Marie Harriette Frary

“ Kuno did not pause to listen to the man’s tales, but loudly called for his horse. He mounted and rode rapidly away to the foot of the mountain. Far above him loomed the Castle of Faulkenstein. How Kuno’s heart leaped with joy. There, indeed, was a road leading up to the Castle. True to his promise, the King of the Gnomes had built a broad, convenient road through the forest and over the rocks. Kuno galloped boldly up, exchanging smiles with the kindly dwarfs who peered at him from behind every rock and tree. From the ramparts of the Castle, stepped the beautiful Irmangarde. ”

“ The prison door opened, and Frederick of Telramund appeared to lead Elsa to the lists. A smile of triumph curled his cruel lips as he heard the herald give the last call for Elsa’s champion. The sound of the trumpets died away and Frederick had turned to address Elsa. Suddenly a ringing voice came from the end of the lists.
“Here am I, the Swan Knight, ready to fight for the rights of the Princess. I will win her cause or die.”
A cry of admiration arose from the crowd, as they turned toward the Rhine. There they saw a handsome knight, standing erect in a tiny skiff drawn by a swan. ”

“ His heart swelled with a feeling of relief as he plunged into the pathless forest. On and on he wandered, trying to think of some way to rid himself of the troublesome [79] ring. Like Frastrada, he did not want anyone else to come into possession of it and thus get such an influence over the Emperor.
After long wandering he found himself at the opening of a beautiful glade. Before him lay a quiet pool embosomed in the dark woods. The moonlight flooded the retired spot and shone like silver over the deep and quiet waters.
Turpin was lost in admiration. ”

“ He lived with his father in the castle at Stahleck. The young count had heard many marvelous tales of the beautiful Lorelei and he determined to go in search of her.
One evening he stole from his father’s castle to sail down the Rhine. He hoped to catch a glimpse of the Siren Lorelei. The stars were twinkling softly overhead, and the bark slowly drifted down the river. Darker and darker grew the waters as the bed of the Rhine grew narrower. But the young count did not notice this. His eyes were fixed on the rocks far above, where he hoped to see the beautiful nymph. ”

“ Elsa should choose a champion to fight with Frederick of Telramund.
Poor Elsa lost all hope when she heard this decision. She knew full well that no knight in the neighborhood would dare accept a challenge from Telramund; for Telramund had fought many times and had never been defeated. Day after day the herald sought someone to battle for Elsa’s rights. It was as she had feared, no one answered the call.
Forsaken by all, the orphan girl turned to the helper of the helpless. Night and day she knelt in her narrow cell and prayed. ”

“ They rubbed their eyes and looked about them. No trace of the sudden rise except the water drops along the [30] face of the cliff could be seen. These shone in the moonlight like diamonds.
The Lorelei has never since then appeared on the cliff. But boatmen have often heard the faint sweet echo of her alluring song, wafted toward them on the summer breeze at midnight. It is said that she remains in her beautiful palace and gardens below the green Rhine, enjoying the companionship of her earthly lover. ”

“ The knights had gathered in the great banqueting hall near the Rhine. They started up in surprise when their master suddenly came in their midst. He led the pale and weeping Elsa gently by the hand.
“Listen, oh, knights,” he began. “The time has come when I must leave you. Before I go, it is right that you should know that I am Lohengrin, son of Parsifal, the great king. I was sent hither by the Holy Grail, to save your princess, Elsa, from Frederick of Telramund. ”

“ Mummel, the great angry water god, has many beautiful daughters. These he guards jealously, and will allow no one to see them in their maiden forms except by the dim moonlight.
These beautiful water nymphs are not at all like their stern father. They are pure, and gentle and graceful and kind. They never do harm to anyone, and are not displeased if people come to visit the lake. Indeed they like to have people come to see them dance upon the water at night. ”

“ The great god drew him down, down to the bottom of the lake, where he has a wonderful palace. In it there are all kinds of strange creatures.”
“But what does the man do down there? Is he still alive?”
“Yes; Mummel will not let him die; but keeps him, and makes him serve in the kitchen year after year.”
“And does he not have any rest or any holidays?”
“He does not need rest down there, because he is no longer mortal like us. But once a year he ceases, for a single night, to serve in the kitchen. He becomes a mortal again and comes back to earth. ”

“ Finally, as she was seated by him one day, she suddenly turned to him and asked the forbidden question.
“Elsa! Elsa! Is your faith dead?” cried the Swan Knight in broken voice. “Can you no longer trust me? I love you so, and now I must leave you. Our happiness is at an end! ”

“ On every moonlight night they can be seen flitting about on the surface of that.
Their fairy forms are so charming that people who see them cannot help forgetting their daily cares. People come to the lake tired and careworn in the evening, and go away happy and cheerful. ”

“ Nothing had gone wrong since the day that the little page had entered his gate.
One day as the two were riding along the banks of the Rhine, they noticed a band of robbers coming toward them. These men had often sought to harm the good knight. The band was so large that it was easy to see that the brave knight could make no headway against them. There seemed to be no way of escape.
“Would to God,” cried the brave man, “that you were safe within my castle walls, my faithful little page! We are lost, my lad, but we must sell our lives as dearly as possible. Let us die like heroes. ”

“ THE SWAN KNIGHT
Elsa was a very beautiful girl. She lived with her father, the Duke of Brabant. Her father loved her very much, so they lived happily in their lovely home. But one day Elsa’s father died, leaving her all of his lands and castles. Then she had no one to care for her, and she was very unhappy indeed.
The Duke of Brabant had had a trusted friend, Frederick of Telramund. He undertook the care of Elsa; but he did not guard the lonely maiden as her father would have wished. Indeed, this man tried to force her to marry him, that he might obtain all of her wealth. ”

“ Mummel has caught the intruder and taken him down to his abode below the lake. There the unhappy youth has had to act as a servant.
Whenever anyone attempts to come too close to his daughters, too, Mummel takes [108] away their human shapes at once. He transforms them into water lilies, and makes them stand with bowed heads along the farther shore of the lake.
Every morning, too, as soon as the first light of day begins to appear, the beautiful figures leave their fairy dance upon the lake. Mummel transforms them into their lily forms and makes them stand in the water along the shore. ”

“ Suddenly he plunged with her into the stream, and brought her to the crystal palace, where he made her his happy wife.
“And now, kind nurse, we must soon part,” said the beautiful lady. “When Father Rhine offers to reward you, accept from him only your usual fee, no matter how much he urges you to take more. He loves honesty, but loathes greed.”
Just then Father Rhine appeared. Seeing his beloved wife quite well again, the river god beckoned to the nurse to follow him. He led her through many halls of the great castle. ”

“ The little town of Caub is very old. Above it in olden days rose the Castle of Gutenfels. Here many years ago lived Philip, Count of Faulkenstein and his only sister, Guda. This brother and sister were orphans, and lived together there happily.
Many suitors had come to seek the hand of the beautiful Guda, but she was happy in her brother’s love and wished no other. Often Philip urged her to choose a husband from among the many wooers.
“My dear sister,” he said, “the time may come when I shall have to leave you. War may break out at any time.” ”

“ With his sword at the throat of the knight he demanded his name.
[85] “I am Elbegast,” he replied, “a notorious robber knight, and have committed many a bold deed. Thou art the first that has had power to overcome me.”
“Arise,” said the Emperor, without telling who he was, “and come with me. I am on a mission like thine own.”
Without hesitating, the robber knight joined his conqueror.
“I have vowed,” said the Emperor, “not to return home until I have broken into the house of the Emperor’s most trusted minister.” So saying, he led the way to the house of Arnot. ”

“ To this strange remark Alfus paid no heed. He only hastened on the faster. He was beginning to doubt his senses. He went directly to the gate of the monastery. But this was much larger than it had been when he had left. He rang the bell. The sound was no longer the same. The silvery peal of the bell he had known had given place to the harsh clang of a much larger one.
At length there came a young monk to open the door. Alfus was amazed. It was a stranger—a man whom he had never seen before. He gazed at him speechless.
“What has happened,” he said. “Why are all things so changed? ”

“ Angry and proud, she made the sailors cast all the wheat into the sea. The captain, powerless to prevent this sinful waste, looked on in quiet rage. When the last kernel had disappeared beneath the water he turned to his haughty mistress.
“As surely as there is a God above us,” he exclaimed, “you will be punished for this sin. The time will come when you, the wealthiest person in Stavoren, will long for a few handfuls of this wasted wheat.”
The lady listened to his words in haughty silence. When he had finished, she took a costly ring from her delicate hand and cast it into the sea. ”

“ He comes not to do harm, nor simply to rest and enjoy the place. His purpose is to bless the spot which was such a blessing to him during his life.
On the nights when Charlemagne’s spirit visits the place, the silvery moonbeams may be seen to make a fairy bridge across the river. On this bridge the great [91] monarch’s spirit passes across the Rhine.
He glides back and forth, bestowing his blessing on everything in the neighborhood. Every little village, every cottage, every hill and valley, the vineyards, the shore, and the great peaceful river itself—all receive his blessing. ”

“ The manners and conversation of the unknown knight pleased everyone, and especially the Count of Faulkenstein. So much was he charmed by the bearing of the victorious knight that he invited him to visit his castle at Gutenfels. This invitation the knight eagerly accepted.
Philip and Guda welcomed him warmly and were very much delighted with their new friend. The stranger’s admiration for Guda became more and more plain; day by day he grew fonder of the beautiful girl. ”

“ Suddenly he turned the unwilling steed directly into the rushing stream.
[15] “Rash boy, come back!” called the knight, dashing forward with the hope of overtaking the daring page. “Better die fighting bravely than perish miserably in the river. Come back, my page, come back!”
“Have no fear, my dear master, but follow me,” still cried the little page.
The sound of his voice rose so confidently above the noise of the wind and waves that the knight obeyed, hardly knowing what he was doing. A few minutes later the horses had found a firm footing in the river. ”

“ She would soon be a woman, but she still loved playthings.
Like the rest of the giants, Hilda, the king’s daughter, liked to go walking out into the world. She often found most interesting playthings. Sometimes she would bring home a bear, or a baby elephant.
One day Hilda went out for a walk. She had had to stay in the castle for several days because of the rain. This was a beautiful day, however, and she walked a long way, even for a giant’s daughter.
The maiden stepped over valley after valley, from hilltop to hilltop, till she was far away from home. She had never gone so far before. ”

“ Othmar took with him all the able bodied men. Only the old men, women and children were left at home to protect his sister.
In those days many lawless robber knights roamed through the forests, doing whatever pleased them. Afraid of these, Williswind ordered that the Castle gates should be kept closed all the time.
One evening as she sat in the great hall of the Castle with her servants about her, a trumpet sounded at the gate. The women stopped their spinning, and the men ceased their polishing of arms and armor. ”

“ Soon a man entered, clad in armor; and Elbegast recognized the knight who had [88] been his companion on the adventure to the house of Arnot.
“Elbegast,” said Charlemagne, “you recognize me and yet you do not know me.”
Then Charlemagne raised his visor, and the knight saw that he was standing in the presence of the Emperor.
“You have done me,” went on the Emperor, “faithful duty, and I am ever in need of faithful servants, and offer you a place among my retainers. A man of your courage and skill is worthy of a place in the Emperor’s service.” ”

“ So the beautiful water lilies which are to be seen in Mummelsee are the lovely water sprites, daughters of Mummel. No one is allowed to pick one even to this day.
[109] THE GIANT MAIDEN
Many years ago there lived a mighty race of giants. They were as tall as the hills, and dwelt in great castles as large as mountains. To them the world was a very small place indeed.
These giants loved the world, however, and all the many beautiful things in it. The sunshine, the song of birds, the green fields, the woods, the rivers, and the blue sky were all charming to them. ”