jill is a little guardian angel to three lively brothers who - tease and play with her.. .. Her unconscious goodness brings - right thoughts and resolves to several persons who come into - contact with her. There is no goodiness in this tale, but its - influence is of the best kind."--=Literary World.= - -=The Chaplet of Pearls=; or, The White and Black Ribaumont. By -CHARLOTTE M. YONGE. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "Full of spirit and life, so well sustained throughout that - grown-up readers may enjoy it as much as children. It is one of - the best books of the season."--=Guardian.= - -=Naughty Miss Bunny=: Her Tricks and Troubles. By CLARA -MULHOLLAND. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "The naughty child is positively delightful. Papas should not - omit the book from their list of juvenile presents."--=Land and - Water.= - -=Meg's Friend.= By ALICE CORKRAN. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price -$1.00. - - "One of Miss Corkran's charming books for girls, narrated in - that simple and picturesque style which marks the authoress as - one of the first among writers for young people."--=The - Spectator.= - -=Averil.= By ROSA N. CAREY. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price -$1.00. - - "A charming story for young folks. Averil is a delightful - creature--piquant, tender, and true--and her varying fortunes - are perfectly realistic."--=World.= - -=Aunt Diana.= By ROSA N. CAREY. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price -$1.00. - - "An excellent story, the interest being sustained from first to - last. This is, both in its intention and the way the story is - told, one of the best books of its kind which has come before us - this year."--=Saturday Review.= - -=Little Sunshine's Holiday=: A Picture from Life. By MISS MULOCK. -12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "This is a pretty narrative of child life, describing the simple - doings and sayings of a very charming and rather precocious - child. This is a delightful book for young people."--=Gazette.= - -=Esther's Charge.= A Story for Girls. By ELLEN EVERETT GREEN. -12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "...This is a story showing in a charming way how one little - girl's jealousy and bad temper were conquered; one of the best, - most suggestive and improving of the Christmas juveniles."--=New - York Tribune.= - -=Fairy Land of Science.= By ARABELLA B. BUCKLEY. 12mo, cloth, -illustrated, price $1.00. - - "We can highly recommend it; not only for the valuable - information it gives on the special subjects to which it is - dedicated, but also as a book teaching natural sciences in an - interesting way. A fascinating little volume, which will make - friends in every household in which there are children."--=Daily - News.= - -=Merle's Crusade.= By ROSA N. CAREY. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, -price $1.00. - - "Among the books for young people we have seen nothing more - unique than this book. Like all of this author's stories it will - please young readers by the very attractive and charming style - in which it is written."--=Journal.= - -=Birdie=: A Tale of Child Life. By H. L. CHILDE-PEMBERTON. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "The story is quaint and simple, but there is a freshness about - it that makes one hear again the ringing laugh and the cheery - shout of children at play which charmed his earlier - years."--=New York Express.= - -=The Days of Bruce=: A Story from Scottish History. By GRACE -AGUILAR. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "There is a delightful freshness, sincerity and vivacity about - all of Grace Aguilar's stories which cannot fail to win the - interest and admiration of every lover of good - reading."--=Boston Beacon.= - -=Three Bright Girls=: A Story of Chance and Mischance. By ANNIE -E. ARMSTRONG. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "The charm of the story lies in the cheery helpfulness of spirit - developed in the girls by their changed circumstances; while the - author finds a pleasant ending to all their happy makeshifts. - The story is charmingly told, and the book can be warmly - recommended as a present for girls."--=Standard.= - -=Giannetta=: A Girl's Story of Herself. By ROSA MULHOLLAND. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "Extremely well told and full of interest. Giannetta is a true - heroine--warm-hearted, self-sacrificing, and, as all good women - nowadays are, largely touched with enthusiasm of humanity. The - illustrations are unusually good. One of the most attractive - gift books of the season."--=The Academy.= - -=Margery Merton's Girlhood.= By ALICE CORKRAN. 12mo, cloth, -illustrated, price $1.00. - - "The experiences of an orphan girl who in infancy is left by her - father to the care of an elderly aunt residing near Paris. The - accounts of the various persons who have an after influence on - the story are singularly vivid. There is a subtle attraction - about the book which will make it a great favorite with - thoughtful girls."--=Saturday Review.= - -=Under False Colors=: A Story from Two Girls' Lives. By SARAH -DOUDNEY. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "Sarah Doudney has no superior as a writer of high-toned - stories--pure in style, original in conception, and with - skillfully wrought out plots; but we have seen nothing equal in - dramatic energy to this book."--=Christian Leader.= - -=Down the Snow Stairs=; or, From Good-night to Good-morning. By -ALICE CORKRAN. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "Among all the Christmas volumes which the year has brought to - our table this one stands out =facile princeps=--a gem of the - first water, bearing upon every one of its pages the signet mark - of genius.. .. All is told with such simplicity and perfect - naturalness that the dream appears to be a solid reality. It is - indeed a Little Pilgrim's Progress."--=Christian Leader.= - -=The Tapestry Room=: A Child's Romance. By MRS. MOLESWORTH. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "Mrs. Molesworth is a charming painter of the nature and ways of - children; and she has done good service in giving us this - charming juvenile which will delight the young - people."--=Athenæum, London.= - -=Little Miss Peggy=: Only a Nursery Story. By MRS. MOLESWORTH. -12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - Mrs. Molesworth's children are finished studies. A joyous - earnest spirit pervades her work, and her sympathy is unbounded. - She loves them with her whole heart, while she lays bare their - little minds, and expresses their foibles, their faults, their - virtues, their inward struggles, their conception of duty, and - their instinctive knowledge of the right and wrong of things. - She knows their characters, she understands their wants, and she - desires to help them. - -=Polly=: A New Fashioned Girl. By L. T. MEADE. 12mo, cloth, -illustrated, price $1.00. - - Few authors have achieved a popularity equal to Mrs. Meade as a - writer of stories for young girls. Her characters are living - beings of flesh and blood, not lay figures of conventional type. - Into the trials and crosses, and everyday experiences, the - reader enters at once with zest and hearty sympathy. While Mrs. - Meade always writes with a high moral purpose, her lessons of - life, purity and nobility of character are rather inculcated by - example than intruded as sermons. - -=One of a Covey.= By the author of "Miss Toosey's Mission." 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "Full of spirit and life, so well sustained throughout that - grown-up readers may enjoy it as much as children. This 'Covey' - consists of the twelve children of a hard-pressed Dr. Partridge - out of which is chosen a little girl to be adopted by a spoiled, - fine lady. We have rarely read a story for boys and girls with - greater pleasure. One of the chief characters would not have - disgraced Dickens' pen."--=Literary World.= - -=The Little Princess of Tower Hill.= By L. T. MEADE. 12mo, cloth, -illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "This is one of the prettiest books for children published, as - pretty as a pond-lily, and quite as fragrant. Nothing could be - imagined more attractive to young people than such a combination - of fresh pages and fair pictures; and while children will - rejoice over it--which is much better than crying for it--it is - a book that can be read with pleasure even by older boys and - girls."--=Boston Advertiser.= - - -For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by -the publisher, =A. L. BURT, 52-58 Duane Street, New York=. - - - - -Transcriber's Note: - - -Archaic and inconsistent spelling and punctuation retained. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Rudy and Babette, by Hans Christian Andersen - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RUDY AND BABETTE *** - -***** This file should be named 40283-8.txt or 40283-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/2/8/40283/ - -Produced by Bruce Albrecht, Matthew Wheaton and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Rudy and Babette - Or, Capture of The Eagle's Nest - -Author: Hans Christian Andersen - -Illustrator: Helen Stratton - -Release Date: July 20, 2012 [EBook #40283] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RUDY AND BABETTE *** - - - - -Produced by Bruce Albrecht, Matthew Wheaton and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 40283 ***</div> <div class="figcenter"> <img src="images/cover.jpg" width="400" height="645" alt="" /> @@ -4102,380 +4063,6 @@ borne aloft to the beaming stars above."</p> <img class="border2" src="images/i222.jpg" width="400" height="585" alt="" /> </div> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Rudy and Babette, by Hans Christian Andersen - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RUDY AND BABETTE *** - -***** This file should be named 40283-h.htm or 40283-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/2/8/40283/ - -Produced by Bruce Albrecht, Matthew Wheaton and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Rudy and Babette - Or, Capture of The Eagle's Nest - -Author: Hans Christian Andersen - -Illustrator: Helen Stratton - -Release Date: July 20, 2012 [EBook #40283] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RUDY AND BABETTE *** - - - - -Produced by Bruce Albrecht, Matthew Wheaton and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - RUDY AND BABETTE - - _Or, The Capture of the Eagle's Nest_ - - By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN - - - WITH TWENTY ILLUSTRATIONS - - By HELEN STRATTON - - - A. L. BURT COMPANY, - - PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK - - - - - CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I. LITTLE RUDY - CHAPTER II. GOING TO THE NEW HOME - CHAPTER III. UNCLE - CHAPTER IV. BABETTE - CHAPTER V. THE RETURN HOME - CHAPTER VI. A VISIT TO THE MILL - CHAPTER VII. THE EAGLE'S NEST - CHAPTER VIII. I HOLD FAST TO BABETTE - CHAPTER IX. THE ICE-MAIDEN - CHAPTER X. THE GODMOTHER - CHAPTER XII. THE POWERS OF EVIL - CHAPTER XIII. IN THE MILLER'S HOUSE - CHAPTER XIV. VISIONS IN THE NIGHT - CHAPTER XV. CONCLUSION - THE FELLOW-TRAVELER - THE OLD BACHELOR'S NIGHTCAP - THE GARDEN OF PARADISE - - - - -RUDY AND BABETTE; - -OR, - -THE CAPTURE OF THE EAGLE'S NEST. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -LITTLE RUDY. - - -Let us now go to Switzerland, and see its wonderful mountains, whose -steep, rocky sides are covered with trees. We will climb up to the -fields of snow, and then make our way down to the grassy valleys, with -their countless streams and rivulets, impetuously rushing to lose -themselves in the sea. The sunshine is hot in the narrow valley; the -snow becomes firm and solid, and in the course of time it either -descends as an avalanche, or creeps along as a glacier. There are two -of these glaciers in the valleys below the Schreckhorn and the -Wetterhorn, near the long village of Grindelwald. They are a -remarkable sight, and therefore many travelers from all countries come -in the summer to visit them: they come over the high mountains covered -with snow, they traverse the deep valleys; and to do this they must -climb, hour after hour, leaving the valley far beneath them, till they -see it as if they were in an air-balloon. The clouds hang above them -like thick mists over the mountains, and the sun's rays make their way -through the openings between the clouds to where the brown houses lie -spread, lighting up some chance spot with a vivid green. Below, the -stream foams and blusters; but above it murmurs and ripples, and looks -like a band of silver hanging down the side of the rock. - -On either side of the path up the mountain lie wooden houses. Each -house has its little plot of potatoes; and this they all require, for -there are many children, and they all have good appetites. The -children come out to meet every stranger, whether walking or riding, -and ask him to buy their carved wooden chalets, made like the houses -they live in. Be it fine or be it wet, the children try to sell their -carvings. - -About twenty years since you might have seen one little boy standing -apart from the others, but evidently very desirous to dispose of his -wares. He looked grave and sad, and held his little tray tightly with -both hands as if he was afraid of losing it. This serious look and his -small size caused him to be much noticed by travelers, who often -called him and purchased many of his toys, though he did not know why -he was so favored. His grandfather lived two miles off among the -mountains, where he did his carving. He had a cabinet full of the -things he had made. There were nut-crackers, knives and forks, boxes -carved with leaves and chamois, and many toys for children; but little -Rudy cared for nothing so much as for an old gun, hanging from a -rafter in the ceiling, for his grandfather had told him it should be -his own when he was big enough to know how to use it. - -Though the boy was little, he was set in charge of the goats; and Rudy -could climb as high as any of his flock, and was fond of climbing tall -trees after birds' nests. He was brave and high-spirited, but he never -smiled except when he watched the foaming cataract, or heard the -thundering roar of an avalanche. He never joined in the children's -games, and only met them when his grandfather sent him to sell his -carvings; and this employment Rudy did not much like. He would rather -wander alone amongst the mountains, or sit by his grandfather while he -told him stories of former ages, or of the people who lived at -Meiningen, from whence he had come. He told him they had not always -lived there, but had come from a distant northern country called -Sweden. Rudy took great pride in this knowledge; but he also learnt -much from his four-footed friends. He had a large dog, named Ajola, -who had been his father's; and he had also a tom-cat who was his -particular friend, for it was from him he had learnt how to climb. - -"Come with me on the roof," the cat said to him; for when children -have not learnt to talk, they can understand the speech of birds and -animals quite as well as that of their father and mother; but that is -only while they are very little, and their grandfather's stick seems -as good as a live horse, with head, legs, and tail. Some children lose -this later than others, and we call them backward. People say such -funny things! - -"Come with me, little Rudy, on the roof," was one of the first things -the cat had said which Rudy had understood: "it is all imagination -about falling; you don't fall if you are not afraid. Come; put one of -your paws so, and the other so! Feel for yourself with your fore-paws! -Use your eyes and be active; and if there's a crevice, just spring and -take firm hold, as I do!" - -Rudy did as he was told, and you might often have seen him sitting -beside the cat on the top of the roof; afterwards they climbed -together to the tops of the trees, and Rudy even found his way to the -rocky ledges which were quite out of the cat's reach. - -"Higher! higher!" said the trees and the bushes; "see how we can -climb. We stretch upwards, and take firm hold of the highest and -narrowest ledges of the rocks." - -So Rudy found his way to the very top of the mountain, and often got -up there before sunrise; for he enjoyed the pure invigorating air, -fresh from the hands of the Creator, which men say combines the -delicate perfume of the mountain herbs with the sweet scent of the -wild thyme and the mint found in the valley. The grosser part of it is -taken up by the clouds, and as they are carried by the winds, the -lofty trees catch the fragrance and make the air pure and fresh. And -so Rudy loved the morning air. - -The happy sunbeams kissed his cheek, and Giddiness, who was always -near, was afraid to touch him; the swallows, who had built seven -little nests under his grandfather's eaves, circled about him and his -goats, singing: "We and you! and you and we!" They reminded him of his -home, his grandfather, and of the fowls; but although the fowls lived -with them in the same house, Rudy had never made friends with them. - -Although he was such a little boy, he had already traveled a -considerable distance. His birthplace was in the canton of Vallais, -whence he had been brought over the mountains to where he now lived. -He had even made his way on foot to the Staubbach, which descends -through the air gleaming like silver below the snow-clad mountain -called the Jungfrau. He had also been to the great glacier at -Grindelwald; but that was a sad story. His mother lost her life at -that spot; and Rudy's grandfather said that it was there he had lost -his happy spirits. Before he was a twelvemonth old his mother used to -say that he laughed more than he cried, but since he had been rescued -from the crevasse in the ice, a different spirit seemed to have -possession of him. His grandfather would not talk of it, but every one -in that district knew the story. - -Rudy's father had been a postilion. The large dog, which was now lying -in the grandfather's room, was his constant companion when traveling -over the Simplon on his way to the Lake of Geneva. Some of his -relations lived in the valley of the Rhone, in the canton of Vallais. -His uncle was a successful chamois-hunter and an experienced guide. -When Rudy was only a twelvemonth old his father died, and his mother -now wished to return to her own relations in the Bernese Oberland. Her -father lived not many miles from Grindelwald; he was able to maintain -himself by wood-carving. So she started on her journey in the month of -June, with her child in her arms, and in the company of two -chamois-hunters, over the Gemmi towards Grindelwald. They had -accomplished the greater part of their journey, had passed the highest -ridge and reached the snow-field, and were now come in sight of the -valley where her home was, with its well-remembered wooden houses, but -still had to cross one great glacier. It was covered with recent snow, -which hid a crevasse which was much deeper than the height of a man, -although it did not extend to where the water rushed below the -glacier. The mother, while carrying her baby, slipped, fell into -the cleft, and disappeared from sight. She did not utter a sound, but -they could hear the child crying. It was more than an hour before they -could fetch ropes and poles from the nearest house, and recover what -seemed to be two corpses from the cleft in the ice. They tried every -possible means, and succeeded in restoring the child, but not his -mother, to life; so the old man had his daughter's son brought into -his home, a little orphan, the boy who used to laugh more than he -cried; but he seemed to be entirely changed, and this change was made -down in the crevasse, in the cold world of ice, where, as the Swiss -peasants think, lost souls are imprisoned until Doomsday. - -[Illustration: She started on her journey, with her child in her arms, -and in company of two chamois-hunters.] - -The immense glacier looks like the waves of the sea frozen into ice, -the great greenish blocks heaped together, while the cold stream of -melted ice rushes below towards the valley, and huge caverns and -immense crevasses stretch far away beneath it. It is like a palace of -glass, and is the abode of the Ice-Maiden, the Queen of the Glaciers. -She, the fatal, the overwhelming one, is in part a spirit of the air, -though she also rules over the river; therefore she can rise to the -topmost peak of the snow mountain, where the adventurous climbers have -to cut every step in the ice before they can place their feet; she can -float on the smallest branch down the torrent, and leap from block to -block with her white hair and her pale blue robe flying about her, and -resembling the water in the beautiful Swiss lakes. - -"I have the power to crush and to seize!" she cries. "They have robbed -me of a lovely boy whom I have kissed, but have not killed. He now -lives among men: he keeps his goats amid the hills, he ever climbs -higher and higher away from his fellows, but not away from me. He -belongs to me, and I will again have him!" - -So she charged Giddiness to seize him for her, for the Ice-Maiden -dared not venture among the woods in the hot summer time; and -Giddiness and his brethren--for there are many of them--mounted up to -the Ice-Maiden, and she selected the strongest of them for her -purpose. They sit on the edge of the staircase, and on the rails at -the top of the tower; they scamper like squirrels on the ridge of the -rock, they leap from the rails and the footpath, and tread the air -like a swimmer treading water, to tempt their victims after them and -dash them into the abyss. Both Giddiness and the Ice-Maiden seize a -man as an octopus seizes all within its reach. And now Giddiness had -been charged to seize little Rudy. - -"I seize him!" said Giddiness; "I cannot. The miserable cat has taught -him all her tricks. The boy possesses a power which keeps me from him; -I cannot seize him even when he hangs by a branch above the precipice. -I should be delighted to tickle his feet, or pitch him headlong -through the air; but I cannot!" - -"We will succeed between us," said the Ice-Maiden. "Thou or I! I! I!" - -"No, no!" an unseen voice replied, sounding like distant church bells; -the joyful singing of good spirits--the Daughters of the Sun. These -float above the mountain every evening; they expand their rosy wings -which glow more and more like fire as the sun nears to setting over -the snowy peaks. People call it the "Alpine glow." And after sunset -they withdraw into the snow and rest there until sunrise, when they -again show themselves. They love flowers, and butterflies and human -beings; and they were particularly fond of Rudy. - -"You shall never catch him--you shall never have him," said they. - -"I have captured bigger and stronger boys than he," said the -Ice-Maiden. - -The Daughters of the Sun now sang a song of a traveler whose cloak was -carried away by the storm: "The storm took the cloak but not the man. -You can grasp at him, but not hold him, ye strong ones. He is -stronger, he is more spiritual than we are! He will ascend above the -sun, our mother! He has the power to bind the winds and the waves, and -make them serve him and do his bidding. If you unloose the weight that -holds him down, you will set him free to rise yet higher." - -Thus ran the chorus which sounded like distant church bells. - -Each morning the sunbeams shone through the little window of the -grandfather's house and lighted on the silent boy. The Daughters of -the Sun kissed him, and tried to thaw the cold kisses which the Queen -of the Glaciers had given him, while he was in the arms of his dead -mother, in the deep crevasse, whence he had been so wonderfully -rescued. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -GOING TO THE NEW HOME. - - -Rudy was now a boy of eight. His uncle, who lived in the Rhone valley -at the other side of the mountains, wished him to come to him, and -learn how to make his way in the world; his grandfather approved of -this, and let him go. - -Rudy therefore said good-by. He had to take leave of others beside his -grandfather; and the first of these was his old dog, Ajola. - -"When your father was postilion, I was his post-dog," said Ajola. "We -traveled backwards and forwards together; and I know some dogs at the -other side of the mountains and some of the people. I was never a -chatterer, but now that we are not likely to have many more chances of -talking, I want to tell you a few things, I will tell you something I -have had in my head and thought over for a long time. I can't make it -out, and you won't make it out; but that doesn't matter. At least I -can see that things are not fairly divided in this world, whether for -dogs or for men. Only a few are privileged to sit in a lady's lap and -have milk to drink. I've never been used to it myself, but I've seen a -little lap-dog riding in the coach, and occupying the place of a -passenger. The lady to whom it belonged, or who belonged to it, took a -bottle of milk with her for the dog to drink; and she offered him -sweets, but he sniffed at them and refused them, so she ate them -herself. I had to run in the mud beside the coach, and was very -hungry, thinking all the time that this couldn't be right; but they -say that there are a great many things that aren't right. Would you -like to sit in a lady's lap and ride in a carriage? I wish you could. -But you can't arrange that for yourself. I never could, bark and howl -as I might!" - -This is what Ajola said; and Rudy put his arms round him, and kissed -his cold, wet nose. Then he took up the cat, but puss tried to get -away, and said,-- - -"You're too strong! and I don't want to scratch you. Climb over the -mountains, as I taught you. Don't fancy you can fall, and then you -will always keep firm hold." As he said this, the cat ran away; for he -did not wish Rudy to see that he was crying. - -The fowls strutted about the room. One of them had lost its tail -feathers. A tourist, who imagined he was a sportsman, had shot its -tail off, as he thought it was a wild bird. - -"Rudy is going away over the mountains," said one of the fowls. - -The other one replied, "He's in too great a hurry; I don't want to say -good-by." And then they both made off. - -He then said good-by to the goats; they bleated "Med! med! may!" and -that made him feel sad. - -Two neighboring guides, who wanted to cross the mountains to beyond -the Gemmi took Rudy with them, going on foot. It was a fatiguing walk -for such a little boy; but he was strong, and never feared anything. - -The swallows flew part of the way with them. "We and you! and you and -we!" they sang. Their route lay across the roaring Luetschine, which -flows in many little streams from the Grindel glacier, and some fallen -trees served for a bridge. When they gained the forest at the other -side, they began to mount the slope where the glacier had quitted the -mountain, and then they had to climb over or make their way round the -blocks of ice on the glacier. Rudy sometimes was obliged to crawl -instead of walking; but his eyes sparkled with pleasure, and he -planted his feet so firmly that you would think he wanted to leave the -mark of his spiked shoes behind him at every step. The dark earth -which the mountain torrent had scattered over the glacier made it look -almost black, but still you could catch sight of the bluish-green ice. -They had to skirt the countless little pools which lay amongst the -huge blocks of ice; and sometimes they passed by a great stone that -had rested at the edge of a cleft, and then the stone would be upset, -and crash down into the crevasse, and the echoes would reverberate -from all the deep clefts in the glacier. - -So they went on climbing. The mighty glacier seemed like a great river -frozen into ice, hemmed in by the steep rocks. Rudy remembered what he -had been told, of how he and his mother had been pulled up out of one -of those, deep, cold crevasses; but he soon thought no more of it, and -it seemed no more than many other stories which he had been told. -Occasionally, when the men thought the path too rough for the boy, -they offered him a hand; but he was not easily tired, and stood on the -ice as securely as a chamois. Now they got on rock, and clambered over -the rough stones; then they would have to walk through the pine-trees, -or over pasture-lands, whilst the landscape was constantly changing. -Around them were the great snow mountains--the Jungfrau, the Moench and -the Eiger. Every child knew their names, and, of course, Rudy knew -them. Rudy had never before been up so high; he had never walked over -the wide snow-fields: like the ocean with its waves immovable, the -wind now and again blowing off some of the snow as if it were the foam -of the sea. The glaciers meet here as if they were joining hands; each -forms one of the palaces of the Ice-Maiden, whose power and aim is to -capture and overwhelm. The sunshine was hot, the snow was brilliantly -white, and seemed to sparkle as if covered with diamonds. Countless -insects, most of them butterflies or bees, were lying dead on the -snow; they had gone up too high, or been carried by the wind, and had -been frozen to death. A threatening cloud hung over the Wetterhorn, -looking like a bundle of black wool; it hung down, heavy with its own -weight, ready to burst with the resistless force of a whirlwind. The -recollection of this whole journey--the encamping for the night, at -such a height, the walk in the dark, the deep clefts in the rock, worn -away by the force of water during countless years--all this was fixed -in Rudy's memory. - -An empty stone hut beyond the _mer de glace_ gave them shelter for the -night. Here they found pine branches for fuel, and they quickly made -a fire and arranged the bed as comfortably as they could. They then -seated themselves about the fire, lighted their pipes, and drank the -hot drink which they had prepared. They gave Rudy some of their -supper, and then began to tell tales and legends of the spirits of the -Alps; of the mighty serpents that lay coiled in the lakes; of the -spirits who were reported to have carried men in their sleep to the -marvelous floating city, Venice; of the mysterious shepherd, who -tended his black sheep on the mountain pastures, and how no one had -seen him, although many had heard the tones of his bell and the -bleating of his flock. Rudy listened to all this, though he was not -frightened, as he did not know what fear was; and as he was listening -he thought he heard the weird bleating; it grew more and more distinct -till the men heard it too, and left off talking to listen, and told -Rudy to keep awake. - -This was the Foehn, the blast, the terrible tempest, which sweeps down -from the mountains upon the valleys, rending the trees as if they -were reeds, and sweeping away the houses by a flood as easily as one -moves chessmen. - -[Illustration: They then seated themselves about the fire, and began -to tell tales of the spirits of the Alps.] - -After a time they said to Rudy that it was all over, and he might go -to sleep; and he was so tired with his long tramp that he obeyed at -once. - -When day broke, they pushed forward. The sun now shone for Rudy on new -mountains, new glaciers, and snow-fields. They were now in the canton -of Vallais, and had crossed the range which could be seen from -Grindelwald, but were yet far from his new home. Other ravines, other -pastures, woods, and mountain-paths now came into sight, other houses, -and other people; but they were strange and deformed-looking beings, -with pale faces, and huge wens hanging from their necks. They were -_cretins_, feebly moving about, and looking listlessly at Rudy and his -companions--the women were particularly repulsive to look at. Should -he find such people in his new home? - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -UNCLE. - - -Rudy had now come to his uncle's house, and found to his relief that -the people were like those he had been used to. There was only one -_cretin_, a poor silly boy--one of those who rove from one house to -another in the canton of Vallais, staying a month or two in each -house, and the unfortunate Saperli was there when Rudy came. - -Uncle was a great hunter, and also knew the cooper's trade. His wife -was a lively little person, and almost looked like a bird; her eyes -were like those of an eagle, and her long neck was quite downy. - -Rudy found everything new to him--dress, habits and customs, and -language, though he would soon get used to that. They seemed more -comfortably off than in his grandfather's house. The rooms were large, -and the walls were decorated with chamois' horns and polished guns, -and there was a picture of the Virgin over the door; fresh Alpine -roses and a burning lamp stood before it. - -Uncle was, as I have said, one of the most successful chamois-hunters -in the neighborhood, and also one of the best guides. Rudy soon became -the pet of the household. They had one pet already, an old hound, -blind and deaf; he was no longer able to go out hunting, but they took -care of him in return for his former services. Rudy patted the dog, -and wished to make friends; but he did not care to make friends with -strangers, though Rudy was not long a stranger there. - -"We live very well here in the canton of Vallais," said uncle; "we -have chamois, who are not so easily killed as the steinbock, but we -get on better than in the old days. It is all very well to praise -former times, but we are better off now. An opening has been made, and -the air blows through our secluded vale. We always get something -better when the old thing is done with," said he; for uncle had much -to say, and would tell tales of his childhood, and of the days when -his father was vigorous, when Vallais was, as he said, a closed bag, -full of sick folk and unfortunate _cretins_; "but the French soldiers -came, and they were the right sort of doctors, for they killed both -the disease and the persons who had it. The French knew all about -fighting; they struck their blows in many ways, and their maidens -could strike too!" and here uncle nodded at his wife, who was a -Frenchwoman. "The French struck at our stones in fine style! They -struck the Simplon road through the rocks; they struck the road, so -that I may say to a child of three years old, 'Go to Italy, keep right -on the highway!' and the child will find himself in Italy if he only -keeps right on the road!" and then uncle sang a French song, "Hurrah -for Napoleon Buonaparte!" - -[Illustration: His uncle would tell tales of his childhood.] - -Rudy now heard for the first time of France, and of Lyons, a great -town on the river Rhone, where his uncle had been. - -In a few years Rudy was to become an active chamois-hunter. His uncle -said he was capable of it; he therefore taught him to handle a gun and -to shoot. In the hunting season he took him to the mountains, and made -him drink the warm blood from the chamois, which keeps a hunter from -giddiness. He taught him to know the seasons when avalanches would -roll down the mountain sides, at midday or in the afternoon, according -to whether the sun had been strong on the places. He taught him to -watch how the chamois sprang, and notice how his feet fell that he -might stand firm; and that where he could obtain no foothold he must -catch hold with his elbows, grasp with his muscles, and hold with his -thighs and knees--that he might even hold with his neck if necessary. -The chamois were very wary,--they would send one to look out; but the -hunter must be still more wary,--put them off the scent. He had known -them so stupid that if he hung his coat and hat on an alpenstock, the -chamois took the coat for a man. Uncle played his trick one day when -he and Rudy were out hunting. - -The mountain paths were narrow; they were often a mere cornice or -ledge projecting over a giddy precipice. The snow was half melted, and -the rock crumbled beneath the feet; so the uncle laid himself down at -full length and crept along. Each stone, as it broke off, fell, -striking and rolling from ledge to ledge till it was out of sight. -Rudy stood about a hundred paces from his uncle on a projecting rock, -and from this point he saw a great bearded vulture swooping over his -uncle, whom it seemed to be about to strike over the precipice with -its wings, to make him its prey. Uncle had his eye on the chamois, -which he could see with its kid on the other side of the ravine; Rudy -kept his eye on the bird, knew what it would do, and had his hands on -his gun ready to fire; the chamois suddenly sprang up, uncle fired, -the animal fell dead, the kid made off as if it was used to dangers. -At the sound of the gun the bird flew away, and uncle knew nothing of -his danger until told of it by Rudy. - -[Illustration: "Hold fast, Rudy!" shouted his uncle, and Rudy clung to -the tree.] - -As they were going home in the best of humors, uncle whistling one of -his songs, they suddenly heard a strange noise not far off; they -looked round them, and saw that the snow on the side of the mountain -was all in motion. It waved up and down, broke into pieces, and came -down with a roar like thunder. It was an avalanche, not over Rudy and -uncle, but near, too near, to them. - -"Hold fast, Rudy!" he shouted; "fast, with all your power!" - -And Rudy clung to the stem of a tree; uncle climbed above him up to -the branches and held fast, while the avalanche rolled past at a -distance of a few yards; but the rush of air broke the trees and -bushes all around like reeds, and cast the fragments down, and left -Rudy pressed to the earth. The tree-stem to which he had held was -broken, and the top flung to a distance; there, among the broken -branches, lay uncle, his head crushed; his hand was still warm, but -you would not know his face. Rudy stood pale and trembling; it was the -first shock in his life, the first time he had felt horror. - -It was late when he brought the tidings of death to what was now a -sorrowful home. The wife was speechless and tearless until they -brought the body home, then her grief broke forth. The unfortunate -_cretin_ hid himself in his bed, nor did they see him all the next -day; but in the evening he came to Rudy. - -"Write a letter for me! Saperli cannot write! Saperli can go with the -letter to the post!" - -"A letter from thee?" exclaimed Rudy. "And to whom?" - -"To the Lord Christ!" - -"What do you mean?" - -And the half-idiot, as they called the _cretin_, cast a pathetic -glance at Rudy, folded his hands, and said solemnly and slowly: - -"Jesus Christ! Saperli wishes to send a letter to ask Him that Saperli -may lie dead, and not the man in this house." - -And Rudy took him by the hand. "That letter would not go there! that -letter would not bring him back." - -But it was impossible for Rudy to make him understand. - -"Now thou art the support of the house," said the widow, and Rudy -became so. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -BABETTE. - - -Who is the best shot in the canton of Vallais? Even the chamois knew. -"Take care of Rudy's shooting!" they said. "Who is the handsomest -huntsman?" "Rudy is!" said the maidens, but they did not say, "Take -care of Rudy's shooting!" nor did their serious mothers say so either; -he nodded to them as lightly as he did to a young girl; for he was -brave and joyous, his cheeks were brown, his teeth sound and white, -and his eyes coal-black and sparkling; he was a handsome fellow, and -not more than twenty. The ice-cold water did not hurt him in swimming; -he swam like a fish, could climb better than any other man, could hold -fast like a snail to the walls of rock, for his muscles and sinews -were good; and you saw when he leapt that he had taken lessons from -the cat and from the chamois. Rudy was the surest guide to depend -on, and might have made his fortune in that way; his uncle had also -taught him coopering, but he gave little thought to that, for his -pleasure and delight was in shooting the chamois; and in this way he -earned money. Rudy was a good match, as they say, if he did not look -above his own position. And he was a dancer among dancers, so that the -maidens dreamt of him, and some of them even thought of him when -waking. - -[Illustration: "Rudy gave me a kiss at the dance!" said Annette to her -dearest friend.] - -"He gave me a kiss at the dance!" said Annette, the schoolmaster's -daughter, to her dearest friend; but she ought not to have said that -even to her dearest friend. Such a secret is not easy to keep: it is -like sand in a bag full of holes, it will run out; and they all soon -knew that Rudy had given her a kiss at the dance, though he had not -kissed the one that he wanted to kiss. - -"Just watch him!" said an old huntsman; "he has kissed Annette; he has -begun with A and he will kiss all through the alphabet." - -A kiss at the dance was all that the gossips could say against Rudy so -far; but although he had kissed Annette, she was not the flower of his -heart. - -Down at Bex, among the great walnut-trees, close to a little rapid -mountain stream, there lived a rich miller; his dwelling-house was a -big building of three floors, with small turrets, roofed with shingle -and ornamented with metal plates which shone in the rays of the sun or -the moon; the biggest turret had for a weather-cock a glittering arrow -which had transfixed an apple, in memory of Tell's marksmanship. The -mill appeared fine and prosperous, and one could both sketch and -describe it, but one could not sketch or describe the miller's -daughter; at least, Rudy says one could not, and yet he had her image -in his heart. Her eyes had so beamed upon him that they had quite -kindled a flame; this had come quite suddenly, as other fires come, -and the strangest thing was, that the miller's daughter, the charming -Babette, had no thought of it, as she and Rudy had never spoken to -each other. - -The miller was rich, and his riches made Babette hard to approach; -"But nothing is so high," said Rudy to himself, "that a man can't get -up to it; a man must climb, and he need not fall, nor lose faith in -himself." This lesson he had learnt at home. - -It happened one day that Rudy had business at Bex, and it was quite a -journey, for the railway did not then go there. From the Rhone -glacier, at the foot of the Simplon, between many and various -mountain-heights, stretches the broad valley of the Rhone, whose flood -often overflows its banks, overwhelming everything. Between the towns -of Sion and St. Maurice the valley bends in the shape of an elbow, and -below St. Maurice it is so narrow that it hardly allows room for more -than the river itself and a narrow road. An old tower stands here on -the mountain side, as a sentry to mark the boundary of the canton of -Vallais, opposite the stone bridge by the toll-house; and here begins -the canton Vaud, not far from the town of Bex. As you advance you -notice the increase of fertility, you seem to have come into a garden -of chestnuts and walnut-trees; here and there are cypresses and -pomegranates in flower; there is a southern warmth, as if you had come -into Italy. - -Rudy arrived at Bex, finished his business, and looked about him; but -never a lad from the mill, not to mention Babette, could he see. This -was not what he wished. - -It was now towards evening; the air was full of the scent of the wild -thyme and of the flowers of the limes; a shining veil seemed to hang -over the wooded mountains, with a stillness, not of sleep, nor of -death, but rather as if nature were holding its breath, in order to -have its likeness photographed on the blue vault of heaven. Here and -there between the trees, and across the green fields stood poles, to -support the telegraph wires already carried through that tranquil -valley; by one of these leaned an object, so still that it might have -been mistaken for a tree-stump, but it was Rudy, who was as still and -quiet as everything about him; he was not asleep, and he certainly was -not dead. But thoughts were rushing through his brain, thoughts -mighty and overwhelming, which were to mold his future. - -His eyes were directed to one point amidst the leaves, one light in -the miller's parlor where Babette lived. So still was Rudy standing, -that you might believe he was taking aim at a chamois, for the chamois -will sometimes stand for an instant as if a part of the rock, and then -suddenly, startled by the rolling of a stone, will spring away; and so -it was with Rudy--a sudden thought startled him. - -"Never give up!" he cried. "Call at the mill! Good evening to the -miller, good day to Babette. A man doesn't fall when he doesn't think -about it; Babette must see me at some time if I am ever to be her -husband." - -Rudy laughed, for he was of good cheer, and he went to the mill; he -knew well enough what he wished for--he wished for Babette. - -The river, with its yellowish water, rushed along, and the willows and -limes overhung its banks; Rudy went up the path, and as it says in the -old children's song: - - "to the miller's house, - But found no one at home - Except little Puss!" - -The parlor cat stood on the steps, put up his back, and said "Miou!" -but Rudy had no thought for that speech; he knocked at the door; no -one heard, no one opened it. "Miou!" said the cat. If Rudy had been -little, he would have understood animals' language, and known that the -cat said: "There's no one at home!" So he went over to the mill to -ask, and there he got the information. The master had gone on a -journey, as far as the town of Interlaken "_inter lacus_, between -the lakes," as the schoolmaster, Annette's father, had explained it in -a lesson. The miller was far away, and Babette with him; there was a -grand shooting competition--it began to-morrow, and went on for eight -days. Switzers from all the German cantons would be there. - -Unlucky Rudy, you might say, this was not a fortunate time to come to -Bex; so he turned and marched above St. Maurice and Sion to his own -valley and his own mountains; but he was not disheartened. The sun -rose next morning, but his spirits were already high, for they had -never set. - -[Illustration: The cat stood on the steps, put up his back and said, -"Miou!" as Rudy knocked at the door.] - -"Babette is at Interlaken, many days' journey from hence," he said to -himself. "It is a long way there if one goes by the high road, but it -is not so far if you strike across the mountains, as I have often done -in chamois-hunting. There is my old home, where I lived when little -with my grandfather; and the shooting-match is at Interlaken! I will -be the best of them; and I will be with Babette, when I have made -acquaintance with her." - -With his light knapsack, containing his Sunday suit and his gun and -game-bag, Rudy went up the mountain by the short way, which was, -however, pretty long; but the shooting-match only began that day and -was to last over a week, and all that time, he was told, the miller -and Babette would spend with their relations at Interlaken. So Rudy -crossed the Gemmi, meaning to come down near Grindelwald. - -Healthy and joyful, he stepped along, up in the fresh, the light, the -invigorating mountain air. The valley sank deeper, the horizon opened -wider; here was a snow-peak, and there another, and soon he could see -the whole shining range of the Alps. Rudy knew every snow-mountain, -and he made straight for the Schreckhorn, which raised its -white-sprinkled, stony fingers high into the blue air. - -At length he crossed the highest ridge. The pastures stretched down -towards his own valley; the air was light, and he felt merry; mountain -and valley smiled with abundance of flowers and verdure; his heart was -full of thoughts of youth: one should never become old, one need never -die; to live, to conquer, to be happy! free as a bird--and he felt -like a bird. And the swallows flew by him, and sang, as they used to -do in his childhood: "We and you, and you and we!" All was soaring and -rejoicing. - -Below lay the velvety green meadow, sprinkled with brown chalets, and -the Luetschine humming and rushing. He saw the glacier, with its -bottle-green edges covered with earth-soiled snow; he saw the deep -fissures, and the upper and the lower glacier. The sound of the -church bells came to him, as if they were ringing to welcome him home; -his heart beat more strongly, and swelled so that Babette was -forgotten for a moment, so large was his heart and so full of -memories! - -He again went along the way where he had stood as a little urchin with -the other children, and sold the carved chalets. He saw among the -pines his grandfather's house, but strangers now lived in it. Children -came along the path to sell things, and one of them offered him an -Alpine rose; Rudy took it as a good omen, and he thought of Babette. -He soon crossed the bridge where the two Luetschine unite; the trees -here grew thicker, and the walnuts gave a refreshing shade. He now saw -the flag waving, the white cross on a red background, the flag of the -Switzers and the Danes; and now he had reached Interlaken. - -This, Rudy thought, was certainly a splendid town. It was a Swiss town -in Sunday dress; not like other places, crowded with heavy stone -houses, ponderous, strange, and stately. No! here it seemed as if the -chalets had come down from the mountains into the green valley, close -by the clear, rapid stream, and had arranged themselves in a row, a -little in and out, to make a street. And the prettiest of all the -streets--yes, that it certainly was!--had sprung up since Rudy was -here, when he was little. It seemed to have been built of all the -charming chalets which his grandfather had carved and stored in the -cabinet at home, and they had grown up here by some power like the -old, oldest chestnut-trees. Each house was a hotel, with carved -woodwork on the windows and doors, and a projecting roof, and was -elegantly built; and in front of the house was a flower-garden, -between it and the broad, macadamized road; all the houses stood on -one side of the road, so as not to hide the fresh green meadows, where -the cows wandered about with bells like those in the high Alpine -pastures. It seemed to be in the midst of lofty mountains, which had -drawn apart in one direction to allow the snow-clad peak of the -Jungfrau to be seen, most lovely of all the Swiss mountains. - -There were a great many well-dressed visitors from foreign countries -as well as many Switzers from the different cantons. Each competitor -had his number in a garland on his hat. Singing and playing on all -kinds of instruments were to be heard everywhere, mingled with cries -and shouts. Mottoes were put up on the houses and bridges, flags and -pennons floated in the breeze; the crack of the rifles was frequently -heard, and Rudy thought this the sweetest sound of all; indeed, in the -excitement of the moment he quite forgot Babette, although he had come -on purpose to meet her. - -The marksmen now went in the direction of the target. Rudy went with -them, and was the best shot of them all--he hit the bull's-eye every -time. - -"Who is that young stranger who shoots so well?" the onlookers asked -each other. "He talks French as they do in canton Vallais. But he also -speaks German very well," others replied. - -"They say he was brought up near Grindelwald," one of the competitors -remarked. - -There was life in the fellow, his eyes shone, his arm was steady, and -for that reason he never failed in hitting the mark. Courage comes -with success, but Rudy had a store of natural courage. Admiring -friends soon gathered around him, and complimented him on his success; -he altogether forgot Babette. Then some one laid his hand on his -shoulder, and spoke to him in French. - -"You belong to the canton of Vallais?" - -Rudy turned, and saw a burly individual with a rosy, good-humored -face. It was the wealthy miller from Bex; his stout form almost -concealed the pretty, slim Babette, but she looked at Rudy with her -sparkling, dark eyes. The miller was glad that a rifleman from his own -canton should prove the best shot, and should have won universal -applause. Rudy was certainly in luck, for although he had forgotten -his principal object in coming, she had now come forward to him. - -When neighbors meet one another at a distance from home they generally -get to talking, and make each other's acquaintance. Because Rudy was -a good shot he had become a leader at the rifle competition, just as -much as the miller was at Bex, because of his wealth and his good -business; so they clasped each other by the hand for the first time; -Babette also offered her hand to Rudy who squeezed it, and looked at -her so earnestly that she quite blushed. - -The miller spoke of their long journey, and how many large towns they -had come through; and it certainly seemed to have been a very long -journey, as they had traveled by the steamboat, and also by rail and -by post-chaise. - -"I came the nearest way," said Rudy. "I walked over the mountains; no -road is too high for a man to come over it." - -"And break your neck," said the miller. "You look just the man to -break his neck one day, you look so headstrong." - -"A man doesn't fall if he doesn't think about it," replied Rudy. - -The miller's relatives in Interlaken, with whom he and Babette were -staying, asked Rudy to visit them, as he was from the same canton. -This was a chance for Rudy; fortune favored him, as she always does -favor those who endeavor to succeed by their own energy, and remember -that "Providence gives us nuts, but we have to crack them for -ourselves." - -Rudy was welcomed by the miller's relatives as if he had belonged to -the family, and they drank to the health of the best shot, and Babette -clinked her glass with the others, and Rudy thanked them for the -toast. - -In the evening they went for a stroll on the road by the big hotels -beneath the old walnut-trees, and there was such a throng, and the -people pushed so that Rudy was able to offer his arm to Babette. He -said he was glad to have met the people from Vaud. The cantons of Vaud -and Vallais were very good neighbors. He seemed so thoroughly pleased -that Babette could not resist the inclination to press his hand. They -walked together just like old acquaintances, and she was very amusing. -Rudy was delighted with her naive remarks on the peculiarities in the -dress and behavior of the foreign ladies; and yet she did not wish to -make fun of them, for she knew that many of them were amiable and -worthy people--indeed, her own godmother was an English lady. She had -been living in Bex eighteen years ago, when Babette was christened, -and she had given her the valuable brooch she was now wearing. Her -godmother had twice written to her, and Babette was now hoping to see -her and her daughters in Interlaken. - -"They were two old maids, almost thirty!" said Babette; but you must -remember that she was only eighteen. - -Her little tongue was never still for an instant, and all that Babette -had to say was intensely interesting to Rudy; and he told her all -about himself--that he had frequently been to Bex, and knew the mill -well, and that he had often seen her, though he did not suppose she -had ever noticed him; and how he had called at the mill, hoping to see -her, and found that her father and she were away from home, a long way -from home, indeed, but not so far that he could not get over the -barrier which divided them. - -He told her a great deal more than this. He told her that he was very -fond of her, and that he had come here on purpose to see her, and not -for the rifle competition. - -Babette was very quiet when he told her this; she thought he set too -high a value on her. - -While they continued rambling, the sun set behind the mighty wall of -rock; the Jungfrau stood out in all its beauty and magnificence, with -the green of the tree-clad slopes on either side of it. All stood -still to admire the gorgeous spectacle, and both Rudy and Babette were -happy in watching it. - -"There is no place more lovely than this!" said Babette. - -"No, indeed!" exclaimed Rudy, and then he looked at Babette. - -"I must go home to-morrow," he said, after a short silence. - -"You must come to see us at Bex," Babette whispered to him; "my father -will be pleased." - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE RETURN HOME. - - -Oh what a load Rudy had to carry home with him over the mountains the -next day! He had won three silver cups, two rifles, and a silver -coffee-pot; this would be of use to him when he began housekeeping. -But that was not the heaviest thing; there was something heavier and -stronger which he carried with him--or which carried him--on that -return journey over the mountains. The weather was wild, dull, heavy, -and wet; dense clouds covered the mountain tops like a thick veil, -quite hiding the snowy peaks. From the valleys he heard the sound of -the woodman's ax, and huge trunks of trees rolled down the steep -mountain sides; they seemed only like small sticks, but they were big -enough for masts. The Luetschine rushed along with its continual hum, -the wind shrieked, and the clouds hurried across the sky. Then Rudy -discovered that a young maid was walking at his side; he had not seen -her until she was quite near. She also was about to climb over the -mountain. The girl's eyes had a strange power; you could not help -looking at them, and they were wonderful eyes, very clear, and -deep--oh, so deep! - -"Have you a sweetheart?" said Rudy, for that was all he could think -of. - -"No, I have not," laughingly replied the maiden; but she did not look -as if she spoke the truth. "Don't go round all that way," she then -said. "You must bear more to the left; that is the shortest way." - -"Yes, and tumble down a crevasse!" said Rudy. "You're a fine one to be -a guide if you don't know better than that!" - -"I know the way," she replied, "and my thoughts have not gone astray. -Yours are below, in the valley, but here, on high, you should be -thinking of the Ice-Maiden; people say that she does not love men." - -"I fear her not!" exclaimed Rudy. "She had to yield me up when I was a -baby, and I am not going to yield myself up to her now that I am a -man." - -It grew darker, and the rain poured down; then came the snow, -dazzling and bewildering. - -"Take my hand," said the maiden, "I will help you;" and she touched -him with her ice-cold fingers. - -[Illustration: "Have you a sweetheart?" said Rudy.] - -"You needn't help me!" returned Rudy; "I don't need a girl to teach me -to climb!" and he hurried on, leaving her behind. The snow came down -all around him, the wind shrieked, and he heard strange sounds of -laughing and singing behind him. He believed she was one of the -spirits in the Ice-Maiden's train, of whom he had heard tales when he -spent the night up in the mountains as a boy. - -The snow ceased to fall, and he was now above the clouds. He looked -behind him, but saw nobody; yet he heard a strange singing and -yodeling that he did not like, as it did not sound human. - -When Rudy was quite at the highest ridge, from which the way tended -downwards towards the Rhone valley, he saw above Chamonix, in a patch -of blue sky, two bright stars shining and twinkling; they reminded him -of Babette, and of his own good fortune, and the thought made him feel -quite warm. - -[Illustration: Rudy believed she was one of the spirits in the -Ice-Maiden's train.] - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -A VISIT TO THE MILL. - - -"What splendid things you have brought back with you!" cried his old -foster-mother; and her eagle eyes sparkled, and her lean neck waved -backwards and forwards more than ever. "You are lucky, Rudy! Let me -kiss you, my dear boy!" - -And Rudy submitted to be kissed; but he looked as if he regarded it as -a thing which had to be put up with. "What a handsome fellow you are -getting, Rudy!" said the old woman. - -"Don't talk such nonsense," Rudy replied, laughing; but nevertheless -he liked to hear it. - -"I say it again," said the old woman. "You are very lucky!" - -"Perhaps you may be right," he rejoined, for he was thinking of -Babette. - -He had never before been so anxious to go down the valley. - -"They must have gone home," he said to himself. "They were to have -been back two days ago. I must go to Bex." - -So Rudy went to Bex, and found his friends at home at the mill. They -received him kindly, and had brought a message for him from the family -at Interlaken. Babette did not speak much; she was very quiet, but her -eyes spoke volumes, and that satisfied Rudy. Even the miller, who had -always led the conversation, and who had always had his remarks and -jokes laughed at on account of his wealth, seemed to delight in -hearing of all Rudy's adventures in his hunting; and Rudy described -the difficulties and perils which the chamois-hunters have to face -among the mountains--how they must cling to, or creep over, the narrow -ledges of snow which are frozen on to the mountain sides, and make -their way over the snow bridges which span deep chasms in the rocks. -And Rudy's eyes sparkled as he was relating these hunting adventures, -the intelligence and activity of the chamois, and the dangers of the -tempest and the avalanche. He perceived as he went on that the miller -grew increasingly interested in his wild life, and that the old man -paid especial attention to his account of the bearded vulture and the -royal eagle. - -Among other things, he happened to mention that, at no great distance, -in the canton of Vallais, an eagle had built its nest most ingeniously -under a steep projecting rock, and that the nest contained a young one -which nobody could capture. Rudy said that an Englishman had offered -him a handful of gold the other day if he could take him the eaglet -alive; "but there is a limit to everything," said he. "That eaglet -cannot be taken; it would be foolhardy to try." - -But the wine assisted the flow of conversation; and Rudy thought the -evening all too short, though he did not start on his return journey -until past midnight, the first time he visited the mill. - -Lights were still to be seen at the windows of the mill; and the -parlor cat came out at an opening in the roof, and met the kitchen cat -on the gutter. - -"Have you heard the news at the mill?" said the parlor cat. "There's -love-making going on in the house! The father doesn't know of it. Rudy -and Babette have been treading on each other's paws all the evening -under the table. They trod on me more than once, but I kept quiet, -lest it should be noticed." - -"I would have mewed," replied the kitchen cat. - -"Kitchen behavior will not suit the parlor," said the parlor cat; "but -I should like to know what the miller will say when he hears of the -love-making." - -What will the miller say, indeed? Rudy, also, wanted to know that; and -he would not wait very long without finding it out. So a few days -later, when the omnibus rolled over the Rhone bridge between Vallais -and Vaud, Rudy was in it, in his usual high spirits, happy in the -expectation of a favorable answer to the question he intended to ask -that same evening. - -In the evening, when the omnibus was returning Rudy was again inside; -but the parlor cat had great news to tell. - -"Do you know it, you from the kitchen? The miller knows everything. -That was a fine end to the expedition! Rudy came here towards the -evening, and he and Babette had much to whisper about; they stood in -the passage which leads to the miller's room. I lay at their feet, but -they had neither eyes nor thoughts for me. 'I am going straight in to -your father!' said Rudy; 'that is the fair thing.' 'Shall I accompany -you?' said Babette; 'it will encourage you.' 'I have sufficient -courage!' said Rudy, 'but if you go too, he must look kindly on us, -whether he will or no!' And they both went in. Rudy trod violently on -my tail. Rudy is very clumsy! I mewed, but neither he nor Babette had -ears to hear me. They opened the door, and they both went in, I in -front; but I sprang up on the back of a chair, for I could not tell -how Rudy would kick. But the miller kicked! and it was a good kick! -out of the door, and into the mountains to the chamois! Rudy may aim -at them, and not at our little Babette." - -"But what did they talk about?" asked the kitchen cat. - -"Talk?---- They talked of everything that people say when they go -a-wooing: 'I am fond of her, and she is fond of me! and when there is -milk in the pail for one, there is also milk in the pail for two!' -'But she sits too high for you!' said the miller; 'she sits on grits, -on golden grits; you can't reach her!' 'Nothing sits so high that a -man can't reach it, if he will!' said Rudy; for he was very pert. 'But -you can't reach the eaglet--you said so yourself! Babette sits -higher!' 'I will take them both!' said Rudy. 'Yes, I will give her to -you, when you give me the eaglet alive!' said the miller, and laughed -till the tears stood in his eyes; 'but now I thank you for your -visits, Rudy; come again in the morning, and you will find no one at -home! Farewell, Rudy!' And Babette also said farewell, as miserable as -a little kitten that can't see its mother. 'An honest man's word is as -good as his bond!' said Rudy. 'Don't cry, Babette; I shall bring the -eaglet!' 'You will break your neck, I hope!' said the miller, 'and so -put an end to your race!' I call _that_ a kick! Now Rudy is off, and -Babette sits and cries, but the miller sings German songs that he -has learnt on his journey! I won't grieve over that now; it can't be -helped!" - -"But yet there is still some hope for him," said the kitchen cat. - -[Illustration: "You are lucky, Rudy!" said his foster-mother; "let me -kiss you, my dear boy!"] - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THE EAGLE'S NEST. - - -From the mountain path sounds the yodeling, merry and strong, telling -of good spirits and dauntless courage; it is Rudy--he is going to see -his friend Vesinaud. - -"You will help me! we will take Ragli with us. I must capture the -eaglet up the face of the mountain!" - -"Won't you take the spots of the moon first; that is as easy!" said -Vesinaud. "You are in good spirits!" - -"Yes, for I am thinking of getting married! But now, to be in earnest, -I will tell you what I am intending!" - -And soon Vesinaud and Ragli knew what Rudy wished. - -"You are a daring lad!" said they. "You will not get there! You will -break your neck!" - -"A man does not fall down when he does not think of it!" said Rudy. - -At midnight they set off with poles, ladders, and ropes; the way was -through thickets and bushes, and over rolling stones, always up, up in -the gloomy night. The water rushed below; the water murmured above, -heavy clouds drove through the air. When the hunters reached the -precipitous face of the mountain it was still darker, the rocky walls -were almost met, and the sky could only be seen high up in a small -cleft. Close by, under them, was the deep abyss with its rushing -waters. All three sat quite still, waiting for daybreak, when the -eagle would fly out; for they must first shoot it before they could -think of taking the young one. Rudy sat down, as still as if he were a -piece of the stone he sat on. He had his gun in his hand ready to -shoot; his eyes were fixed on the topmost cleft, where, under a -projecting ledge, the eagle's nest was concealed. - -After waiting long, the hunters heard high above them a cracking, -rushing sound; and suddenly they saw a great, hovering object. Two -gun-barrels were pointed as the great black figure of the eagle flew -out of its nest. One shot was heard; for a moment the bird moved its -outstretched wings, and then slowly fell, as if with its greatness and -the extension of its wings it would fill the whole of the chasm, and -carry the hunters with it in its fall. The eagle sank into the depths; -and brushing against the branches of trees and bushes, broke them as -it fell. - -And now the hunters began work. They tied three of the longest ladders -together, setting them up from the last secure foothold at the side of -the precipice. But the ladders did not quite reach; the nest was -higher up, hidden safe below the projecting rock, where it was as -smooth as a wall. After some deliberation they decided to tie two -ladders together, and lower them into the cleft from above, and join -them to the three which had been set up from below. With great trouble -they drew up the two ladders and secured the rope; they were then -suspended over the projecting rock, and hung swinging over the abyss, -and Rudy took his place on the lowest rung. It was an ice-cold -morning, and vapors rose from the black chasm. Rudy sat out there as a -fly sits on a waving straw which some bird has taken to the top of -some high factory-chimney; but the fly can fly away if the straw gets -loose, while Rudy can only break his neck. The wind whispered about -him, and below, in the abyss, rushed the hurrying water from the -melting glacier, the Ice-Maiden's palace. - -When Rudy began to climb, the ladders trembled and swung like a -spider's web; but when he reached the fourth ladder he found it -secure, for the lashing had been well done. The topmost ladder was -flattened against the rock, yet it swung ominously with Rudy's weight. -And now came the most dangerous part of the climb. But Rudy knew this, -for the cat had taught him; he did not think about Giddiness, which -hovered in the air behind him, and stretched its octopus-like arms -towards him. Now he stood on the highest rung of the ladder, and found -that after all it did not reach high enough for him to see into the -nest; he could only reach up to it with his hands. He tested the -firmness of the thick plaited boughs that supported the lower part of -the nest, and when he found a thick and firm bough, he pulled himself -up by it till he got his head and chest over the nest. But there -poured upon him an overpowering smell of carrion; putrefying lambs, -chamois, and birds lay here torn to pieces. Giddiness, which was not -able to reach him, puffed the poisonous exhalation into his face, to -confuse him, and below, in the black gaping depth, over the hurrying -water, sat the Ice-Maiden herself, with her long greenish hair, -staring with deathly eyes like two gun-barrels, and saying to herself, -"Now I shall capture you!" - -[Illustration: It was captured alive.] - -In a corner of the nest he saw a large and powerful eaglet, which -could not yet fly. Rudy fastened his eyes on it, held himself with -all the force of one hand, and cast, with the other hand, a noose over -the young bird. Thus, with its legs entangled in the line, it was -captured alive. Rudy threw the noose with the bird in it over his -shoulder, so that it hung a good way below him, and by the help of a -rope he made himself fast till his toes reached the highest rung of -the ladder. - -"Hold fast! don't believe you will fall, and you won't fall!" this was -his old lesson, and he stuck to it; he held fast, he scrambled, he was -certain he should not fall, and he did not fall. - -And now was heard a yodel, so vigorous and joyful. Rudy stood on the -firm rock with his eaglet. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -"I HOLD FAST TO BABETTE." - - -"Here is what you demanded!" said Rudy, entering the miller's house at -Bex; and, setting on the floor a large basket, he took off the cloth, -and there glared from it two yellow, black-rimmed eyes, so sparkling, -so wild, that they seemed to burn and devour everything they saw; the -short, strong beak gaped, ready to bite, the neck was red and downy. - -"The eaglet!" shouted the miller. Babette gave one scream, and sprang -aside, but she could not turn her eyes away from Rudy or the eaglet. - -"You are not to be frightened!" said the miller. - -"And you always keep your word!" said Rudy; "each has his own -characteristic!" - -"But how is it you did not break your neck?" inquired the miller. - -"Because I held fast!" answered Rudy, "and that I do still! I hold -fast to Babette!" - -"First see that you have her!" said the miller with a laugh; and that -was a good sign, Babette knew. - -"Let us get the eaglet out of the basket; it looks dangerous. How it -stares! How did you catch it?" - -And Rudy had to tell them, and the miller stared, opening his eyes -wider and wider. - -"With your boldness and luck you can maintain three wives!" said the -miller. - -"Thank you! thank you!" cried Rudy. - -"Yes; still you have not got Babette!" said the miller, and jestingly -slapped the young hunter on the shoulder. - -"Have you heard the news in the mill?" said the parlor cat to the -kitchen cat. "Rudy has brought us the eaglet, and will take Babette in -exchange. They have kissed each other and let father see it! That is -as good as an engagement. The old man didn't kick; he drew in his -claws, and took his nap after dinner, and let the two sit and wag -their tails. They have so much to say, they won't be finished before -Christmas." - -Nor had they finished before Christmas. The wind scattered the brown -leaves, the snow drifted in the valley and on the high mountains. The -Ice-Maiden sat in her noble palace, which grows in the winter; the -rocky walls were coated with ice, there were icicles ponderous as -elephants where in the summer the mountain-torrent poured its watery -deluge; ice-garlands of fantastic ice-crystals glittered on the -snow-powdered fir-trees. The Ice-Maiden rode on the whistling wind -across the deepest valleys. The snow carpet was spread quite down to -Bex, and she could come there and see Rudy within doors, more than he -was accustomed to, for he sat with Babette. The marriage was to take -place towards the summer; he often had a ringing in his ears, so -frequently did his friends talk of it. There was summer, glowing with -the most beautiful Alpine roses, the merry, laughing Babette, -beautiful as spring, the spring that makes all the birds sing of -summer and of weddings. - -[Illustration: Rudy and Babette.] - -"How can those two sit and hang over each other?" said the parlor cat. -"I am now quite tired of their mewing!" - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE ICE-MAIDEN. - - -The walnuts and chestnut-trees, all hung with the green garlands of -spring, spread from the bridge at St. Maurice to the margin of the -Lake of Geneva along the Rhone, which with violent speed rushes from -its source under the green glacier--the ice palace, where the -Ice-Maiden lives, whence she flies on the wind to the highest -snow-field, and there, in the strong sunlight, stretches herself on -her drifting bed. And as she sits there she looks with far-seeing -glance into the deepest valleys, where men, like ants on a sunlit -stone, busily move about. - -"Powerful Spirits, as the Children of the Sun call you!" said the -Ice-Maiden, "you are creeping things! with a rolling snowball both you -and your houses and towns are crushed and effaced!" And she raised her -proud head higher, and looked about her and deep down with deathly -eyes. But from the valley was heard a rumbling, blasting of the rocks; -men were at work; roads and tunnels were being made for railways. - -"They play like moles!" said she; "they are digging passages, -therefore I hear sounds like musket-shots. When I move my castle the -sound is louder than the rolling of thunder." - -From the valley arose a smoke, which moved onward like a flickering -veil; it was the flying plume from a locomotive, which was drawing a -train on the recently opened railway, the winding serpent, whose -joints are the carriages. - -"They play at masters down below, the Powerful Spirits!" said the -Ice-Maiden. "Yet the powers of nature are mightier!" and she laughed -and sang, and the valleys resounded. - -"Now there is an avalanche rolling!" said the men below. - -But the Children of the Sun sang yet higher of human ideas, the -powerful means which subdue the sea, remove mountains, fill up -valleys; human ideas, they are the lords of the powers of nature. At -the same moment there came over the snow-field, where the Ice-Maiden -sat, a party of mountain climbers; they had bound themselves to one -another with cords for greater security on the smooth plain of ice, -near the deep precipices. - -"Creeping things!" said she. "You the lords of nature!" and she turned -herself away from them and looked mockingly down into the deep valley, -where the railway train was rushing past. - -"There they sit, these _thinkers!_ they sit in their power! I see them -all! One sits proud as a king, alone! there they sit in a cluster! -there half of them are asleep! and when the steam dragon stops they -get out, and go their way. The thinkers go out into the world!" And -she laughed. - -"There is an avalanche rolling again!" said those down below in the -valley. - -"It will not reach us!" said two people behind the steam dragon; "two -souls with one thought," as they say. It was Rudy and Babette; the -miller also was with them. - -"As luggage!" said he. "I am with them as something necessary!" - -"There sit those two!" said the Ice-Maiden. - -"Many chamois have I crushed, millions of Alpine roses have I snapped -and broken, not leaving the roots! I will blot them out! Thinkers! -Powerful Spirits!" And she laughed. - -"There's an avalanche rolling again!" said those down below in the -valley. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -THE GODMOTHER. - - -At Montreux, one of the nearest towns which, with Clarens, Vernex, and -Glion, form a garland at the northeastern end of the Lake of Geneva, -lived Babette's godmother, an English lady of position, with her -daughters and a young relative; they had recently arrived, but the -miller had already paid them a visit, told them of Babette's -engagement, and of Rudy and the eaglet, and of his visit to -Interlaken--in short, the whole history--and they had been highly -delighted and pleased with Rudy and Babette, and with the miller; and -at last made them all three come, and so they came--Babette must see -her godmother, the godmother see Babette. - -Near the little town of Villeneuve, at the end of the Lake of Geneva, -lay the steamboat which in its half-hour's journey to Vernex lies -under Montreux. This is a shore which poets have praised; here, under -the walnut-trees, on the deep blue-green lake, sat Byron, and wrote -his melodious lines on the prisoner in the Castle of Chillon. Yonder, -where Clarens is reflected with its weeping willows in the lake, -wandered Rousseau, dreaming of Heloise. The river Rhone glides forth -under the high, snow-capped mountains of Savoy; here lies, not far -from its outlet in the lake, a little island--indeed, it is so small -that from the shore it seems to be a boat out there; it is a rock -which, more than a hundred years ago, a lady had surrounded with a -stone wall, covered with soil, and planted with three acacia-trees, -which now overshadow the whole island. Babette was quite enraptured -with the little spot--it was to her the most charming in the whole -voyage; she thought they ought to stay there, for it was a most -delightful place. But the steamboat passed by it, and stopped, as it -always did, at Vernex. - -The little company wandered hence between the white, sunlit walls -which enclosed the vineyards about the little mountain town of -Montreux, where fig-trees cast a shade in front of the peasants' -cottages, and laurels and cypresses grow in the gardens. Half-way up -stood the boarding-house where the godmother was living. - -They were very cordially received. The godmother was a tall, kind lady -with a round, smiling face; as a child she must have been like one of -Raphael's angel heads, but now she was an old angel head, as her -silvery hair was quite curly. The daughters were handsome, -delicate-looking, tall and slim. The young cousin, who was with them, -was entirely dressed in white from top to toe, with yellow hair and -whiskers, of which he had so much that it might have been divided -between three gentlemen, and he at once paid great attention to little -Babette. - -Handsomely bound books, pieces of music, and drawings were spread over -the large table, the balcony doors stood open overlooking the -beautiful, extensive lake, which was so bright and still that the -mountains of Savoy, with the country towns, woods, and snowy tops, -were all reflected in it. - -Rudy, who was always bold, lively, and confident, felt himself out of -his element, as they say; and he moved about as if he were walking on -peas on a smooth floor. How slowly the hours passed! as if on the -treadmill. And now they went for a walk, and it was just as tedious; -Rudy might have taken two steps forward and then one back, and still -kept pace with the others. They walked down to Chillon, the old gloomy -castle on the rock, to see the instruments of torture, and -death-chambers, the rusty chains on the rocky walls, the stony bed for -those sentenced to death, the trap-doors through which the unfortunate -beings were precipitated downwards and impaled on the iron spikes -amidst the surf. They called it delightful to see all this. It was a -place of execution, elevated by Byron's song into the world of poetry. -Rudy felt it altogether the scene of executions; he leaned against the -great stone window-frames and looked into that deep, bluish-green -water, and over to the little solitary island with the three acacias; -he wished himself there, and away from the whole chattering party; but -Babette felt herself particularly cheerful. She said she had been -unusually entertained; she found the cousin perfect. - -"Yes, a perfect chatterbox!" said Rudy; and it was the first time that -Rudy said anything which displeased her. The Englishman had presented -her with a little book as a memento of Chillon; it was a French -version of Byron's poem, _The Prisoner of Chillon_, which Babette -could read. - -"The book may be good enough," said Rudy, "but I don't care for the -much-combed fellow who gave it you." - -"He seemed to me like a meal-sack without any meal!" said the miller, -laughing at his own wit. Rudy also laughed, and said that it was very -well put. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -THE COUSIN. - - -A few days later, when Rudy came to call at the mill, he found the -young Englishman there. Babette was just offering him some boiled -trout, which she herself must have garnished with parsley, it looked -so dainty. That was quite unnecessary. What business had the -Englishman here? What did he come for? To enjoy refreshments from the -hands of Babette? Rudy was jealous, and that amused Babette; it -gratified her to get a glimpse of all sides of his disposition, both -strong and weak. Love was as yet but play to her, and she played with -Rudy's whole heart; and though, as one may say, he was her happiness, -the chief thought of her life, the best and grandest in the world; -yes--but the more gloomy did he look, so much the more did her eyes -laugh; she could almost have kissed the blond Englishman with the -yellow whiskers, if by that means she could succeed in sending Rudy -fuming away, for by that she would know how she was beloved by him. -But this was not right or prudent of little Babette, only she was no -more than nineteen. She did not think much of it; she thought still -less how she could explain her conduct, which was more free and easy -with the young Englishman than was suitable for the miller's modest -and recently betrothed daughter. - -The mill was situated where the highroad from Bex runs under the -snow-covered peak which, the country people call the Diablerets, not -far from a rapid, grayish-white mountain stream, like foaming -soap-suds. This did not drive the mill; it was driven by a lesser -stream, which was precipitated from the rock on the other side of the -river, and was dammed up by a stone wall so as to increase its force -and headway, and carried into a closed wooden basin by a broad channel -away over the rapid river. This channel was so abundantly supplied -with water that it overflowed, and made a wet, slippery path for those -who used it as a short cut to the mill. The idea occurred to the young -Englishman to use it, and dressed in white, like a working miller, he -clambered over in the evening, guided by the light shining from -Babette's room. But he had not learnt to climb, and nearly went -head-foremost into the stream, but escaped with wet sleeves and -bespattered trousers. Muddy and dirty he came below Babette's windows, -clambered up into the old lime-tree and imitated the call of an owl, -for he could not sing like any other bird. Babette heard it, and -peeped through her thin curtains; but when she saw the white man, and -easily guessed who it was, her little heart beat with fright and with -resentment. She hastily put out her light, saw that all the -window-bolts were fastened, and left him to hoot. - -[Illustration: "Babette peeped through the curtains."] - -It would be terrible if Rudy were now in the mill, but Rudy was not in -the mill; no, what was much worse, he was just below it. There was -high talk, angry words; there would be fighting, perhaps murder. - -Babette opened her window in alarm, called Rudy's name, and told him -to go away. - -"You will not let me stay!" he shouted; "then it is an appointment! -You are expecting good friends, better than me! Shame on you, -Babette!" - -"You are detestable!" said Babette; "I hate you!" and now she was -crying. "Go! go!" - -"I have not deserved this treatment!" said he, and he went; his cheeks -were like fire, his heart was like fire. - -Babette flung herself on her bed, and wept. - -"I love you so much, Rudy! and you can believe that of me!" - -And she was angry, very angry, and that did her good, for otherwise -she would have been deeply grieved; now she could fall asleep and -sleep the invigorating sleep of youth. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -THE POWERS OF EVIL. - - -Rudy left Bex, and took the homeward path up the mountains, in the -fresh, cooling air, the domain of the Ice-Maiden. The thick foliage of -the trees deep below him looked as if they were potato plants; the -firs and the bushes appeared even less, the Alpine roses bloomed near -the snow, which lay in separate patches as if it were linen put out to -bleach. There was a single blue gentian, and he crushed it with the -butt-end of his gun. - -Higher up he saw two chamois. Rudy's eyes sparkled, his thoughts took -a new flight; but he was not near enough to them for him to shoot with -confidence; so he climbed higher, where only coarse grass grew among -the blocks of stone; the chamois went placidly along the snow-fields. -Rudy hurried on eagerly, surrounded by misty clouds, and on a sudden -he stood in front of a precipitous rocky wall, and the rain began to -fall in torrents. - -He felt a parching thirst, his head was hot, but his limbs were cold. -He seized his hunting-flask, but it was empty; he had not thought of -it when he rushed up the mountain. He had never been ill, but now he -had a presentiment of it; he was tired, he felt a desire to throw -himself down and go to sleep, but everything was streaming with water. -Strange objects vibrated before his eyes, but he saw on a sudden, what -he had never seen there before, a newly-built low house, leaning -against the rock, and at the door stood a young maiden. He thought it -was the schoolmaster's Annette, whom he once had kissed at a dance, -but it was not Annette, and yet he had seen her before, perhaps near -Grindelwald, that night when he went home from the shooting match at -Interlaken. - -"Where do you come from?" he demanded. - -"I am at home!" said she. "I am watching my flock." - -"Your flock! Where do they graze? Here are only snow and rocks!" - -"You are very clever!" said she with a laugh. "Here behind us, lower -down, is a beautiful meadow! that is where my goats go. I take good -care of them! I don't lose one; what is mine remains mine!" - -[Illustration: She came out with a bowl of wine and gave it to Rudy to -drink.] - -"You are brave!" said Rudy. - -"You also!" replied she. - -"Have you any milk? Pray give me some, for I am intolerably thirsty!" - -"I have something better than milk!" said she, "that you shall have! -Yesterday some travelers came here with their guide; they forgot half -a bottle of wine, such as you have never tasted; they will not fetch -it, and I don't drink it, so you can have it." - -And she came out with the wine, poured it into a wooden bowl, and gave -it to Rudy. - -"That is good!" said he. "I have never tasted any wine so warming and -fiery!" and his eyes sparkled, and there came an animation, a glow -into him, as if all sorrow and depression had evaporated; and the -gushing, fresh human nature coursed through his veins. - -"But this is surely the schoolmaster's Annette!" he exclaimed. "Give -me a kiss!" - -"Then give me the pretty ring you have on your finger!" - -"My engagement ring?" - -"Exactly so!" said the girl; and she poured wine into the bowl, and -held it to his lips, and he drank it. The joy of living was in his -blood, he felt as if all the world belonged to him, and why should he -worry? Everything is for us to enjoy and to make us happy! The stream -of life is a stream of joy; to ride on it, to let ourselves float on -its surface, that is felicity! He looked at the young girl: it was -Annette, and still it was not Annette; even less was it the goblin -phantom, as he had called her, he met near Grindelwald. The girl here -on the mountain was fresh as the new-fallen snow, blooming as an -Alpine rose, and nimble as a kid, but still formed out of Adam's ribs, -as human as Rudy. And he put his arms around her, and gazed into her -wonderfully clear eyes. It was only for a second, and in this--who can -explain it? was it the spirit of life or of death that filled -him?--was he raised on high, or did he sink down into the deep, -murderous abyss of ice, deeper, ever deeper? He saw the walls of ice -like blue-green glass; endless crevasses gaped around him, and water -dripped sounding like chimes, and gleaming like pearls in bluish-white -flames. The Ice-Maiden gave him a kiss, and it chilled him through his -backbone and into his brain. He gave one cry of pain, dragged himself -away, stumbled and fell, and it was night before his eyes. The powers -of evil had played their game. - -[Illustration: "The Ice-maiden gave him a kiss."] - -When he reopened his eyes the Alpine maiden was gone, as was also the -sheltering cottage. Water drove down the bare rocky wall, the snow lay -all round him; Rudy shivered with cold, he was soaked to the skin, and -his ring was gone, his engagement ring which Babette had given him. -His gun lay by him in the snow; he took it up and wished to discharge -it, but it missed fire. Watery clouds lay like solid masses of snow in -the crevasse; Giddiness sat there and lured on her helpless prey, and -under her there was a sound in the deep crevasse as if a huge rock -were falling, crushing and sweeping away everything that would stop it -in its fall. - -But in the mill Babette sat weeping. Rudy had not been near her for -six days--he who was in the wrong, he who ought to ask her -forgiveness, because she loved him with her whole heart. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -IN THE MILLER'S HOUSE. - - -"What horrid nonsense it is with these human beings!" said the parlor -cat to the kitchen cat. "Now it is broken off again with Babette and -Rudy. She is crying, and he does not think any more of her." - -"I can't endure that," said the kitchen cat. - -"No more can I," said the parlor cat, "but I won't grieve over it! -Babette may now be the beloved of the red whiskers! but he has not -been here since he wished to get on the roof." - -The powers of evil have their game, both without us and within us. -This Rudy had discovered and thought over. What was it that had taken -place about him and in him on the top of the mountain? Was it a -vision, or a feverish dream? Never before had he known fever or -illness. He had made an examination of his own heart when he judged -Babette. Could he confess to Babette the thoughts which assailed him -in the hour of temptation? He had lost her ring, and it was exactly in -that loss that she had regained him. Would she confess to him? It -seemed as if his heart would burst asunder when he thought of her; -there arose within him so many memories; he seemed really to see her, -laughing like a merry child. Many an affectionate word she had spoken -in the abundance of her heart came like a gleam of sunshine into his -breast, and soon it was all sunshine therein for Babette. - -She might be able to confess to him, and she ought to do so. - -He went to the mill, and confessed, beginning with a kiss, and ending -in the admission that he was the offender. It was a great offense in -him that he could distrust Babette's fidelity; it was almost -unpardonable! Such distrust, such impetuosity might bring them both to -grief. Yes, indeed! and therefore Babette lectured him, and she was -pleased with herself, and it suited her so well. But in one thing Rudy -was right--godmother's relation was a chatterbox! She wished to burn -the book which he had given her, and not have the least thing in her -possession that could remind her of him. - -"Now that's all over!" said the parlor cat. "Rudy is here again, they -understand each other, and that is the greatest good fortune, they -say." - -"I heard in the night," said the kitchen cat, "the rats say the -greatest good fortune is to eat tallow-candles and to have quite -enough rancid bacon. Now, which shall I believe--rats, or a pair of -lovers?" - -"Neither of them!" said the parlor cat. "That is always safest." - -The greatest good fortune for Rudy and Babette was close at hand; the -wedding day--the most beautiful day, as they called it. - -But the marriage was not to take place at the church at Bex, or in the -miller's house; the godmother wished the wedding to be held at her -house, and that they should be married in the pretty little church at -Montreux. The miller stuck to it that this request should be complied -with; he alone was aware what the godmother intended to give the -bride for a wedding present, and considered they ought to make so -slight a concession. The day was fixed. On the previous evening they -were to journey to Villeneuve, and to proceed in the early morning to -Montreux by boat, that the godmother's daughters might deck the bride. - -"There will be a feast here the day after the wedding," said the -parlor cat. "Otherwise I would not give one mew for the lot." - -"There _will_ be a feast!" said the kitchen cat; "ducks and pigeons -are killed, and a whole deer hangs on the wall. It makes my mouth -water to look at it! In the morning they start on their journey." - -Yes, in the morning! This evening Rudy and Babette sat together, as -betrothed, for the last time at the mill. - -Out of doors was the Alpine glow, the evening bells chimed, the -daughters of the sunbeams sang: "May the best thing happen!" - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -VISIONS IN THE NIGHT. - - -The sun was set, the clouds came down in the Rhone valley between the -high mountains, the wind blew from the south, a wind from Africa, but, -over the high Alps, a tempest, rending the clouds asunder, and, when -the wind had swept by, for one instant it was quite still; the torn -clouds hung in fantastic shapes among the tree-clad mountains, and -over the rushing Rhone; they hung in shapes like antediluvian -monsters, like eagles hovering in the air and like frogs leaping in a -pool; they came down over the rapid stream, they sailed over it -although they sailed in the air. The river bore on its surface a -pine-tree torn up by the roots, watery eddies flowed before it; that -was Giddiness--there were more than one--moving in a circle on the -onward-rushing stream. The moon shone on the snow-covered mountain -tops, on the black woods and the strange white clouds, visions of -night, spirits of the powers of nature; the mountain peasants saw -them through the windows, they sailed below in crowds before the -Ice-Maiden who came from her glacier palace, and sat on her -frail-craft, the uprooted pine-tree, carrying the glacier water with -her down the stream to the open lake. - -"The wedding guests are coming!" That was what whistled and sang in -the air and the water. - -There were visions without and visions within. Babette dreamed a -strange dream. - -It appeared to her as if she was married to Rudy, and that many years -had passed. He was now hunting chamois, but she was at home, and there -sat with her the young Englishman with the yellow whiskers. His -glances were warm, his words had a power of witchcraft; he held out -his hands to her, and she was obliged to follow him. They left her -home and went down the mountain, ever down, and it seemed to Babette -as if there lay a burden on her heart, which was always growing -heavier. It was a sin against Rudy, a sin against God. And then on a -sudden she was standing deserted; her clothes were torn by the -thorns, her hair was gray. She looked up in her grief, and on the edge -of a cliff she saw Rudy. She held out her arms towards him, but did -not venture to call or pray. Nor would it have helped her, for she -quickly saw that it was not he, but only his hunting-jacket and hat, -which were hanging on his alpenstock, as hunters set them to deceive -the chamois. And in the depth of her affliction Babette wailed out: -"Oh, that I had died on the day I was married, the day of my greatest -happiness! that would have been a happy life! that would have been the -best thing that could happen for me and Rudy! None knows his future!" -and in her impious grief she precipitated herself into a deep chasm in -the rocks. The spell was broken, and with a cry she awoke. - -The dream had vanished, but she knew that she had dreamed something -dreadful, and that she had dreamed of the young Englishman, whom she -had not seen or thought of for several months. Was he in Montreux? Was -she about to see him at the wedding? Her pretty lips tightened at the -thought, and she knit her brows. But soon there came a smile, and her -eyes gleamed; the sun was shining so beautifully outside, and the -morning was that of her wedding with Rudy. - -He was already in the parlor when she came down, and soon they were -away to Villeneuve. They were a very happy couple; and the miller with -them laughed and beamed in the highest spirits; he was a good father -and an upright man. - -"Now we are the masters at home!" said the parlor cat. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -CONCLUSION. - - -It was not yet evening when the three happy people reached Villeneuve, -and sat down to their repast. After dinner the miller sat in an -easy-chair with his pipe, and took a little nap. The young couple went -arm in arm out of the town, then by the carriage road under the rocks -so thick with bushes, skirting the deep bluish-green lake. The gloomy -Chillon reflected its gray walls and massive towers in the clear -water; the little island with the three acacia trees lay still nearer, -appearing like a bouquet in the lake. - -"It must be delightful out there!" said Babette; she had still the -strongest inclination to go there, and that wish could be immediately -fulfilled; there lay a boat by the bank, the line that held it was -easy to unfasten. They could not see any one from whom to ask -permission, and so they took the boat, for Rudy could row well. - -The oars caught hold of the water like the fins of a fish, the water -that is so pliable and yet so strong, that is all a back to bear, all -a mouth to devour, mildly smiling, softness itself, and yet -overwhelming and strong to rend asunder. The water foamed in the wake -of the boat, in which in a few minutes the couple had gained the -island, where they landed. There was not more than room enough on it -for two to dance. - -Rudy turned Babette round two or three times, and then, hand in hand, -they seated themselves on the little bench beneath the overhanging -acacias, and gazed into each other's eyes, while all around them was -illuminated in the splendor of the setting sun. The pine forests on -the mountains put on a lilac hue like heather when in flower, and -where the trees ceased and the bare rock came into view it glowed as -if the mountain was transparent; the clouds in the heavens were -lighted up as if with red fire, the whole lake was like a fresh, -blushing rose-leaf. Already, as the shadows lifted themselves up to the -snow-clad hills of Savoy, they became bluish, but the topmost peaks -shone as if of red lava, and for one moment looked as if these glowing -masses had raised themselves from the bowels of the earth and were not -yet extinguished. That was an Alpine glow, such as Rudy and Babette -could never hope to see the equal of. The snow-covered Dent du Midi -had a splendor like the face of the full moon when it is rising. - -"So much beauty! so much happiness!" they both said. - -"The earth has no more to give me!" said Rudy. "An evening hour like -this is a whole lifetime! How often have I felt my good fortune as I -feel it now, and thought, 'If all were now ended, how fortunately I -should have lived! How blessed is this world!' and the day ended; but -a new one began again, and it seemed to me that it was fairer still! -Heaven is infinitely good, Babette!" - -"I am so happy!" said she. - -"Earth has nothing more to give me!" exclaimed Rudy. - -And the evening bells chimed from the mountains of Savoy, from the -mountains of Switzerland; the dark blue Jura lifted itself towards the -west in a golden luster. - -"God give thee what is grandest and best!" exclaimed Babette. - -"That He will!" said Rudy. "To-morrow I shall have it! to-morrow thou -wilt be mine! my own little, charming wife!" - -"The boat!" cried Babette at that moment. - -The boat, which was to take them back, had broken loose and drifted -from the island. - -"I will fetch it!" said Rudy, throwing off his coat; and he pulled off -his boots, sprang into the lake, and took rapid strokes towards the -boat. - -Cold and deep was the clear, bluish-green water from the mountain -glacier. Rudy looked down below, only one single glance--and he -thought he saw a golden ring rolling, and gleaming, and playing--he -thought of his lost betrothal ring, and the ring became larger, and -expanded into a sparkling circle, and in that shone the clear glacier; -interminable deep crevasses yawned around him, and the dripping water -sounded like a carillon of bells and gleamed with bluish flames; in an -instant he saw what we have to tell in so many words. Young huntsmen -and young maidens, men and women, once swallowed up in the crevasses -of the glacier, stood here alive, with open eyes and smiling mouth, -and deep under them came the sound of church bells from submerged -towns; a congregation knelt under the church arches, pieces of ice -formed the organ-pipes, mountain torrents played on it. The Ice-Maiden -sat on the clear, transparent floor; she raised herself up towards -Rudy, kissed his feet, and there ran a deadly coldness through his -limbs, an electric shock--ice and fire! one does not know the -difference at the first touch. - -"Mine! mine!" sounded about him and in him. "I kissed thee when thou -wast little! I kissed thee on the mouth! now I kiss thee on the toe -and on the heel--thou art mine altogether!" - -And he was lost in the clear blue water. - -All was still; the church bells ceased to ring, the last notes died -away with the splendor on the red clouds. "Mine thou art!" sounded -again in the depths; "Mine thou art!" sounded in the heights, from the -Infinite. - -The icy kiss of Death overcame that which was corruptible; the prelude -was over before the drama of life could begin, the discord resolved -into harmony. - -It is beautiful to fly from love to Love, from earth into the Heaven. - -Do you call that a sad story? - -Unfortunate Babette! It was a fearful time for her! the boat drifted -farther and farther away. No one on shore knew that the bridal pair -were on the little island. Night drew on; the clouds descended and it -became dark. She stood there alone, despairing, weeping. A furious -storm broke over her; lightning illuminated the mountains of Jura, -Switzerland, and Savoy, and thunder rolled continuously. The -lightning was almost as bright as the sun; one could see each single -vine as at midday, and then immediately everything would be shrouded -in the thickest darkness. The flashes formed knots, rings, zig-zags; -they struck round about the lake, they shone from all sides, while the -peals were increased by the echoes. On the land people drew the boats -higher up the banks; every living thing sought shelter, and the rain -poured down in torrents. - -"Wherever are Rudy and Babette in this furious storm?" said the -miller. - -Babette sat with clasped hands, with her head in her lap speechless -with grief. - -"In that deep water!" she said within herself. "He is deep down, as -under the glacier!" - -And she remembered what Rudy had told her of his mother's death, of -his own rescue, and how he had been brought up as one dead out of the -crevasse in the glacier. "The Ice-Maiden has him again!" - -And the lightning flashed as blinding as a ray of the sun on the white -snow. Babette started; the lake lifted itself at that instant, like a -shining glacier; the Ice-Maiden stood there, majestic, pale blue, -shining, and at her feet lay Rudy's corpse. "Mine!" said she; and -round about was again darkness and gloom, and rushing water. - -"Cruel!" moaned Babette. "Why then should he die, when the happy day -was come! O God! enlighten my understanding! shine into my heart! I -cannot understand Thy ways, but I bow to Thy power and wisdom!" - -And God shone into her heart. A flash of thought, a ray of light, her -dream of last night, as if it were real, seemed to shine through her; -she called to mind the words which she had spoken: she had wished for -_the best thing_ for herself and Rudy. - -"Woe is me! was that the seed of sin in my heart? was my dream a future -life, whose string must be snapped for my salvation? Miserable me!" - -She sat wailing in the gloomy, dark night. In the deep stillness she -thought that Rudy's words sounded again, the last he had uttered: -"Earth has nothing more to give me!" They had been said in the -abundance of happiness, they came back to her in the depth of her -grief. - -[Illustration: The Ice-Maiden stood there, majestic, pale blue, -shining, and at her feet lay Rudy.] - -A couple of years have elapsed. The lake smiles, the banks smile; the -vines put forth swelling grapes; steamboats with waving flags hurry -past, pleasure-boats with both their sails set fly like white -butterflies over the expanse of water; the railway above Chillon has -been opened, and leads deep into the Rhone valley. At every station -visitors get out, they come with their red guide-books and read to -themselves what remarkable things they have to see. They visit -Chillon, they see from thence in the lake the little island with the -three acacias, and read in the book of a bridal pair who, in the year -1856, sailed thither one evening, of the bridegroom's death and: "next -morning the bride's despairing cry was first heard on the shore." - -But the guide-books make no mention of Babette's quiet life with her -father, not in the mill--strangers live there--but in the pretty -house near the railway station, where from the windows she often looks -out in the afternoon over the chestnut trees to the snow mountains -where Rudy used to disport himself; she sees in the evenings the -Alpine glow, the Children of the Sun encamping above and repeating the -song of the traveler whose mantle the whirlwind carried away; it took -the covering, but not the man himself. - -There is a rosy luster on the snow of the mountains, there is a rosy -luster in every heart where the thought is: "God lets that which is -best come to pass!" but that is not always revealed to us as it was to -Babette in her dream. - - - - -THE FELLOW-TRAVELER. - - -Poor Johannes was sorely afflicted, for his father was ill, past all -hope of recovery. Besides their two selves, not a soul was present in -the little room. The lamp on the table was flickering, and it was late -at night. - -"You have been a good son, Johannes," said the sick father, "and God -will, no doubt, help you on in the world." And he gazed at him with -mild and thoughtful eyes, fetched a deep sigh, and then died--though -he only looked as if he had gone to sleep. But Johannes wept; for now -he had nobody in the wide world--neither father, mother, sister, nor -brother. Poor Johannes! He knelt down beside the bed, kissed his dead -father's hand, and shed many, many bitter tears! But at length his -eyes closed, and he fell asleep against the hard bedpost. - -He had then a strange dream. He thought the sun and moon came down to -him, and he saw his father again in full health and freshness, and -heard him laugh as he used to do when he was pleased. A pretty girl, -with a gold crown on her long, shining hair, presented her hand to -him; and his father said: "Look what a bride you have won. She is the -loveliest maid upon earth." He then woke, and all these fine things -vanished; his father lay dead and cold in his bed, and nobody was near -them. Poor Johannes! - -In the following week, the dead man was buried. The son followed close -behind the coffin, for he was never again to behold the father who had -loved him so dearly. He heard them fling the earth down upon the -coffin, and still saw a little corner of it left; but, at the next -shovelful, even that disappeared. Then he felt as though his heart -would break, so afflicted was he. They sang a psalm round the grave, -and it sounded so beautiful that it brought tears into Johannes' eyes. -He wept, and felt relieved. The sun shone down gloriously on the green -trees, just as if it meant to say: "You must not be so mournful, -Johannes. Look how beautifully blue the sky is yonder! Your father is -up above, and is begging of the All-merciful that you may thrive at -all times!" - -"I will always be good," said Johannes, "then I shall join my father -in heaven; and what joy it will be to meet him again! How much I shall -have to tell him, and how much he will have to teach me about the -delights of heaven, just as he used to teach me here on earth. Oh, -what joy that will be!" - -He fancied it all so plainly that he smiled, while the tears still ran -down his cheeks. The birds in the chestnut trees kept twittering, -"Twit! twit!" They were gay, although they had been at the funeral; -but they knew that the dead man was now in heaven, and had wings much -larger and more beautiful than their own; and that he was happy, -because he had been good here on earth: and, therefore, they were -pleased. Johannes saw how they flew from the green trees out into the -wide world, and then he wished to fly away also. But he first cut out -a large wooden cross to place on his father's grave; and when he -brought it thither in the evening, he found the grave decked with -gravel and flowers. This had been done by strangers, who all esteemed -the worthy man who had gone to his last home. - -Early the next morning, Johannes packed up his little bundle, and put -into his girdle his whole legacy, consisting of fifty dollars and a -couple of silver shillings, with which he meant to wander forth into -the world. But first of all he repaired to his father's grave in the -churchyard, where he repeated the Lord's Prayer, and then said, -"Farewell!" - -Abroad in the fields through which he passed, all the flowers looked -fresh and lovely in the warm sunshine. And they nodded in the wind, -just as if they meant to say: "Welcome to the greenwood! Is it not -delightful here?" But Johannes turned round to give a last look at the -old church, in which he was christened as an infant, and where he used -to go with his father every Sunday to hear the service, and to sing -his psalm; and in so doing he perceived, in one of the upper loopholes -of the church tower, the little goblin belonging to it, who stood -with his little pointed, red cap on his head, shading his countenance -with his arm, so that the sun might not stream into his eyes. Johannes -nodded farewell to him; and the little goblin waved his red cap, laid -his hand on his heart, and then kissed his hand to him, to show that -he was kindly disposed towards him, and wished him a happy journey. - -Johannes now thought of how many beautiful things he should see in the -wide world, so large and so magnificent as it was; and he went on and -on much further than he had ever been before. He did not know the -places through which he passed, nor the people whom he met. He was now -abroad in a foreign land. - -The first night he was obliged to lie on a haycock in the open fields, -for he had no other bed. But this he thought was so nice a bed that -the king himself could not be better off. The field, and the haycock, -with the blue sky above, certainly formed a very pretty bed-chamber. -The green grass, dotted with little red and white flowers, was the -carpet; the elder bushes and hedges of wild roses were the nosegays -that decorated the room; and his washing-basin was the brook, with its -clear, pure waters, where the reeds were nodding to bid him good night -and good morning. The moon was a large lamp, high up in the blue -ceiling, and one that could not set fire to the curtains. Johannes -might sleep in peace, and he did so, nor did he wake till the sun -rose, and all the little birds around were singing: "Good morrow! Good -morrow! Are you not yet up?" - -The bells were ringing for church, for it was Sunday. The people were -going to hear the preacher, and Johannes followed them, sang a psalm, -and heard the word of God. He felt just as if he were in his own -parish church, in which he had been christened, and where he sang -psalms with his father. - -In the churchyard were several graves, some of which were overgrown -with very high grass. And he thought how his father's grave would grow -to look the same in the end, as he would not be there to weed it and -deck it. So he fell to work and tore up the grass, and set up the -wooden crosses that had fallen down, and replaced the wreaths that had -been blown away by the wind, thinking all the time, "Perhaps some one -is doing the same for my father's grave, as I am unable to take care -of it." - -Before the church door stood an aged beggar, leaning on a crutch. -Johannes gave him his silver shillings, and then went forth on his -way, lighter and happier than he had felt before. - -Towards evening there arose a violent storm, which made him hasten to -find a shelter. Darkness soon came on; but at length he reached a -small and lonely church that stood on a little hill. - -"I will sit down in a corner," said he, as he went in; "I am so tired -that I need rest." He then sat down, and folded his hands, and said -his evening prayer; and before he perceived it, he was fast asleep, -and dreaming, while a thunderstorm was raging abroad. - -When he awoke, it was in the middle of the night, but the fearful -storm was over, and the moon shone in through the window to greet him. -In the middle of the church stood an open coffin, in which lay the -body of a man, that was awaiting burial. Johannes was not fearful, for -he had a good conscience; and, besides, he knew that the dead never -injure any one. It is only living, wicked men that do any harm. Two -such bad characters stood beside the dead man that was lying in the -church awaiting burial, and they wanted to vent their spite, by not -letting him rest in his coffin, and casting his poor body outside the -church door. - -"Why do you want to do so?" asked Johannes. "It would be very wicked. -In Christ's name, let him rest in peace!" - -"Oh, stuff and nonsense!" said the two hideous men; "he has taken us -in. He owed us money, and couldn't pay it; and now he is dead into the -bargain, and we shan't recover a penny! Therefore we will take our -revenge, and he shall lie outside the church door like a dog." - -"I have nothing in the world but fifty dollars," said Johannes, "which -form my whole patrimony; yet will I willingly give them to you, -provided you promise truly to leave the dead man in peace. I shall -manage without the money. I have strong and healthy limbs, and a -merciful God will assist me in times of need!" - -"Of course," said the ugly men, "if you pay his debt, we will neither -of us lay a finger upon him--that you may depend upon." And hereupon -they took the money which he gave them, laughed aloud at his simple -good nature, and went their ways. Then he laid the body carefully back -into the coffin, folded the dead man's hands, took leave of him and -continued his way through a large forest, in a contented frame of -mind. - -All around him, wherever the moon shone through the trees, he saw -numbers of elegant little elves at play. His presence did not disturb -them, for they knew him to be a good and harmless son of the earth; -for it is only bad people who are not privileged to see the elves. -Some of them were not taller than the breadth of one's finger, and -wore their long yellow hair fastened up with gold combs. They were -rocking themselves, two by two, on the large dewdrops that sparkled on -the leaves and the tall grass. Now and then the drop would roll away, -and down they fell between the long blades, occasioning a deal of -laughter and merriment amongst the tiny folk. It was a pretty sight. -Then they sang, and Johannes recognized distinctly all the pretty -songs he had learned as a little boy. Large speckled spiders, with -silver crowns upon their heads, were set to build suspension bridges -and palaces from one hedge to another, which, when spangled by the -dew, glittered like glass in the moonshine. These frolics continued -till sunrise, when the little elves crept into the flower-buds and the -wind took possession of their bridges and palaces, which were tossed -upon the air as cobwebs. - -Johannes had just left the forest, when the full-toned voice of a man -cried out to him, "Ho there, comrade! whither are you going?" - -"Into the wide world," said he. "I have neither father nor mother, and -am a poor boy; but the Lord will help me in time of need." - -"I am likewise going into the wide world," said the stranger. "Shall -we keep each other company?" - -"Willingly," said he; and so they walked on together. They soon felt a -mutual liking for each other, for both were good; only Johannes soon -found out that the stranger was much wiser than himself. He had -traveled throughout nearly the whole world, and could tell of -everything that existed. - -The sun was already high when they sat down under a tree to eat their -breakfast, just as an old woman was coming up to them. She was very -aged, and almost bent double, and supported herself on a crutch-stick, -while she carried on her back a bundle of firewood, which she had -gathered in the forest. Her apron was tucked up, and Johannes saw -three large rods of fern and willow twigs peeping out at each end. -When she was quite close to our travelers, her foot slipped, and she -fell with a loud scream, for she had broken her leg--poor old woman! - -Johannes at once proposed that they should carry the old woman home; -but the stranger opened his knapsack, and took out a box, saying that -he had an ointment which would immediately make her leg whole again, -and so strong that she would be able to walk home by herself, just as -if the accident had never happened: only he required that she should -give him in return the three rods she carried in her apron. - -"That would be well paid," said the old woman, nodding her head in a -peculiar manner. She did not like giving up the rods; but, on the -other hand, it was still more disagreeable to be lying there with a -broken limb. So she gave him the rods, and the moment he had rubbed -her leg with the ointment the old dame got up, and walked much better -than before. Such were the effects of the ointment; and truly it was -not of a sort to be purchased at the apothecary's. - -"What do you want with these rods?" asked Johannes of his -fellow-traveler. - -"They are three very pretty herb-brooms," said he, "and I like them, -because I am a foolish fellow." - -They then went on a good deal further. - -"Look how overcast the sky appears!" said Johannes, pointing before -them. "Those are frightfully heavy clouds." - -"No," said his fellow-traveler, "they are not clouds; they are -mountains--fine, large mountains--at the top of which one may overlook -the clouds, and breathe fresh air. And delightful it is, believe me, -to stand there! To-morrow we shall assuredly be far out in the wide -world." - -But they were not so near as they looked, and it took a full day -before they had reached the mountains, where the black forests were -towering up to the sky, and where blocks of stone might be found as -huge as a large town. It seemed a somewhat difficult undertaking to -cross them; therefore, Johannes and his fellow-traveler turned into an -inn, in order to rest and gather strength for the next day's -excursion. - -A number of persons were assembled in the tap-room of the inn, where a -man was exhibiting a puppet-show. He had just set up his little -theater, and the people were sitting round to see the play. But, right -in front, a stout butcher had sat himself down in the very best place, -while a great bulldog by his side--who looked wondrously snappish--sat -staring like the rest of the audience. - -The play now began. It was a very pretty piece, with a king and queen, -who sat on a splendid throne, with gold crowns on their heads and long -trains to their robes; for their means allowed them to indulge in such -luxuries. The prettiest little puppets, with glass eyes and large -mustaches, stood at all the doors, and opened and shut them, to let in -fresh air. It was a very agreeable play, and not at all mournful. But, -just as the queen got up, and passed across the stage, no one knows -what the huge bulldog took into his head; but, being no longer held by -the butcher, he jumped right into the theater, and seized the queen by -the middle of her slender waist, so that it cracked again. It was -quite shocking to hear. - -The poor man who exhibited the show was both frightened and sorry for -the loss of his queen, for she was the most elegant puppet in his -stock, and the ugly bulldog had bitten her head off. But when the rest -of the spectators had retired, the stranger who traveled with Johannes -said that he would set her to rights, and taking out his box, he -smeared the puppet with the same ointment that had cured the old -woman's broken leg. The moment this was done, the puppet was whole -again, and could even move all her limbs of herself, and no longer -required to be pulled by wires. The puppet was like a human being, -except that it could not speak. The showman was vastly delighted, for -now he had no longer any occasion to hold this puppet, who could dance -of her own accord, which none of the others could do. - -Late at night, when all the folks at the inn had gone to bed, somebody -was heard to sigh so dreadfully deep, and so frequently, that the -whole household got up, to see what could be the matter. The showman -went to his little theater, for it was from thence the sighing -proceeded. All the wooden puppets were lying in a heap; the king and -his body-guard it was who were sighing so piteously, and staring with -their glass eyes, because they wished to be smeared a little like the -queen, in order that they might move of themselves. The queen knelt -down and lifted up her pretty crown, saying, "Take this, but do smear -my husband and my courtiers." The poor showman could not then help -crying, for he was really sorry for his puppets. He immediately -promised Johannes' fellow-traveler all the money he might earn on the -following evening through his puppet-show, if he would only smear four -or five of his prettiest puppets. But the fellow-traveler said he did -not require anything but the large sword that he wore at his side, on -receiving which, he besmeared six puppets, that immediately danced so -gracefully that all living girls that beheld them were irresistibly -impelled to dance likewise. The coachman and the cook began dancing, -then the waiters and the chambermaids, and all the strangers present, -as well as the shovel and the tongs--only the latter fell down at the -very first leap. They had indeed, a merry night of it! - -Next morning, Johannes started with his fellow-traveler, before any of -the others were astir, and crossed the large forest of fir-trees, in -their way up the high mountains. They climbed to such a height that -the church steeples below looked like little blue berries in the green -grass, and they could see for miles and miles around, where they had -never yet been. Johannes had never before seen so much at once of the -beauties of this lovely world. And then the sun shone so warmly -through the fresh blue air, and the huntsmen's horns echoed so -beautifully between the mountains, that tears came into his eyes, and -he could not forbear exclaiming, "All-merciful God! what a kind Father -Thou art to us, to have given us all the fine things to be seen in the -world!" - -His fellow-traveler likewise stood with folded hands, and gazed upon -the forest, and the towns that lay in the bright sunshine. At the same -moment, they heard a lovely sound above their heads, and on looking -up, they perceived a large white swan hovering in the air, and singing -as no bird had ever sung before. But its voice grew weaker and weaker, -till its head drooped, and it slowly dropped down to their feet, where -the poor bird lay quite dead. - -"Two such beautiful wings," said the fellow-traveler, "so white and so -large as this bird's, are worth some money; so I will take them with -me. You see it was well that I obtained a sword." And he cut off the -two wings of the dead swan at a single blow, and kept them. - -They now traveled many miles across the mountains till they at length -reached a large city containing hundreds of towers, that shone like -silver in the sunshine. In the midst of the town stood a handsome -marble palace, roofed with pure red gold, in which dwelt the king. - -Johannes and his fellow-traveler did not care to enter the town -immediately, but went into an inn, situated in the outskirts, in order -to dress themselves; for they wished to look tidy when they walked -through the streets. The landlord informed them how good a man the -king was, and that he never injured anybody; but as to his -daughter--heaven defend us!--she was a bad princess indeed! Beauty she -possessed in abundance: nobody was prettier or more elegant than -herself. But what of that? She was a wicked witch, and was the cause -of many accomplished princes having lost their lives. She had given -leave to everybody to woo her. Any one might present himself, be he a -prince or a beggar; it was all the same to her. Only he must guess -three things that she had thought of and questioned him about. If he -succeeded, he was to marry her, and become king over all the land at -her father's death; but if he could not guess the three things, he was -then to be hung, or to have his head struck off. Her father the old -king, was deeply concerned at all this: but he could not forbid her -being so wicked because he had once declared that he would never -meddle with her lovers and that she might do as she liked about them. -Every time a prince came to try his luck at guessing, in order to -obtain the princess's hand, he was sure to fail, and was, therefore, -hung or beheaded. He had been warned betimes that it would be safer to -desist from his suit. The old king was so afflicted at the mourning -and wretchedness thus occasioned that, for one whole day in the year, -he and all his soldiers used to kneel and pray that the princess might -grow good; but she would not. The old women who tippled brandy used to -color it quite black before they drank it; this was their way of -mourning, and they could not well do more. - -"What a shocking princess!" said Johannes. "She deserves the rod, and -it would do her good. If I were the old king, she should have been -thrashed long ago." - -They now heard the mob cheering outside the inn. The princess was -passing, and she was really so beautiful that everybody forgot how -wicked she was, and therefore hurrahed. Twelve beautiful maidens, -dressed in white silk clothes and holding golden tulips in their -hands, rode by her side on coal-black horses. The princess herself was -mounted on a snow-white steed, with diamond and ruby trappings. Her -riding-dress was of gold brocade; and the whip she held in her hand -looked like a sunbeam. The gold crown on her head resembled the little -stars twinkling in the heavens, while her mantle consisted of -thousands of splendid butterflies' wings stitched together. Yet, in -spite of this magnificence, she was herself far more beautiful than -her clothes. - -When Johannes caught sight of her, his face grew as red as a drop of -blood, and he was struck completely dumb; for the princess exactly -resembled the beautiful girl with the golden crown, whom he had -dreamed of the night his father died. He thought her most beautiful, -and could not help loving her passionately. It could not be possible, -thought he, that she was a wicked witch, who ordered people to be hung -or beheaded when they were unable to guess what she asked. "But since -every one, down to the poorest beggar, is free to woo her," said he, -"I will repair to the palace, for I cannot resist doing so." Everybody -advised him not to attempt such a thing, as he must inevitably fail -like the rest. His fellow-traveler, likewise, warned him to desist; -but Johannes thought he should succeed. He brushed his shoes and his -coat, washed his hands and face, combed his pretty flaxen hair, and -then went alone into the town, and proceeded to the palace. - -"Come in," said the old king, when Johannes knocked at the door. -Johannes opened it, and the old king came forward to meet him in his -dressing-gown and embroidered slippers; he wore his crown on his -head, and bore his scepter in one hand and his ball in the other. -"Wait a bit," said he, putting the ball under his arm, to leave one -hand free to present to Johannes. But the moment he heard he came as a -suitor, he began to weep so violently that both ball and scepter fell -on the floor, and he was fain to wipe his eyes with the skirts of his -dressing-gown. Poor old king! - -"Think not of it," said he, "you will fare as badly as all the others. -Come, you shall see." - -He then led him into the princess's pleasure-garden, and a frightful -sight was there to behold! From every tree hung three or four kings' -sons who had wooed the princess, but had been unable to guess her -riddles. At every breeze that blew, all these skeletons rattled till -the little birds were frightened, and never dared to come into the -garden. All the flowers were propped with human bones; and human -skulls might be seen grinning in flowerpots. It was an odd garden for -a princess. - -"Now, you see," said the old king, "your fate will be just the same as -that of all the others whose remains you behold. Therefore give up -the attempt. You really make me quite unhappy, for I take it so to -heart." - -Johannes kissed the good old king's hand, and assured him that all -would be well; for he was quite enchanted with the lovely princess. - -As the princess then rode into the palaceyard, accompanied by all her -ladies, they went out to greet her. She was marvelously fair to look -upon, as she presented her hand to Johannes. And he thought a great -deal more of her than he did before; and felt certain she could not be -a wicked witch, as everybody said she was. They then went into a room -where little pages handed them sweetmeats and gingerbread-nuts. But -the old king was so out of sorts, he could not eat at all. Besides, -the gingerbread-nuts were too hard for him. - -It was agreed that Johannes should return to the palace on the -following morning, when the judges and the whole council would be -assembled to see and hear how the guessing was carried on. If he -succeeded, he was then to return twice more; but there never yet had -been anybody who had been able to solve any question the first time, -and in each case his life was forfeited. - -Johannes felt no anxiety as to how he should fare. On the contrary, he -was pleased, and thought only of the beautiful princess; and was quite -confident that God would help him through his trials. Though how this -was to be accomplished he knew not, and preferred not troubling -himself to think about the matter. He capered along on the high-road, -as he returned to the inn where his fellow-traveler was waiting his -return. - -Johannes could not cease expatiating on the gracious reception he had -met with from the princess, and on her extreme beauty. He quite longed -for the morrow, when he was to go to the palace and try his luck at -guessing. - -But his fellow-traveler shook his head mournfully. "I wish you so -well!" said he. "We might have remained together a good deal longer, -and now I must lose you! Poor, dear Johannes! I could weep, only I -will not spoil your joy on the last evening that we may ever spend -together. We will be merry--right merry! To-morrow, when you are gone, -I shall be able to weep undisturbed." - -All the inhabitants of the town had immediately heard that there was a -new suitor for the princess's hand, and there prevailed universal -consternation. The theater was closed; the pastry-cooks put crape -round their sugar-husbands; and the king and the priests were on their -knees in the church. This sadness was occasioned by the conviction -that Johannes could not succeed better than all the other suitors had -done. - -Towards evening Johannes' fellow-traveler prepared a goodly bowl of -punch, and said: "Now let us be merry, and drink the princess's -health." But after drinking a couple of glasses, Johannes proved so -sleepy, that he could not possibly keep his eyes open, and fell fast -asleep. His fellow-traveler then lifted him gently out of his chair, -and laid him in bed; and when it was quite dark, he took the two large -wings he had cut off from the dead swan, and fastened them firmly to -his own shoulders. He then put into his pocket the largest rod that -he had obtained from the old woman who fell and broke her leg; and -opening the window, he flew over the town, straight to the palace, -where he placed himself in an upper corner of the building right under -the princess's bed-chamber. - -The whole town was perfectly quiet. The clock now struck a quarter to -twelve, when the window opened, and the princess, wrapped in a flowing -white mantle, and provided with a pair of black wings, flew over the -city towards a large mountain. But the fellow-traveler made himself -invisible; and as he flew behind the princess, he thrashed her with -his rod till she bled. What a strange flight through the air it was! -The wind caught her mantle, which swelled out on all sides like the -large sail of a ship, and the moon shone through it. - -"How it does hail, to be sure!" said the princess, at every blow she -received from the rod; and such weather suited her. At last she -reached the mountain, and knocked for admittance. Then came a noise -like a clap of thunder, while the mountain opened, and the princess -went in. The fellow-traveler followed her, for nobody could see him, -as he was invisible. They went through a long, wide passage, where the -walls shone brilliantly from the light of above a thousand glittering -spiders that were running up and down and illuminating them like fire. -They next entered a large hall built of silver and gold; red and blue -flowers as large as sunflowers were beaming from the walls; but nobody -could pluck them, for the stems were ugly, venomous serpents, and the -flowers were the flames their jaws kept vomiting forth. The whole -ceiling was covered with glow-worms and light-blue bats that were -flapping their thin wings. It looked quite frightful. In the middle of -the floor stood a throne that was supported by the skeletons of four -horses, whose harness had been furnished by the red, fiery spiders. -The throne itself was of milk-white glass, and the cushions were -little black mice that kept biting each other's tails. Above it was a -canopy of a deep-red cobweb, dotted with the prettiest little green -flies that sparkled like precious stones. On the throne sat an old -magician, with a crown on his ugly head and a scepter in his hand. He -kissed the princess on her forehead, and placed her beside him on his -splendid throne, and then the music struck up. Huge black grasshoppers -played the jew's-harp, while the owl beat a tattoo on its own body, -having no better drum. It was a ludicrous concert. Little dark-colored -goblins, with a will-o'-the-wisp in their caps, danced about the room. -But nobody could see the fellow-traveler, who had placed himself right -behind the throne, where he could see and hear everything. The -courtiers, who now came in, were very delicate and genteel. But -anybody who could see what is what, would quickly perceive what they -were made of. They were nothing better than broomsticks with cabbages -for their heads, whom the magician had conjured into life, and whom he -had tricked out in embroidered clothes. However, they did just as -well, as they were only wanted for show. - -After a little dancing, the princess related to the magician that she -had a new suitor, and consulted him as to what she should ask him -next morning when he came to the palace. - -"I will tell you what," said the magician; "you must choose something -easy, and then he'll never hit upon it. Think of one of your shoes. -He'll never guess that. Then you will have him beheaded, and mind you -don't forget to bring me his eyes to-morrow night." - -The princess bowed, and said she would not forget to bring them. The -magician then opened the mountain, and she flew back; but the -fellow-traveler followed her, and struck her so smartly with the rod, -that she sighed most deeply over such a hail-storm, and hastened all -she could to reach her bed-chamber through the window. The -fellow-traveler then returned to the inn, where Johannes was still -asleep, took off his wings, and went to bed likewise, for he might -well be tired. - -Johannes woke at an early hour next morning. His fellow-traveler got -up, and told him that he had had a strange dream that night about the -princess and her shoe, and therefore urged him to ask whether it was -not her shoe that the princess was thinking about? For this he had -learned from the magician in the mountain. - -"I may as well ask that as anything else," said Johannes. "Perhaps -your dream may turn out to be the truth, for I trust in God to help me -through. Still, I will take leave of you, because should I guess -wrong, I shall never see you again." - -They then embraced one another, and Johannes went into the town, and -walked to the palace. The whole hall was filled with people. The -judges sat in their armchairs, with their heads propped up by -eider-down cushions, because they had so much to think about. The old -king stood wiping his eyes with a white pocket-handkerchief. The -princess now entered. She looked more beautiful than even the day -before, and saluted the assembly with charming grace. But she extended -her hand to Johannes, saying: "Good morning to you." - -Johannes was now called upon to guess what she had thought of. Bless -me! how kindly she did look at him! But no sooner had he pronounced -the single word "shoe," than she turned as pale as chalk, and trembled -all over. Still, this did not serve her much, since he had guessed -correctly. - -But, goodness! how pleased the old king was--he cut a caper that was -quite pleasant to behold! And all present clapped their hands, to -cheer both him and Johannes, who had been successful in this, his -first ordeal. - -The fellow-traveler was likewise much rejoiced on hearing how matters -had turned out. But Johannes folded his hands and thanked his God, who -he felt certain would help him through the two next times. On the -following day, he was to make a second attempt at guessing. - -The evening passed much the same as the foregoing one. When Johannes -had gone to sleep, his fellow-traveler flew after the princess to the -mountain, and thrashed her more violently than before, having taken -two rods with him. Nobody saw him, and he heard all that was said. The -princess was to think of her glove, and this he repeated to Johannes, -as if it had been a dream. So that he was able to guess correctly, -which occasioned great joy amongst the inmates of the palace. The -whole court cut capers as they had seen the king do the first time. -But the princess lay on the sofa, and would not speak a word. All now -depended on whether Johannes could guess right the third time. If he -succeeded, he was to marry the beautiful princess, and reign over the -land at the old king's death. But if he guessed wrong, he was to -forfeit his life, and the magician would have his beautiful blue eyes. - -On the preceding evening, Johannes went to bed early, said his -prayers, and then fell into a quiet sleep. But his fellow-traveler -tied his wings to his back, and put his sword at his side, and taking -the three rods with him, flew towards the palace. - -It was as dark as pitch, and there was such a storm that the tiles -were flying off from the roofs of the houses, and the trees in the -garden, where hung the skeletons, bent like so many reeds beneath the -wind. It lightened every moment, and the thunder rolled along as -though it was a single clap that lasted through the whole night. The -window now opened, and the princess flew out. She was as pale as -death, but she laughed at the bad weather, and thought it was scarcely -bad enough. And her white mantle fluttered in the wind like a large -sail, while the fellow-traveler thrashed her with the three rods till -her blood flowed, and she could scarcely fly any farther. She managed, -however, to reach the mountain. - -"This is a violent hail-storm," said she; "I was never out in such -weather before." - -"There may be too much of a good thing," observed the magician. - -She now told him that Johannes had guessed aright the second time, and -should he succeed again on the following morning, he would then have -won, and she would never again be able to come to the mountain, or to -practise magic arts as she had hitherto done; therefore was she quite -out of spirits. - -"He shall not be able to guess it," said the magician, "for I will -find out something that he will never hit upon, unless he is a greater -conjurer than myself. But now let's be merry!" And then he took both -the princess's hands, and they danced about with all the little -goblins, wearing will-o'-the-wisp lights, that were in the room. The -red spiders jumped just as merrily up and down the walls; it looked as -if the fiery flowers were emitting sparks. The owl beat the drum, the -crickets whistled, and the black grasshoppers played on the -jew's-harp. It was a frolicsome ball. - -When they had danced enough the princess was obliged to go home, for -fear of being missed in the palace. The magician said he would -accompany her, that they might be together a little longer. - -They then flew away through the bad weather, while the fellow-traveler -broke his three rods across their shoulders. The magician had never -been out in such a hail-storm before. Just on reaching the palace, and -on bidding the princess farewell, he whispered, "Think of my head." -But the fellow-traveler heard him, and just as the princess slipped in -at her bedroom window, and the magician was about to turn round, he -seized him by the long black beard, and cut off his ugly head at a -single stroke from his sword, so that the magician had not even time -to see him. He then threw the body into the sea, to serve as food for -the fishes; but he merely dipped the head in the waters, and then tied -it up in his silk handkerchief, and took it to the inn, and went to -bed. - -Next morning he gave the bundle to Johannes, bidding him not open it -till the princess should ask him what she was thinking of. - -There were so many spectators in the large hall of the palace, that -they stood as thick as radishes tied in a bunch. The council sat on -their armchairs with the soft cushions, and the old king was dressed -in new clothes; his golden crown and scepter had been furbished up; -and the whole scene looked very solemn. But the princess was pale as -ashes, and wore a coal-black dress, as though she were attending a -funeral. "What have I thought of?" asked she of Johannes. And he -immediately opened the silk handkerchief, when he was himself quite -startled on beholding the ugly magician's head. Everybody shuddered, -for it was frightful to look at; but the princess sat like a statue, -and could not speak a word. At length she rose and gave her hand to -Johannes, for he had guessed aright. She looked neither to the right -nor the left, but sighed out: "Now you are my master! Our wedding will -be celebrated this evening." - -"So much the better," said the old king, "that's just what I wish." -All present cried "Hurrah!" The soldiers on parade struck up their -music in the streets, the bells were set-a-ringing, the pastry-cooks -took the black crape off their sugar-husbands, and rejoicings were -held everywhere. Three oxen, stuffed with ducks and chickens, and -roasted whole, were placed in the middle of the market-place, and -every one was free to cut a slice; the fountains spouted the most -delicious wine; and if one bought a penny cracknel at the baker's one -received six large biscuits as a present--and the biscuits had raisins -in them! - -Towards night the whole town was illuminated, the soldiers fired -cannons, and the boys let off pop-guns; and there was a deal of -eating, and drinking, and crushing, and capering at the palace. All -the fine gentlemen and the beautiful young ladies danced together, and -one might hear them from afar singing the following song:-- - - "Here are many maidens fair, - Who twirl like any spinning-wheel, - And tread the floor as light as air; - Still round and round, sweet maiden, reel, - And dance away the mazes through, - Until the sole has left your shoe." - -But the princess was still a witch, and could not endure Johannes. -This struck his fellow-traveler, and therefore he gave Johannes three -feathers out of the swan's wings, and a small phial containing only a -few drops, and told him to place a large vat full of water in front of -the princess's bed, and when the princess was about to get into bed, -he must give her a slight push, so that she should fall into the -water, into which he must dip her three times, having taken care first -to shake in the feathers and the contents of the phial. The magic -spell would then be broken, and she would love him tenderly. - -Johannes did all that his fellow-traveler suggested. The princess -shrieked aloud when he dipped her into the water, and struggled out of -his hands under the form of a coal-black swan with fiery eyes. The -second time she rose to the surface the swan had become white, all but -a black ruff round its neck. Johannes prayed to God, and made the bird -dive down a third time, when it was suddenly transformed to the most -beautiful princess. She was far lovelier than before, and thanked him, -with tears in her eyes, for having broken the spell that bound her. - -On the following morning, the old king came with all his court, and -the congratulations lasted till late in the day. Last of all came -Johannes' fellow-traveler, with his stick in his hand, and his -knapsack at his back. Johannes embraced him affectionately, and said -that he must not go away, but stay with him, for he was the cause of -all his happiness. But his fellow-traveler shook his head, and said in -a mild and friendly voice: "No; my time is now up. I have but paid a -debt. Do you remember the dead man whom his wicked creditors would -fain have ill-used? You gave all you possessed that he might rest in -peace in his grave. I am that dead man!" - -And at the same moment he vanished. - -The wedding rejoicings now lasted a full month. Johannes and the -princess loved each other dearly, and the old king lived to see many a -happy day, and dandled his little grand-children on his knee, and let -them play with his scepter. And Johannes became king over the whole -land. - - - - -THE OLD BACHELOR'S NIGHTCAP. - - -There is a street in Copenhagen oddly named Hysken Strade, and one -naturally asks what Hysken signifies, and why Hysken at all. Common -report says it is a German word, but in justice to the German tongue -this is not the case, since it would then have been Hauschen, of which -Hysken is the Danish corruption, and it means "the street of tiny -houses." - -For many a year it consisted of nothing but wooden booths, such as may -be seen to this day in the market-place; possibly they were a little -larger. The window-panes were not of glass, but horn, for at that time -glass was too expensive for general use. Remember, we are speaking of -many years ago. Your great-grandfather would have called them "the -olden times." Yes, several hundred years ago. - -Trade in Copenhagen was entirely, or nearly so, in the hands of -wealthy Bremen and Luebeck merchants, whose clerks (for they themselves -stayed at home) lived in the Hysken Straede, in the booths of this -street of tiny houses, and sold beer and groceries. Delicious German -beer it was too, and all kinds for sale--Bremen, Prussian, and -Brunswick, and spices of every variety--saffron, aniseed, ginger and -above all pepper. Indeed, this was the staple commodity--hence the -German clerks in Denmark acquired the nickname Pepper-folk--and since -they were bound not to marry whilst in that country, many grew old and -gray in service, and, as they performed their own domestic services -themselves they became crabbed old fellows with whimsical ideas. This -being so, it became usual to dub all crotchety old bachelors -"pepper-fogeys," an expression now naturalized into the German -language. This must be borne in mind if you would understand what -follows. - -These pepper-fogeys used to be unmercifully ridiculed, and told to -pull down a nightcap over their ears and toddle off to bed, and many -are the doggerel verses in which the nightcap figures. Yes, fun was -poked at the pepper-fogeys with their nightcaps, just because they -were so little known. And why should not one wish for a nightcap? you -may ask. Listen, and I will tell you. - -Hauschen Street was in those days unpaved, and wayfarers stumbled -along as if it were a little side-alley. So narrow indeed was it, and -so huddled together the booths, that in summertime a sail would be -stretched from side to side, and strong was the fragrance of saffron -and ginger pervading the stalls, behind which there served for the -most part old men. They were not, however, clothed, as in the -portraits of our ancestors, with peruke, knee-breeches, elegant -waistcoat and tunic of ample cut, as you might suppose. - -No, these old pepper-fogeys were no dandies to be portrayed on canvas, -though one could well wish to have a picture of one as he stood at the -counter, or betook himself with leisurely gait to church on holy days. -A broad-brimmed hat, high in the crown, in which maybe the younger -among them would sport a feather, a woolen shirt beneath a wide -flapping collar, a close-fitting jacket, a loose cloak worn over it, -and the trousers tucked into the broadly-peaked shoes, for stockings -had they none. At his belt a knife and fork, and a larger knife for -self-defense--a necessary precaution in those days. - -Such was the costume of old Anthony, one of the oldest of the -pepper-fogeys, only in place of the broad-brimmed high-crowned hat he -always wore a sort of bonnet, under which was a knitted skullcap, a -veritable nightcap, which never left his head. One or other, for he -had two, was always on his head day and night. He formed a perfect -study for an artist, so lean and wizened was he, so wrinkled his brow, -his fingers so skinny, his eyebrows so bushy. He was said to be a -native of Bremen; but in truth, though his master was, old Anthony was -born at Eisenach, hard by the Wartburg. He never told the others, but -pondered over it the more. - -The old fellows did not often come together. He stayed in his own -room, a dim light penetrating the opaque window-panes. Seated on the -bed, he chanted his evening psalm. Theirs was not a happy -lot--strangers in a strange land, heeded by none, save to be brushed -aside when in the way. - -On black nights, when the rain was pelting down outside, it was far -from cosy within. Not a lamp visible, save that which threw a light on -a picture of the Virgin painted on the wall. Hark to the rain beating -in torrents on the masonry of the castle-wharf! Such evenings were -long and dreary without some task. To arrange and rearrange things in -the house, to make paper bags, to polish scales, is not work for every -day. One must find other things to do, as did old Anthony. He would -darn his clothes, and patch up his boots. And when at last he went to -bed, true to his habit, down he would draw his nightcap, but soon -raised it to see the candle was quite extinguished. He would snuff out -the wick between finger and thumb, pull down his nightcap, and turn -over to sleep. But it occurred to him to see if the ashes on the -little hearth in the corner were quite burnt out; if they were damped -enough, lest a stray spark should kindle a fire, and do damage. - -Up he would get again, creep down the ladder (for steps they could not -be called), and finding not a spark in the ash-pan, would go back in -peace. But before he was half in bed he would have a doubt whether the -bolts and shutters of the shop were secured, and down once more went -the tottering feet, his teeth a-chattering with the cold, for never -such biting frost as in late winter. Then, pulling up the coverlet and -drawing down his nightcap, he would dismiss all thoughts of business -and the day's toil from his mind. But no happier than before--old -memories would weave their fantastic shapes before his fancy, and a -many thorn lay hidden in the garlands. - -When one pricks one's finger tears brim to the eyelids, and oftentimes -old Anthony shed hot and bitter tears, that glistened like pearls. The -largest pearls would fall on the coverlet with so sad a sound that it -seemed his heart's strings were breaking. - -Brightly would they glisten and illumine pictures of his childhood, -never fading memories. - -As he dried his tears on the nightcap, the scenes would vanish, but -not the source of his tears: that lay deep in his heart. - -The scenes did not follow the natural sequence of life; the saddest -and most joyful together, but the last had the deepest shadows. - -The beech forests of Denmark are admitted by all to be fine, but -fairer still to the eyes of old Anthony were those around the -Wartburg. More majestic and lofty the aged trees around the baronial -castle, where the foliage of creepers trailed over the stone -buttresses. Sweeter there the perfume of apple-blossoms. Vividly did -he call them to mind, and a shining tear rolled down his cheek, -wherein he saw two children, a boy and a girl, at play. The boy, -rosy-cheeked and curly-haired, with clear blue eyes, was himself, the -little Anthony. The girl had brown eyes, dark hair, and a merry, -bright expression. She was the Burgomaster's daughter, Molly. The -children were playing with an apple, which they shook to hear the pips -rattle inside. They shared the apple and ate it up, all but one pip, -which the little girl proposed they should plant in the earth. - -"Then you will see something you'd never think of," said she; "an -apple tree will grow, but not all at once." So they busied themselves -planting it in a flower-pot. He made a hole, and she laid the pip in, -and both heaped on the earth. - -"Mind," said she, "you don't dig up the pip to see if it has struck -root. Indeed, you mustn't. I did so--only twice--because I knew no -better, and the flowers withered." Anthony kept the flower-pot, and -every day the winter through watched it, but nothing was to be seen -but the black earth. Then came the spring and warm sunshine, and two -little twigs peeped forth from the pot. "Oh, how lovely!" cried -Anthony, "they are for Molly and me." - -Soon came another shoot; whom could that represent? Then another and -yet another, and every week it grew, till it became a big plant. All -this was mirrored in a single tear. Brush it away as he might, the -source dwelled deep in his bosom. - -Not far from Eisenach is a ridge of rocky heights, treeless and bare, -known as the Venusberg. - -Here was the abode of Venus, goddess of heathen mythology, known also -to every child round about as Lady Holle. She it was who lured the -knightly Tannhaeuser, the minstrel of the Wartburg, to her mountain. - -Little Molly and Anthony would ofttimes stand at the foot of the -mountain, and one day she asked him, "Do you dare knock and say, 'Lady -Holle! Lady Holle! open the door. Tannhaeuser is here'?" But Anthony -was afraid, only his playmate ventured. - -"Lady Holle! Lady Holle!" she cried, loud and clear, but the rest so -low and indistinct that he believed that she did not utter it. She -looked so winning and was of such high spirit. When they were at play -with other children in the garden, Molly alone of them all would dare -to kiss him, just because he was unwilling and resisted. "I dare kiss -him," she would cry, and throw her arms round his neck, and the boy -would submit to her embrace, for how charming, how saucy she was, to -be sure! - -Lady Holle, so people said, was beautiful, but her beauty was that of -a wicked temptress. The noblest type of beauty was that of the devout -Elizabeth, tutelary saint of the land, the pious lady whose gracious -actions were known near and far. Her picture hangs in the chapel lit -up by silver lamps, but she and Molly bore no resemblance to one -another. - -The apple tree they had planted grew year by year till it was so large -it had to be planted anew in the open air, where the dew fell and the -sun shed his warm rays; and it flourished and grew hardy, and could -bear the wintry blast, blossoming in the springtide as if for very -joy. In the autumn it bore two apples--one for Molly, one for Anthony. -Rapidly grew the tree, and with it grew Molly, fresh as one of its -blossoms; but not for long was Anthony fated to watch this fair -flower. - -All things here on earth are subject to change. - -Molly's father left the old home and went afar. Nowadays, by the -railroad, it takes but some few hours, but in those times over a day -and night, to travel so far east as to Weimar. - -Both Molly and Anthony cried, and she told him he was more to her -than all the fine folk in Weimar could be. - -A year passed by--two, three years--and only two letters came: the -first sent by a letter-carrier, the other by a traveler--a long and -devious way by town and hamlet. - -How often had he and Molly together read the story of Tristan and -Isolde, and bethought them the name Tristan meant "conceived in -tribulation." But with Anthony no such thought could be harbored as -"She has forsaken me." - -True, Isolde did _not_ forsake Tristan; buried side by side in the -little churchyard, the lime trees met and entwined over their graves. -Anthony loved this story, sad though it was. - -But no sad fate could await him and Molly, and blithely he sang as he -rode in the clear moonlight towards Weimar to visit Molly. - -He would fain come unexpected, and unexpected he came. - -And welcome they made him. Wine-cups filled to the brim, distinguished -company, a comfortable room, all these he found, but it was not as he -had pictured it, dreamed of it. - -Poor Anthony could not make it out, could not understand them, but we -can. We know how one may be in the midst of others and yet be -solitary; how one talks as fellow-voyagers in a post-chaise, boring -one another, and each wishing the other far away. - -One day Molly spoke to him. "I am straight-forward, I will tell you -all. Since we were playmates together much has altered. It is not only -an outward change in me, you see. Habit and will do not control our -affections. I wish you well, Anthony, and would not have you bitter -towards me when I am far away, but love, deep love, I cannot feel for -you. Fare thee well!" - -So Anthony bade her farewell. No tear bedimmed his eye, but he felt he -had lost a friend. Within four and twenty hours he was back in -Eisenach; the horse that bore him, bore him no more. - -"What matter?" said he, "I am lost. I will destroy whatever reminds me -of the Lady Holle. The apple tree--I will uproot it, shatter it. Never -more shall it bloom and bear fruit." - -But the tree was not injured. Anthony lay on his bed, stricken with -fever. What can avail him. Suddenly a medicine, the bitterest medicine -known to man, cured his fever, convulsing body and soul. Anthony's -father was no longer the rich merchant he had been! - -Troublous days, days of trial, awaited them. Misfortune fell upon the -home; the father, dogged by fate, became poor. So Anthony had other -things to think about than the resentment he cherished in his heart -towards Molly. He must take his father's place, he must go out into -the great world and earn his bread. - -He reached Bremen: hardship and dreary days were his lot--days that -harden the heart or sometimes make it very tender. How he had -misjudged his fellow-men in his young days! He became resigned and -cheerful. God's way is best, was his thought. How had it been if -heaven had not turned her affection to another before this calamity? -"Thanks be to heaven," he would say. "She was not to blame, and I have -felt so bitter towards her." - -Time passed on. Anthony's father died, and strangers occupied the old -home. But he was destined to see it once more. His wealthy master sent -him on business that brought him once more to Eisenach, his native -town. - -The old Wartburg was unchanged--the monk and nun hewn on its stones. -The grand old trees set off the landscape as of old. Over the valley -the Venusberg rose, a gray mass in the twilight. He longed to say, -"Lady Holle! Lady Holle! open the door to me. Fain would I stay -forever." It was a sinful thought, and he crossed himself. Old -memories crowded to his mind as he gazed with tear-bedewed eyes at the -town of childhood's days. The old homestead stood unchanged, but the -garden was not the same. A roadway crossed one corner of it. The apple -tree, which he had _not_ destroyed, was no longer in the garden, but -across the way. - -Still, as of old, bathed in sunshine and dew, the old tree bore -richly, and its boughs were laden with fruit. One of its branches was -broken. Wilful hands had done this, for the tree now stood by the -highway. - -Passers-by plucked its blossoms, gathered its fruit, and broke its -branches. Well might one say, as one says of men, "This was not its -destiny as it lay in its cradle." So fair its prospects, that this -should be the end! Neglected, forsaken, no longer tended, there -between field and highway it stood--bare to the storm, shattered and -rent. As the years roll by it puts forth fewer blossoms, less -fruit--and its story comes to a close! - -So mused Anthony many a lonely evening in his room in the wooden booth -in a strange land, in the narrow street in Copenhagen, whither his -rich master sent him bound by his vow not to marry. - -Marriage, forsooth, for him! Ha, ha! he laughed a strange laugh. - -The winter was early that year with sharp frost. Outside raged a -blinding snowstorm, so that every one that could stayed indoors. And -so it befell that his neighbors never saw that for two days his shop -was unopened, nor Anthony been seen, for who would venture out if not -compelled to? - -Those were sad, dismal days in his room, where the panes were not of -glass, and--at best but faintly lighted--it was often pitch dark. For -two days did Anthony keep his bed; he lacked strength to rise. The -bitter weather affected his old joints. Forgotten was the -pepper-fogey; helpless he lay. Scarce could he reach the water-jug by -the bedside, and the last drop was drunk. Not fever, not sickness, -laid him low: it was old age. - -It was perpetual night to him as he lay there. - -A little spider spun a web over the bed, as if for a pall when he -should close his eyes forever. - -Long and very dreary was the time. Yet he shed no tears, nor did he -suffer pain. His only thought was that the world and its turmoil were -not for him; that he was away from them even as he had passed from the -thoughts of others. - -At one time he seemed to feel the pangs of hunger, to faint with -thirst. Was no one coming? None could come. He thought of those who -perished of thirst, thought how the saintly Elizabeth, the noble lady -of Thueringen, visited the lowliest hovels, bearing hope to and -succoring the sick. Her pious deeds inspired his thoughts; he -remembered how she would console those in pain, bind up their wounds, -and though her stern lord and master stormed with rage, bear -sustenance to the starving. He called to mind the legend how her -husband followed her as she bore a well-stocked basket to the poor, -and confronting her demanded what lay within. How in her great dread -she replied, "Flowers I have culled in the garden." How when he -snatched aside the cloth to see whether her words were true, wine, -bread, and all the basket held miraculously changed to roses. - -Such was the picture of the saint; so his weary eyes imagined her -standing by his bed in the little room in a strange land. He raised -his head and gazed into her gentle eyes. All round seemed bright and -rosy-hued. The flowers expanded, and now he smelt the perfume of -apple-blossoms; he saw an apple tree in bloom, its branches waving -above him. It was the tree the children had planted in the flower-pot -together. - -And the drooping leaves fanned his burning brow and cooled his parched -lips; they were as wine and bread on his breast. He felt calm and -serene, and composed himself to sleep. - -"Now I will sleep, and it will bring relief. To-morrow I shall be -well; to-morrow I will rise. I planted it in love; I see it now in -heavenly radiance." And he sunk to rest. - - * * * * * - -On the morrow--the third day--the storm abated, and his neighbors came -to see old Anthony. Prone he lay, clasping in death his old nightcap -in his hands. - -Where were the tears he had shed, where the pearls? They were still in -the nightcap. True pearls change not. The old thoughts, the tears of -long ago--yes, they remained in the nightcap of the old pepper-fogey. - -Covet not the old nightcap. It would make your brow burn, your pulse -beat fast. It brings strange dreams. The first to put it on was to -know this. It was fifty years later that the Burgomaster, who lived in -luxury with wife and children, put it on. His dreams were of unhappy -love, ruin, and starvation. - -"Phew! how the nightcap burns," said he, and tore it off, and pearl -after pearl fell from it to the ground. "Good gracious!" cried the -Burgomaster, "I must be feverish; how they sparkle before my eyes." -They were tears, wept half a century before by old Anthony of -Eisenach. - -To all who thereafter put on the nightcap came agitating visions and -dreams. His own history was changed to that of Anthony, till it became -quite a story. There may be many such stories; we, however, leave -others to tell them. - -We have told the first, and our last words shall be, "Don't wish for -the old bachelor's nightcap." - - - - -THE GARDEN OF PARADISE. - -THE FOUR WINDS. - - -There once lived a king's son, who possessed a larger and more -beautiful collection of books than anybody ever had before. He could -read in their pages all the events that had ever taken place in the -world, and see them illustrated by the most exquisite engravings. He -could obtain information about any people or any country, only not a -word could he ever find as to the geographical position of the Garden -of the World; and this was just what he was most desirous of -ascertaining. - -His grandmother had told him, when he was quite a little boy, and -beginning to go to school, that each flower in the Garden of the World -was the most delicious cake, and had its stamina filled with luscious -wine; on one stood written historical facts, on another geography or -arithmetical tables--and so one need only eat cakes to learn one's -lesson, and the more one ate, the more history, geography, and -arithmetic one acquired. - -He used to believe this. But when he grew a little older, and had -learned more and become wiser, he began to understand that there must -be better delights than these in the Garden of the World. - -He was now seventeen, and nothing ran in his head but this garden. - -One day he went to take a walk in the forest, all alone, as he best -liked to be. - -As evening came on, the sky grew overcast, and there came on such a -shower, that it seemed as if the heavens had become one vast sluice -that kept pouring down water; besides this, it was darker than it -usually is, even at night, except at the bottom of the deepest well. -At every step, he either slipped on the wet grass, or stumbled over -some bare rock. Everything was dripping wet, and the poor prince had -not a dry thread about him. He was obliged to climb over huge blocks -of stone, where water was running down from the thick moss. He was -near fainting away, when he heard a singular rushing noise, and -perceived a large cavern, lighted up by a huge fire, piled up in the -middle, and fit to roast a whole deer. And this, indeed, was being -done. A very fine deer, with its branching horns, was placed on a -spit, and slowly turned round between the felled trunks of two -pine-trees. An elderly woman, as bony and masculine as though she were -a man in female attire, sat by the fire, and kept throwing in one log -of wood after another. - -"Come nearer," said she, "and sit by the fire, and dry your clothes." - -"There is a great draught here," observed the prince, sitting down on -the ground. - -"It will be much worse when my sons come home," returned the woman. -"You are in the Cavern of the Winds. My sons are the Four Winds of -Heaven--can you understand that?" - -"Where are your sons?" asked the prince. - -"It is difficult to answer a silly question," said the woman. "My sons -are now at it, with their own hands. They are playing at shuttle-cock -with the clouds, up there in the King's hall." And she pointed above. - -"Oh, that's it!" quoth the prince. "But you seem to speak rather -harshly, and are not as gentle as the women I am accustomed to see." - -"Because they have nothing else to do. But I must be harsh, to keep my -boys in any order; which I manage to do, headstrong as they are. You -see those four bags hanging on the wall? Well, they are every bit as -much afraid of them as you used to be of the rod behind the -looking-glass. I bend the boys in two, I can tell you, and then pop -them into the bag, without their making the least resistance. There -they stay, and don't dare come out till I think it proper they should. -But here comes one of them." - -It was the North Wind who came in, diffusing an icy coldness around. -Large hailstones jumped about on the floor, and snowflakes were -scattered in all directions. He wore a bearskin jacket and clothes; -his cap of sea-dog's skin came down over his ears; long icicles clung -to his beard, and one hailstone after another fell from the collar of -his jacket. - -"Don't go too near the fire at once," said the prince, "or your face -and hands might easily get frozen." - -"Frozen, quotha!" said the North Wind, with a loud laugh. "Why, cold -is my greatest delight! But what kind of little snip are you? How did -you come into the Cavern of the Winds?" - -"He is my guest," said the old woman; "and if that does not satisfy -you, why, you need only get into the bag. Do you understand me now?" - -Well, this did the business at once; and the North Wind then began to -relate whence he came, and where he had been staying for nearly a -month past. - -"I come from the Arctic Sea," said he, "and I have been on Bear's -Island, with the Russian sea-cow hunters. I sat and slept at the helm, -as they sailed away from the North Cape; but whenever I happened to -wake, the petrels were flying about my legs. What comical birds they -are! They will flap their wings suddenly, and then remain poised upon -them, and quite motionless, as if they had had enough of flying." - -"Don't be so diffuse," said the mother of the Winds. "And so you -reached Bear's Island?" - -"It's a beautiful place! There's a ballroom floor for you, as smooth -as a plate! Heaps of half-thawed snow, slightly covered with moss, -sharp stones, and skeletons of sea-cows and bears were lying about, -together with the arms and legs of giants in a state of green decay. -It looks as if the sun had never shone there. I blew slightly on the -mist, that the hovels might be visible, and there appeared a hut, -built from the remains of a ship that had been wrecked, and covered -over with sea-cows' skins. The fleshy side was turned outwards, and it -was both red and green. A living bear sat growling on the roof. I went -to the shore, and looked after birds' nests, and saw the unfledged -youngsters opening their beaks and screaming lustily; so I blew into -their thousands of throats, and they learned to shut their mouths. A -little farther on, the sea-cows were rolling about like giant worms -with pigs' heads, and teeth a yard long." - -"You tell your adventures right pleasantly, my son," said his mother; -"it makes my mouth water to hear you." - -"Then the hunting began. The harpoon was flung right into the -sea-cow's chest, so that a smoking jet of blood spurted forth like -water from a fountain, and besprinkled the ice. Then I thought of my -part of the game. I began to blow, and set my vessels, the towering -icebergs, to stick the boats fast. Oh! what a whistling and a bawling -there was! Only I whistled louder than all of them. They were obliged -to unpack the dead sea-cows, the chests, and the tackle upon the ice; -I then shook snowflakes over them, and left them and their spoils to -sail in their pent-up vessels towards the south, to drink salt-water. -They will never return to Bear's Island." - -"Then you have done mischief?" said the mother of the Winds. - -"Let others tell of the good I may have done!" said he. "But here -comes my brother from the West. I like him the best, because he smacks -of the sea, and brings a nice bracing cold with him." - -"Is that the little Zephyr?" asked the prince. - -"Yes, that is the Zephyr!" said the old woman; "but he's not so very -little either. Some years ago he was a pretty boy; but that is now -over." - -He looked like a wild man; but he wore a roller round his head, that -he might not get hurt. In his hand he held a mahogany club, hewn from -an American mahogany forest. It was no small weight to carry. - -"Whence do you come?" asked the mother. - -"From the wild forests," said he, "where tangled bindweed forms a -hedge between each tree, where water-snakes lie in the damp grass, and -where man seems to be a superfluous nonentity." - -"What have you been doing there?" - -"I looked into the deep river, and saw it had rushed down from the -rocks, and then became dust, and flew towards the clouds to support -the rainbow. I saw a wild buffalo swimming in the river, but he was -carried away by the tide. He had joined a flock of wild ducks, who -flew up into the air the moment the waters dashed downwards. The -buffalo was obliged to be hurled into the precipice. This pleased me, -and I raised a storm, so that the oldest trees sailed down the river, -and were reduced to splinters." - -"And was that all you did?" asked the old woman. - -"I cut capers in the savannahs, I stroked wild horses and shook -cocoanut trees. Oh! I have plenty of tales to tell! Only one must not -tell all one knows, as you well know, good mammy." And he kissed his -mother so roughly, that she had nearly fallen backwards. He was a -shocking wild lad. - -Now, in came the South Wind in a turban and Bedouin's flying mantle. - -"It is very cold hereabouts!" said he, throwing wood upon the fire. -"It is easy to perceive that the North Wind has preceded me." - -"It is hot enough here to roast a northern bear!" said the North Wind. - -"You are a bear yourself!" answered the South Wind. - -"Have you a mind to be both put into the bag?" asked the old woman. -"There! sit down on that stone, and tell us where you have been." - -"In Africa, mother," returned he. "I was amongst the Hottentots, who -were lion-hunting in Caffraria. The grass in their plains looks as -green as an olive. An ostrich ran a race with me, but I beat him -hollow. I reached the yellow sands of the desert, which look like the -bottom of the sea. I met a caravan. They killed their last camel to -obtain some water; but they only got a very little. The sun was -scorching above, and the sand equally scorching beneath one's feet. -The desert stretched out into boundless expanse. I then rolled in the -fine loose sand, and made it whirl about in large columns. A fine -dance I led it! You should have seen how dejected the dromedaries -looked as they stood stock still, and how the merchants pulled their -caftans over their heads. They threw themselves on the ground before -me as they would before Allah, their God. They are now all buried -beneath a pyramid of sand; and when I come to puff it away, the sun -will bleach their bones, and travelers will see that others have been -there before them: a fact which is seldom believed in the desert, -short of some tangible proof." - -"Then you have done nothing but mischief!" said his mother. "Into the -bag with you!" And before he had time to perceive it, she had taken -the South Wind round the waist, and popped him into the bag. He -wiggled about on the ground; but she sat upon him, and then he was -forced to lie still. - -"Your sons are a set of lively boys!" said the prince. - -"Yes," answered she; "and I know how to correct them. Here comes the -fourth." - -This was the East Wind, who was dressed like a Chinese. - -"Oh! you come from that neighborhood, do you?" said his mother. "I -thought you had been to the Garden of the World?" - -"I am going there to-morrow," said the East Wind. "To-morrow will be a -hundred years since I was there. I have just returned from China, -where I danced round the porcelain tower till all the bells were set -a-jingling. The government officers were being beaten in the street; -the bamboo stick was broken across their shoulders; and these were -people belonging to the several degrees from the first to the ninth. -They cried out: 'Many thanks, my fatherly benefactor!' But the words -did not come from their hearts, so I made the bells jingle, and sang! -'Tsing! tsang! tsu!'" - -"You are a wanton boy!" said the old woman. "It is well you are going -to-morrow to the Garden of the World, for that always improves your -mind. Pray drink abundantly from the fountain of wisdom, and take a -small phial and bring it home full for me." - -"I will," said the East Wind. "But why have you put my brother from -the South into the bag? Take him out again; I want him to tell me -about the phoenix, for the princess in the Garden of the World -always asks after him when I pay her my visit every hundredth year. -Open the bag, there's a dear mammy, and I'll give you two pocketfuls -of tea-leaves, all green and fresh, just as I plucked them from the -bush on the spot where it grew." - -"Well, for the sake of the tea, and because you are mammy's own boy, I -will open the bag." - -This she accordingly did, and out crept the South Wind, looking rather -foolish, because the strange prince had witnessed his disgrace. - -"There is a palm-tree leaf for the princess," said the South Wind. -"The old phoenix, the only bird of his sort in the wide world, gave -me this leaf. He has traced upon it with his beak the whole history of -his life during the hundred years that form its span. She may, -therefore, be now enabled to read how the phoenix set fire to his -nest, and sat upon it as it was burning, like the widow of a Hindoo. -How the dried twigs did crackle! and what a smoke there was! At length -out burst the flames: the old phoenix was burnt to ashes, but an egg -lay glowing hot in the fire. It burst with a loud report, and the -young bird flew out; and now he is king over all the other birds, and -the only phoenix in the world. He has bitten a hole in the leaf -which I gave you, and that is his way of sending his duty to the -princess." - -"Now let us eat something," said the mother of the Winds. And they all -sat down to partake of the roast deer. The prince sat beside the East -Wind; therefore, they soon became good friends. - -"And pray what kind of a princess may she be whom you are talking so -much about and where lies the Garden of the World?" - -"Ho, ho!" said the East Wind. "What! have you a mind to go there? -Well, you can fly over with me to-morrow, though I must tell you no -mortal ever visited it before. It is inhabited by a fairy queen, and, -in it lies the Island of Happiness, a lovely spot where death never -intrudes. Get upon my back to-morrow, and I'll take you with me; for I -think it can be managed. But now don't speak any more, for I want to -sleep." - -And then to sleep they all went. - -The prince awoke at an early hour next morning, and was not a little -surprised on finding himself high above the clouds. He sat on the -back of the East Wind, who was holding him faithfully; and they were -so high in the air that forests, fields, rivers, and lakes lay beneath -them like a painted map. - -"Good morning!" said the East Wind. "You might just as well have slept -a bit longer, for there is not much to be seen in the flat country -beneath us, except you have a mind to count the churches. They look -like chalk dots on the green board." - -It was the fields and the meadows that he called the "green board." - -"It was uncivil of me not to take leave of your mother and brothers," -observed the prince. - -"When one is asleep, one is to be excused," replied the East Wind. - -And they began to fly quicker than ever. When they swept across the -tree-tops, you might have heard a rustling in all their leaves and -branches. On the sea and on the lakes, wherever they flew, the waves -rose higher and the large ships dipped down into the water like -swimming swans. - -Towards evening, when it grew dark, the large towns looked beautiful. -They were dotted here and there with lights, much after the fashion of -a piece of paper that has burned till it is black, when one sees all -the little sparks going out one after another. The prince clapped his -hands with delight, but the East Wind begged him to let such -demonstrations alone, and rather attend to holding fast, or else he -might easily fall down and remain dangling on a church steeple. - -Fast as the eagle flew through the black forests, the East Wind flew -still faster. The Cossack was scouring the plains on his little horse, -but the prince soon outstripped him. - -"You can now see Himalaya," said the East Wind, "the highest mountain -in Asia--and now we shall soon reach the Garden of the World." They -then turned more southwards, and the air was soon perfumed with spices -and flowers. Figs and pomegranates grew wild, and clusters of blue and -red grapes hung from wild vines. They now descended to the earth, and -reclined on the soft grass, where the flowers seemed to nod to the -wind as though they had said--"Welcome!" - -"Are we now in the Garden of the World?" asked the prince. - -"No, indeed!" replied the East Wind; "but we soon shall be. Do you see -yon wall of rocks, and that broad cavern, where the vines hang down -like a huge green curtain? That's the road through which we must pass. -Wrap yourself in your mantle, for burning hot as the sun is just -hereabout, it is as cold as ice a few steps farther. The bird who -flies past the cavern feels one wing to be in the warm summer abroad -while the other is in the depth of winter." - -"So then this seems to be the way to the Garden of the World?" asked -the prince. - -They now entered the cavern. Oh, how icy cold it was! Only it did not -last long. The East Wind spread out his wings, and they beamed like -the brightest fire. But what a cavern it was, to be sure! The huge -blocks of stone from which the water kept dripping down, hung over -them in the oddest shapes, sometimes narrowing up till they were -obliged to creep on all-fours, at other times widening into an -expanse as lofty as though situated in the open air. It looked like a -chapel for the dead, with petrified organs and dumb organ-pipes. - -"We seem to be crossing through an abode of Death to reach the Garden -of the World!" said the prince. But the East Wind did not answer a -syllable, and merely pointed forwards where the loveliest blue light -met their eyes. The blocks of stone above their heads rolled away into -a mist that finished by assuming the shape of a white cloud on a -moonlight night. They were now in a most delightfully mild atmosphere, -as cool as the mountain breeze, and as perfumed as a valley of roses. -A river, clear as the air itself, was running along, filled with gold -and silver fishes; scarlet eels, that emitted blue sparks at every -motion, were disporting in the depths of the waters; while the broad -leaves of the water-lilies that lay on its surface showed all the -tints of the rainbow; the flower itself was a reddish-yellow burning -flame that received its nourishment from the water as oil feeds the -flame of a lamp. A marble bridge, as delicately sculptured as though -it had been made of lace and glass beads, led across the water to the -Island of Happiness, where bloomed the Garden of the World. - -The East Wind took the prince on his arm and carried him over. And the -flowers and leaves sang the sweetest songs of his childhood, but in so -lovely a strain of melody as no human voice ever yet sang. - -Were they palm-trees or gigantic water-plants that grew on this -favored spot? The prince could not tell, for never had he seen such -large and luxuriant trees before. The most singular creepers, too, -such as one only sees represented in gold and colors in the margins of -illuminated old missals, or twined around the first letter in a -chapter, were hanging in long festoons on all sides. It was a most -curious mixture of birds, and flowers, and scrolls. Just by a flock of -peacocks were standing on the grass displaying their gorgeous fan-like -tails. The prince took them for live creatures, but found, on touching -them, that they were only plants--large burdock leaves, which, in this -favored spot, beamed with all the glorious colors of the peacock's -tail. A lion and tiger were disporting with all the pliancy of cats -amongst the green hedges, that were perfumed like the flower of the -olive-tree; and both the lion and the tiger were tame. The wild -wood-pigeon's plumage sparkled like the fairest pearl, and the bird -flapped the lion's mane with its wings; while the antelope, usually so -shy, stood near and nodded its head, as if willing to join them at -play. - -Now came the fairy of the garden. Her clothes were radiant as the sun, -and her countenance was as serene as that of a happy mother rejoicing -over her child. She was young and beautiful, and was followed by a -train of lovely girls, each wearing a beaming star in her hair. The -East Wind gave her the leaf sent by the phoenix, when her eyes -sparkled with joy. She took the prince by the hand and led him into -her palace, whose walls were of the hues of the most splendid tulip -when it is turned towards the sun. The ceiling was a large radiant -flower, and the more one looked at it, the deeper its calyx appeared -to grow. The prince stepped to the window, and looked through one of -the panes, on which was depicted Jacob's dream. The ladder seemed to -reach to the real sky, and the angels seemed to be flapping their -wings. The fairy smiled at his astonished look, and explained that -time had engraved its events on each pane, but they were not merely -lifeless images, for the leaves rustled, and the persons went and came -as in a looking-glass. He then looked through other panes, where he -saw depicted the events of ancient history. For all that had happened -in the world lived and moved upon these panes; time only could have -engraved so cunning a masterpiece. - -The fairy then led him into a lofty, noble hall, with transparent -walls. Here were a number of portraits, each of which seemed more -beautiful than the other. There were millions of happy faces whose -laughing and singing seemed to melt into one harmonious whole; those -above were so small that they appeared less than the smallest rosebud -when represented on paper by a mere dot. In the midst of the hall -stood a large tree with luxuriant drooping branches. Golden, apples, -both great and small, hung like china oranges amid the green leaves. -From each leaf fell a sparkling red dewdrop, as if the tree were -shedding tears of blood. - -"We will now get into the boat," said the fairy, "and enjoy the -coolness of the water. The boat rocks, but does not stir from the -spot, while all the countries of the earth glide past us." And it was -wonderful to behold how the whole coast moved. First came the lofty -snow-capped Alps, overhung with clouds and overgrown with fir-trees. -The horn was sounding its melancholy notes, while the shepherd was -caroling in the vale. Then banana-trees flung their drooping branches -over the boat; coal-black swans swam on the water, and flowers and -animals of the strangest description might be seen on the shore. This -was New Holland, the fifth part of the world, that glided past, with a -view of the blue mountains. One could hear the hymns of the priests -and see the savages dancing to the sound of drums and trumpets made of -bones. Egypt's pyramids reaching to the clouds, overturned columns and -sphinxes, half buried in the sand, followed in their turn. The aurora -borealis next shone upon the extinguished volcanoes of the north. -These were fireworks that nobody could have imitated! The prince was -delighted; and he saw a hundred times more than what we have -mentioned. - -"Can I remain here forever?" asked he. - -"That depends on yourself," replied the fairy. "If you do not long for -what is forbidden, you may stay here forever." - -"I will not touch the apple on the Tree of Knowledge," said the -prince; "here are thousands of fruits equally fine." - -"Examine your own heart, and if you do not feel sufficient strength, -return with the East Wind who brought you hither. He is now about to -fly back, and will not appear again in this place for the next hundred -years. The time would seem to you here to be only a hundred hours, but -even that is a long span for temptation and sin. Every evening, on -leaving you, I shall be obliged to say: 'Come with me!' I shall make a -sign with my hand, yet you must stay away. If once you followed, your -longing would increase at every step. You would then enter the hall -where grows the Tree of Knowledge I sleep beneath its perfumed, -drooping branches. You would bend over me, and I should be forced to -smile. But if you pressed a kiss on my lips, then would the garden -sink into the earth and be lost for you. The sharp winds of the desert -would howl around you, the cold rain would trickle over your head, and -sorrow and distress would fall to your lot." - -"I will remain here," said the prince. And the East Wind kissed his -forehead, saying, "Be firm, and then we shall meet again in a hundred -years. Farewell! farewell!" And the East Wind spread his large wings, -and they shone like the lightning in harvest time, or like the -northern lights in a cold winter. - -"Farewell! farewell!" sounded from the flowers and the trees. Storks -and pelicans flew in long rows, like streaming ribbons to accompany -him to the boundaries of the garden. - -"We will now begin our dances," said the fairy. "At the close, when -I'm dancing with you, and just as the sun is sinking, you will see me -make a sign, and you will hear me say, 'Come with me.' But do not do -it. For a hundred years shall I be obliged to repeat the same thing -every evening; and each time when it is over will you gain fresh -strength. In the end you'll cease to think about it. This evening will -be the first time--and now you are warned." - -The fairy then led him into a large room made of white transparent -lilies. The yellow stamina in each flower pictured a little golden -harp that yielded a sweet music partaking of the combined sounds of -stringed instruments and the tones of the flute. Lovely girls with -slender aerial figures, and dressed in lightest gauze, floated through -the mazes of the dance, and sang of the delights of living and being -immortal, and blooming forever in the Garden of the World. - -The sun now set. The whole sky was one mass of gold that imparted the -tints of the richest roses to the lilies; and the prince drank of the -sparkling wine handed to him by the young maidens, and felt a bliss -he had never before experienced. He saw the background of the ballroom -now opening, and the Tree of Knowledge stood before him in such -streams of light that his eyes were dazzled. The singing that rang in -his ears was soft and lovely as his mother's voice, and it seemed as -if she sang, "My child! my beloved child!" - -The fairy then made him a sign with her eyes, and cried most sweetly: -"Come with me! Come with me!" And he rushed towards her, forgetting -his promise, though it was but the first evening, and she continued to -beckon to him and to smile. The spicy perfumes around grew yet more -intoxicating; the harps sounded sweeter; and it was as if the millions -of smiling faces in the room, where grew the tree, nodded and sang: -"We must know everything! Man is the lord of the earth!" And there -were no more tears of blood dropping down from the leaves of the Tree -of Knowledge; but he thought he saw red sparkling stars instead. - -"Come with me! come with me!" said the thrilling tones; and at each -step the prince's cheeks glowed more intensely, and his blood rushed -more wildly. - -"I must!" said he; "it is no sin, and cannot be one! Why not follow -when beauty calls? I will see her asleep; and provided I do not kiss -her, there will be no harm done--and kiss I will not, for I have -strength to resist, and a firm will." - -And the fairy cast aside her dazzling attire, bent back the boughs, -and in another moment was completely concealed. - -"I have not yet sinned," said the prince, "and do not intend to sin!" -And then he pushed the boughs aside; there she lay already asleep, and -lovely as only the fairy of the Garden of the World is privileged to -be. She smiled in her dreams; yet as he bent over her, he saw tears -trembling between her eyelashes. - -"And do you weep for me?" whispered he. "Oh, weep not, most admirable -of women! I now begin to understand the happiness to be found in this -place. It penetrates into my blood, and I feel the joys of the blessed -in this my earthly form! Though it were ever after eternally dark for -me, one moment like this is happiness enough!" And he kissed the tears -in her eyes, and his mouth pressed her lips. - -Then came a thunder-clap, so loud and so tremendous as never was heard -before. Down everything fell to ruins--the beautiful fairy, the -blooming garden, all sank deeper and deeper still. The prince saw the -garden sinking into the dark abyss below, and it soon only shone like -a little star in the distance. He turned as cold as death, and closed -his eyes, and lay senseless. - -The cold rain fell on his face, and the sharp wind blew over his head. -He then returned to consciousness. "What have I done?" sighed he. -"Alas! I have sinned, and the Island of Happiness has sunk down into -the earth!" And he opened his eyes and saw a distant star like that of -the sinking garden; but it was the morning star in the sky. - -He got up and found himself in the large forest close to the Cavern of -the Winds. The mother of the Winds sat by him, and looked angry, and -raised her arm aloft. - -"The very first evening," said she. "I thought it would be so! If you -were my son, you should be put into the bag presently." - -"Into it he shall go, sure enough!" said Death. He was a stalwart man -with a scythe in his hand, and large black wings. "In his coffin shall -he be laid, but not yet. I'll only mark him now, and allow him to -wander about the world yet awhile, to expiate his sins and to grow -better. But I shall come at last. When he least expects it, I shall -put him into the black bag, place it on my head, and fly up to the -stars. There, too, blooms a lovely garden, and if he be good and -pious, he will be allowed to enter it; but should his thoughts be -wicked, and his heart still full of sin, then will he sink in his -coffin yet lower than he saw the Garden of the World sink down; and it -will be only once in every thousand years that I shall go and fetch -him, when he will either be condemned to sink still deeper, or be -borne aloft to the beaming stars above." - - - * * * * * - - - A. L. Burt's Catalogue of Books for - Young People by Popular Writers, 52-58 - Duane Street, New York - - -BOOKS FOR GIRLS. - - -=Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. By LEWIS CARROLL.= 12mo, -cloth, 42 illustrations, price 75 cents. - - "From first to last, almost without exception, this story is - delightfully droll, humorous and illustrated in harmony with the - story."--=New York Express.= - -=Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There.= By LEWIS -CARROLL. 12mo, cloth, 50 illustrations, price 75 cents. - - "A delight alike to the young people and their elders, extremely - funny both in text and illustrations."--=Boston Express.= - -=Little Lucy's Wonderful Globe.= By CHARLOTTE M. YONGE. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "This story is unique among tales intended for children, alike - for pleasant instruction, quaintness of humor, gentle pathos, - and the subtlety with which lessons moral and otherwise are - conveyed to children, and perhaps to their seniors as - well."--=The Spectator.= - -=Joan's Adventures at the North Pole and Elsewhere.= BY ALICE -CORKRAN. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "Wonderful as the adventures of Joan are, it must be admitted - that they are very naturally worked out and very plausibly - presented. Altogether this is an excellent story for - girls."--=Saturday Review.= - -=Count Up the Sunny Days=: A Story for Girls and Boys. By C. A. -JONES. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "An unusually good children's story."--=Glasgow Herald.= - -=The Dove in the Eagle's Nest.= By CHARLOTTE M. YONGE. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "Among all the modern writers we believe Miss Yonge first, not - in genius, but in this, that she employs her great abilities for - a high and noble purpose. We know of few modern writers whose - works may be so safely commended as hers."--=Cleveland Times.= - -=Jan of the Windmill.= A Story of the Plains. By MRS. J. H. -EWING. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "Never has Mrs. Ewing published a more charming volume, and that - is saying a very great deal. From the first to the last the book - overflows with the strange knowledge of child-nature which so - rarely survives childhood: and moreover, with inexhaustible - quiet humor, which is never anything but innocent and well-bred, - never priggish, and never clumsy."--=Academy.= - -=A Sweet Girl Graduate.= By L. T. MEADE. 12mo, cloth, -illustrated, price $1.00. - - "One of this popular author's best. The characters are well - imagined and drawn. The story moves with plenty of spirit and - the interest does not flag until the end too quickly - comes."--=Providence Journal.= - -=Six to Sixteen=: A Story for Girls. By JULIANA HORATIA EWING. -12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "There is no doubt as to the good quality and attractiveness of - 'Six to Sixteen.' The book is one which would enrich any girl's - book shelf."--=St. James' Gazette.= - -=The Palace Beautiful=: A Story for Girls. By L. T. MEADE. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "A bright and interesting story. The many admirers of Mrs. L. T. - Meade in this country will be delighted with the 'Palace - Beautiful' for more reasons than one. It is a charming book for - girls."--=New York Recorder.= - -=A World of Girls=: The Story of a School. By L. T. MEADE. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "One of those wholesome stories which it does one good to read. - It will afford pure delight to numerous readers. This book - should be on every girl's book shelf."--=Boston Home Journal.= - -=The Lady of the Forest=: A Story for Girls. By L. T. MEADE. -12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "This story is written in the author's well-known, fresh and - easy style. All girls fond of reading will be charmed by this - well-written story. It is told with the author's customary grace - and spirit."--=Boston Times.= - -=At the Back of the North Wind.= By GEORGE MACDONALD. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "A very pretty story, with much of the freshness and vigor of - Mr. Macdonald's earlier work.... It is a sweet, earnest, and - wholesome fairy story, and the quaint native humor is - delightful. A most delightful volume for young - readers."--=Philadelphia Times.= - -=The Water Babies=: A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby. By CHARLES -KINGSLEY. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "The strength of his work, as well as its peculiar charms, - consist in his description of the experiences of a youth with - life under water in the luxuriant wealth of which he revels with - all the ardor of a poetical nature."--=New York Tribune.= - -=Our Bessie.= By ROSA N. CAREY. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price -$1.00. - - "One of the most entertaining stories of the season, full of - vigorous action, and strong in character-painting. Elder girls - will be charmed with it, and adults may read its pages with - profit."--=The Teachers' Aid.= - -=Wild Kitty.= A Story of Middleton School. By L. T. MEADE. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "Kitty is a true heroine--warm-hearted, self-sacrificing, and, - as all good women nowadays are, largely touched with the - enthusiasm of humanity. One of the most attractive gift books of - the season."--=The Academy.= - -=A Young Mutineer.= A Story for Girls. By L. T. MEADE. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "One of Mrs. Meade's charming books for girls, narrated in that - simple and picturesque style which marks the authoress as one of - the first among writers for young people."--=The Spectator.= - -=Sue and I.= By MRS. O'REILLY. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 -cents. - - "A thoroughly delightful book, full of sound wisdom as well as - fun."--=Athenaeum.= - -=The Princess and the Goblin.= A Fairy Story. By GEORGE -MACDONALD. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "If a child once begins this book, it will get so deeply - interested in it that when bedtime comes it will altogether - forget the moral, and will weary its parents with importunities - for just a few minutes more to see how everything - ends."--=Saturday Review.= - -=Pythia's Pupils=: A Story of a School. By EVA HARTNER. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "This story of the doings of several bright school girls is sure - to interest girl readers. Among many good stories for girls this - is undoubtedly one of the very best."--=Teachers' Aid.= - -=A Story of a Short Life.= By JULIANA HORATIA EWING. 12mo, cloth, -illustrated, price $1.00. - - "The book is one we can heartily recommend, for it is not only - bright and interesting, but also pure and healthy in tone and - teaching."--=Courier.= - -=The Sleepy King.= A Fairy Tale. By AUBREY HOPWOOD AND SEYMOUR -HICKS. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "Wonderful as the adventures of Bluebell are, it must be - admitted that they are very naturally worked out and very - plausibly presented. Altogether this is an excellent story for - girls."--=Saturday Review.= - -=Two Little Waifs.= By MRS. MOLESWORTH. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, -price 75 cents. - - "Mrs. Molesworth's delightful story of 'Two Little Waifs' will - charm all the small people who find it in their stockings. It - relates the adventures of two lovable English children lost in - Paris, and is just wonderful enough to pleasantly wring the - youthful heart."--=New York Tribune.= - -=Adventures in Toyland.= By EDITH KING HALL. 12mo, cloth, -illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "The author is such a bright, cheery writer, that her stories - are always acceptable to all who are not confirmed cynics, and - her record of the adventures is as entertaining and enjoyable as - we might expect."--=Boston Courier.= - -=Adventures in Wallypug Land.= By G. E. FARROW. 12mo, cloth, -illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "These adventures are simply inimitable, and will delight boys - and girls of mature age, as well as their juniors. No happier - combination of author and artist than this volume presents could - be found to furnish healthy amusement to the young folks. The - book is an artistic one in every sense."--=Toronto Mail.= - -=Fussbudget's Folks.= A Story for Young Girls. By ANNA F. -BURNHAM. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "Mrs. Burnham has a rare gift for composing stories for - children. With a light, yet forcible touch, she paints sweet and - artless, yet natural and strong, - characters."--=Congregationalist.= - -=Mixed Pickles.= A Story for Girls. By MRS. E. M. FIELD. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "It is, in its way, a little classic, of which the real beauty - and pathos can hardly be appreciated by young people. It is not - too much to say of the story that it is perfect of its - kind."--=Good Literature.= - -=Miss Mouse and Her Boys.= A Story for Girls, By MRS. MOLESWORTH. -12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "Mrs. Molesworth's books are cheery, wholesome, and particularly - well adapted to refined life. It is safe to add that she is the - best English prose writer for children. A new volume from Mrs. - Molesworth is always a treat."--=The Beacon.= - -=Gilly Flower.= A Story for Girls. By the author of "=Miss -Toosey's Mission=." 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "Jill is a little guardian angel to three lively brothers who - tease and play with her.. .. Her unconscious goodness brings - right thoughts and resolves to several persons who come into - contact with her. There is no goodiness in this tale, but its - influence is of the best kind."--=Literary World.= - -=The Chaplet of Pearls=; or, The White and Black Ribaumont. By -CHARLOTTE M. YONGE. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "Full of spirit and life, so well sustained throughout that - grown-up readers may enjoy it as much as children. It is one of - the best books of the season."--=Guardian.= - -=Naughty Miss Bunny=: Her Tricks and Troubles. By CLARA -MULHOLLAND. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "The naughty child is positively delightful. Papas should not - omit the book from their list of juvenile presents."--=Land and - Water.= - -=Meg's Friend.= By ALICE CORKRAN. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price -$1.00. - - "One of Miss Corkran's charming books for girls, narrated in - that simple and picturesque style which marks the authoress as - one of the first among writers for young people."--=The - Spectator.= - -=Averil.= By ROSA N. CAREY. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price -$1.00. - - "A charming story for young folks. Averil is a delightful - creature--piquant, tender, and true--and her varying fortunes - are perfectly realistic."--=World.= - -=Aunt Diana.= By ROSA N. CAREY. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price -$1.00. - - "An excellent story, the interest being sustained from first to - last. This is, both in its intention and the way the story is - told, one of the best books of its kind which has come before us - this year."--=Saturday Review.= - -=Little Sunshine's Holiday=: A Picture from Life. By MISS MULOCK. -12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "This is a pretty narrative of child life, describing the simple - doings and sayings of a very charming and rather precocious - child. This is a delightful book for young people."--=Gazette.= - -=Esther's Charge.= A Story for Girls. By ELLEN EVERETT GREEN. -12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "...This is a story showing in a charming way how one little - girl's jealousy and bad temper were conquered; one of the best, - most suggestive and improving of the Christmas juveniles."--=New - York Tribune.= - -=Fairy Land of Science.= By ARABELLA B. BUCKLEY. 12mo, cloth, -illustrated, price $1.00. - - "We can highly recommend it; not only for the valuable - information it gives on the special subjects to which it is - dedicated, but also as a book teaching natural sciences in an - interesting way. A fascinating little volume, which will make - friends in every household in which there are children."--=Daily - News.= - -=Merle's Crusade.= By ROSA N. CAREY. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, -price $1.00. - - "Among the books for young people we have seen nothing more - unique than this book. Like all of this author's stories it will - please young readers by the very attractive and charming style - in which it is written."--=Journal.= - -=Birdie=: A Tale of Child Life. By H. L. CHILDE-PEMBERTON. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "The story is quaint and simple, but there is a freshness about - it that makes one hear again the ringing laugh and the cheery - shout of children at play which charmed his earlier - years."--=New York Express.= - -=The Days of Bruce=: A Story from Scottish History. By GRACE -AGUILAR. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "There is a delightful freshness, sincerity and vivacity about - all of Grace Aguilar's stories which cannot fail to win the - interest and admiration of every lover of good - reading."--=Boston Beacon.= - -=Three Bright Girls=: A Story of Chance and Mischance. By ANNIE -E. ARMSTRONG. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "The charm of the story lies in the cheery helpfulness of spirit - developed in the girls by their changed circumstances; while the - author finds a pleasant ending to all their happy makeshifts. - The story is charmingly told, and the book can be warmly - recommended as a present for girls."--=Standard.= - -=Giannetta=: A Girl's Story of Herself. By ROSA MULHOLLAND. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "Extremely well told and full of interest. Giannetta is a true - heroine--warm-hearted, self-sacrificing, and, as all good women - nowadays are, largely touched with enthusiasm of humanity. The - illustrations are unusually good. One of the most attractive - gift books of the season."--=The Academy.= - -=Margery Merton's Girlhood.= By ALICE CORKRAN. 12mo, cloth, -illustrated, price $1.00. - - "The experiences of an orphan girl who in infancy is left by her - father to the care of an elderly aunt residing near Paris. The - accounts of the various persons who have an after influence on - the story are singularly vivid. There is a subtle attraction - about the book which will make it a great favorite with - thoughtful girls."--=Saturday Review.= - -=Under False Colors=: A Story from Two Girls' Lives. By SARAH -DOUDNEY. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price $1.00. - - "Sarah Doudney has no superior as a writer of high-toned - stories--pure in style, original in conception, and with - skillfully wrought out plots; but we have seen nothing equal in - dramatic energy to this book."--=Christian Leader.= - -=Down the Snow Stairs=; or, From Good-night to Good-morning. By -ALICE CORKRAN. 12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "Among all the Christmas volumes which the year has brought to - our table this one stands out =facile princeps=--a gem of the - first water, bearing upon every one of its pages the signet mark - of genius.. .. All is told with such simplicity and perfect - naturalness that the dream appears to be a solid reality. It is - indeed a Little Pilgrim's Progress."--=Christian Leader.= - -=The Tapestry Room=: A Child's Romance. By MRS. MOLESWORTH. 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "Mrs. Molesworth is a charming painter of the nature and ways of - children; and she has done good service in giving us this - charming juvenile which will delight the young - people."--=Athenaeum, London.= - -=Little Miss Peggy=: Only a Nursery Story. By MRS. MOLESWORTH. -12mo, cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - Mrs. Molesworth's children are finished studies. A joyous - earnest spirit pervades her work, and her sympathy is unbounded. - She loves them with her whole heart, while she lays bare their - little minds, and expresses their foibles, their faults, their - virtues, their inward struggles, their conception of duty, and - their instinctive knowledge of the right and wrong of things. - She knows their characters, she understands their wants, and she - desires to help them. - -=Polly=: A New Fashioned Girl. By L. T. MEADE. 12mo, cloth, -illustrated, price $1.00. - - Few authors have achieved a popularity equal to Mrs. Meade as a - writer of stories for young girls. Her characters are living - beings of flesh and blood, not lay figures of conventional type. - Into the trials and crosses, and everyday experiences, the - reader enters at once with zest and hearty sympathy. While Mrs. - Meade always writes with a high moral purpose, her lessons of - life, purity and nobility of character are rather inculcated by - example than intruded as sermons. - -=One of a Covey.= By the author of "Miss Toosey's Mission." 12mo, -cloth, illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "Full of spirit and life, so well sustained throughout that - grown-up readers may enjoy it as much as children. This 'Covey' - consists of the twelve children of a hard-pressed Dr. Partridge - out of which is chosen a little girl to be adopted by a spoiled, - fine lady. We have rarely read a story for boys and girls with - greater pleasure. One of the chief characters would not have - disgraced Dickens' pen."--=Literary World.= - -=The Little Princess of Tower Hill.= By L. T. MEADE. 12mo, cloth, -illustrated, price 75 cents. - - "This is one of the prettiest books for children published, as - pretty as a pond-lily, and quite as fragrant. Nothing could be - imagined more attractive to young people than such a combination - of fresh pages and fair pictures; and while children will - rejoice over it--which is much better than crying for it--it is - a book that can be read with pleasure even by older boys and - girls."--=Boston Advertiser.= - - -For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by -the publisher, =A. L. BURT, 52-58 Duane Street, New York=. - - - - -Transcriber's Note: - - -Archaic and inconsistent spelling and punctuation retained. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Rudy and Babette, by Hans Christian Andersen - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RUDY AND BABETTE *** - -***** This file should be named 40283.txt or 40283.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/2/8/40283/ - -Produced by Bruce Albrecht, Matthew Wheaton and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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