The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-01-10
ne snouin say something TO her. re-

he SnoulO say something 10 her, re-
marked:
lit is Il beautiful day"
Thcrcupon the maiden answered:
Yes, very beautiful" and nodding
assent turned homeward.
So passed seven days, one after the
other, and on the seventh day the last
tree was felled. The woman In the
woods came. praised the Industrious
Heinz and said:
"NOw comes the second task"
Heinz must now remove the roots of
the trees, that the earth might be culti-
waited and seed and fruit sown For
this lie required seven weeks. But ev-
cry evening after his we'll finished
days work the daughter Of the wom-
IN in the woods brought him food and
sat beside him on the tree trunk and
listened while Heinz told Of the world
outside, md when he had finished she
held out white hand 70 him and snid:
Good night, dear Heinz
Then she went home, but Heinz
sought his couch and fell asleep at
once.
When seven weeks had thus passed,
the woman In the woods came, examin-
ed the work. praised the Industrious
workman and said:
"Now comes the third task It is
that you build house with seven
rooms for me from out the felled wood,
and when thou hast also finished it
then shalt thou receive cup Of the
water Of forgetfulncss and canst 60
whittier thou wilt"
So Heinz became Il builder and with
aX and saw erected stately house
The work certainly progressed slowly,
for Heinz worked without assistance,
but this lie did not dislike, for he loved
the green forest, and he would have
liked best to remain always near the
old woman In the woods. He certainly
still remembered ut times his former
sorrow, but it was like one who, hay
ing had bad dream. rcjoiccs in the
morning that he is awake. Each even
ing the daughter OF the old woman
came TO him. and they now sang to-
gcthcr hunting songs and now songs
Of separation, parting and meeting.
So passed seven months. The house
was finished from threshold to gable.
On the gable Heinz had fastened a
young pin tree, and the maiden had
mountain berries and decorated the
walls.
The Old woman in the woods came on
her crutchcs. with the cat OH her shoul-
der, to inspect the finished work She
appeared very solemn and carried In
her hand Il cup carved from wood
wherein was the water Of forgetful-
ness.
Thou hast finished the three tasks
which l imposed upon thee" said she,
"and now comes thy reward. Take
this cup, and when thou shalt have
emptied it 10 the last drop then is the
past obliterated from thy memory"
The huntsman hesitatingly stretched
forth his hand toward the cup.
Drink" said the old woman. "and
forget ALL"
"All?"
eyes, everything; thy former sorrow.
me and"-
maiden and placed her hand over her
eyes tha- she might repress her rising
tears.
Then the young fellow seized the cup
and threw it with powerful hand to the
Garth, SO that the drink rained in many
glittering drops upon the grass. and
cried:
Mother. remain with thee"
And before he knew what happened
to him the maiden lay upon his breast
and sobbed for very happiness. And
though the trees went a-blowing and
the yellow cornfields round about nod
ded in the wind, the birds sang in the
branches and the white cat Of the old
woman went purring in circle round
about the happy pair.
Now, I could without great trouble
transform the old woman in the woods
into a beautiful fairy, her daughter
into a princess and the new built
house into glittering kings castle,
but we viii remain faithful to the truth
and let everything be as it was.
But, after all, something wonderful
did happ-n. Where the drops Of the
water Of forgetfulness had fallen on the
earth there sprang up from the ground
n dear little flower with heavenly blue
eyes. The flower now has spread over
all the land. and who knows not it's
name for him Is this story not written.
ten.-Translated From the German
For Short Stories