News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-04-17
RIP VAN Wrinkles ORIGIN.
A LITTLE GERMAN STORY OF THE
MIDDLE AGES.
Where the Story which Irving Wrote and
Jefferson Interprets had its Rise,

"here the story winch irving Wrote and
Jefferson Interprets had its Rise,
A correspondent of the Boston Co,tr-
Ter says OF the thousands of people
who have read Washington Irving's ia
nous story, Grip Van Winkle," compar-
atively few, believe, are aware that
the story is not original with Irving, but
was taken from an old German legend in
which the main features are identical
with the narrative of the American au-
thor. The tale was primarily called
"Peter Claus" of which the following is
the original version
Peter Claus was a goat-herd of Sitten-
dorf, and tended his focks in the Kvff-
hansen mountains. Here he was accus.
toned to let them rest every evening in
a mead, surrounded by an old wall.
while he made his muster of them; but
for some days he had remarked that one
of his finest goats always disappeared
some time after coming to this spot, and
did not join the flock until late. Watch
ing her more attentively, he observed
that she slipped through an opening in
the wall, up which he crept after the
animal, and found her in sort of cave.
busily employed in cleaning the oat
grains that dropped down singly from
the roof. He looked up and shook his
ears amid the shower of corn that now
fell down upon him, but with all his in
quiry could discern nothing. At last he
heard above the stamp and neighing of
horses, and from whose managers it was
probable the oats had fallen.
Peter was yet standing in astonish-
ment at the sound of horses in so unusual
place, when a boy appeared, who, by
signs, without speaking a word, desired
him to follow. Accordingly he as
cended few steps and passed over a
walled court, into hollow, closed in on
all sides by lofty rocks, where a partial
twilight shot through the overspreading
foliage of the shrubs. Here upon
smooth, fresh lawn he found twelve
knights playing gravely at nine-pins and
not one spoke a syllable. With equal
silence Peter was installed in the office
of setting up the nine pins.
At first he performed his duty with
knees that were knocking against each
other as he now and then stole partial
look at the long boards and slashed
doublets of the noble knights. By de-
grees, however, custom gave him cour-
age; he gazed on everything with a
firmer look, and at last even ventured to
drink out of bowl that stood near him,
from which the wine exhaled a most
delicious odor The glowing juice
made him feel as if terminated, and
whenever he found the least WEAKNESS
he again drew fresh vigor from the mex
haustible goblet. Sleep at last over
came him.
Upon waking Peter found himself in
the very same inclosed mead where h
was wont to tend his herds. He rubbed
his eyes, but could see no sign of either
dog or goats, and was, beside, not a lit
tie astonished at the high grass and
shrubs and trees which he had never be-
fore observed there. Not we'll knowing
what to think, he continued his way over
all the places that he had been accus- |
toned to frequent with his goats, but
could he find any traces of
them. Below him he saw Sittendorf, and |
at length with hasty steps he descended. !
The people whom he met in the village |
were all strangers to him; they had not |
the dress of his acquaintance, nor did |
they speak exactly their language; and |
when he asked for his goats, all stared |
and touched their chins. At last he did |
the same, almost invoIuntarily, and |
found his beard heightened by foot, |
at least, upon which he began to con-
clude that himself and those about him |
were under the influence of enchant-
ment. Still, he recognized the noun
tain he had descended as the Kyff-
hansen; the houses, too, with their
yards and gardens, were all familiar to
- 4ho 0e
traveller several boys replied by the name
of Sittendorf.
With increasing doubt he now walked
through the village to his own house. 1t /
was much decayed, and before it lay
strange goat-herd's boy in a ragged
frock, by whose side was a dog, worn
and lank with age, that growled and
snarled when he spoke to him. He then |
which had once been closed by door. |
that he tottered out again at the back |
door as if intoxicated and called his
wife and children by names; but none
heard, none answered.
In short time women and children |
around the stranger with the |
long, hoary beard, and all, as if for a |
wager, joined in inquiring what he
wanted. Before his own house to ask |
after his wife or children or even him. |
self, seemed so strange that to get rid of |
these querists he mentioned the first |
name that occurred to him, "Kurt Stef |
fem"
The bystanders looked at each other |
in silence, till at last one old woman
said q:
''He has been in the church-yard |
these twelve years, and you'll not go
there to-day"
''Velten Meier?"
"Heaven rest his soul, replied an an
cient dame, leaning upon her crutch.
Heaven rest his soul He has lain
here fifteen years in the house that he
never will leave"
The goat-herd shuddered, as in the
asst speaker he recognized his neighbor,
who seemed to have suddenly grown
Did; but he had lost all desire for fur
5her questions. At this moment brisk
young woman pressed through the
crowd of anxious gapers, carrying an in
amt in her arms and leading by the
hand a girl of about IA years, each one
IF the three the very image of his wife.
With increasing surprise he asked her
name.
''Maria.
''And your father's?"
"Peter Claus, heaven rest his soul 1t
S now twenty years since we sought him
lay and night on the Kyffhausen noun
aims, when his flock returned without
lin. was then but seven years old"
The goat-herd could contain himself
10 longer.
'I am Peter Claus" he cried. ST am
Peter Claus and none else," and he
the child from his daughters
rms. All for moment stood petrified,
Until one voice and another exclaimed
Yes, this is Peter Claus. Welcome.
leighbor Welcome after twenty
years"
The Federal School Teacher,