Adalbert von Chamisso, a German lyric poet and scientist, was
born on January 30, 1781, at the Castle of Boncourt, in the
Champagne district of France. His parents emigrated in 1790,
and in 1796 he became page to the Queen of Prussia. Two years
afterwards he entered the army, which he left in 1806 to go to
France, returning to Berlin in the following year. In 1810 he
proceeded to France once more, and thence to Geneva, where he
began his study of natural history. In 1815 he went with Otto
von Kotzehue on a tour round the world, and on his return he
settled in Berlin, having obtained a post in the Botanical
Gardens. He wrote several important books on botany,
topography, and ethnology, but became even more famous through
his poems, ballads and romances. "Peter Schlemihl," which was
written in 1813 was published in the following year by
Chamisso's friend Fouqué, and achieved so great a success that
it was translated into most languages. Chamisso died in Berlin
on August 21, 1838.
_I.--The Grey Man_
Having safely landed after a fatiguing journey, I took my modest
belongings to the nearest cheap inn, engaged a garret room, washed, put
on my newly-turned black coat, and proceeded to find Mr. Thomas John's
mansion. After a severe cross-examination on the part of the
hall-porter, I had the honour of being shown into the park where Mr.
John was entertaining a party. He graciously took my letter of
introduction, continuing the while to talk to his guests. Then he broke
the seal, still joining in the conversation, which turned upon wealth.
"Anyone," he remarked, "who has not at least a million is, pardon the
word, a rogue." "How true," I exclaimed; which pleased him, for he asked
me to stay. Then, offering his arm to a fair lady, he led the party to
the rose-clad hill. Everybody was very jolly; and I followed behind, so
as not to make myself a nuisance.
The beautiful Fanny, who seemed to be the queen of the day, in trying to
pick a rose, had scratched her finger, which caused much commotion. She
asked for some plaster, and a quiet, lean, tall, elderly man, dressed in
grey, who walked by my side, put his hand in his coat pocket, pulled out
a pocket-book, and, with a deep bow, handed the lady what she wanted.
She took it without thanks, and we all continued to ascend the hill.
Arrived at the top, Mr. John, espying a light spot on the horizon,
called for a telescope. Before the servants had time to move, the grey
man, bowing modestly, had put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a
beautiful telescope, which passed from hand to hand without being
returned to its owner. Nobody seemed surprised at the huge instrument
issuing from a tiny pocket, and nobody took any more notice of the grey
man than of myself.
The ground was damp, and somebody suggested how fine it would be to
spread some Turkey carpets. Scarcely had the wish been expressed, when
the grey man again put his hand into his pocket, and, with a modest,
humble gesture, pulled out a rich Turkey carpet, some twenty yards by
ten, which was spread out by the servants, without anybody appearing to
be surprised. I asked a young gentleman who the obliging man might be.
He did not know.
The sun began to get troublesome, and Fanny casually asked the grey man
if he might happen to have a tent by him. He bowed deeply, and began to
pull out of his pocket canvas, and bars, and ropes, and everything
needed for the tent, which was promptly put up. Again nobody seemed
surprised. I felt uncanny; especially when, at the next expressed
desire, I saw him pull out of his pocket three fine large horses with
saddles and trappings! You would not believe it if I did not tell you
that I saw it with my own eyes.
It was gruesome. I sneaked away, and had already reached the foot of the
hill, when, to my horror, I noticed the grey man approaching. He took
off his hat, bowed humbly, and addressed me.
"Forgive my impertinence, sir, but during the short time I have had the
happiness to be near you I have been able to look with indescribable
admiration upon that beautiful shadow of yours, which you throw from you
contemptuously, as it were. Pardon me, but would you feel inclined to
sell it?"
I thought he was mad. "Is your own shadow not enough for you? What a
strange bargain!"
"No price is too high for this invaluable shadow. I have many a precious
thing in my pocket, which you may choose--a mandrake, the dish-cloth of
Roland's page, Fortunati's purse----"
"What! Fortunati's purse?"
"Will you condescend to try it?" he said, handing me a money-bag of
moderate size, from which I drew ten gold pieces, and another ten, and
yet another ten.
I extended my hand, and exclaimed, "A bargain! For this purse you can
have my shadow." He seized my hand, knelt down, cleverly detached my
shadow from the lawn, rolled it up, folded it, and put it in his pocket.
Then he bowed and retired behind the rose-hedge, chuckling gently.
I hurried back to my inn, after having tied the bag around my neck,
under my waistcoat. As I went along the sunny street, I heard an old
woman's voice, "Heigh, young man, you have lost your shadow!"
"Thank you," I said, threw her a gold piece, and sought the shade of the
trees. But I had to cross a broad street again, just as a group of boys
were leaving school. They shouted at me, jeered, and threw mud at me. To
keep them away I threw a handful of gold among them, and jumped into a
carriage. Now I began to feel what I had sacrificed. What was to become
of me?
At the inn I sent for my things, and then made the driver take me to the
best hotel, where I engaged the state rooms and locked myself up. And
what, my dear Chamisso, do you think I did then? I pulled masses of gold
out of the bag, covered the floor of the room with ducats, threw myself
upon them, made them tinkle, rolled over them, buried my hands in them,
until I was exhausted and fell to sleep. Next morning I had to cart all
these coins into a cupboard, leaving only just a few handfuls. Then,
with the help of the host, I engaged some servants, a certain Bendel, a
good, faithful soul, being specially recommended to me as a valet. I
spent the whole day with tailors, bootmakers, jewellers, merchants, and
bought a heap of precious things, just to get rid of the heaps of gold.
I never ventured out in daytime; and even at night when I happened to
step out into the moonlight, I had to suffer untold anguish from the
contemptuous sneers of men, the deep pity of women, the shuddering fear
of fair maidens. Then I sent Bendel to search for the grey man, giving
him every possible indication. He came back late, and told me that none
of Mr. John's servants or guests remembered the stranger, and that he
could find no trace of him. "By the way," he concluded, "a gentleman
whom I met just as I went out, bid me tell you that he was on the point
of leaving the country, and that in a year and a day he would call on
you to propose new business. He said you would know who he was."
"How did he look?" Bendel described the man in the grey coat! He was in
despair when I told him that this was the very person I wanted. But it
was too late; he had gone without leaving a trace.
A famous artist for whom I sent to ask him whether he could paint me a
shadow, told me that he might, but I should be bound to lose it again at
the slightest movement.
"How did you manage to lose yours?" he asked. I had to lie. "When I was
travelling in Russia it froze so firmly to the ground that I could not
get it off again."
"The best thing you can do is not to walk in the sun," the artist
retorted with a piercing look, and walked out.
I confessed my misfortune to Bendel, and the sympathetic lad, after a
terrible struggle with his conscience, decided to remain in my service.
From that day he was always with me, ever trying to throw his broad
shadow over me to conceal my affliction from the world. Nevertheless,
the fair Fanny, whom I often met in the hours of dusk and evening, and
who had begun to show me marked favour, discovered my terrible secret
one night, as the moon suddenly rose from behind a cloud, and fainted
with terror.
There was nothing left for me but to leave the town. I sent for horses,
took only Bendel and another servant, a rogue named Gauner, with me, and
covered thirty miles during the night. Then we continued our journey
across the mountains to a little-frequented watering-place, where I was
anxious to seek rest from my troubles.
_II.--A Soul for a Shadow_
Bendel preceded me to prepare a house for my reception, and spent money
so lavishly that the rumour spread the King of Prussia was coming
incognito. A grand reception was prepared by the townsfolk, with music
and flowers and a chorus of maidens in white, led by a girl of wonderful
beauty. And all this in broad sunlight! I did not move in my carriage,
and Bendel tried to explain that there must be a mistake, which made the
good folk believe that I wanted to remain incognito. Bendel handed a
diamond tiara to the beautiful maiden, and we drove on amid cheering and
firing of guns.
I became known as Count Peter, and when it was found out that the King
of Prussia was elsewhere, they all thought I must be some other king. I
gave a grand fete, Bendel taking good care to have such lavish
illuminations all round that no one should notice the absence of my
shadow. I had masses of gold coins thrown among the people in the
street, and gave Mina, the beautiful girl who headed the chorus at my
arrival, all the jewels I had brought with me, for distribution among
her friends. She was the daughter of the verdurer, and I lost no time in
making friends with her parents, and succeeded in gaining Mina's
affection.
Continuing to spend money with regal lavishness, I myself led a simple
and retired life, never leaving my rooms in daylight. Bendel warned me
of Gauner's extensive thefts; but I did not mind. Why should I grudge
him the money, of which I had an inexhaustible store? In the evenings I
used to meet Mina in her garden, and always found her loving, though
awed by my wealth and supposed rank. Yet, conscious of my dreadful
secret, I dared not ask for her hand. But the year was nearly up since I
had made the fateful bargain, and I looked forward to the promised visit
of the grey man, whom I hoped to persuade to take back his bag for my
shadow. In fact, I told the verdurer that on the first of the next month
I should ask him for his daughter's hand.
The anniversary arrived--midday, evening, midnight. I waited through the
long hours, heard the clock strike twelve; but the grey man did not
come! Towards morning I fell into a fitful slumber. I was awakened by
angry voices. Gauner forced his way into my room, which was defended by
the faithful Bendel.
"What do you want, you rogue?"
"Only to see your shadow, with your lordship's permission."
"How dare you----"
"I am not going to serve a man without a shadow. Either you show it to
me, or I go."
I wanted to offer him money; but he, who had stolen millions, refused to
accept money from a man without a shadow. He put on his hat, and left
the room whistling.
When at dark I went, with a heavy heart, to Mina's bower, I found her,
pale and beautiful, and her father with a letter in his hand. He looked
at the letter, then scrutinised me, and said, "Do you happen to know, my
lord, a certain Peter Schlemihl, who lost his shadow?"
"Oh, my foreboding!" cried Mina. "I knew it; he has no shadow!"
"And you dared," continued the verdurer, "to deceive us? See how she
sobs! Confess now how you lost your shadow."
Again I was forced to lie. "Some time ago a man stepped so clumsily into
my shadow that he made a big hole. I sent it to be mended, and was
promised to have it back yesterday."
"Very well. Either you present yourself within three days with a
well-fitting shadow, or, on the next day, my daughter will be another
man's wife."
I rushed away, half conscious, groaning and raving. I do not know how
long and how far I ran, but I found myself on a sunny heath, when
somebody suddenly pulled my sleeve. I turned round. It was the man in
the grey coat!
"I announced my visit for to-day. You made a mistake in your impatience.
All is well. You buy your shadow back and you will be welcomed by your
bride. As for Gauner, who has betrayed you and has asked for Mina's
hand--he is ripe for me."