The fiddle-bow of the neck

== THE FIDDLE-BOW OF THE NECK ==
=== By Rudolf Baumbach ===
Translated from German by Fred.J. Taussig, Published in Short Stories 1894
Once upon a time there was a little boy by the name of Frieder and he had neither father or mother. The child was pretty as a picture and when he ran about on the street near his home, people would stand still and ask; " To whom does the little boy belong ? " 
Then the cross old woman who had raised htm on thin broths and plentiful scoldings would answer : " He is a good-for-nothing boy and the best thing that could happen to him would be that God would take him away to Heaven." But Frieder was not anxious to go to Heaven yet; he liked it very well down here, and he grew up like the red-capped thistles behind his foster-mother's house. Playmates he had none. While the other boys in the village built mills and let their little boats, made from the bark of some tree, float about in the brook, or while they romped about in the hay, Frieder used to sit on the hillside and mimick the birds. 
One day, when thus occupied, he was met by old Claus, a fowler by profession. He was pleased with the pretty lad and made friends with him. From that time on, the two were often seen sitting together peaceably in front of the fowler's hut like two old fellow-soldiers. Claus could not only tell wonderful stories about the forest, but he knew how to play the fiddle and, after he had given Frieder a rickety old violin as a present, he instructed him in the art. The pupil was a great credit to his master, for, before a month was over, he could play three or four httle songs very well. The old fowler felt very much touched by this and he spoke these prophetic words : " Frieder, think of me ; if God grants me life, I will yet see you playing first violin Sundays at church." 
When Frieder was fifteen years old the neighbors came together and consulted about him. It was time, they said, for him to study some occupation so as to earn a living, and when they asked him what he wanted to be, he answered : " A fiddler." Thereupon the people threw up their hands in dismay at his impudence. But just then there stepped out from the crowd a burly-looking man, who took the lad by the hand and said, with dignity : " I will try and s^e if I can't make something- of him." And all those who were standing about considered Frieder lucky in having found such a master. 
The latter was not such an insignificant person either. He cut the hair and beards of the peasants, put on leeches, and pulled out bad teeth, sometimes even good ones. He was both the barber and the surgeon of the place, and the people always used to call him " Doctor." 
On that very same day Frieder went over to the house of his future patron and in the evening he began his work by going to the tavern to fetch a glass of beer for his master. Gradually he learned how to make a lather, how to strop a razor, and the other things that belonged to the trade. His master was satisfied with him, only he disliked the fiddling at which Frieder spent all his spare moments, for, in the barber's opinion, it was a useless occupation. 
A few years passed by. , Then the day came, at last, on which Frieder's skill as a barber was to be put to a test. If this was passed to the satisfaction of his master, he could then go out into the world and seek his fortune as a travelling journeyman. The test consisted in this : he had to shave off his master's beard. The important day arrived. The barber sat in the chair, a white towel about his neck, and leaned back his head. Frieder lathered his double chin, passed the razor a few times back and forth over the razor-strop, and started to work. 
Suddenly there arose in front of the house sounds of harp and flute playing ; a band of travelling musicians was passing along the road. The hand of the barbe-boy became unsteady as he heard the music, and on the cheek of the master lay an ugly gash, reaching from the end of his ear to his nose. 
Alas, poor Frieder I The chair on which the barber was sitting fell backwards on the floor. Bleeding and angry, he sprang up and gave his pupil a ringing box on the ear. Then he flung open the door, pointed with his fingers toward the blue skies, and shrieked : " Go to the cuckoo." 
Now, in the country where Frieder lived, people said " Go to the cuckoo," just as we would say in English " Go to Jericho," meaning only that he should go away, it mattered not where. But Frieder did not know this, and took the barber at his word. So he packed up his little trifles, took his viohn under his arm and went to the cuckoo. The cuckoo lived in a forest under an oak, and happened to be at home as Frieder inquired for him. He listened patiently until the boy had finished his story, then he shrugged his wings, and said : 
" My young friend, if I were to help all who were sent to me, I would have plenty to do. The times are hard and I am glad to have provided moderately for my own children. The eldest is boarding with a family of wagtails, the second my neighbor Redstart has taken into his house, the third child, a girl, is under the protection of an old hedge-sparrow, and the wren is taking care of the two youngest I myself have to keep oh the go from morning till evening to get along at all. For fourteen years I have been nourishing myself on hairy cankerflies and that kind of food was not meant for such as you to eat No, I cannot help you, I am sorry to say." 
Thereat Frieder hung his head sadly, said good-by to the cuckoo and moved away. He had not gone far before the cuckoo called out after him : " Stop, Frieder, I have got a good idea. Perhaps I can help you after all. Come along." He spoke, stretched out his wings and flew ahead, pointing out the way to Frieder. 
The latter had trouble to follow his guide, for the underbrush of the forest was thick, and there were lots of brier-hedges. At last it grew clearer between the trees, and a stretch of water sparkled ahead, " Here we are," cried the cuckoo, and settled down on an alder. Before the yoiing fellow lay a dark green pond, which was fed by a foaming waterfall. Reeds and yellow Sags stood along the shore, and white waterlilies with large leaves floated on 
the surface. 
" Now, pay attention," said the wise bird. "When the sun declines and lights up the spray of the waterfall in seven colors, then the Neck will rise from the bottom of the pond, where he owns a crystal palace, and will sit on the shore. Don't be afraid; but address him. The rest will come out all right." 
So Frieder thanked the cuckoo and the latter flew away quickly into S* the woods. 
When the seven colors of the rainbow shone over the waterfall, sure enough, the Neck came up out of the depths. He had on a little red coat and a white collar. His hair was green and himg about his shoulders like a tangled mane. He sat down on a rock, which rose above the smooth surface of the pond, let his feet dangle in the water and began to comb his hair with his ten lingers. That was a tiresome job, for in bis tangled hair btmg sea-weed, water-worts and little shells, and the Neck cut terrible faces in his attempts to straighten out his hair. 
" Now is the proper time to address the merman," thought Frieder. He took heart, stepped out of the alder t»ijsh, which had concealed him till now, drew off his hat, and said : " Good evening. Master Neck." 
At the mere sound of a voice, the Neck jumped plump into the water like a frightened frog. Soon, however, he stuck his head out again and said, grinly : " What do you want ? " 
" By your leave, Master Neck," began Frieder, " I am an apprenticed barber, and it would be a great honor to me if I were allowed to comb your hair for you." 
" Aha ! " said the Neck, you are just the fellow I am after. What trouble and worry my hair is giving me since the Lorelei, my niece, so basely deserted me I What didn't I do for that ungrateful person ] And one fine morning I find her gone, and my golden comb is gone too, and now she sits, they say, upon a rock on the Rhine and is keeping company with a boatman. If that's the case, that golden comb of mine will soon be squandered." 
With these words the Neck sat down on a rock. Frieder took out his shaving implements, tied a white towel about the merman's neck and combed and oiled his hair till it was as smooth as silk ; then he parted it evenly from the forehead all the way back to the neck, took off the towel and made a bow, as his master had taught him. 
The Neck got up and regarded with great pleasure his reflection in the surface of the water. " How much do I owe you ? " he asked. 
Frieder had already the usual expression, " Just as you like," on his lips ; but, luckily, before it was too late, he thought that one must take the opportimity to strike the iron while it is hot. So he cleared his throat and told the Neck the story of his life. 
"So you would like to be a fiddler?" asked the Neck, as Frieder finished. " Take yoiu: fiddle in your hand and let me hear something of your art." 
So the lad took up his fiddle, tuned the strings and played his best piece ; and, as he finished with a smart flourish, he looked inquiringly at the Neck. 
A grin spread over the merman's face, and he said, " Now listen to me." Then he reached down to a bank of reeds and drew out a fiddle and bow, settled down comfortably and began to play. 
Frieder had never before heard such music. First it sounded as if the evening wind were playing in the rushes, then it sounded like the roaring of a cataract and at last like a smoothly flowing tide. The birds in the branches became silent, the bees ceased their humming and the fishes raised their heads out of the pond to listen to the sweet sounds. But the boy's eyes were filled with tears. 
" Master Neck," said he, raising his hands pleadingly, as the merman let his bow rest, ''Master Neck, be my teacher." 
" That is impossible," answered the Neck, " even if it were only on account of my grown-up nixie-daughter. But it is not necessary either. If you will give me your comb, you will become a fiddler without a peer." 
" My whole shaving apparatus, if you want it," exclaimed Frieder, and presented it to the merman. 
The latter quickly grasped the proffered bundle and disappeared in the pond. 
" Stop ! stop ! " the boy cried out after him; but his cries were in vain. 
He waited one hour, he waited two, but, if there was anyone disinclined to make his appearance, it was the Neck. 
Poor Frieder sighed deeply, for he thought it was evident that the treacherous merman had deceived him, and with a sad heart he turned to go away — ^whither, he did not know. 
Just then he saw lying at his feet the fiddle-bow of the Neck. 
He stooped to pick it up and, as he held it in his hands, he felt a thrill that went from his finger-tips to his shoulderblade, and something urged him to try the bow. 
He wanted to begin with one of his favorite jigs, but it was as if a hidden power guided his hands. From the strings issued tones so sweet and clear that Frieder remembered only once before in his life having heard the like, and that was just a moment ago, while the Neck was playing. 
The birds came fluttering nearer and sat listening in' the branches, the fishes sprang out of the water, and the deer and roes stepped out of the woods and looked at the fiddler with intelligent eyes. 
Frieder did not know what was happening to him. Whatever passed through his mind and whatever moved his heart found its way to his hand, and through his hand to his instrument, and thence issued as sweet strains. 
The Neck stuck his head out of the water and nodded approval. 
Then he disappeared and was never seen again. 
And Frieder stepped out of the forest still fiddling, and passed through all the kingdoms of the earth, and played before kings and emperors. 
The yellow gold poured into his hat, and he would have become a very wealthy man, had he not been a true musician. 
But a true musician never becomes rich. 
He had given away his shaving implements. So he let his 
hair grow as the mighty Samson did in olden times. The other players imitated him, and from that time on, even to our day, they still wear long, disheveled hair.