THE BRAVE PRINCESS
"LISTEN, children! That must be the song of a nightingale. How sweet it
is!"
It was a lovely Sunday afternoon. Every one in the family had been to
church in the morning, and come home to a good dinner of bean soup and
potato salad. Then the father had said:
"Let us take a long walk over the fields and through the woods. The
world is beautiful to-day. We can enjoy it best by leaving the house
behind us."
Some of the neighbours joined the merry party. The men smoked their
pipes, while the women chatted together and the children frolicked
about them and picked wild flowers.
How many sweet smells there were in the fields! How gaily the birds
sang! The air seemed full of peace and joy.
They all wandered on till they came to a cascade flowing down over some
high rocks. Trees grew close to the waterfall, and bent over it as
though 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 as
this. He has lived in the Hartz Mountains, and they are filled with
fairy 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 general
request. Besides, he liked to tell stories. Taking his long pipe out of
his mouth, he laid it down on the ground beside him. Then he cleared
his throat and began to speak.
"Look above you, friends. Do you see that mark on the rocky platform
overhead? I noticed it as soon as I got here. It made me think of a
wild spot in the Hartz Mountains where there is just such a mark. The
people call it 'The Horse's Hoof-print.' I will tell you how they
explain its coming there.
"Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess. Her name was
Brunhilda, and she lived in Bohemia. She lived a gay and happy life,
like most young princesses, till one day a handsome prince arrived at
her 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 love
with the princess, and she returned his love. The day was set for the
wedding, 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 arrived
at 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 been
given away. She did not care for the giant, even though he gave her the
most 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 very
powerful, and we must not make him angry. You must marry him, my
daughter, in three days.'
"The poor maiden wept bitterly. It seemed as though her heart would
break. But she was a clever girl, and she soon dried her tears and
began to think of some plan by which she might yet be free. She began
to smile upon the giant and treat him with great kindness.
"'I should like to try the beautiful horse you brought me,' she said
to him. He was much pleased. The horse was brought to the door. The
princess mounted him and rode for a time up and down in front of the
palace.
"The very next day was that set apart for the wedding. The castle was
filled with guests who feasted and made merry. The giant entered into
everything with a will. He laughed till the floors and walls shook.
Little did he think what was taking place. For the princess slipped out
of the castle when no one was watching, hurried into the stable, and
leaped upon the back of her swift white horse.
"'Lower the drawbridge instantly,' she called to the guard. She passed
over it, and away she flew like the wind.
"You were too late, too late, O giant, when you discovered that
Brunhilda was missing.
"He flew out of the castle, and on the back of his own fiery black
horse he dashed after the runaway princess.
"On they went! On, on, without stopping. Over the plains, up and down
the hillsides, through the villages. The sun set and darkness fell upon
the world, but there was never a moment's rest for the maiden on the
white 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 always
showed the princess ahead and slowly increasing the distance between
herself and her pursuer.
"When the morning light first appeared, the maiden could see the summit
of the Brocken ahead of her. It was the home of her lover. Her heart
leaped within her. If she could only reach it she would be safe.
"But alas! her horse suddenly stood still. He would not move. He had
reached the edge of a precipice. There it lay, separating the princess
from love and safety.
"The brave girl had not a moment to lose. The giant was fast drawing
near. She wheeled her horse around; then, striking his sides a sharp
blow 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 side
securely, it meant a horrible end to beast and rider.
"But he did not fail. The feet of the brave steed came firmly down upon
the rocky platform. So heavily did they fall that the imprint of a hoof
was left upon the rock.
"The princess was now safe. It would be an easy matter for her to
reach her lover's side.
"As for the giant, he tried to follow Brunhilda across the chasm. But
he was too heavy and his horse failed to reach the mark. The two sank
together to the bottom of the precipice."
Every one thanked the story-teller, and begged him to tell more of the
Hartz Mountains, where he had spent his boyhood days. The children were
delighted when he spoke of the gnomes, in whom he believed when he was
a child.
"Every time I went out in the dark woods," he said, "I was on the
lookout for these funny little fairies of the underground world. I
wanted to see them, but at the same time I was afraid I should meet
them.
"I remember one time that my mother sent me on an errand through the
woods at twilight. I was in the thickest part of the woods, when I
heard 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. My
legs shook so, I could hardly move. Somehow or other, I managed to keep
on. It seemed as though hours passed before I saw the lights of the
village. Yet I suppose it was not more than fifteen minutes.
"When I was once more safe inside my own home, I told my father and
mother about my fright.
"'It was no witch, my child,' said my father. 'The sound you describe
was probably the cry of a wildcat. I thank Heaven that you are safe. A
wildcat 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 sometimes
foxes made their way into the village in search of poultry, but I never
came nearer to meeting a wildcat than the time of which I have just
told you."
"What work did you do out of school hours?" asked Hans. The boy was
thinking 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. What
concerts we did have in those days! Mother tended every young bird she
raised with the greatest care. Would it become a good singer and bring
a fair price? We waited anxiously for the first notes, and then watched
to see how the voices gained in strength and sweetness.
"It was a pleasant life, and I was very happy among the birds in our
little village. Would you like to hear a song I used to sing at that
time? 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."
[Illustration: BERTHA'S HOME.]
After he had finished, he told about the mines in which some of his
friends worked. It was a hard life, with no bright sunlight to cheer
the men in those deep, dark caverns underground.
"Of course you all know that the deepest mine in the world is in the
Hartz Mountains."
His friends nodded their heads, while Hans whispered to Bertha, "I
should like to go down in that mine just for the sake of saying I have
been as far into the earth as any living person."
"The sun is setting, and there is a chill in the air," said Bertha's
father. "Let us go home."