Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-11-09
LEGENDS OF THE KyPPHAUsEN.

himself enchanted in a great cavern under
ground, waiting for the signal to rise out of his
sleep and 60 forth to tho rescue Of Palestine
from the Turks. Every rock and every narrow
dell has its legends connected with this super
stitiOn, some Of which are very beautiful, and
when narrated in the simple, familiar and be-
lsving style of the old fairy tales, go at once to
the hearts of children Of all ages, great and
small. "Children with gray hair love to read
these, said German to us the other day. as
We turned the pages of q book Of hearthstone
legends. SO surely and fondly does genial old
age never outgrow the loves and pleasures of
Its childhood. We do not envy the heart that
grows too old for fairy tales Arabian Nights
or even the little childish stories in which Hans
Anderson brings fairy land into the nursery
We should as soon forget to love the sweet A pril
hoWers. We shall not soon forget seeing lady
the other day, whose reading ranges from the
sweet songs OF StOddard and Heine to the high
philosophy of Shakespeare and Goethe, snatch
up volume OF Hans Anderson from the coun-
ter Of our friend Urbino in Summer street, and
turn the pages with the eagerness Of one who
has just met an old friend. Laugh. if you
will, she gayly exclaimed, = like 8SdersoI;
ne makes me child again" Happy the heart
that never OutgrOws such childishness
These legends Of the kypphausen have sup
piled the groundwork Of several popular stories.
The far-famed legend Of Rip Van Wrinkle is
merely an enlargement of one of them. We
translate it for the benefit Of those who are Gu
rious In such matters. 1t is called the Goat
herd, and here follows:
Peter Claus, Goatherd of Sittendorf, who
fed his flock on the sides of tho Kypphausen,
was accustomed to drive them at evening into
an enclosure formed by an old ruined wall, for
the purpose of counting them at leisure.
1t so fell out, that after a time he noticed
that several Of his best goats would suddenly
disappear after entering the enclosure, and af-
ter long absence return to the herd. Watch
ing narrowly, he became aware of a large rent
In the wall, through which they slipped where
to he could not tell. But on following he dis
covered them in a sort of cavern greedily pick
ing up the grain whi,h fell from the roof Claus
strained his eyes to the utmost, but could see
nothing for the darkness. At last he heard the
neighing and stamping Of horses, from whose
CRIBS the grain must have fallen.
hIie the gOatherd stood there amazed and
wondering how the horses should be there in
the Wild mountain, youth appeared and ST.
lently mOtlOned Claus to follow him. He AZ
oended fight of steps and passing through
another walled enclosure, came at last into a
large court, with perpendicular rocks i'm
mensely high, for walls, and rooted over with a
thick entanglement of branches and vines
through which the light came like sort of
gloom. Here he found twelve stately and Sc
date knights engaged in a game of nine pins
Neither OF them spoke a word Peter was si-
lentiy directed to set up the pins.
Peters knees shook and knocked together
at FIRST, and he hardly ventured to steal
glance at the grave looks, the long beard. and
slashed doublets Of the noble players. But
growing bold by degrees, he looked about him
with hrmer eye, and finally made bold to
drink out Of a large can that stood near by
full Of the most fragrant wine After this
draught nc felt rs if newly made and whom
ever he began to grow tired again, he knew
where to hnd the remedy. What was strange
the can remained always just so full But at
last sleep Oyerpowered him.
On aWakIng he found himself lying in the
green enclosure where ne had been accustomed
10 number his flock. He rubbed his ewes Ius-
tly but could see nothing of dog or goats and
wondered TO find the grass so high and To see
trees and bushes which he had never observed
before. Shaking his head, and completely lost
In beTIiderment, he began to search tor his
goats through all the by-ways and passes where
he was accustomed to drive them every day
but not trace of them could he find. Finally
he descended the mountain towards Sittendorf
TO inquire there after his flock.
As he approached the city, Claus was sur
prised TO meet 50 many strangers differently
dressed from what he was used to- and with a
stranger manner Of speaking lie could not
guess why they stared so when he asked after
his goats, and strOked heir chins with such an
air At last, out Of very vexation, he did so
himself, and WAS surprised to find his beard
grown out to an enormous length, and white as
snow. Surely, all the world is enchanted,
and too, thought Peter - and vet there is
the old kypphausen, which have just des-
eended, and here is Sittendorf, with its well
known houses and gardens"
Shaking his head over the matter Peter
Claus entered the town, and took the street that
led to his own house lie found it all tumbling
TO pieces, and on the grass In front Law a strange
herdsboy with a lean and hungry looking dog
that grlnned and snapped its teeth when Peter
spoke To it, lie entered the old dilapidated
passage, once closed by door, and found all
within so empty and decaying that he reeled
out again Ike a drunken man, and called aloud
the names of his wife and children. But none
heard, and he received no answer except the
echo OF his own voice.
A groat crowd of women and children soon
gathered about the poor old man with long,
white beard, asking, all in a breath, what he
was looking for. Feeling little foolish to be
caught asking for his wife and children right
In front of his own house, Peter gave the first
name that came into his mind. Whore is
Karl Stehens l' asked he
The neighbOrs were silent. and looked at
each other as il they had never heard the name
Al last al old woman, catching the sound. cried
out that he had lived for a dozen years where
no living man could visit him. Walter Never
God have mercy on his sOul,' exclaimed an
old crOne, - for more than fifteen years he has
lived In the house from which he will never
come out
Peter shudicred as he recognized the ancient
dame, 50 suddenly grown old, but he had no
heart 10 question farther. Just at this time u
young AMI lively woman pressed through the
cToWl. with one child in her arms and leading
another by the hand. All three seemed the
very image of his wife. What is your namel'
he exclaimed. {" Marie :; - And ysur IA
ther's'' Peter Claus; may God give him
rest Ii Is twenty years now since we sought
for him day and night on the Kypphausen,
when the goats cam. home without him; was
then seven years old
The yoatherd could restrain himself no longer.
. am Peter Claus and no oiher," he CT
claimed. catching his grandson from his daugh-
tsrs arms The crowd stood rs if turned TO
stone, till one voice after another called out,
Yes. thisis Peter Claus: welcome, old neigh
bOr welcome home, after twenty years -
We give one more Of these lege nds, hoping
that none Of our young readers will fail 10 per-
eelve tbs fine moral il 50 prettily enforces 1t