CHAPTER VII.
THE BRAVE PRINCESS
"LISTEN, children! That must be the song of a nightingale. How sweet itis!"
It was a lovely Sunday afternoon. Every one in the family had been tochurch in the morning, and come home to a good dinner of bean soup andpotato salad. Then the father had said:
"Let us take a long walk over the fields and through the woods. Theworld is beautiful to-day. We can enjoy it best by leaving the housebehind us."
Some of the neighbours joined the merry party. The men smoked theirpipes, while the women chatted together and the children frolickedabout them and picked wild flowers.
How many sweet smells there were in the fields! How gaily the birdssang! The air seemed full of peace and joy.
They all wandered on till they came to a cascade flowing down over somehigh rocks. Trees grew close to the waterfall, and bent over it asthough to hide it from curious eyes. It was a pretty spot.
"Let us sit down at the foot of this cascade," said Bertha's father."It is a pleasant place to rest."
Every one liked the plan. Bertha nestled close to her father's side.
"Tell us a story. Please do," she said.
"Ask neighbour Abel. He knows many a legend of just such places asthis. He has lived in the Hartz Mountains, and they are filled withfairy stories."
The rest of the party heard what was said.
"Neighbour Abel! A story, a story," they cried.
Of course the kind-hearted German could not refuse such a generalrequest. Besides, he liked to tell stories. Taking his long pipe out ofhis mouth, he laid it down on the ground beside him. Then he clearedhis throat and began to speak.
"Look above you, friends. Do you see that mark on the rocky platformoverhead? I noticed it as soon as I got here. It made me think of awild spot in the Hartz Mountains where there is just such a mark. Thepeople call it 'The Horse's Hoof-print.' I will tell you how theyexplain its coming there.
"Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess. Her name wasBrunhilda, and she lived in Bohemia. She lived a gay and happy life,like most young princesses, till one day a handsome prince arrived ather father's palace. He was the son of the king of the Hartz country.
"Of course, you can all guess what happened. The prince fell in lovewith the princess, and she returned his love. The day was set for thewedding, and the young prince went home to prepare for the great event.
"But he had been gone only a short time when a powerful giant arrivedat Brunhilda's home. He came from the far north. His name was Bodo.
"He asked for the princess in marriage, but her heart had already beengiven away. She did not care for the giant, even though he gave her themost elegant presents,--a beautiful white horse, jewels set in gold,and chains of amber.
"'I dare not refuse the giant,' said Brunhilda's father. 'He is verypowerful, and we must not make him angry. You must marry him, mydaughter, in three days.'
"The poor maiden wept bitterly. It seemed as though her heart wouldbreak. But she was a clever girl, and she soon dried her tears andbegan to think of some plan by which she might yet be free. She beganto smile upon the giant and treat him with great kindness.
"'I should like to try the beautiful horse you brought me,' she saidto him. He was much pleased. The horse was brought to the door. Theprincess mounted him and rode for a time up and down in front of thepalace.
"The very next day was that set apart for the wedding. The castle wasfilled with guests who feasted and made merry. The giant entered intoeverything with a will. He laughed till the floors and walls shook.Little did he think what was taking place. For the princess slipped outof the castle when no one was watching, hurried into the stable, andleaped upon the back of her swift white horse.
"'Lower the drawbridge instantly,' she called to the guard. She passedover it, and away she flew like the wind.
"You were too late, too late, O giant, when you discovered thatBrunhilda was missing.
"He flew out of the castle, and on the back of his own fiery blackhorse he dashed after the runaway princess.
"On they went! On, on, without stopping. Over the plains, up and downthe hillsides, through the villages. The sun set and darkness fell uponthe world, but there was never a moment's rest for the maiden on thewhite horse or the giant lover on his black steed.
"Sometimes in the darkness sparks were struck off from the horses'hoofs as they passed over rough and rocky places. These sparks alwaysshowed the princess ahead and slowly increasing the distance betweenherself and her pursuer.
"When the morning light first appeared, the maiden could see the summitof the Brocken ahead of her. It was the home of her lover. Her heartleaped within her. If she could only reach it she would be safe.
"But alas! her horse suddenly stood still. He would not move. He hadreached the edge of a precipice. There it lay, separating the princessfrom love and safety.
"The brave girl had not a moment to lose. The giant was fast drawingnear. She wheeled her horse around; then, striking his sides a sharpblow with her whip, she urged him to leap across the precipice.
"The spring must be strong and sure. It was a matter of life and death.The chasm was deep. If the horse should fail to strike the other sidesecurely, it meant a horrible end to beast and rider.
"But he did not fail. The feet of the brave steed came firmly down uponthe rocky platform. So heavily did they fall that the imprint of a hoofwas left upon the rock.
"The princess was now safe. It would be an easy matter for her toreach her lover's side.
"As for the giant, he tried to follow Brunhilda across the chasm. Buthe was too heavy and his horse failed to reach the mark. The two sanktogether to the bottom of the precipice."
Every one thanked the story-teller, and begged him to tell more of theHartz Mountains, where he had spent his boyhood days. The children weredelighted when he spoke of the gnomes, in whom he believed when he wasa child.
"Every time I went out in the dark woods," he said, "I was on thelookout for these funny little fairies of the underground world. Iwanted to see them, but at the same time I was afraid I should meetthem.
"I remember one time that my mother sent me on an errand through thewoods at twilight. I was in the thickest part of the woods, when Iheard a sound that sent a shiver down my back.
"'It is a witch, or some other dreadful being,' I said to myself.'Nothing else could make a sound like that.' My teeth chattered. Mylegs shook so, I could hardly move. Somehow or other, I managed to keepon. It seemed as though hours passed before I saw the lights of thevillage. Yet I suppose it was not more than fifteen minutes.
"When I was once more safe inside my own home, I told my father andmother about my fright.
"'It was no witch, my child,' said my father. 'The sound you describewas probably the cry of a wildcat. I thank Heaven that you are safe. Awildcat is not a very pleasant creature to meet in a lonely place.'
"After that, I was never sent away from the village after dark.
"My boy friends and I often came across badgers and deer, and sometimesfoxes made their way into the village in search of poultry, but I nevercame nearer to meeting a wildcat than the time of which I have justtold you."
"What work did you do out of school hours?" asked Hans. The boy wasthinking of the toys he had to carve.
"My mother raised canary-birds, and I used to help her a great deal.Nearly every woman in the village was busy at the same work. Whatconcerts we did have in those days! Mother tended every young bird sheraised with the greatest care. Would it become a good singer and bringa fair price? We waited anxiously for the first notes, and then watchedto see how the voices gained in strength and sweetness.
"It was a pleasant life, and I was very happy among the birds in ourlittle village. Would you like to hear a song I used to sing at thattime? It is all about the birds and bees and flowers."
"Do sing it for us," cried every one.
Herr Abel had a good voice and they listened with pleasure to his song.
This is the first stanza:
"I have been on the mountain That the song-birds love best. They were sitting, were flitting, They were building their nest. They were sitting, were flitting, They were building their nest."
BERTHA'S HOME.]
After he had finished, he told about the mines in which some of hisfriends worked. It was a hard life, with no bright sunlight to cheerthe men in those deep, dark caverns underground.
"Of course you all know that the deepest mine in the world is in theHartz Mountains."
His friends nodded their heads, while Hans whispered to Bertha, "Ishould like to go down in that mine just for the sake of saying I havebeen as far into the earth as any living person."
"The sun is setting, and there is a chill in the air," said Bertha'sfather. "Let us go home."