The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-02-27
The Water Of
For0etfufneSS
The Story Of One Who Desired OBJ
livion of His Past.
BY Rudolf Baumbach.

adorned with weapons of the chase,
antlers and stuffed fowls, Il young fell
low sat on a wooden stool, twisting a
bowstring from out a martens sinew,
and at the same time sang a merry
hunting song. He wore. the clothes of
hunter and by his short cut hair
showed he was a servant of the lord of
the castle. His name was Heinz.
Over the young fellow from the cell
ing hung swinging hoop, and in the
hoop sat a gray falcon with bound
wings and leather hood over its eyes.
Once in awhile the hunter paused in his
work and set the slow swinging hoop
again in fast motion. This was done
that the falcon might not fall asleep,
for it was young bird and was to be
trained to become hunting falcon,
for the training of a falcon skilled in
hunting began thus-that it might be
made submissive through hunger and
sleeplessness.
Heinz had been the counts falconer,
and the old lord had kept the young
fellow very busy. But lately he had
easy days. The count hunted no more
For year past he had lain calm and
still in the stone tomb decorated with
the family coat of arms, and his wild
ow, Adelheid, sat the whole day to-
gether with the chaplain and thought
not of hunting.
Today the lady of the castle must
doubtless have become tired of prayers,
for she left her own apartments and
went over all the rooms of the castle.
The song of the young hunter was an
agreeable change to her after the mo-
notonous psalm singing of the shifting
chaplain. She sought the voice and en-
tered the apartment in the tower.
Heinz was astonished when he saw
the proud lady in widows veil and
gray gown enter. He rose and courte-
sled low. Lady Adelheid let her spar
king eyes glide over the slender figure
of the falconer and smiled graciously,
and her smile appeared to the young
fellow like the sunlight in May. She
asked much about falconry hunting
and then departed.
1t happened a few days after this
that Lady Adelheid rode into the green
forest on a swan white palfrey. How
ever, she wore no gray garment, but a
gown of green velvet, and, instead of
the widows veil, hat of sable with q
waving feather. Behind her, bearing
a hunting falcon on his clinched hand,
rode Heinz, the young falconer, with
an expression of joy in his blue eyes.
They had ridden quite a distance,
and the towers of the castle had long
since vanished behind the widespread
ing beech trees, when Lady Adelheid
turned her head and said:
"Ride near me, Heinz" and Heinz
did as the lady commanded him, and
| thus they rode farther on the narrow
wood path. The trees rustled gently
| the chafinches sang, and sometimes
small forest animals glided across the
way. Now and then was heard the
cracking Of breaking branches as the
game hurried into the wood or fright
ened bird flew nOisily, and then deer
silence lay over the forest. Again the
lady Of the castle turned to the hunter
and spoke with laughing mouth:
"Let me hear, Heinz, if thou art q
wise young hunter
''Dear huntsman, pray thee to tell me Alright
What ascends higher than falcon and hte?'
Without thinking Heinz replied:
"High mounts the falcon and the kite ascend
high,
The eagle, however, still higher fly"
And again spoke Lady Adelheid:
'Dear huntsman, dear huntsman, reveal unto me
| Is there nothing that mounts still higher thai
hep
The falconer thought couple of mo
ments, then answered.:
"surely than all feathered things ascends higher
So glorious at MONDAY, the SUMS ball of fire.
The countess nodded approvingly ant
asked the third time:
''Then do not deceive me. my best beloved one,
Does not something mount still higher than tn
bright sun?''
The falconer's wisdom was now a
an end. He looked up at the tops o
the beech trees, as if help would com
to him from there, and then looKe'
down again on the pommel of the sad
die, but remained silent. Then Lad,
Adelheid reined in her little horse, ben
toward the hunter and softly said:
1
But higher, still higher, scars secret love-
Two woodpeckers with blue wing
started up out of the hazel bushes an
flew screaming into the forest in orde
to relate what they had heard, and b.
another morning the sparrows VIII
had their nests under the castle roo
twittered to one another:
peep, peep,
Our lady's love for the hunter is deep
Yes, that was a happy time for Fa
eoner Heinz. He let his hair grow, S
his shoulders. and he wore silver spur
md a heron's feather in his hat an
built glittering castles in the blue air.
He certainly did not receive a castl'
8 but instead a fine forester's hous,
with antlers on the gable, and field
and meadow lands besides were give
him in trust, and there he sat now a
forester Of the reservation. and whe
his gracious lady came riding to hil
he stood in the door and waved a gree
ing with his hat, then lifted the Lad
Adelheid out of the saddle and ente
}, tained her with bread, milk and hone,
So passed the summer, the fall an
half the winter when came Shrov,
tide. At this time many visitors cam
| from the neighborhood, and the count
: castle appeared like an inn. But Fo
$ ester Heinz sat lonely in his hunt
msNs home, and only seldom new
reached him of the merry life at IL
castle. At last came report that ws