CHAPTER III.
THE WICKED BISHOP
"THE Rhine is the loveliest river in the world. I know it must be,"said Bertha.
"Of course it is," answered her brother. "I've seen it, and I ought toknow. And father thinks so, too. He says it is not only beautiful, butit is also bound into the whole history of our country. Think of thebattles that have been fought on its shores, and the great generals whohave crossed it!"
"Yes, and the castles, Hans! Think of the legends father and motherhave told us about the beautiful princesses who have lived in thecastles, and the brave knights who have fought for them! I shall beperfectly happy if I can ever sail down the Rhine and see the notedplaces on its shores."
"The schoolmaster has taught you all about the war with France, hasn'the, Bertha?"
"Of course. And it really seemed at one time as if France would make usGermans agree to have the Rhine divide the two countries. Just as ifwe would be willing to let the French own one shore of our beautifulriver. I should say not!"
Bertha's cheeks grew rosier than usual at the thought of such a thing.She talked faster than German children usually do, for they are ratherslow in their speech.
"We do not own all of the river, little sister, as it is. The babyRhine sleeps in an icy cradle in the mountains of Switzerland. Then itmakes its way through our country, but before it reaches the sea itflows through the low lands of Holland."
"I know all that, Hans. But we own the best of the Rhine, anyway. I amperfectly satisfied."
"I wish I knew all the legends about the river. There are enough ofthem to fill many books. Did you ever hear about the Rats' Toweropposite the town of Bingen, Bertha?"
"What a funny name for a tower! No. Is there a story about it, Hans?"
"Yes, one of the boys was telling it to me yesterday while we weregetting wood in the forest. It is a good story, although my friend saidhe wasn't sure it is true."
"What is the story?"
"It is about a very wicked bishop who was a miser. It happened one timethat the harvests were poor and grain was scarce. The cruel bishopbought all the grain he could get and locked it up. He intended to sellit for a high price, and in this way to become very rich.
"As the days went by, the food became scarcer and scarcer. The peoplebegan to sicken and die of hunger. They had but one thought: they mustget something to eat for their children and themselves.
"They knew of the stores of grain held by the bishop. They went to himand begged for some of it, but he paid no attention to their prayers.Then they demanded that he open the doors of the storehouse and letthem have the grain. It was of no use.
"At last, they gathered together, and said:
"'We will break down the door if you do not give it to us.'
"'Come to-morrow,' answered the bishop. 'Bring your friends with you.You shall have all the grain you desire.'
"The morrow came. Crowds gathered in front of the granary. The bishopunlocked the door, saying:
"'Go inside and help yourselves freely.'
"The people rushed in. Then what do you think the cruel bishop did? Heordered his servants to lock the door and set the place on fire!
"The air was soon filled with the screams of the burning people. Butthe bishop only laughed and danced. He said to his servants:
"'Do you hear the rats squeaking inside the granary?'
"The next day came. There were only ashes in place of the greatstorehouse. There seemed to be no life about the town, for the peoplewere all dead.
"Suddenly there was a great scurrying, as a tremendous swarm of ratscame rushing out of the ashes. On they came, more and more of them.They filled the streets, and even made their way into the palace.
"The wicked bishop was filled with fear. He fled from the place andhurried away over the fields. But the swarm of rats came rushing afterhim. He came to Bingen, where he hoped to be safe within its walls.Somehow or other, the rats made their way inside.
THE RATS' TOWER.]
"There was now only one hope of safety. The bishop fled to a towerstanding in the middle of the Rhine. But it was of no use! The ratsswam the river and made their way up the sides of the tower. Theirsharp teeth gnawed holes through the doors and windows. They entered inand came to the room where the bishop was hiding."
"Wicked fellow! They killed and ate him as he deserved, didn't they?"asked Bertha.
"There wasn't much left of him in a few minutes. But the tower stillstands, and you can see it if you ever go to Bingen, although it is acrumbling old pile now."
"Rats' Tower is a good name for it. But I would rather hear aboutenchanted princesses and brave knights than wicked old bishops. Tell meanother story, Hans."
"Oh, I can't. Listen! I hear some one coming. Who can it be?"
Hans jumped up and ran to the door, just in time to meet his UncleFritz, who lived in Strasburg.
The children loved him dearly. He was a young man about twenty-oneyears old. He came home to this little village in the Black Forest onlyabout once a year. He had so much to tell and was so kind and cheerful,every one was glad to see him.
"Uncle Fritz! Uncle Fritz! We are so glad you've come," exclaimedBertha, putting her arms around his neck. "And we are going to havesomething that you like for dinner."
"I can guess what it is. Sauerkraut and boiled pork. There is no othersauerkraut in Germany as good as that your mother makes, I do believe.I'm hungry enough to eat the whole dishful and not leave any for youchildren. Now what do you say to my coming? Don't you wish I hadstayed in Strasburg?"
"Oh, no, no, Uncle Fritz. We would rather see you than anybody else,"cried Hans. "And here comes mother. She will be just as glad as we are."
That evening, after Hans had shown his uncle around the village, and hehad called on his old friends, he settled himself in the chimney-cornerwith the children about him.
"Talk to us about Strasburg, Uncle Fritz," begged Gretchen.
"Please tell us about the storks," said Bertha. "Are there greatnumbers of the birds in the city, and do they build their nests on thechimneys?"
"Yes, you can see plenty of storks flying overhead if you will comeback with me," said Uncle Fritz, laughingly. "They seem to know thepeople love them. If a stork makes his home about any one's house, itis a sign of good fortune to the people who live there.
"'It will surely come,' they say to themselves, 'and the storks willbring it.' Do you wonder the people like the birds so much?"
"I read a story about a mother stork," said Bertha, thoughtfully. "Shehad a family of baby birds. They were not big enough to leave theirnest, when a fire broke out in the chimney where it was built. Poormother bird! She could have saved herself. But she would not leaveher babies. So she stayed with them and they were all burned to deathtogether."
"I know the story. That happened right in Strasburg," said her uncle.
"Please tell us about the beautiful cathedral with its tall tower,"said Hans. "Sometime, uncle, I am going to Strasburg, if I have towalk there, and then I shall want to spend a whole day in front of thewonderful clock."
"You'd better have a lunch with you, Hans, and then you will not gethungry. But really, my dear little nephew, I hope the time will sooncome when you can pay me a long visit. As for the clock, you will haveto stay in front of it all night as well as all day, if you are to seeall it can show you."
"I know about cuckoo-clocks, of course," said Gretchen, "but the littlebird is the only figure that comes out on those. There are ever so manydifferent figures on the Strasburg clock, aren't there, Uncle Fritz?"
"A great, great many. Angels strike the hours. A different god orgoddess appears for each day in the week. Then, at noon and atmidnight, Jesus and his twelve apostles come out through a door andmarch about on a platform.
"You can imagine what the size of the clock must be when I tell youthat the figures are as large as people. When the procession of theapostles appears, a gilded cock on the top of the tower flaps itswings and crows.
"I cannot begin to tell you all about it. It is as good as a play, and,as I told Hans, he would have to stay many hours near it to see all thesights."
"I should think a strong man would be needed to wind it up," said hisnephew.
"The best part of it is that it does not need to be wound every day,"replied Uncle Fritz. "They say it will run for years without beingtouched. Of course, travellers are coming to Strasburg all the time.They wish to see the clock, but they also come to see the cathedralitself. It is a very grand building, and, as you know, the spire is thetallest one in all Europe.
"Then there is so much beautiful carving! And there are such finestatues. Oh, children, you must certainly come to Strasburg beforelong and see the cathedral of which all Germany is so proud."
"Strasburg was for a time the home of our greatest poet," said Bertha."I want to go there to see where he lived."
The child was very fond of poetry, even though she was a little countrygirl. Her father had a book containing some of Goethe's ballads, andshe loved to lie under the trees in the pleasant summer-time and repeatsome of these poems.
"They are just like music," she would say to herself.
"A marble slab has been set up in the old Fish Market to mark the spotwhere Goethe lived," said Uncle Fritz. "They say he loved the grandcathedral of the city, and it helped him to become a great writer whenhe was a young student there. I suppose its beauty awakened his ownbeautiful thoughts."
The children became quiet as they thought of their country and the menwho had made her so strong and great,--the poets, and the musicians,and the brave soldiers who had defended her from her enemies.
Uncle Fritz was the first one to speak.
"I will tell you a story of Strasburg," he said. "It is about somethingthat happened there a long time ago. You know, the city isn't on theRhine itself, but it is on a little stream flowing into the greaterriver.
"Well, once upon a time the people of Zurich, in Switzerland, asked thepeople of Strasburg to join with them in a bond of friendship. Eachshould help the other in times of danger. The people of Strasburg didnot think much of the idea. They said among themselves: 'What good canthe little town of Zurich do us? And, besides, it is too far away.' Sothey sent back word that they did not care to make such a bond. Theywere scarcely polite in their message, either.
"When they heard the reply, the men of Zurich were quite angry. Theywere almost ready to fight. But the youngest one of their councillorssaid:
"'We will force them to eat their own words. Indeed, they shall be madeto give us a different answer. And it will come soon, too, if you willonly leave the matter with me.'
"'Do as you please,' said the other councillors. They went back totheir own houses, while the young man hurried home, rushed out into thekitchen and picked out the largest kettle there.
"'Wife, cook as much oatmeal as this pot will hold,' he commanded.
"The woman wondered what in the world her husband could be thinking of.But she lost no time in guessing. She ordered her servants to make abig fire, while she herself stirred and cooked the great kettleful ofoatmeal.
"In the meanwhile, her husband hurried down to the pier, and got hisswiftest boat ready for a trip down the river. Then he gathered thebest rowers in the town.
"'Come with me,' he said to two of them, when everything had been madeready for a trip. They hastened home with him, as he commanded.
"'Is the oatmeal ready?' he cried, rushing breathless into the kitchen.
"His wife had just finished her work. The men lifted the kettle fromthe fire and ran with it to the waiting boat. It was placed in thestern and the oarsmen sprang to their places.
"'Pull, men! Pull with all the strength you have, and we will go toStrasburg in time to show those stupid people that, if it should benecessary, we live near enough to them to give them a hot supper.'
"How the men worked! They rowed as they had never rowed before.
"They passed one village after another. Still they moved onward withoutstopping, till they found themselves at the pier of Strasburg.
"The councillor jumped out of the boat, telling two of his mento follow with the great pot of oatmeal. He led the way to thecouncil-house, where he burst in with his strange present.
"'I bring you a warm answer to your cold words,' he told the surprisedcouncillors. He spoke truly, for the pot was still steaming. How amusedthey all were!
"'What a clever fellow he is,' they said among themselves. 'Surely wewill agree to make the bond with Zurich, if it holds many men like him.'
"The bond was quickly signed and then, with laughter and good-will, thecouncillors gathered around the kettle with spoons and ate every bit ofthe oatmeal.
"'It is excellent,' they all cried. And indeed it was still hot enoughto burn the mouths of those who were not careful."
"Good! Good!" cried the children, and they laughed heartily, eventhough it was a joke against their own people.
Their father and mother had also listened to the story and enjoyed itas much as the children.
"Another story, please, dear Uncle Fritz," they begged.
But their father pointed to the clock. "Too late, too late, my dears,"he said. "If you sit up any longer, your mother will have to call youmore than once in the morning. So, away to your beds, every one ofyou."