The Grange advance., 1874-10-21
A STORY FOR The LITTLE ONES.
The Nymph Of the Uhl1fnger Four
tain.
From Good Things

lfrOn UOOO !A1ugS.l l...
Johann Karl August Mus@us, the au-
thor Of the popular fairy tales for the
German people was very genial man
and great favorite with his country
men. Old women told his stories at
their spinning wheels, 'and little chill
dren spent their only penny to obtain
the most valued Of all treasures, copy
of one Of his tales. But he owed as
much to the people as he gave them.
He did not invent his tales. but told
them afresh, blending with them the
peculiar humor which is characteristic
Of genius. If the women and children
read and told his stories in his words. it
was from them that he first learned
tn m.
The legend Of ''The Nymph of the
Fountain he heard from some children
sitting under tree in solitary wood.
There stood (said the child) an old
castle in the Swabian land. 1t was in.
habited by knight Wackerman Uhlfin-
ger, terrible warrior, with brazcn
mali. But Wackerman, though terri
bic to his enemies, was very gentle at
home. He had wife and two daugh-
ters, whom he loved tenderly and en-
riched with the robberies he had COM
mitted on his Swabian neighbors. But
his wife said, what good is plunder to
me, if there hangs on i: the tear and
the sob of the widow and the orphan
At the foot Of the mountain on which
the castle stood there was a beautiful
spring. 1t gushed from grotto, which
was inhabited bv a nymph. Her name
was Nixa. The lady Of the castle often
visited the fountain. It was there she
met the poor on whom she bestowed
her aims, and with her own hands she
washed their garments in the fountain
that flowed from the grotto.
Wackerman had once gone out for
robbery. He waylaid the merchants
returning from Augsburg market, but
he was late in coming home, and his
wife was anxious for his safety. To
the dwarf who kept guard on the outer
tower she often cried: "What rustling
is in the woode What sound in the
valley? Does Wackerman draw near!''
But there was no rustling of leaves in
the forest, no trampling of steeds in
the valley.
She put her mantle over her shoul-
dcrs and glided forth in the moonlight
to the crystal spring, there in secret to
pour out her sorrow. AS she approach
ed the grotto light lowered at the en-
trance and figure in white stood near
it. A cold shudder ran through her
body. She had heard of Nixa, and
now she appears to forctell some event
in the family of Uhlfnger.
"Wackerman," she exclaimed, "thou
art fallen. Thou has made thy wife q
widow and thy children orphans
A voice from the grotto answered.:
'*Matilda, there is no misfortune, draw
near and speak with me-
The lady took courage and approach
ed the nymph, who took her hand and
kissed her forehead, saying:
'"Welcome to my dwelling, dear NOR
tai. Thy husband lives, but thy daugh-
ter that is to be born shall be mother
less.''
The lady sobbed deeply, but the
nymph promised to be mother to the
motherless child. She took q smooth
pebble and gave it to the lady, saying,
'When my sponsorship is wanted, send
this by trusty maiden who will cast it
into the Fountain
The lady Matilda returned to the cas-
tie. The dwarf blew his trumpet to
announce that Wackerman was coming
laden with spoils.
A year later the prophecy was about
to be fulfilled. Lady Matilda was per-
picked how to make known to Walker
man her meeting with the nymph at
the spring. Wackerman had been chal.
lenged to duel. He went, and killed
the knight who had made the challenge,
but refuse to tell his wife anything of
the adventure. He reproached her
with having woman's curiosity, and
she answered, that if she had a secret
she was certain Wackerman would not
sleep till he knew it.
''Your secret will not concern me, -
he retorted; '*you can make a trial.
And the Lady Matilda told him that
she had found godmother fer her
child, but Wackerman must not ask
Who it is.
The child was born. The pebble was
cast into Nixa's spring, and ere long an
unknown lady entered the room where
the company were assembled for the
christening of the child. She took her
place with the godmothers, and being
so beautiful and so richly dressed ali
eyes were fixed upon her. Her pres.
ence so absorbed their attention that
they forgot the name by which the
child was to be christened, and the
priest gave her the mothers name,
Matilda. The, godmothers' presents
came IN showers Of gold upon the child,
gut the strange lady, to the astonish:
nent OF all, gave nothing but q musk.
apple, turned in wood. When she had
laid this in the chiid's cradle she kissed