Part 10 (2/2)
In Aix-la-Chapelle dwelt two hunchbacked musicians. Friedel was a lively fellow with a pleasant face and an engaging manner. Heinz had red hair, green eyes, and a malevolent expression. Friedel was a better player than Heinz; that, combined with his agreeable looks, made him a general favourite.
Friedel loved Agathe, the daughter of a rich wine-merchant. The lovers?
prospects were not encouraging, for Agathe?s father sought a son-in-law from higher circles. The poor musician?s plight was rendered desperate by the wine-merchant compelling his daughter to accept a rich but dissipated young man. When the hunchback approached the merchant to declare his feelings toward the maiden, he was met with derision and insult. Full of bitterness, he wandered about, till midnight found him in the fish-market, where the Witches? Sabbath was about to take place.
A weird light was cast over everything, and a crowd of female figures quickly gathered. A lady who seemed to be at the head of the party offered the hunchback refreshment, and others handed him a violin, desiring him to play for them. Friedel played, and the witches danced; faster and faster, for the violin was bewitched. At last the violinist fell exhausted, and the dancing ceased. The lady now commanded him to kneel and receive the thanks of the company for his beautiful playing.
Then she muttered strange words over the kneeling hunchback.
When Friedel arose his hump was gone.
Just then the clock struck one, everything vanished, and the musician found himself alone in the market-place. Next morning his looking-gla.s.s showed him that he had not been dreaming, and in his pocket he found a large sum of money, which made him the equal of the richest in the town.
Overjoyed at the transformation, he lost no time in seeking Agathe?s house. The sight of his gold turned the scale in his favour, and the wine-merchant consented to his suit.
Now Heinz was inflamed with jealousy, and tried to calumniate his companion by spreading evil stories. Friedel?s strange adventure leaked abroad, and Heinz determined to try his fortune likewise. So at the next witch-meeting he hastened to the fish-market, where at the outset everything happened in exactly the same manner. Heinz was requested to play, but his avaricious gaze was fixed on the golden vessels on the table, and his thoughts were with the large reward he would ask.
Consequently his playing became so discordant that the indignant dancers made him cease.
Kneeling down to receive his reward, he demanded the valuable drinking-cups, whereupon with scornful and mocking words the lady who was the leader of the band fixed on his breast the hump she had taken from Friedel. Immediately the clock struck one, and all disappeared. The poor man?s rage was boundless, for he found himself now saddled with two humps. He became an object of ridicule to the townsfolk, but Friedel pitied him, and maintained him ever after.
The Legend of the Cathedral of Aix-la-Chapelle
In former times the zealous and devout inhabitants of Aix-la-Chapelle determined to build a cathedral. For six months the clang of the hammer and axe resounded with wonderful activity, but, alas! the money which had been supplied by pious Christians for this holy work became exhausted, the wages of the masons were perforce suspended, and with them their desire to hew and hammer, for, after all, men must have money wherewith to feed their families.
Thus the cathedral stood, half finished, resembling a falling ruin.
Moss, gra.s.s, and wild parsley flourished in the cracks of the walls, screech-owls already discovered convenient places for their nests, and amorous sparrows hopped lovingly about where holy priests should have been teaching lessons of chast.i.ty.
The builders were confounded. They endeavoured to borrow here and there, but no rich man could be induced to advance the large sum required. The collections from house to house produced little, so that instead of the much-wished-for golden coins nothing was found in the boxes but copper.
When the magistracy received this report they were out of humour, and looked with desponding countenances toward the cathedral walls, as fathers look upon the remains of favourite children.
At this moment a stranger of commanding figure and something of pride in his voice and bearing entered the council chamber and exclaimed: ?Bon Dieu! it is said that you are out of spirits. Hem! if nothing but money is wanting, you may console yourselves, gentlemen. I possess mines of gold and silver, and both can and will most willingly supply you with a ton of them.?
The astounded magistrates sat like a row of pillars, measuring the stranger from head to foot. The Burgomaster first found his tongue. ?Who are you, n.o.ble lord,? said he, ?that thus, entirely unknown, speak of tons of gold as though they were sacks of beans? Tell us your name, your rank in this world, and whether you are sent from the regions above to a.s.sist us.?
?I have not the honour to reside there,? replied the stranger, ?and, between ourselves, I beg most particularly to be no longer troubled with questions concerning who and what I am. Suffice it to say I have gold plentiful as summer hay!? Then, drawing forth a leathern pouch, he proceeded: ?This little purse contains the tenth of what I?ll give. The rest shall soon be forthcoming. Now listen, my masters,? continued he, clinking the coin; ?all this trumpery is and shall remain yours if you promise to give me the first little soul that enters the door of the new temple when it is consecrated.?
The astonished magistrates sprang from their seats as if they had been shot up by an earthquake and rushed pell-mell into the farthest corner of the room, where they rolled and clung to each other like lambs frightened at flashes of lightning. Only one of the party had not entirely lost his wits, and he collected his remaining senses and, drawing his head out of the heap, uttered boldly: ?Avaunt, thou wicked spirit!?
But the stranger, who was no less a person than Master Urian, laughed at them. ?What?s all this outcry about?? said he at length. ?Is my offence so heinous that you are all become like children? It is I that may suffer from this business, not you. With my hundreds and thousands I have not far to run to buy a score of souls. Of you I ask but one in exchange for all my money. What are you picking at straws for? One may plainly see you are a mere set of humbugs! For the good of the commonwealth (which high-sounding name is often borrowed for all sorts of purposes) many a prince would instantly conduct a whole army to be butchered, and you refuse one single man for that purpose! Fie! I am ashamed, O overwise counsellors, to hear you reason thus absurdly and citizen-like. What, do you think to deprive yourselves of the kernel of your people by granting my wish? Oh, no; there your wisdom is quite at fault, for, depend on it, hypocrites are always the earliest church birds.?
By degrees, as the cunning fiend thus spoke, the magistrates took courage and whispered in each other?s ears: ?What is the use of our resisting? The grim lion will only show his teeth once. If we don?t a.s.sent, we shall infallibly be packed off ourselves. It is better, therefore, to quiet him directly.?
Scarcely had they given effect to this new disposition and concluded the bargain when a swarm of purses flew into the room through doors and windows. Urian now took leave, but he stopped at the door and called out with a grim leer: ?Count it over again for fear I may have cheated you.?
The h.e.l.lish gold was piously expended in finis.h.i.+ng the cathedral, but nevertheless, when the building was completed, splendid though it was, the whole town was filled with fear and alarm at the sight of it. The fact was that, although the magistrates had promised by bond and oath not to trust the secret to anybody, one had prated to his wife, and she had made it a market-place tale, so that one and all declared they would never set foot within the walls. The terrified council now consulted the clergy, but the good priests hung their heads. At last a monk cried out: ?A thought strikes me. The wolf which has so long ravaged the neighbourhood of our town was this morning caught alive. This will be a well-merited punishment for the destroyer of our flocks; let him be cast to the devil in the fiery gulf. ?Tis possible the arch h.e.l.l-hound may not relish this breakfast, yet, nolens volens, he must swallow it. You promised him certainly a soul, but whose was not decidedly specified.?
The monk?s plan was plausible, and the magistrates determined to put the cunning trick into execution. The day of consecration arrived. Orders were given to bring the wolf to the princ.i.p.al entrance of the cathedral, and just as the bells began to ring, the trap-door of the cage was opened and the savage beast darted out into the nave of the empty church. Master Urian from his lurking-place beheld this consecration-offering with the utmost fury; burning with choler at being thus deceived, he raged like a tempest, and finally rushed forth, slamming the bra.s.s gate so violently after him that the ring cracked in twain.
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