--- title: A Historical Tale., part 4 — Legends and tales of the Harz Mountains · full text with trees · page 2 description: A Historical Tale., part 4, «Legends and tales of the Harz Mountains» by Toofie Lauder: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: They wandered on until they had reached the beam--the fatal beam--where they stood still, and the men warned Schlosser solemnl --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74323/21/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Legends and tales of the Harz Mountains](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74323/) / A Historical Tale., part 4 # A Historical Tale., part 4 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74323/21/) **2** His heart beating high with joy, he went to meet his master, and found him sitting on a stone resting from the fatigue of his long walk.[54](../../54/ "tree and pragmatics") This stone tradition still points out in the Steigerthal, moss-grown, with a bell and a club hewn in it.[55](../../55/ "tree and pragmatics") The apprentice could not keep his secret, and with a countenance shining with joy told his master that he had already cast another bell, which was perfect, and of the sweetest tone.[56](../../56/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the veins on the master's forehead swelled with shame; rage and fury to find himself excelled by his pupil filled his usually mild heart.[57](../../57/ "tree and pragmatics") He sprang from the stone, seized his cane, and gave the youth such a powerful blow on his head that he sank bleeding, with glassy eyes, in the grass.[58](../../58/ "tree and pragmatics") The master fled as if chased by the furies.[59](../../59/ "tree and pragmatics") His anger cooled at the sight of the blood; fearful pangs of conscience seized the strong man, he repented his rash deed, turned hurriedly back, hoping he might yet quench the stream of blood, and save the unhappy boy.[60](../../60/ "tree and pragmatics") He had soon reached him, but no help was possible.[61](../../61/ "tree and pragmatics") Despairing he fled.[62](../../62/ "tree and pragmatics") Unsettled and a fugitive like Cain, he wandered the whole night in the forest, and when the morning dawned he had made his decision.[63](../../63/ "tree and pragmatics") He returned to Stolburg, presented himself before the tribunal, accused himself of his crime, and demanded punishment.[64](../../64/ "tree and pragmatics") Deep was the regret, but blood demands blood, and he heard his sentence of death with unmoved composure.[65](../../65/ "tree and pragmatics") The Colt's Cave.[66](../../66/ "tree and pragmatics") During the Seven Years' War the soldiers stole all the horses.[67](../../67/ "tree and pragmatics") A farmer concealed a handsome colt in a cave in the Steigethal, or valley of the Steige, and fed it with great care.[68](../../68/ "tree and pragmatics") After the departure of the enemy he hastened to the cave to take home the animal, but it had grown so much it could no longer go through the entrance, and he was compelled to kill it.[69](../../69/ "tree and pragmatics") And the cave is called the Colt's Cave unto this day.[70](../../70/ "tree and pragmatics") Legend of St. Christopher.[71](../../71/ "tree and pragmatics") In the Goslar Cathedral, of which now but a small remnant remains, once existed a colossal wooden statue of this renowned Saint with the Christ-Child on his back.[72](../../72/ "tree and pragmatics") St. Christopher once walked from Goslar to Halberstadt and Harzburg, and on the way shook on the ground a pea which had got into his shoe.[73](../../73/ "tree and pragmatics") The pea grew, and became the sandstone rock called the Clus.[74](../../74/ "tree and pragmatics") The interior of the rock was hewn into a chapel to the Virgin, which was a shrine of great celebrity.[75](../../75/ "tree and pragmatics") A Schloss once stood on the Clus, traces of which are still to be seen.[76](../../76/ "tree and pragmatics") The Maiden's Cave in the Spatenberg, near where once stook the Spatenburg.[77](../../77/ "tree and pragmatics") A young citizen of Sondershausen had, although honest, industrious, and skilful, fallen into great embarrassment.[78](../../78/ "tree and pragmatics") Merciless creditors threatened with seizure; entire ruin stared him in the face; he saw himself already in fancy with wife and children abandoned to bitter want.[79](../../79/ "tree and pragmatics") He took a walk into the country in order to seek relief for his oppressed heart for a few short hours.[80](../../80/ "tree and pragmatics") Soon he was alone with his sorrow in the wood solitude.[81](../../81/ "tree and pragmatics") He climbed the Göldner, till he had reached the summit of the Spatenberg, where the green-grass carpet and the shade of the old beeches invited him to a short repose.[82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") He might have perhaps given expression to his trouble in loud lamentations.[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") However that may be, he at last prepared to go further, when suddenly he observed a lovely maiden, who, clad in mourning garments and weeping, sat on a moss-grown stone at the entrance to the Jungfernloch, or Maiden's Cave.[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") His sympathy at this sight was awakened in proportion to his own melancholy.[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") He could not restrain himself from approaching the graceful figure, and inquiring the cause of her grief.[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") She, however, was of opinion that her sorrow was much too great to permit of her troubling any one else with it, and declared she could only find a mitigation of her woe in drying up the tears of others.[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") She told him she had, unseen, perceived what troubled him, and it afforded her soul sweet comfort to know that she could help him.[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") After she had made this statement to the astonished man, she bade him follow her into the cave.[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") When they had gone through several dark, gloomy passages, they entered a wonderfully lighted chamber, in the centre of which stood a chest filled with gold and treasures, from which the maiden's companion, at her command, must take as many pieces of money as were sufficient for relief from his embarrassment.[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") At the same time he must solemnly promise that at the expiration of a year, at a certain hour, he will return the same sum to the same place, because, as a result of his failing to do so, she herself would suffer great injury.[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") He promised, and the maiden dismissed him.[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") Of course he was now freed from his anxiety and distress, and from this day everything he undertook prospered.[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") Not only was he able to satisfy all the demands of his creditors, but also at the stated time, agreeably with his promise, to return the received loan.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") But he could not go in his every-day dress to his benefactress, and the untruthful tailor neglected to deliver the red Sunday coat as promised.[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") At last he determined, though he had failed to reach the spot at the fixed hour, not to fail in the day.[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") As he climbed the Burgweg--castle road--it seemed to him that the tops of the beeches sighed mournfully.[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") He drew near to the cave with painful apprehensions.[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") No maiden was to be seen.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") He entered the cave, and found himself at last in the lighted chamber.[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") But what must he see?[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") The benevolent maiden lay on the ground dying, her countenance distorted with sorrow and pain.[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") Dreadful gloom enveloped the frightened man.[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") Only the treasure in the chest glittered dismally.[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") A long-drawn sigh trembled through the chamber.[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") He threw the too-late-brought money, at the same time crossing himself, into the trunk, which immediately closed, and with the dead maiden disappeared.[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") An awful roaring arose.[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") Benumbed with terror, he fled from the chamber, that fell in behind him, and through the passages, that seemed to him suddenly falling into ruins.[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") A tumbling stone struck him so violently on the heel that he was always obliged to wear slippers after, and from that day he never recovered his spirits.[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") The Three Brothers of Zellerfeld.[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") There once lived three brothers in Zellerfeld who were hunters.[111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") They went together one day hunting to the Schalk, when the youngest saw three partridges, and shot at one of them.[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") He thought he had struck the bird, but it flew away, and he followed it to the top of the mountain where it disappeared.[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") The young hunter searched the spot carefully where the bird had vanished, and found an opening, which he marked, and then went back and called his two brothers.[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") All three entered the opening, and came soon to a large room containing a well-served meal on the table, and chairs placed ready.[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") The three seated themselves, ate, drank, and found all excellent.[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") After they had partaken of the repast, three beautiful ladies in rich attire entered, and told the brothers they were accursed and doomed to remain for ever under the earth.[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") But if they would remain there three years without seeing the light of day, they would be released.[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74323/21/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74323/21/) - next →: [A Historical Tale., part 5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74323/22/) - ↑ back to [Legends and tales of the Harz Mountains](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg74323/)