Many popular tales could be noticed of instrumental performers who
possess the power of making everyone dance. Not only men, but animals,
and sometimes even inanimate objects are compelled to wheel around. Take
for instance the following German tale, known as 'The Jew in the
Thicket.'
Once upon a time there lived in a small village a poor peasant lad whose
name was Heinrich, but whom his neighbours used to call Honest Heinrich,
because he was as honest as he was poor. Whether he was so poor because
he was so honest, or whatever else was the cause of his poverty, would
now be useless to speculate upon. Enough that he found it expedient to
improve his circumstances; and for this purpose he set out on a journey
into the world, with only a few copper coins in his pocket.
After a while, his way led him to a lonely place near some hills. He
thought he was quite alone, when unexpectedly a little grey man, very
old-looking, accosted him and solicited alms. "Give me whatever thou
hast in coppers," said the grey man, "and thou shalt have no cause to
repent thy generosity; thou seest, I am old and infirm; but thou art
young and robust, and wilt easily make thy way in the world."
When Honest Heinrich heard the grey man speak thus, it went to his
heart, and he put his hand into his pocket, took out the copper
coins,--which, in fact, constituted all the property he possessed in the
world,--and gave them to the old beggar. Then cheerfully whistling he
resumed his journey.
"Hallo! just wait a bit, my lad!" cried the grey man: "I know thou art
an honest fellow, and deservest a helping hand to push thee on in the
world; so thou mayst have three wishes, and they shall be granted to
thee."
Then Honest Heinrich saw at once that he had to do with an Onnerersk, as
the little folks are called who dwell under ground in golden halls deep
in the mountains; so, having bethought himself for a moment, he touched
his cap and said:
"Well sir, let me have a fiddle which when I play upon it makes everyone
dance. And let me have a blow-pipe with which I am sure to hit
everything I want to shoot. And my third wish shall be, if you please,
that whenever I ask a favour of anybody, it will not be refused me."
All these wishes were readily conceded to Honest Heinrich, and it may
easily be imagined what great advantages he now possessed in his
endeavours to make his fortune in the world. The third wish especially
proved invaluable to him. Neither was the fiddle to be despised; nay, it
actually saved him from the gallows! and how this happened to come to
pass, shall now be related.
After Honest Heinrich had proceeded on his way a mile or two, he came
beside a thicket of thorns, in the middle of which sat a lovely little
bird that sang even more beautifully than it was beautiful to look at.
And near the thicket stood a Jew counting a bag of money, which was not
exactly his own, for he had taken it from somewhere, so to say, without
asking permission. Now, the Jew was in an awkward fix, for he could not
move from the spot where he stood, because the lovely little bird had
enchanted him with his melodious music. He had, however, a particular
reason for moving on as quickly as possible, since it was not at all
unlikely that somebody might follow him, overtake him, and say, "you are
wanted; just come back with me to town!" Therefore, when he saw Honest
Heinrich carrying a blow-pipe, he called out to him:
"A good piece of money I would gladly part with if thou couldst procure
for me that charming bird."
Then Honest Heinrich took his blow-pipe, aimed, and hit the little bird:
he only said "There!" and the charming little songster fell down into
the thicket. Directly the Jew worked himself among the thorn bushes to
take the bird out; meanwhile he made all kinds of excuses for not giving
the piece of money which he had promised.
"O ho!" said Honest Heinrich, "that matter we shall easily settle!"
Presently he took up his fiddle to try its effect upon the Jew. One
stroke of the bow, and the Jew began to wabble;--another stroke, and he
lifted up his right leg;--a third stroke, and the dancing began in
earnest.
"O dear me!" cried the Jew, "leave off that confounded fiddling! The
thorns hurt me dreadfully! Upon my honour, I shall be a dead man before
I am safely out of the thicket!" But, Honest Heinrich was becoming warm
with trying his newly-acquired instrument; so he only replied: "Never
mind the thorns; all right!" and struck up a quicker tune. "O torture!"
cried the perspiring dancer, "I am a ruined man! Here,--here is my whole
bag of money,--all genuine coins,--take it,--only cease that fiddling!"
Honest Heinrich made what musicians call a brilliant cadence, which
caused the Jew to throw a few somersaults, and then gave the finishing
stroke, or in other words, the concluding chord. The Jew crept out of
the thicket, handed over the bag to the fiddler, and made off as rapidly
as he could into the wide world.
Honest Heinrich, on the other hand, took the direction towards the town
with the intention of restoring the bag of money to its rightful owner.
He was soon met by a man dressed in an unpretending kind of uniform,
who, seeing the bag, in a friendly and almost playful way, gave Honest
Heinrich a little tap on his shoulder, and said: "You are wanted; you
must come with me to town." Then Honest Heinrich was taken to prison;
and when the judge asked him about the bag of money, and he replied, "A
Jew gave it me," the judge smiled and said, "A Jew? you will never make
me believe that!" In short, Honest Heinrich was found guilty of robbery,
and the judge sentenced him to be hanged.
There prevailed a strange taste in the town where this occurred.
Whenever an execution took place, the people had a kind of festival.
Days, nay, even weeks, before the interesting event, the wretched
culprit was considered almost as a martyr. Whatever he said was
carefully recorded, and made publicly known. Men of rank felt honoured
when he shook hands with them; and when the awful hour for his execution
had arrived, and he stood under the gallows, he would address the throng
of people assembled as spectators. The women, of course, relished the
exciting scene even more than the men, and cried with all their heart.
Now, as Honest Heinrich was innocent, he did not like to have any fuss
made about him; so, when he stood under the gallows, he only asked that
he might be permitted to play a "Last Farewell" upon his dear fiddle.
The judge said he would not deny the last request of a dying sinner.
"Pray, your worship!" cried the Jew, who had mingled with the
spectators, and who rejoiced in his heart at the turn which the money
affair had taken, "Pray, your worship, do not allow him his fiddle; his
music will do us mischief!" But the judge took no notice of the Jew, and
said, "Play, my lad, but make it short; we have not much time to lose."
Then Honest Heinrich took his fiddle and played. One stroke with the
bow, and all the people began to wabble. Another stroke, and every one
lifted up his right leg. A third stroke, and the dancing began in
earnest. The judge, the clergyman, the doctor, the hangman, the Jew,
women with their babies in their arms, ladies with their
smelling-bottles in their hands; in short, every one present, old and
young, danced with the utmost exertion. Even the very dogs which had
followed their masters, raised themselves upon their hind-legs and
danced, profusely perspiring like all the people.
"Hold! stop! hold!" cried the exhausted judge, "Thy life is spared; only
put aside that dreadful fiddle!"
As soon as Honest Heinrich heard the judge's promise of acquittal he
ceased playing and came down the steps from the gallows. At the foot of
the steps he found the Jew lying prostrate on his back. "Confess
directly," said Honest Heinrich, "how you came by the bag of money, or I
shall give you a little private performance, with a brilliant cadence at
the end, you know!" In a moment the alarmed Jew stood upon his legs
again, and exclaimed, "Upon my honour, I stole it!"
Then they hanged the Jew upon the gallows. As for Honest Heinrich, he
continued his wanderings in the world, and soon made his fortune. When
he had become rich, he went home again to his village, and courted his
neighbour's daughter, who had formerly jilted him when he was poor, but
who loved him now dearly, not because he was rich (she said) but on
account of his former poverty. Soon they married, and were happy ever
after.