Johann Karl August Musäus

“ The child, alarmed at the sudden appearance, thought she saw her stepmother before her, who always thrust her rudely about, and beat her whenever she came under her eye. But the Nymph caressed her with soft words: “Fear not, dear little one,” said she, “I am thy godmother, come to me. See, here is thy plaything which fell into the spring.” And with these words, she took up the little Matilda in her lap, pressed her tenderly to her bosom, embraced and kissed her, and moistened her with tears. “Poor orphan,” said she, “I have promised to take a mother’s place to thee, and I will fulfil it. ”

“ Love shuns no danger, climbs mountains and rocks, jumps down precipices, finds ways and paths through the Libyan desert, and swims on the back of the white bull over the stormy sea. The loving Matilda mourned and philosophised long till she found a means to realize her most beautiful dream. She had the musk-apple of her godmother Nixa, which would procure her the fulfilment of three wishes. ”

“ Still, among the thousand faculties which love awakens and discloses, one is always that of invention. When Matilda went, according to custom, early in the morning, to the housekeeper, to take counsel with her about the affairs of the kitchen, Dame Gertrude was so unnerved that she could not fix her thoughts on common things, nor attend to the choice of meats; great tears, like droppings from a roof, rolled down her leathern cheeks. “Alas, Matilda!” sobbed she, “I shall soon cease to be housekeeper here; our poor master cannot live out the day.” ”

“ A great change menaces thy house on the mountain; before the reaper handles the scythe, and the wind blows over the stubble of the wheat-fields, it will be deserted and waste. When the servants of the castle go out in the evening twilight to draw water from my spring, and return with empty pails, then know that misfortune is at hand. Take care of thy musk-apple, which will grant thee three wishes, and be not prodigal of them. ”

“ In what direction does the dust blow? Does Wackerman approach?” But Kleinhansel answered very sorrowfully, “Nothing stirs in the wood. Nothing rides in the valley; no dust is blown, and no plume of feathers waves.” This went on till night, when the evening star rose, and the light of the fall moon shone over the eastern mountains. Then she could not contain herself between the four walls of her chamber; she threw on her mantle, stole through the gates into the beech-grove, and wandered to her beloved spot, the crystal spring, in order to indulge undisturbed her sorrowful thoughts. ”

“ The maiden modestly raised the knight: “Softly, noble knight,” said she, “do not be in a hurry with your vow; you see me here in my proper form, though still unknown to you: a smooth face has betrayed many men. The ring is still in your hands.” Immediately the knight took it from his finger; the maiden relinquished her hand to the charming knight, and he placed the ring upon her finger. “You are now my chosen,” said she; “I can no longer conceal myself; I am the daughter of Wackerman Uhlfinger, the stout old knight, whose unhappy fate is, without doubt, not unknown to you ”

“ It happened one morning when Matilda drew water in the court, that the Count met her, and his appearance produced feelings in her heart, quite new and strange to her; the most beautiful young man she had ever seen stood before her; the cheerful fire of his sparkling eyes, his waving light hair, half concealed under the shadow of the ostrich feather in his hat, and his firm walk and noble manner, operated so powerfully on the maiden, that her heart beat quicker, and her blood rushed faster through her veins. ”

“ At the foot of the castled mountain, a plentiful spring, concealed among deep bushes, gushed out of a natural grotto, and, according to an old tradition, it was inhabited by a water nymph called Nixa, and the saying went that she sometimes, on particular occasions, showed herself in the castle. The noble lady often wandered alone to this spring, when, in the absence of her husband, she wished to breathe fresh air, outside the thick walls of the castle, or to perform some charitable deeds in retirement without attracting notice. ”

“ This was the point to which the lady Matilda wanted to bring her husband. “Well,” said she, “my dear lord, it is permitted me to choose one of the sponsors who shall stand godmother to my child. Now, I have a friend in my mind unknown to you, and my request is that you never press me to tell you who she is, how she comes, nor where she dwells. When you have promised me this on your knightly honour, and kept your promise, I shall have lost my wager, and will freely acknowledge that manly spirit triumphs over womanly weakness.” ”

“ It becomes not a man of your station to promise anything thoughtlessly; but sacredly to fulfil his promise according to the usage of noble hearts.”
Knight Conrad seized her quickly by the hand, pressed her to his bosom, and fondly exclaimed, “That I promise you, upon my honour and salvation! If you,” continued he, “were the child of the lowest man; only a pure and innocent maiden; I will honourably make you my wife, and promote you to wealth and honour.” ”

“ Once Wackerman had gone with his followers to encamp and to waylay the merchants who came from Augsburg market; and stayed away longer than was his wont. This made the tender wife anxious; she fancied that her lord had met with some misfortune; that he might be slain, or have fallen into the enemy’s power. Her heart was so heavy that she could neither sleep nor rest; already many days had she fretted, wavering between fear and hope, and often she cried out to the dwarf who held watch on the tower, “Kleinhansel, look out! what rustles through the wood? ”

“ Knight Conrad wondered at this discourse, which seemed too wise and reflecting for a kitchen-maid. “Know,” was his answer, “beauty commands a man’s love, but virtue knows how to keep fast the soft bands of love.”—“Well,” answered she, “I go to fulfil your conditions, prepare your heart to decide my fate.”
The Knight still wavered between hope and fear of a new deception; he rang for the housekeeper, and commanded her to “escort the maiden to her chamber, that she may clothe herself neatly; remain at the door till she comes out—I await you in the reception-room.” ”

“ Matilda had no share in any of the sports, but sat in the smoky kitchen, and wept her languishing eyes almost sore, mourned over the caprice of fortune, which overwhelmed her favourites with the joys of life, and cast away from her despised devotees every happy moment. ”

“ The evil star of thy life has now declined to its fall, henceforth the musk-apple will not grant any more wishes, because nothing now remains for thee to wish more; but I will explain to thee the riddle of thy mournful lot. Know that the mother of thy husband is the author of all thy misfortunes. To this proud woman her son’s marriage was as a poniard stab in her heart; she believed that Count Conrad had disgraced the nobility of his house by marrying a kitchen-maid ”

“ Matilda siahed; “Ah, is it only the glitter of the form, noble knight, that pleased your eyes? Woe is me! if time or circumstances should destroy these fleeting charms; if old age bends my slender shape and crooks my back; if my roses and lilies fade, my fine skin wrinkles and dries ”

“ HREE miles beyond Dinkelsbuhl, in Swabia, there stood in former times an old castle, which belonged to a powerful knight called Wackerman Uhlfinger, the flower of fist and club ruling knighthood, the terror of the Swabian confederated states, as well as of all travellers and merchants, who had no letter of protection from him. Whenever Wackerman put on his cuirass and helmet, girded his sword on his loins, and buckled his golden spurs on his heels, he was, after the manner of his contemporaries, a rude hard-hearted man, who considered robbery and plunder the prerogative of nobility ”

“ According to the observation of a great man, the most violent grief is always the shortest; and so this distressed widower soon forgot his sorrow, and thought seriously of repairing his loss by taking a second wife. His choice fell on an impetuous active woman, quite the reverse of the gentle Matilda. ”

“ In the mean while Matilda prepared her broth, put into it different kitchen herbs, and costly spices, and laid in it the diamond ring which the knight had given her as a pledge of fidelity, and called the servants to take it in. The sick man feared the loud eloquence of the housekeeper, which still rang in his ears so loudly, that he compelled himself to take a spoonful of the soup. ”

“ The apprehensive mother would not have the child out of her sight, and watched its sweet sleep as long as her strength permitted; but when at last the demands of nature must be obeyed, she took the golden chain from her neck, passed it round the baby’s body, and fastened the other end to her arm, signed herself and the child with the cross, that the man-wolf might have no power nor influence over it, and she soon fell into an irresistible slumber. ”

“ His wife was a tender and loving woman, well-bred and virtuous; like whom there are very few, even in this day. She loved her husband with inviolable constancy, and attended industriously to her household concerns, never looked out of the lattice in search of unlawful adventures when her husband was away, but covered her distaff with flax as fine as silk, turned her spindle with an active hand, and wove a thread which the Lydian Arachne would have claimed as her own. ”

“ Every one gave place to her as a stranger, and she held the child first in her arms over the font. All eyes were fixed on her, as she was so beautiful, so well-bred, and so sumptuously clothed. She had a flowing robe of sky-blue silk, open up the front, and white satin underneath; over this she was adorned with jewels and pearl ornaments as richly as our Lady at Loretto on a gala day. A glittering sapphire clasped her transparent veil, which fell in thin folds from the crown of her head over her beautifully-arranged hair, across her shoulders, and down to her feet ”

“ Visit me often, thou wilt always find me in this grotto, if thou wilt throw a stone into the spring. Examine this musk-apple carefully, and do not play with it, for fear of losing it; it will grant thee three wishes. When thou art grown up I will tell thee more ”

“ The nurse came back, and the Nymph disappeared.
The proverb says, “Now-a-days, no child is prudent; in olden times it was different.” The little Matilda, at least, was a wise and cautious child; she had discretion enough not to mention her lady godmother to her nurse, but, on her return home, asked for a needle and thread, and sewed up the musk-apple carefully in the lining of her dress. Her wishes and thoughts were now all directed to the Nixa’s spring; as often as the weather allowed, she obliged her nurse to take a walk ”

“ But on the third night, when all in the castle lay buried in sleep, after the noise and bustle of a feast, the mother awoke from a sweet slumber, and when she awoke the baby was gone from her arms! Astonished, the terrified Countess cried out, “Nurse, where have you laid my baby?” The nurse answered, “Noble lady, the dear little boy is in your arms.” Bed and chamber were anxiously searched, but nothing was found except some drops of blood on the floor of the chamber. When the nurse perceived this, she raised a loud cry, “Oh, God and the Saints have pity on us! ”

“ The morning was scarcely dawned ere Matilda found an opportunity to escape from the knight and to leave the dancing-hall. As soon as she was out of the hall, she turned her musk-apple three times in her hand, and repeated the little charm,—“Night behind me, day before me, so that nobody may see me,”—and so she reached her chamber without the Count’s twilight birds, who were fluttering up and down every street, being able to perceive her. With her usual skill, she locked up her silken clothes in her chest, put on again her dirty kitchen-dress; set about her business ”

“ Then the knight quitted the order, left the court, and solemnized his marriage with great splendour. The newly-married couple passed the first year of their union at Augsburg, in joy and innocent mirth. Impressed with feelings of delightful emotion, the youthful wife, leaning on the bosom of her wedded lord, confided to him the happy feelings of her heart, which overflowed with joy. “My heart, beloved lord,” said she once, “in possessing you is at rest; no other wish remains to me; I give up the third wish of my musk-apple; if you have any concealed desire in your heart, make it known to me ”

“ The unexpected appearance of the strange lady had so much interrupted the assembled godmothers in their devotions, that they forgot to give the child a name; so the priest baptized it Matilda, after its mother. When the christening was over, the little Matilda was carried back to her mother, and the godfathers crowded around to wish the child happiness, and the godmothers to offer their presents. The lady Matilda seemed somewhat embarrassed at the aspect of Nixa ”

“ Even the cause of all the mischief, the extravagant wife, was slain with all her children by the furious warriors, who were as furious against the plundering nobility as afterwards were the rebels in the Suabian peasants’ war. ”