 | Stories and poems for children |  |
THE LOST BELL
A LEGEND OF THE ISLAND OF RÜGEN IN THE BALTIC SEA
“Oh, where is my bell,” sighed the brownie,
“My sweet, sweet silver bell,
That tinkled and swung from my scarlet cap;
Now who in the world can tell?”
“My sweet, sweet silver bell,
That tinkled and swung from my scarlet cap;
Now who in the world can tell?”
On the plain in the island of Rügen
Danced the delicate fairy folk,
And the tiny bell from the tiny cap
Its curious fastening broke.
Danced the delicate fairy folk,
And the tiny bell from the tiny cap
Its curious fastening broke.
233
The shepherd boy Fritz next morning,
Driving his wandering sheep
'Mid the scattered stones of the Giants' graves
Saw the pretty plaything peep
Driving his wandering sheep
'Mid the scattered stones of the Giants' graves
Saw the pretty plaything peep
Sparkling among the heather,
And fastened it to himself;
For how could he know that the bell belonged
To an underground little elf?
And fastened it to himself;
For how could he know that the bell belonged
To an underground little elf?
But the elf was in such trouble!
Aye, wandering up and down,
He was searching here and searching there,
With the tears on his cheek of brown.
Aye, wandering up and down,
He was searching here and searching there,
With the tears on his cheek of brown.
For while it was missing, no slumber
Might visit the fairy's eyes;
Still must he sleepless fill the air
With mournful wails and cries.
Might visit the fairy's eyes;
Still must he sleepless fill the air
With mournful wails and cries.
“Oh, who has borne off my treasure
From the ground where it did lie?
Is it raven or crow or jackdaw?
Or magpie noisy and sly?”
From the ground where it did lie?
Is it raven or crow or jackdaw?
Or magpie noisy and sly?”
Then he changed his shape to a beautiful bird,
And over the land he flew,
Over the waters of Ralov,
And the fields of green Unruh.
And over the land he flew,
Over the waters of Ralov,
And the fields of green Unruh.
234
He searched the nest of all the birds,
He talked with them, great and small,
But never a trace of the little bell,
Could the brownie find at all.
He talked with them, great and small,
But never a trace of the little bell,
Could the brownie find at all.
To the green, green fields of Unruh
Went Fritz to pasture his sheep,
For the place was sunny and fair and still
And the grass grew thick and deep.
Went Fritz to pasture his sheep,
For the place was sunny and fair and still
And the grass grew thick and deep.
The bird flew over. The sheep bells,
Soft tinkling, sounded low;
The wee fay thought of his talisman lost,
And warbled sad and slow.
Soft tinkling, sounded low;
The wee fay thought of his talisman lost,
And warbled sad and slow.
The boy looked up and listened:
“Now what can that queer bird be?
If he thinks their bells make my cattle rich,
Why, what would he think of me?”
“Now what can that queer bird be?
If he thinks their bells make my cattle rich,
Why, what would he think of me?”
Then he drew forth from his pocket
The treasure that he had found,
And the magic silver rang out clear
With a keen delicious sound.
The treasure that he had found,
And the magic silver rang out clear
With a keen delicious sound.
The sprite in the bird's shape heard it,
And fairly shook with delight,
Dropped down behind a bush near by,
Hid safely out of sight.
And fairly shook with delight,
Dropped down behind a bush near by,
Hid safely out of sight.
235
Swift drew off his dress of feathers,
And took the shape of a crone
Who hobbled up to the shepherd lad,
And spoke in a coaxing tone:
And took the shape of a crone
Who hobbled up to the shepherd lad,
And spoke in a coaxing tone:
“Good-even, good friend, good-even!
What a charming bell you ring!
I 'd like such an one for my grandson—
Will you sell me the pretty thing?”
What a charming bell you ring!
I 'd like such an one for my grandson—
Will you sell me the pretty thing?”
“No, no, for there is n't another
In the whole wide world so fine;
My sheep will follow its tinkle,
And ask for no other sign.
In the whole wide world so fine;
My sheep will follow its tinkle,
And ask for no other sign.
“Oh, listen! Can any sorrow
Hold out against such a tone?
The weariest hour 't will ring away,
And conquer a heart of stone.”
Hold out against such a tone?
The weariest hour 't will ring away,
And conquer a heart of stone.”
The old dame offered him money,
A glittering golden heap,
But Fritz stood firm; “Nay, nay,” he said,
“My sweet, sweet bell I'll keep.”
A glittering golden heap,
But Fritz stood firm; “Nay, nay,” he said,
“My sweet, sweet bell I'll keep.”
Then a shepherd staff she showed him,
Most beautiful to see,
Of snow-white wood all wrought and carved;
“Take this, and the bell give me.
Most beautiful to see,
Of snow-white wood all wrought and carved;
“Take this, and the bell give me.
236
“So long as you guide your cattle
With this you will surely thrive,
And all good fortune will follow
Wherever your flocks you drive.”
With this you will surely thrive,
And all good fortune will follow
Wherever your flocks you drive.”
She reached him the stick. Her gesture,
So mystic, bewitched him quite,
So strange and lovely her dazzling smile,
He was blind in its sudden light.
So mystic, bewitched him quite,
So strange and lovely her dazzling smile,
He was blind in its sudden light.
He stretched out his hand and, “Take it,
The bell for the staff,” he cried.
Like a light breeze over the fields and trees
The old crone seemed to glide.
The bell for the staff,” he cried.
Like a light breeze over the fields and trees
The old crone seemed to glide.
She was gone like the down of a thistle,
Or as mists with the wind that blend,
And a tiny whir like a whistle thin
Set all his hair on end.
Or as mists with the wind that blend,
And a tiny whir like a whistle thin
Set all his hair on end.
The staff was his, but the bell was gone,
Spirited quite away;
Fritz looked at his prize with doubtful eyes—
But who so glad as the fay?
Spirited quite away;
Fritz looked at his prize with doubtful eyes—
But who so glad as the fay?
And he kept his fairy promise,
And Fortune to Fritz was kind,
For all his labors prospered,
And all things worked to his mind.
And Fortune to Fritz was kind,
For all his labors prospered,
And all things worked to his mind.
237
Before he was eighteen, mark you,
His flocks were his own to keep,
And soon in the island of Rügen
He was master of all the sheep.
His flocks were his own to keep,
And soon in the island of Rügen
He was master of all the sheep.
At last he was able to purchase
A knight's estate, and became
A nobleman stately and gracious,
With a loved and honored name.
A knight's estate, and became
A nobleman stately and gracious,
With a loved and honored name.
Now would n't you like, little people,
Such a fairy treasure to find?
Pick up from the grass such a magic bell
And meet with a brownie so kind?
Such a fairy treasure to find?
Pick up from the grass such a magic bell
And meet with a brownie so kind?
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