BERTHA

Our Little German Cousin

By

MARY HAZELTON WADE

Illustrated by L. J. Bridgman

Boston

1904

THE LITTLE COUSIN SERIES

Preface

When the word Germany comes to our minds, we think at once of ruinedcastles, fairies, music, and soldiers. Why is it?

First, as to the castles. Here and there along the banks of theRiver Rhine, as well as elsewhere throughout the country, thetraveller is constantly finding himself near some massive stone ruin. It seems ever ready to tell stories of long ago, --of brave knightswho defended its walls, of beautiful princesses saved from harm, ofsturdy boys and sweet-faced girls who once played in its gardens. For Germany is the home of an ancient and brave people, who haveoften been called upon to face powerful enemies. 

Next, as to the fairies. It seems as though the dark forests ofGermany, the quiet valleys, and the banks of the beautiful rivers, were the natural homes of the fairy-folk, the gnomes and the elves, the water-sprites and the sylphs. Our German cousins listen withwonder and delight to the legends of fearful giants and enchantedcastles, and many of the stories they know so well have beentranslated into other languages for their cousins of distant lands, who are as fond of them as the blue-eyed children of Germany. 

As to the music, it seems as though every boy and girl in the wholecountry drew in the spirit of song with the air they breathe. Theysing with a love of what they are singing, they play as though thetune were a part of their very selves. Some of the finest musicianshave been Germans, and their gifts to the world have been bountiful. 

As for soldiers, we know that every man in Germany must stand readyto defend his country. He must serve his time in drilling andtraining for war. He is a necessary part of that Fatherland he lovesso dearly. 

Our fair-haired German cousins are busy workers and hard students. They must learn quite early in life that they have duties as well aspleasures, and the duties cannot be set aside or forgotten. But theylove games and holidays as dearly as the children of our own land. 

Contents

CHAPTER

 I. CHRISTMAS II. TOY-MAKING III. THE WICKED BISHOP IV. THE COFFEE-PARTY V. THE BEAUTIFUL CASTLE VI. THE GREAT FREDERICK VII. THE BRAVE PRINCESS VIII. WHAT THE WAVES BRING IX. THE MAGIC SWORD

List of Illustrations

 BERTHA BERTHA'S FATHER AND MOTHER THE RATS' TOWER COURTYARD OF HEIDELBERG CASTLE STATUE OF FREDERICK THE GREAT BERTHA'S HOME

CHAPTER I. 

CHRISTMAS

"Don't look! There, now it's done!" cried Bertha. 

It was two nights before Christmas. Bertha was in the bigliving-room with her mother and older sister. Each sat as close aspossible to the candle-light, and was busily working on something inher lap. 

But, strange to say, they did not face each other. They were sittingback to back. 

"What an unsociable way to work, " we think. "Is that the way Germansspend the evenings together?"

No, indeed. But Christmas was near at hand, and the air was brimfulof secrets. 

Bertha would not let her mother discover what she was working forher, for all the world. And the little girl's mother was preparingsurprises for each of the children. All together, the greatest funof the year was getting ready for Christmas. 

"Mother, you will make some of those lovely cakes this year, won'tyou?" asked Bertha's sister Gretchen. 

"Certainly, my child. It would not be Christmas without them. Earlyto-morrow morning, you and Bertha must shell and chop the nuts. Iwill use the freshest eggs and will beat the dough as long as my armswill let me. "

"Did you always know how to make those cakes, mamma?" asked Bertha. 

"My good mother taught me when I was about your age, my dear. Youmay watch me to-morrow, and perhaps you will learn how to make them. It is never too early to begin to learn to cook. "

"When the city girls get through school, they go away from home andstudy housekeeping, don't they?" asked Gretchen. 

"Yes, and many girls who don't live in cities. But I hardly thinkyou will ever be sent away. We are busy people here in our littlevillage, and you will have to be contented with learning what yourmother can teach you. "

"I shall be satisfied with that, I know. But listen! I can hearfather and Hans coming. "

"Then put up your work, children, and set the supper-table. "

The girls jumped up and hurriedly put the presents away. It did nottake long to set the supper-table, for the meals in this little homewere very simple, and supper was the simplest of all. A large plateof black bread and a pitcher of sour milk were brought by the mother, and the family gathered around the table. 

The bread wasn't really black, of course. It was dark brown and verycoarse. It was made of rye meal. Bertha and Gretchen had never seenany white bread in their lives, for they had never yet been far awayfrom their own little village. Neither had their brother Hans. 

They were happy, healthy children. They all had blue eyes, rosycheeks, and fair hair, like their father and mother. 

"You don't know what I've got for you, Hans, " said Bertha, laughingand showing a sweet little dimple in her chin. 

Hans bent down and kissed her. He never could resist that dimple, and Bertha was his favourite sister. 

"I don't know what it is, but I do know that it must be somethingnice, " said her brother. 

When the supper-table had been cleared, the mother and girls took outtheir sewing again, while Hans worked at some wood-carving. Thefather took an old violin from its case and began to play some of thebeautiful airs of Germany. 

When he came to the "Watch on the Rhine, " the mother's work droppedfrom her hands as she and the children joined in the song that stirsevery German heart. 

"Oh, dear! it seems as though Christmas Eve never would come, " sighedBertha, as she settled herself for sleep beside her sister. 

It was quite a cold night, but they were cosy and warm. Whyshouldn't they be? They were covered with a down feather bed. Theirmother had the same kind of cover on her own bed, and so had Hans. 

But Christmas Eve did come at last, although it seemed so far off toBertha the night before. Hans and his father brought in the bough ofa yew-tree, and it was set up in the living-room. 

The decorating came next. Tiny candles were fastened on all thetwigs. Sweetmeats and nuts were hung from the branches. 

"How beautiful! How beautiful!" exclaimed the children when it wasall trimmed, and they walked around it with admiring eyes. 

None of the presents were placed on the tree, for that is not thefashion in Germany. Each little gift had been tied up in paper andmarked with the name of the one for whom it was intended. 

When everything was ready, there was a moment of quiet while thecandles were being lighted. Then Bertha's father began to give outthe presents, and there was a great deal of laughing and joking asthe bundles were opened. 

There was a new red skirt for Bertha. Her mother had made it, forshe knew the child was fond of pretty dresses. Besides this, she hada pair of warm woollen mittens which Gretchen had knit for her. Hanshad made and carved a doll's cradle for each of the girls. 

Everybody was happy and contented. They sang songs and cracked nutsand ate the Christmas cakes to their hearts' content. 

"I think I like the ones shaped like gnomes the best, " said Hans. "They have such comical little faces. Do you know, every time I goout in the forest, it seems as though I might meet a party of gnomeshunting for gold. "

"I like the animal cakes best, " said Bertha. "The deer are suchgraceful creatures, and I like to bite off the horns and legs, one ata time. "

"A long time ago, " said their father, "they used to celebrateChristmas a little different from the way we now do. The presentswere all carried to a man in the village who dressed himself in awhite robe, and a big wig made of flax. He covered his face with amask, and then went from house to house. The grown people receivedhim with great honours. He called for the children and gave them thepresents their parents had brought to him. 

"But these presents were all given according to the way the childrenhad behaved during the year. If they had been good and tried hard, they had the gifts they deserved. But if they had been naughty anddisobedient, it was not a happy time for them. "

"I don't believe the children were very fond of him, " cried Hans. "They must have been too much afraid of him. "

"That is true, " said his father. "But now, let us play some games. Christmas comes but once a year, and you have all been good children. "

The room soon rang with the shouts of Hans and his sisters. Theyplayed "Blind Man's Buff" and other games. Their father took part inall of them as though he were a boy again. The good mother looked onwith pleasant smiles. 

Bedtime came only too soon. But just before the children said goodnight, the father took Hans one side and talked seriously yetlovingly with him. He told the boy of the faults he must still fightagainst. He spoke also of the improvement he had made during theyear. 

At the same time the mother gave words of kind advice to her littledaughters. She told them to keep up good courage; to be busy andpatient in the year to come. 

"My dear little girls, " she whispered, as she kissed them, "I love tosee you happy in your play. But the good Lord who cares for us hasgiven us all some work to do in this world. Be faithful in doingyours. "

CHAPTER II. 

TOY-MAKING

"Wake up, Bertha. Come, Gretchen. You will have to hurry, for it isquite late, " called their mother. It was one morning about a weekafter Christmas. 

"Oh dear, I am so sleepy, and my bed is nice and warm, " thoughtBertha. 

[Illustration: Bertha's Father and Mother. ]

But she jumped up and rubbed her eyes and began to dress, withoutwaiting to be called a second time. Her mother was kind and loving, but she had taught her children to obey without a question. 

Both little girls had long, thick hair. It must be combed andbrushed and braided with great care. Each one helped the other. They were soon dressed, and ran down-stairs. 

As soon as the breakfast was over and the room made tidy, every onein the family sat down to work. Bertha's father was a toy-maker. Hehad made wooden images of Santa Claus all his life. His wife andchildren helped him. 

When Bertha was only five years old, she began to carve the legs ofthese Santa Claus dolls. It was a queer sight to see the littlegirl's chubby fingers at their work. Now that she was nine yearsold, she still carved legs for Santa Claus in her spare moments. 

Gretchen always made arms, while Hans worked on a still differentpart of the bodies. The father and mother carved the heads andfinished the little images that afterward gave such delight tochildren in other lands. 

Bertha lives in the Black Forest. That name makes you think at onceof a dark and gloomy place. The woods on the hills are dark, to besure, but the valleys nestling between are bright and cheerful whenthe sun shines down and pours its light upon them. Bertha's villageis in just such a valley. The church stands on the slope above thelittle homes. It seems to say, "Look upward, my children, to theblue heavens, and do not fear, even when the mists fill the valleyand the storm is raging over your heads. "

All the people in the village seem happy and contented. They workhard, and their pay is small, but there are no beggars among them. 

Toys are made in almost every house. Every one in a family works onthe same kind of toy, just as it is in Bertha's home. 

The people think: "It would be foolish to spend one's time inlearning new things. The longer a person works at making one kind oftoy, the faster he can make them, and he can earn more money. "

One of Bertha's neighbours makes nothing but Noah's Arks. Anothermakes toy tables, and still another dolls' chairs. 

Bertha often visits a little friend who helps her father makecuckoo-clocks. Did you ever see one of these curious clocks? Aseach hour comes around, a little bird comes outside the case. Thenit flaps its wings and sings "cuckoo" in a soft, sweet voice as manytimes as there are strokes to the hour. It is great fun to watch forthe little bird and hear its soft notes. 

Perhaps you wonder what makes the bird come out at just the righttime. It is done by certain machinery inside the clock. But, however it is, old people as well as children seem to enjoy thecuckoo-clocks of Germany. 

"Some day, when you are older, you shall go to the fair at Eastertime, " Bertha's father has promised her. 

"Is that at Leipsic, where our Santa Claus images go?" asked hislittle daughter. 

"Yes, my dear, and toys from many other parts of our country. Thereyou will see music-boxes and dolls' pianos and carts and trumpets andengines and ships. These all come from the mining-towns. 

"But I know what my little Bertha would care for most. She wouldbest like to see the beautiful wax dolls that come from Sonneberg. "

"Yes, indeed, " cried Bertha. "The dear, lovely dollies with yellowhair like mine. I would love every one of them. I wish I could goto Sonneberg just to see the dolls. "

"I wonder what makes the wax stick on, " said Gretchen, who came intothe room while her father and Bertha were talking. 

"After the heads have been moulded into shape, they are dipped intopans of boiling wax, " her father told her. "The cheap dolls aredipped only once, but the expensive ones have several baths beforethey are finished. The more wax that is put on, the handsomer thedolls are. 

"Then comes the painting. One girl does nothing but paint the lips. Another one does the cheeks. Still another, the eyebrows. Even thenMiss Dolly looks like a bald-headed baby till her wig is fastened inits place. "

"I like the yellow hair best, " said Bertha. "But it isn't real, isit, papa?"

"I suppose you mean to ask, 'Did it ever grow on people's heads?' mydear. No. It is the wool of a kind of goat. But the black hair isreal hair. Most dolls, however, wear light wigs. People usuallyprefer them. "

"Do little girls in Sonneberg help make the dolls, just as Bertha andI help you on the Santa Claus images?" asked Gretchen. 

"Certainly. They fill the bodies with sawdust, and do other easythings. But they go to school, too, just as you and Bertha do. Lessons must not be slighted. "

"If I had to help make dolls, just as I do these images, " saidGretchen to her sister as their father went out and left the childrentogether, "I don't believe I'd care for the handsomest one in thewhole toy fair. I'd be sick of the very sight of them. "

"Look at the time, Bertha. See, we must stop our work and start forschool, " exclaimed Gretchen. 

It was only seven o'clock in the morning, but school would begin inhalf an hour. These little German girls had to study longer andharder than their American cousins. They spent at least an hour aday more in their schoolrooms. 

As they trudged along the road, they passed a little stream whichcame trickling down the hillside. 

"I wonder if there is any story about that brook, " said Bertha. "There's a story about almost everything in our dear old country, I'msure. "

"You have heard father tell about the stream flowing down the side ofthe Kandel, haven't you?" asked Gretchen. 

"Yes, I think so. But I don't remember it very well. What is thestory, Gretchen?"

"You know the Kandel is one of the highest peaks in the Black Forest. You've seen it, Bertha. "

"Yes, of course, but tell the story, Gretchen. "

"Well, then, once upon a time there was a poor little boy who had nofather or mother. He had to tend cattle on the side of the Kandel. At that time there was a deep lake at the summit of the mountain. But the lake had no outlet. 

"The people who lived in the valley below often said, 'Dear me! howglad we should be if we could only have plenty of fresh water. Butno stream flows near us. If we could only bring some of the waterdown from the lake!'

"They were afraid, however, to make a channel out of the lake. Thewater might rush down with such force as to destroy their village. They feared to disturb it. 

"Now, it came to pass that the Evil One had it in his heart todestroy these people. He thought he could do it very easily if therocky wall on the side of the lake could be broken down. There wasonly one way in which this could be done. An innocent boy must befound and got to do it. 

"It was a long time before such an one could be found. But at lastthe Evil One came across an orphan boy who tended cattle on themountainside. The poor little fellow was on his way home. He wasfeeling very sad, for he was thinking of his ragged clothes and hisscant food. 

"'Ah ha!' cried the Evil One to himself, 'here is the very boy. '

"He changed himself at once so he had the form and dress of a hunter, and stepped up to the lad with a pleasant smile. 

"'Poor little fellow! What is the matter? And what can I do foryou?' he said, in his most winning manner. 

"The boy thought he had found a friend, and told his story. 

"'Do not grieve any longer. There is plenty of gold and silver inthese very mountains. I will show you how to become rich, ' said theEvil One. 'Meet me here early to-morrow morning and bring a goodstrong team with you. I will help you get the gold. '

"The boy went home with a glad heart. You may be sure he did notoversleep the next morning. Before it was light, he had harnessedfour oxen belonging to his master, and started for the summit of themountain. 

"The hunter, who was waiting for him, had already fastened a metalring around the wall that held in the waters of the lake. 

"'Fasten the oxen to that ring, ' commanded the hunter, 'and the rockwill split open. '

"Somehow or other, the boy did not feel pleased at what he was toldto do. Yet he obeyed, and started the oxen. But as he did so, hecried, 'Do this in the name of God!'

"At that very instant the sky grew black as night, the thunder rolledand the lightning flashed. And not only this, for at the same timethe mountain shook and rumbled as though a mighty force were tearingit apart. "

"What became of the poor boy?" asked Bertha. 

"He fell senseless to the ground, while the oxen in their frightrushed headlong down the mountainside. But you needn't get excited, Bertha, no harm was done. The boy was saved as well as the village, because he had pulled in the name of God. 

"The rock did not split entirely. It broke apart just enough to letout a tiny stream of water, which began to flow down the mountainside. 

"When the boy came to his senses, the sky was clear and beautifulonce more. The sun was shining brightly, and the hunter was nowhereto be seen. But the stream of water was running down themountainside. 

"A few minutes afterward, the boy's master came hurrying up theslope. He was frightened by the dreadful sounds he had heard. Butwhen he saw the waterfall, he was filled with delight. 

"'Every one in the village will rejoice, ' he exclaimed, 'for now weshall never want for water. '

"Then the little boy took courage and told the story of his meetingthe hunter and what he had done. 

"'It is well you did it in the name of the Lord, ' cried his master. 'If you had not, our village would have been destroyed, and every oneof us would have been drowned. '"

"See! the children are going into the schoolhouse, Gretchen. We mustnot be late. Let's run, " said Bertha. 

The two little girls stopped talking, and hurried so fast that theyentered the schoolhouse and were sitting in their seats in good orderbefore the schoolmaster struck his bell. 

CHAPTER III. 

THE WICKED BISHOP

"The Rhine is the loveliest river in the world. I know it must be, "said Bertha. 

"Of course it is, " answered her brother. "I've seen it, and I oughtto know. And father thinks so, too. He says it is not onlybeautiful, but it is also bound into the whole history of ourcountry. Think of the battles that have been fought on its shores, and the great generals who have crossed it!"

"Yes, and the castles, Hans! Think of the legends father and motherhave told us about the beautiful princesses who have lived in thecastles, and the brave knights who have fought for them! I shall beperfectly happy if I can ever sail down the Rhine and see the notedplaces on its shores. "

"The schoolmaster has taught you all about the war with France, hasn't he, Bertha?"

"Of course. And it really seemed at one time as if France would makeus Germans agree to have the Rhine divide the two countries. Just asif we would be willing to let the French own one shore of ourbeautiful river. I should say not!"

Bertha's cheeks grew rosier than usual at the thought of such athing. She talked faster than German children usually do, for theyare rather slow in their speech. 

"We do not own all of the river, little sister, as it is. The babyRhine sleeps in an icy cradle in the mountains of Switzerland. Thenit makes its way through our country, but before it reaches the seait flows through the low lands of Holland. "

"I know all that, Hans. But we own the best of the Rhine, anyway. Iam perfectly satisfied. "

"I wish I knew all the legends about the river. There are enough ofthem to fill many books. Did you ever hear about the Rats' Toweropposite the town of Bingen, Bertha?"

[Illustration: The Rats' Tower. ]

"What a funny name for a tower! No. Is there a story about it, Hans?"

"Yes, one of the boys was telling it to me yesterday while we weregetting wood in the forest. It is a good story, although my friendsaid he wasn't sure it is true. "

"What is the story?"

"It is about a very wicked bishop who was a miser. It happened onetime that the harvests were poor and grain was scarce. The cruelbishop bought all the grain he could get and locked it up. Heintended to sell it for a high price, and in this way to become veryrich. 

"As the days went by, the food became scarcer and scarcer. Thepeople began to sicken and die of hunger. They had but one thought:they must get something to eat for their children and themselves. 

"They knew of the stores of grain held by the bishop. They went tohim and begged for some of it, but he paid no attention to theirprayers. Then they demanded that he open the doors of the storehouseand let them have the grain. It was of no use. 

"At last, they gathered together, and said:

"'We will break down the door if you do not give it to us. '

"'Come to-morrow, ' answered the bishop. 'Bring your friends withyou. You shall have all the grain you desire. '

"The morrow came. Crowds gathered in front of the granary. Thebishop unlocked the door, saying:

"'Go inside and help yourselves freely. '

"The people rushed in. Then what do you think the cruel bishop did?He ordered his servants to lock the door and set the place on fire!

"The air was soon filled with the screams of the burning people. Butthe bishop only laughed and danced. He said to his servants:

"'Do you hear the rats squeaking inside the granary?'

"The next day came. There were only ashes in place of the greatstorehouse. There seemed to be no life about the town, for thepeople were all dead. 

"Suddenly there was a great scurrying, as a tremendous swarm of ratscame rushing out of the ashes. On they came, more and more of them. They filled the streets, and even made their way into the palace. 

"The wicked bishop was filled with fear. He fled from the place andhurried away over the fields. But, the swarm of rats came rushingafter him. He came to Bingen, where he hoped to be safe within itswalls. Somehow or other, the rats made their way inside. 

"There was now only one hope of safety. The bishop fled to a towerstanding in the middle of the Rhine. But it was of no use! The ratsswam the river and made their way up the sides of the tower. Theirsharp teeth gnawed holes through the doors and windows. They enteredin and came to the room where the bishop was hiding. "

"Wicked fellow! They killed and ate him as he deserved, didn'tthey?" asked Bertha. 

"There wasn't much left of him in a few minutes. But the tower stillstands, and you can see it if you ever go to Bingen, although it is acrumbling old pile now. "

"Rats' Tower is a good name for it. But I would rather hear aboutenchanted princesses and brave knights than wicked old bishops. Tellme another story, Hans. "

"Oh, I can't. Listen! I hear some one coming. Who can it be?"

Hans jumped up and ran to the door, just in time to meet his UncleFritz, who lived in Strasburg. 

The children loved him dearly. He was a young man about twenty-oneyears old. He came home to this little village in the Black Forestonly about once a year. He had so much to tell and was so kind andcheerful, every one was glad to see him. 

"Uncle Fritz! Uncle Fritz! We are so glad you've come, " exclaimedBertha, putting her arms around his neck. "And we are going to havesomething that you like for dinner. "

"I can guess what it is. Sauerkraut and boiled pork. There is noother sauerkraut in Germany as good as that your mother makes, I dobelieve. I'm hungry enough to eat the whole dishful and not leaveany for you children. Now what do you say to my coming? Don't youwish I had stayed in Strasburg?"

"Oh, no, no, Uncle Fritz. We would rather see you than anybodyelse, " cried Hans. "And here comes mother. She will be just as gladas we are. "

That evening, after Hans had shown his uncle around the village, andhe had called on his old friends, he settled himself in thechimney-corner with the children about him. 

"Talk to us about Strasburg, Uncle Fritz, " begged Gretchen. 

"Please tell us about the storks, " said Bertha. "Are there greatnumbers of the birds in the city, and do they build their nests onthe chimneys?"

"Yes, you can see plenty of storks flying overhead if you will comeback with me, " said Uncle Fritz, laughingly. "They seem to know thepeople love them. If a stork makes his home about any one's house, it is a sign of good fortune to the people who live there. 

"'It will surely come, ' they say to themselves, 'and the storks willbring it. ' Do you wonder the people like the birds so much?"

"I read a story about a mother stork, " said Bertha, thoughtfully. "She had a family of baby birds. They were not big enough to leavetheir nest, when a fire broke out in the chimney where it was built. Poor mother bird! She could have saved herself. But she would notleave her babies. So she stayed with them and they were all burnedto death together. "

"I know the story. That happened right in Strasburg, " said her uncle. 

"Please tell us about the beautiful cathedral with its tall tower, "said Hans. "Sometime, uncle, I am going to Strasburg, if I have towalk there, and then I shall want to spend a whole day in front ofthe wonderful clock. "

"You'd better have a lunch with you, Hans, and then you will not gethungry. But really, my dear little nephew, I hope the time will sooncome when you can pay me a long visit. As for the clock, you willhave to stay in front of it all night as well as all day, if you areto see all it can show you. "

"I know about cuckoo-clocks, of course, " said Gretchen, "but thelittle bird is the only figure that comes out on those. There areever so many different figures on the Strasburg clock, aren't there, Uncle Fritz?"

"A great, great many. Angels strike the hours. A different god orgoddess appears for each day in the week. Then, at noon and atmidnight, Jesus and his twelve apostles come out through a door andmarch about on a platform. 

"You can imagine what the size of the clock must be when I tell youthat the figures are as large as people. When the procession of theapostles appears, a gilded cock on the top of the tower flaps itswings and crows. 

"I cannot begin to tell you all about it. It is as good as a play, and, as I told Hans, he would have to stay many hours near it to seeall the sights. "

"I should think a strong man would be needed to wind it up, " said hisnephew. 

"The best part of it is that it does not need to be wound every day, "replied Uncle Fritz. "They say it will run for years without beingtouched. Of course, travellers are coming to Strasburg all the time. They wish to see the clock, but they also come to see the cathedralitself. It is a very grand building, and, as you know, the spire isthe tallest one in all Europe. 

"Then there is so much beautiful carving! And there are such finestatues. Oh, children, you must certainly come to Strasburg beforelong and see the cathedral of which all Germany is so proud. "

"Strasburg was for a time the home of our greatest poet, " saidBertha. "I want to go there to see where he lived. "

The child was very fond of poetry, even though she was a littlecountry girl. Her father had a book containing some of Goethe'sballads, and she loved to lie under the trees in the pleasantsummer-time and repeat some of these poems. 

"They are just like music, " she would say to herself. 

"A marble slab has been set up in the old Fish Market to mark thespot where Goethe lived, " said Uncle Fritz. "They say he loved thegrand cathedral of the city, and it helped him to become a greatwriter when he was a young student there. I suppose its beautyawakened his own beautiful thoughts. "

The children became quiet as they thought of their country and themen who had made her so strong and great, --the poets, and themusicians, and the brave soldiers who had defended her from herenemies. 

Uncle Fritz was the first one to speak. 

"I will tell you a story of Strasburg, " he said. "It is aboutsomething that happened there a long time ago. You know, the cityisn't on the Rhine itself, but it is on a little stream flowing intothe greater river. 

"Well, once upon a time the people of Zurich, in Switzerland, askedthe people of Strasburg to join with them in a bond of friendship. Each should help the other in times of danger. The people ofStrasburg did not think much of the idea. They said amongthemselves: 'What good can the little town of Zurich do us? And, besides, it is too far away. ' So they sent back word that they didnot care to make such a bond. They were scarcely polite in theirmessage, either. 

"When they heard the reply, the men of Zurich were quite angry. Theywere almost ready to fight. But the youngest one of theircouncillors said:

"'We will force them to eat their own words. Indeed, they shall bemade to give us a different answer. And it will come soon, too, ifyou will only leave the matter with me. '

"'Do as you please, ' said the other councillors. They went back totheir own houses, while the young man hurried home, rushed out intothe kitchen and picked out the largest kettle there. 

"'Wife, cook as much oatmeal as this pot will hold, ' he commanded. 

"The woman wondered what in the world her husband could be thinkingof. But she lost no time in guessing. She ordered her servants tomake a big fire, while she herself stirred and cooked the greatkettleful of oatmeal. 

"In the meanwhile, her husband hurried down to the pier, and got hisswiftest boat ready for a trip down the river. Then he gathered thebest rowers in the town. 

"'Come with me, ' he said to two of them, when everything had beenmade ready for a trip. They hastened home with him, as he commanded. 

"'Is the oatmeal ready?' he cried, rushing breathless into thekitchen, "His wife had just finished her work. The men lifted the kettle fromthe fire and ran with it to the waiting boat. It was placed in thestern and the oarsmen sprang to their places. 

"'Pull, men! Pull with all the strength you have, and we will go toStrasburg in time to show those stupid people that, if it should benecessary, we live near enough to them to give them a hot supper. '

"How the men worked! They rowed as they had never rowed before. 

"They passed one village after another. Still they moved onwardwithout stopping, till they found themselves at the pier of Strasburg. 

"The councillor jumped out of the boat, telling two of his men tofollow with the great pot of oatmeal. He led the way to thecouncil-house, where he burst in with his strange present. 

"'I bring you a warm answer to your cold words, ' he told thesurprised councillors. He spoke truly, for the pot was stillsteaming. How amused they all were!

"'What a clever fellow he is, ' they said among themselves. 'Surelywe will agree to make the bond with Zurich, if it holds many men likehim. '

"The bond was quickly signed and then, with laughter and good-will, the councillors gathered around the kettle with spoons and ate everybit of the oatmeal. 

"'It is excellent, ' they all cried. And indeed it was still hotenough to burn the mouths of those who were not careful. "

"Good! Good!" cried the children, and they laughed heartily, eventhough it was a joke against their own people. 

Their father and mother had also listened to the story and enjoyed itas much as the children. 

"Another story, please, dear Uncle Fritz, " they begged. 

But their father pointed to the clock. "Too late, too late, mydears, " he said. "If you sit up any longer, your mother will have tocall you more than once in the morning. So, away to your beds, everyone of you. "

CHAPTER IV. 

THE COFFEE-PARTY

"How would you like to be a wood-cutter, Hans?"

"I think it would be great sport. I like to hear the thud of the axeas it comes down on the trunk. Then it is always an exciting time asthe tree begins to bend and fall to the ground. Somehow, it seemslike a person. I can't help pitying it, either. "

Hans had come over to the next village on an errand for his father. A big sawmill had been built on the side of the stream, and all themen in the place were kept busy cutting down trees in the BlackForest, or working in the sawmill. 

After the logs had been cut the right length, they were bound intorafts, and floated down the little stream to the Rhine. 

"The rafts themselves seem alive, " said Hans to his friend. "You menknow just how to bind the logs together with those willow bands, sothey twist and turn about like living creatures as they move down thestream. "

"I have travelled on a raft all the way from here to Cologne, "answered the wood-cutter. "The one who steers must be skilful, forhe needs to be very careful. You know the rafts grow larger all thetime, don't you, Hans?"

"Oh, yes. As the river becomes wider, the smaller ones are boundtogether. But is it true that the men sometimes take their familiesalong with them?"

"Certainly. They set up tents, or little huts, on the rafts, sotheir wives and children can have a comfortable place to eat andsleep. Then, too, if it rains, they can be sheltered from the storm. "

"I'd like to go with you sometime. You pass close to Strasburg, andI could stop and visit Uncle Fritz. Wouldn't it be fun!"

"Hans! Hans!" called a girl's voice just then. 

"I don't see her, but I know that's Bertha. She came over to thevillage with me this afternoon. One of her friends has acoffee-party and she invited us to it. So, good-bye. "

"Good-bye, my lad. Come and see me again. Perhaps I can managesometime to take you with me on a trip down the river. "

"Thank you ever so much. "

Hans hurried away, and was soon entering the house of a little friendwho was celebrating her birthday with a coffee-party. 

There were several other children there. They were all dressed intheir best clothes and looked very neat and nice. The boys wore longtrousers and straight jackets. They looked like little old men. Thegirls had bright-coloured skirts and their white waists were freshand stiff. 

Their shoes were coarse and heavy, and made a good deal of noise asthe children played the different games. But they were all so plumpand rosy, it was good to look at them. 

"They are a pretty sight, " said one of the neighbours, as she pouredout the coffee. 

"They deserve to have a good time, " said another woman with a kind, motherly face. "They will soon grow up, and then they will have towork hard to get a living. "

The coffee and cakes were a great treat to these village children. They did not get such a feast every day in the year. Their mothersmade cakes only for festivals and holidays, and coffee was seldomseen on their tables oftener than once a week. 

In the great cities and fine castles, where the rich people ofGermany had their homes, they could eat sweet dainties and drinkcoffee as often as they liked. But in the villages of the BlackForest, it was quite different. 

"Good night, good night, " said Hans and Bertha, as they left theirfriends and trudged off on a path through the woods. It was theshortest way home, and they knew their mother must be looking forthem by this time. 

It was just sunset, but the children could not see the beautifulcolours of the evening sky, after they had gone a short distance intothe thick woods. 

"Do you suppose there are any bears around?" whispered Bertha. 

The trees looked very black. It seemed to the little girl as thoughshe kept seeing the shadow of some big animal hiding behind them. 

"No, indeed, " answered Hans, quite scornfully. "Too many people goalong this path for bears to be willing to stay around here. Youwould have to go farther up into the forest to find them. But lookquickly, Bertha. Do you see that rabbit jumping along? Isn't he abig fellow?"

"See! Hans, he has noticed us. There he goes as fast as his legscan carry him. "

By this time, the children had reached the top of a hill. The treesgrew very thick and close. On one side a torrent came rushing downover the rocks and stones. It seemed to say:

"I cannot stop for any one. But come with me, come with me, and Iwill take you to the beautiful Rhine. I will show you the way topretty bridges, and great stone castles, and rare old cities. Oh, this is a wonderful world, and you children of the Black Forest havea great deal to see yet. "

"I love to listen to running water, " said Bertha. "It always has astory to tell us. "

"Do you see that light over there, away off in the distance?" askedHans. "It comes from a charcoal-pit. I can hear the voices of themen at their work. "

"I shouldn't like to stay out in the dark woods all the time and makecharcoal, " answered his sister. "I should get lonesome and long forthe sunlight. "

"It isn't very easy work, either, " said Hans. "After the trees havebeen cut down, the pits have to be made with the greatest care, andthe wood must be burned just so slowly to change it into charcoal. Ionce spent a day in the forest with some charcoal-burners. They toldsuch good stories that night came before I had thought of it. "

"I can see the village ahead of us, " said Bertha, joyfully. 

A few minutes afterward, the children were running up the stone stepsof their own home. 

"We had such a good time, " Hans told his mother, while Bertha went toGretchen and gave her some cakes she had brought her from thecoffee-party. 

"I'm so sorry you couldn't go, " she told her sister. 

"Perhaps I can next time, " answered Gretchen. "But, of course, wecould not all leave mother when she had so much work to do. So Ijust kept busy and tried to forget all about it. "

"You dear, good Gretchen! I'm going to try to be as patient andhelpful as you are, " said Bertha, kissing her sister. 

CHAPTER V. 

THE BEAUTIFUL CASTLE

"Father's coming, father's coming, " cried Bertha, as she ran down thesteps and out into the street. 

Her father had been away for two days, and Hans had gone with him. They had been to Heidelberg. Bertha and Gretchen had never yetvisited that city, although it was not more than twenty miles away. 

"Oh, dear, I don't know where to begin, " Hans told the girls thatevening. 

"Of course, I liked to watch the students better than anything else. The town seems full of them. They all study in the university, ofcourse, but they are on the streets a good deal. They seem to have afine time of it. Every one carries a small cane with a button on theend of it. They wear their little caps down over their foreheads onone side. "

"What colour do they have for their caps, Hans?" asked Gretchen. 

"All colours, I believe. Some are red, some blue, some yellow, somegreen. Oh, I can't tell you how many different kinds there are. Butthey were bright and pretty, and made the streets look as though itmust be a festival day. "

"I have heard that the students fight a good many duels. Is that so, Hans?"

"If you should see them, you would certainly think so. Many of thefellows are real handsome, but their faces are scarred more oftenthan not. 

"'The more scars I can show, the braver people will think I am. ' Thatis what the students seem to think. They get up duels with eachother on the smallest excuse. When they fight, they always try tostrike the face. Father says their duelling is good practice. Itreally helps to make them brave. If I were a student, I should wantto fight duels, too. "

Bertha shuddered. Duelling was quite the fashion in Germanuniversities, but the little girl was very tender-hearted. She couldnot bear to think of her brother having his face cut up by the swordof any one in the world. 

"What do you think, girls?" Hans went on. "Father had to go to thepart of the town nearest the castle. He said he should be busy forseveral hours, and I could do what I liked. So I climbed up the hillto the castle, and wandered all around it. I saw a number of Englishand American people there. I suppose they had come to Heidelberg onpurpose to see those buildings. 

"'Isn't it beautiful!' I heard them exclaim again and again. And Isaw a boy about my own age writing things about it in a note-book. He told his mother he was going to say it was the most beautiful ruinin Germany. He was an American boy, but he spoke our language. Isuppose he was just learning it, for he made ever so many mistakes. I could hardly tell what he was trying to say. "

"What did his mother answer?" asked Bertha. 

"She nodded her head, and then pointed out some of the finestcarvings and statues. But she and her son moved away from me beforelong, and then I found myself near some children of our country. They must have been rich, for they were dressed quite grandly. Theirgoverness was with them. She told them to notice how many differentkinds of buildings there were, some of them richly carved, and somequite plain. 'You will find here palaces, towers, and fortresses, all together, ' she said. 'For, in the old days, it was not only agrand home, but it was also a strong fortress. '"

[Illustration: Courtyard of Heidelberg Castle. ]

"You know father told us it was not built all at once, " saidGretchen. "Different parts were added during four hundred years. "

"Yes, and he said it had been stormed by the enemy, and burned andplundered, " added Bertha. "It has been in the hands of those horridFrenchmen several different times. Did you see the blown-up tower, Hans?"

"Of course I did. Half of it, you know, fell into the moat duringone of the sieges, but linden-trees have grown about it, and it makesa shady nook in which to rest one's self. "

"You did not go inside of the castle, did you, Hans?" asked Gretchen. 

"No. It looked so big and gloomy, I stayed outside in the prettygardens. I climbed over some of the moss-grown stairs, though, and Ikept discovering something I hadn't seen before. Here and there wereold fountains and marble statues, all gray with age. "

"They say that under the castle are great, dark dungeons, " saidBertha, shivering at the thought. 

"What would a castle be without dungeons?" replied her brother. "Ofcourse there are dungeons. And there are also hidden, undergroundpassages through which the people inside could escape in times of warand siege. "

"Oh, Hans! did you see the Heidelberg Tun?" asked Gretchen. 

Now, the Heidelberg Tun is the largest wine-cask in, the whole world. People say that it holds forty-nine thousand gallons. Just think ofit! But it has not been filled for more than a hundred years. 

"No, I didn't see it, " replied Hans. "It is down in the cellar, andI didn't want to go there without father. I heard some of thevisitors telling about the marks of the Frenchmen's hatchets on itssides. One of the times they captured the castle, they tried tobreak open the tun. They thought it was full of wine. But they didnot succeed in hacking through its tough sides. "

"Good! Good!" cried his sisters. They had little love for Franceand her people. 

That evening, after Hans had finished telling the girls about hisvisit, their father told them the legend of Count Frederick, a braveand daring man who once lived in Heidelberg Castle. 

Count Frederick was so brave and successful that he was called"Frederick the Victorious. "

Once upon a time he was attacked by the knights and bishops of theRhine, who had banded together against him. When he found what greatnumbers of soldiers were attacking his castle, Count Frederick wasnot frightened in the least. He armed his men with sharp daggers, and marched boldly out against his foes. 

They attacked the horses first of all. The daggers made short work, and the knights were soon brought to the ground. Their armour was soheavy that it was an easy matter then to make them prisoners and takethem into the castle. 

But Frederick treated them most kindly. He ordered a great banquetto be prepared, and invited his prisoners to gather around the board, where all sorts of good things were served. 

One thing only was lacking. There was no bread. The guests thoughtit was because the servants had forgotten it, and one of them daredto ask for a piece. Count Frederick at once turned toward hissteward and ordered the bread to be brought. Now his master hadprivately talked with the steward and had told him what words to useat this time. 

"I am very sorry, " said the steward, "but there is no bread. "

"You must bake some at once, " ordered his master. 

"But we have no flour, " was the answer. 

"You must grind some, then, " was the command. 

"We cannot do so, for we have no grain. "

"Then see that some is threshed immediately. "

"That is impossible, for the harvests have been burned down, " repliedthe steward. 

"You can at least sow grain, that we may have new harvests as soon aspossible. "

"We cannot even do that, for our enemies have burned down all thebuildings where the grain was stored for seed-time. "

Frederick now turned to his visitors, and told them they must eattheir meat without bread. But that was not all. He told them theymust give him enough money to build new houses and barns to take theplaces of those they had destroyed, and also to buy new seed forgrain. 

"It is wrong, " he said, sternly, "to carry on war against those whoare helpless, and to take away their seeds and tools from the poorpeasants. "

It was a sensible speech. It made the knights ashamed of the waythey had been carrying on war in the country, and they left thecastle wiser and better men. 

All this happened long, long ago, before Germany could be called onecountry, for the different parts of the land were ruled over bydifferent people and in different ways. 

This same Count Frederick, their father told them, had great love forthe poor. When he was still quite young, he made a vow. He said, "Iwill never marry a woman of noble family. "

Not long after this, he fell in love with a princess. But he couldnot ask her to marry him on account of the vow he had made. 

He was so unhappy that he went into the army. He did not wish tolive, and hoped he would soon meet death. 

But the fair princess loved Frederick as deeply as he loved her, andas soon as she learned of the vow he had made, she made up her mindwhat to do. 

She put on the dress of a poor singing-girl, and left her grand home. She followed Frederick from place to place. They met face to faceone beautiful evening. Then it was that the princess told her lovershe had given up her rank and title for his sake. 

How joyful she made him as he listened to her story! You may be surethey were soon married, and the young couple went to live inHeidelberg Castle, where they were as happy and as merry as the dayis long. 

CHAPTER VI. 

THE GREAT FREDERICK

"I declare, Hans, I should think you would get tired of playing war, "said Bertha. She was sitting under the trees rocking her doll. Shewas playing it was a baby. 

Hans had just come home after an afternoon of sport with his boyfriends. But all they had done, Bertha declared, was to play war andsoldiers. She had watched them from her own yard. 

"Tired of it! What a silly idea, Bertha. It won't be many yearsbefore I shall be a real soldier. Just picture me then! I shallhave a uniform, and march to music. I don't know where I may go, either. Who knows to what part of the world the emperor will sendhis soldiers at that time?"

"I know where you would like to go in our own country, " said Bertha. 

"To Berlin, of course. What a grand city it must be! Father hasbeen there. Our schoolmaster was there while he served his time as asoldier. At this very moment, it almost seems as though I could hearthe jingling of the officers' swords as they move along the streets. The regiments are drilled every day, and I don't know how often thesoldiers have sham battles. "

Hans jumped up from his seat under the tree and began to march up anddown as though he were a soldier already. 

"Attention, battalion! Forward, march!" Bertha called after him. But she was laughing as she spoke. She could not help it, Hanslooked so serious. At the same time she couldn't help envying herbrother a little, and wishing she were a boy, too. It must be sogrand to be a soldier and be ready to fight for the emperor who ruledover her country. 

"The schoolmaster told us boys yesterday about the grand palace atBerlin. The emperor lives in it when he is in the city, " said Hans, wheeling around suddenly and stopping in front of Bertha. 

"I think you must have caught my thoughts, " said the little girl, "for the emperor was in my mind when you began to speak. "

"Well, never mind that. Do you wish to hear about the palace?"

"Of course I do, Hans. "

"The schoolmaster says it has six hundred rooms. Just think of it!And one of them, called the White Room, is furnished so grandly that2, 400, 000 marks were spent on it. You can't imagine it, Bertha, ofcourse. I can't, either. "

A German mark is worth about twenty-four cents of American money, sothe furnishing of the room Hans spoke of must have cost about$600, 000. It was a large sum, and it is no wonder the boy said hecould hardly imagine so much money. 

"There are hundreds of halls in the palace, " Hans went on. "Some oftheir walls are painted and others are hung with elegant silkdraperies. The floors are polished so they shine like mirrors. Thenthe pictures and the armour, Bertha! It almost seemed as though Iwere there while the schoolmaster was describing them. "

"I never expect to see such lovely things, " said his sober littlesister. "But perhaps I shall go to Berlin some day, Hans. Then Ican see the statue of Frederick the Great, at any rate. "

"It stands opposite the palace, " said her brother, "and cost morethan any other bronze statue in the world. "

"How did you learn that, Hans?"

"The schoolmaster told us so. He said, too, that it ought to stirthe blood of every true German to look at it. There the greatFrederick sits on horseback, wearing the robe in which he wascrowned, and looking out from under his cocked hat with his bright, sharp eyes. That statue alone is enough to make the soldiers whomarch past it ready to give their lives for their country. "

[Illustration: Statue of Frederick the Great. ]

"He lived when the different kingdoms were separated from each other, and there was no one ruler over all of them. I know that, " saidBertha. 

"Yes, he was the King of Prussia. And he fought the Seven Years' Warwith France and came out victorious. Hardly any one thought he couldsucceed, for there was so much against him. But he was brave anddetermined. Those two things were worth everything else. "

"That wasn't the only war he won, either, Hans. "

"No, but it must have been the greatest. Did you know, Bertha, thathe was unhappy when he was young? His father was so strict that hetried to run away from Germany with two of his friends. The kingfound out what they meant to do. One of the friends was put todeath, and the other managed to escape. "

"What did his father do to Frederick?" Bertha's eyes were full ofpity for a prince who was so unhappy as to wish to run away. 

"The king ordered his son to be put to death. But I suppose he wasangry at the time, for he changed his mind before the sentence wascarried out, and forgave him. "

"I wonder how kings and emperors live, " said Bertha, slowly. Itseemed as though everything must be different with them from what itwas with other people. 

"I'll tell you about Frederick, if you wish to listen. "

"Of course I do, Hans. "

"In the first place, he didn't care anything about fine clothes, evenif he was a king and was born in the grand palace at Berlin. Hiscoat was often very shabby. 

"In the next place, he slept only about four hours out of the wholetwenty-four for a good many years. He got up at three o'clock onsummer mornings, and in the winter-time he was always dressed byfive, at the very latest. 

"While his hair-dresser was at work, he opened his most importantletters. After that, he attended to other business affairs of thecountry. These things were done before eating or drinking. But whenthey had been attended to, the king went into his writing-room anddrank a number of glasses of cold water. As he wrote, he sippedcoffee and ate a little fruit from time to time. 

"He loved music very dearly, and sometimes rested from his work andplayed on his flute. 

"Dinner was the only regular meal of the day. It was served attwelve o'clock, and lasted three or four hours. There was a bill offare, and the names of the cooks were given as well as the dishesthey prepared. "

"Did the king ever let them know whether he was pleased or not withtheir cooking?" asked Bertha. 

"Yes. He marked the dishes he liked best with a cross. He enjoyedhis dinner, and generally had a number of friends to eat with him. There was much joking, and there were many clever speeches. 

"When the meal was over, the king played on his flute a short time, and then attended to more business. "

"Did he work till bedtime, Hans?"

"Oh, no. In the evening there was a concert or lecture, or somethinglike that. But, all the same, the king was a hard-working man, evenin times of peace. "

"He loved his people dearly, father once told me, " said Bertha. "Hesaid he understood his subjects and they understood him. "

"Yes, and that reminds me of a story the schoolmaster told. KingFrederick was once riding through the street when he saw a crowd ofpeople gathered together. He said to his groom, 'Go and see what isthe matter. ' The man came back and told the king that the peoplewere all looking at a caricature of Frederick himself. A caricature, you know, is a comical portrait. 

"Perhaps you think the king was angry when he heard this. Not atall. He said, 'Go and hang the picture lower down, so they will nothave to stretch their necks to see it. '

"The crowd heard the words. 'Hurrah for the king!' they cried. Atthe same time, they began to tear the picture into pieces. "

"Frederick the Great could appreciate a joke, " said Bertha. "Ishould think the people must have loved him. "

"He had some fine buildings put up in his lifetime, " Hans went on. "A new palace was built in Berlin, besides another one the kingcalled 'Sans Souci. ' Those are French words meaning, 'Without aCare. ' He called the place by that name because he said he wasfree-hearted and untroubled while he stayed there. 

"I've told you these things because you are a girl. But I'll tellyou what I like to think of best of all. It's the stories of thewars in which he fought and in which he showed such wonderfulcourage. So, hurrah for Frederick the Great, King of Prussia!"

Hans made a salute as though he stood in the presence of the greatking. Then he started for the wood-pile, where he was soon sawinglogs with as much energy as if he were fighting against the enemiesof his country. 

CHAPTER VII. 

THE BRAVE PRINCESS

"Listen, children! That must be the song of a nightingale. Howsweet it is!"

It was a lovely Sunday afternoon. Every one in the family had beento church in the morning, and come home to a good dinner of bean soupand potato salad. Then the father had said:

"Let us take a long walk over the fields and through the woods. Theworld is beautiful to-day. We can enjoy it best by leaving the housebehind us. "

Some of the neighbours joined the merry party. The men smoked theirpipes, while the women chatted together and the children frolickedabout them and picked wild flowers. 

How many sweet smells there were in the fields! How gaily the birdssang! The air seemed full of peace and joy. 

They all wandered on till they came to a cascade flowing down oversome high rocks. Trees grew close to the waterfall, and bent over itas though to hide it from curious eyes. 

It was a pretty spot. 

"Let us sit down at the foot of this cascade, " said Bertha's father, "It is a pleasant place to rest. "

Every one liked the plan. Bertha nestled close to her father's side. 

"Tell us a story. Please do, " she said. 

"Ask neighbour Abel. He knows many a legend of just such places asthis. He has lived in the Hartz Mountains, and they are filled withfairy stories. "

The rest of the party heard what was said. 

"Neighbour Abel! A story, a story, " they cried. 

Of course the kind-hearted German could not refuse such a generalrequest. Besides, he liked to tell stories. Taking his long pipeout of his mouth, he laid it down on the ground beside him. Then hecleared his throat and began to speak. 

"Look above you, friends. Do you see that mark on the rocky platformoverhead? I noticed it as soon as I got here. It made me think of awild spot in the Hartz Mountains where there is just such a mark. The people call it 'The Horse's Hoof-print. ' I will tell you howthey explain its coming there. 

"Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess. Her name wasBrunhilda, and she lived in Bohemia. She lived a gay and happy life, like most young princesses, till one day a handsome prince arrived ather father's palace. He was the son of the king of the Hartz country. 

"Of course, you can all guess what happened. The prince fell in lovewith the princess, and she returned his love. The day was set forthe wedding, and the young prince went home to prepare for the greatevent. 

"But he had been gone only a short time when a powerful giant arrivedat Brunhilda's home. He came from the far north. His name was Bodo. 

"He asked for the princess in marriage, but her heart had alreadybeen given away. She did not care for the giant, even though he gaveher the most elegant presents, --a beautiful white horse, jewels setin gold, and chains of amber. 

"'I dare not refuse the giant, ' said Brunhilda's father. 'He is verypowerful, and we must not make him angry. You must marry him, mydaughter, in three days. '

"The poor maiden wept bitterly. It seemed as though her heart wouldbreak. But she was a clever girl, and she soon dried her tears andbegan to think of some plan by which she might yet be free. Shebegan to smile upon the giant and treat him with great kindness. 

"'I should like to try the beautiful horse you brought me, ' she saidto him. He was much pleased. The horse was brought to the door. The princess mounted him and rode for a time up and down in front ofthe palace. 

"The very next day was that set apart for the wedding. The castlewas filled with guests who feasted and made merry. The giant enteredinto everything with a will. He laughed till the floors and wallsshook. Little did he think what was taking place. For the princessslipped out of the castle when no one was watching, hurried into thestable, and leaped upon the back of her swift white horse. 

"'Lower the drawbridge instantly, ' she called to the guard. Shepassed over it, and away she flew like the wind. 

"You were too late, too late, O giant, when you discovered thatBrunhilda was missing. 

"He flew out of the castle, and on the back of his own fiery blackhorse he dashed after the runaway princess. 

"On they went! On, on, without stopping. Over the plains, up anddown the hillsides, through the villages. The sun set and darknessfell upon the world, but there was never a moment's rest for themaiden on the white horse or the giant lover on his black steed. 

"Sometimes in the darkness sparks were struck off from the horses'hoofs as they passed over rough and rocky places. These sparksalways showed the princess ahead and slowly increasing the distancebetween herself and her pursuer. 

"When the morning light first appeared, the maiden could see thesummit of the Brocken ahead of her. It was the home of her lover. Her heart leaped within her. If she could only reach it she would besafe. 

"But alas! her horse suddenly stood still. He would not move. Hehad reached the edge of a precipice. There it lay, separating theprincess from love and safety. 

"The brave girl had not a moment to lose. The giant was fast drawingnear. She wheeled her horse around; then, striking his sides a sharpblow with her whip, she urged him to leap across the precipice. 

"The spring must be strong and sure. It was a matter of life anddeath. The chasm was deep. If the horse should fail to strike theother side securely, it meant a horrible end to beast and rider. 

"But he did not fail. The feet of the brave steed came firmly downupon the rocky platform. So heavily did they fall that the imprintof a hoof was left upon the rock. 

"The princess was now safe. It would be an easy matter for her toreach her lover's side. 

"As for the giant, he tried to follow Brunhilda across the chasm. But he was too heavy and his horse failed to reach the mark. The twosank together to the bottom of the precipice. "

Every one thanked the story-teller, and begged him to tell more ofthe Hartz Mountains, where he had spent his boyhood days. Thechildren were delighted when he spoke of the gnomes, in whom hebelieved when he was a child. 

"Every time I went out in the dark woods, " he said, "I was on thelookout for these funny little fairies of the underground world. Iwanted to see them, but at the same time I was afraid I should meetthem. 

"I remember one time that my mother sent me on an errand through thewoods at twilight. I was in the thickest part of the woods, when Iheard a sound that sent a shiver down my back. 

"'It is a witch, or some other dreadful being, ' I said to myself. 'Nothing else could make a sound like that. ' My teeth chattered. Mylegs shook so, I could hardly move. Somehow or other, I managed tokeep on. It seemed as though hours passed before I saw the lights ofthe village. Yet I suppose it was not more than fifteen minutes. 

"When I was once more safe inside my own home, I told my father andmother about my fright. 

"'It was no witch, my child, ' said my father. 'The sound youdescribe was probably the cry of a wildcat. I thank Heaven that youare safe. A wildcat is not a very pleasant creature to meet in alonely place. '

"After that, I was never sent away from the village after dark. 

"My boy friends and I often came across badgers and deer, andsometimes foxes made their way into the village in search of poultry, but I never came nearer to meeting a wildcat than the time of which Ihave just told you. "

"What work did you do out of school hours?" asked Hans. The boy wasthinking of the toys he had to carve. 

"My mother raised canary-birds, and I used to help her a great deal. Nearly every woman in the village was busy at the same work. Whatconcerts we did have in those days! Mother tended every young birdshe raised with the greatest care. Would it become a good singer andbring a fair price? We waited anxiously for the first notes, andthen watched to see how the voices gained in strength and sweetness. 

"It was a pleasant life, and I was very happy among the birds in ourlittle village. Would you like to hear a song I used to sing at thattime? It is all about the birds and bees and flowers. "

"Do sing it for us, " cried every one. 

Herr Abel had a good voice and they listened with pleasure to hissong. This is the first stanza:

 "I have been on the mountain That the song-birds love best. They were sitting, were flitting, They were building their nest. They were sitting, were flitting, They were building their nest. "

After he had finished, he told about the mines in which some of hisfriends worked. It was a hard life, with no bright sunlight to cheerthe men in those deep, dark caverns underground. 

"Of course you all know that the deepest mine in the world is in theHartz Mountains. "

His friends nodded their heads, while Hans whispered to Bertha, "Ishould like to go down in that mine just for the sake of saying Ihave been as far into the earth as any living person. "

"The sun is setting, and there is a chill in the air, " said Bertha'sfather. "Let us go home. "

CHAPTER VIII. 

WHAT THE WAVES BRING

Bertha's mother had just come in from a hard morning's work in thefields. She had been helping her husband weed the garden. 

She spent a great deal of time outdoors in the summer-time, as manyGerman peasant women do. They do a large share of the work inploughing the grain-fields and harvesting the crops. They are muchstronger than their American cousins. 

"Supper is all ready and waiting for you, " said Bertha. 

The little girl had prepared a dish of sweet fruit soup which hermother had taught her to make. 

[Illustration: Bertha's Home. ]

"It is very good, " said her father when he had tasted it. "My littleBertha is getting to be quite a housekeeper. "

"Indeed, it is very good, " said her mother. "You learned your lessonwell, my child. "

Bertha was quite abashed by so much praise. She looked down upon herplate and did not lift her eyes again till Gretchen began to tell ofa new amber bracelet which had just been given to one of theneighbours. 

"It is beautiful, " said Gretchen, quite excitedly. "The beads aresuch a clear, lovely yellow. They look so pretty on Frau Braun'sneck, I don't wonder she is greatly pleased with her present. "

"Who sent it to her?" asked her mother. 

"Her brother in Cologne. He is doing well at his trade, and so hebought this necklace at a fair and sent it to his sister as aremembrance. He wrote her a letter all about the sights in Cologne, and asked Frau Braun to come and visit him and his wife. 

"He promised her in the letter that if she would come, he would takeher to see the grand Cologne cathedral. He said thousands ofstrangers visit it every year, because every one knows it is one ofthe most beautiful buildings in all Europe. 

"Then he said she should also see the Church of Saint Ursula, wherethe bones of the eleven thousand maidens can still be seen in theirglass cases. "

"Do you know the story of St. Ursula, Gretchen?" asked her father. 

"Yes, indeed, sir. Ursula was the daughter of an English king. Shewas about to be married, but she said that before the wedding shewould go to Rome on a pilgrimage. 

"Eleven thousand young girls went with the princess. On her way homeshe was married, but when the wedding party had got as far asCologne, they were attacked by the savage Huns. Every one waskilled, --Ursula, her husband, and the eleven thousand maidens. Thechurch was afterward built in her memory. Ursula was made a saint bythe Pope, and the bones of the young girls were preserved in glasscases in the church. "

"Did Frau Braun tell of anything else her brother wrote?" asked hermother. 

"He spoke of the bridge of boats across the river, and said she wouldenjoy watching it open and shut to let the steamers and big raftspass through. And he told of the Cologne water that is sold in somany of the shops. It is hard to tell which makes the town mostfamous, the great cathedral or the Cologne water. "

"Father, how was the bridge of boats made?" asked Bertha. 

"The boats were moored in a line across the river. Planks were thenlaid across the tops and fastened upon them. Vessels cannot passunder a bridge of this kind, so it has to be opened from time totime. They say it is always interesting to see this done. "

"Yes, Frau Braun said she would rather see the bridge of boats thananything else in the city. She has already begun to plan how she cansave up enough money to make the trip. "

"I will go over there to-morrow to see her new necklace, " saidBertha. "But what is amber, father?"

"If you should go to the northern part of Germany, Bertha, you wouldsee great numbers of men, women, and children, busy on the shores ofthe ocean. The work is greatest in the rough days of autumn, when astrong wind is blowing from the northeast. 

"Then the men dress themselves as though they were going out into astorm. They arm themselves with nets and plunge into the waves, which are bringing treasure to the shore. It is the beautiful amberwe admire so much. 

"The women and children are waiting on the sands, and as the menbring in their nets, the contents are given into their hands. Theyseparate the precious lumps of amber from the weeds to which they areclinging. "

Their father stopped to fill his pipe, and the children thought hehad come to the end of the story. 

"But you haven't told us yet what amber is, " said Bertha. 

"Be patient, my little one, and you shall hear, " replied her father, patting her head. "As yet, I have not half told the story. But Iwill answer your question at once. 

"A long time ago, longer than you can imagine, Bertha, forests weregrowing along the shores of the Baltic Sea. There was a great dealof gum in the trees of these forests. It oozed out of the trees inthe same manner as gum from the spruce-tree and resin from the pine. 

"Storms arose, and beds of sand and clay drifted over the forests. They were buried away for thousands of years, it may be. But themotion of the sea washes up pieces of the gum, which is of lightweight. 

"The gum has become changed while buried in the earth such a long, long time. Wise men use the word 'fossilized' when they speak ofwhat has happened to it. The now beautiful, changed gum is calledamber. 

"There are different ways of getting it. I told you how it comesdrifting in on the waves when the winds are high and the water isrough. But on the pleasant summer days, when the sea is smooth andcalm, the men go out a little way from the shore in boats. Theyfloat about, looking earnestly over the sides of the boats to thebottom of the sea. 

"All at once, they see something. Down go their long hooks throughthe water. A moment afterward, they begin to tow a tangle of stonesand seaweed to the shore. As soon as they land, they begin to sortout the great mass. Perhaps they will rejoice in finding largepieces of amber in the collection. 

"There is still another way of getting amber. I know Hans will bemost interested in what I am going to say now. It has more of dangerin it, and boys like to hear anything in the way of adventure. "

Hans looked up and smiled. His father knew him well. He was adaring lad. He was always longing for the time when he should growup and be a soldier, and possibly take part in some war. 

"Children, " their father went on, "you have all heard of divers andof their dangerous work under the sea. Gretchen was telling me theother day about her geography lesson, and of the pearl-divers alongthe shores of India. I did not tell her then that some men spendtheir lives diving for amber on the shores of our own country. 

"They wear rubber suits and helmets and air-chests of sheet iron. "

"How can they see where they are going?" asked Bertha. 

"There are glass openings in their helmets, and they can look throughthese. They go out in boats. The crew generally consists of sixmen. Two of them are divers, and four men have charge of theair-pumps. These pumps force fresh air down through tubes fastenedto the helmet of each diver. Besides these men there is an overseerwho has charge of everything. 

"Sometimes the divers stay for hours on the bed of the sea, and workaway at the amber tangles. "

"But suppose anything happens to the air-tubes and the men fail toget as much air as they need?" said Hans. "Is there any way ofletting those in the boat know they are in trouble? And, besidesthat, how do the others know when it is time to raise the divers withtheir precious loads?"

"There is a safety-rope reaching from the boat to the men. When theypull this rope it is a sign that they wish to be drawn up. But Ihave told you as much about amber now as you will be able toremember. "

"Are you very tired, father dear?" said Bertha, in her most coaxingtone. 

"Why should I be tired? What do you wish to ask me? Come, speak outplainly, little one. "

"You tell such lovely fairy-tales, papa, I was just wishing for one. See! The moon is just rising above the tree-tops. It is the verytime for stories of the wonderful beings. "

Her father smiled. "It shall be as you wish, Bertha. It is hard torefuse you when you look at me that way. Come, children, let us sitin the doorway. Goodwife, put down your work and join us while Itell the story of Siegfried, the old hero of Germany. "

CHAPTER IX. 

THE MAGIC SWORD

Far away in the long ago there lived a mighty king with his goodwifeand his brave son, Siegfried. Their home was at Xanten, where theriver Rhine flows lazily along. 

The young prince was carefully taught. But when his education wasnearly finished, his father said:

"Siegfried, there is a mighty smith named Mimer. It will be well foryou to learn all you can of him in regard to the making of arms. "

So Siegfried went to work at the trade of a smith. It was not longbefore he excelled his teacher. This pleased Mimer, who spent manyspare hours with his pupil, telling him stories of the olden times. 

After awhile, he took Siegfried into his confidence. He said:

"There is a powerful knight in Burgundy who has challenged everysmith of my country to make a weapon strong enough to pierce his coatof mail. 

"I long to try, " Mimer went on, "but I am now old and have notstrength enough to use the heavy hammer. "

At these words Siegfried jumped up in great excitement. 

"I will make the sword, dear master, " he cried. "Be of good cheer. It shall be strong enough to cut the knight's armour in two. "

Early the next morning, Siegfried began his work. For seven days andseven nights the constant ringing of his hammer could be heard. Atthe end of that time Siegfried came to his master with a sword of thefinest steel in his right hand. 

Mimer looked it all over. He then held it in a stream of runningwater in which he had thrown a fine thread. The water carried thethread against the edge of the sword, where it was cut in two. 

"It is without a fault, " cried Mimer with delight. 

"I can do better than that, " answered Siegfried, and he took thesword and broke it into pieces. 

Again he set to work. For seven more days and seven more nights hewas busy at his forge. At the end of that time he brought a polishedsword to his master. 

Mimer looked it over with the greatest care and made ready to test it. 

He threw the fleeces of twelve sheep into the stream. The currentcarried them on its bosom to Siegfried's sword. Instantly, eachpiece was divided as it met the blade. Mimer shouted aloud in hisJoy. 

"Balmung" (for that was the name Siegfried gave the sword) "is thefinest weapon man ever made, " he cried. 

Siegfried was now prepared to meet the proud knight of Burgundy. 

The very first thrust of the sword, Balmung, did the work. The headand shoulders of the giant were severed from the rest of the body. They rolled down the hillside and fell into the Rhine, where they canbe seen even now, when the water is clear. At least, so runs thestory. The trunk remained on the hilltop and was turned to stone. 

Soon after this Mimer found that Siegfried longed to see the worldand make himself famous. So he bound the sword Balmung to the youngprince's side, and told him to seek a certain person, who would givehim a fine war-horse. 

Siegfried went to this man, from whom he obtained a matchless steed. In fact it had descended from the great god Odin's magic horse. Siegfried, you can see, must have lived in a time when men believedin gods and other wonderful beings. 

He was now all ready for his adventures, but before starting out, Mimer told him of a great treasure of gold guarded by a fearfulserpent. This treasure was spread out over a plain called theGlittering Heath. No man had yet been able to take it, because ofits terrible guardian. 

Siegfried was not in the least frightened by the stories he heard ofthe monster. He started out on his dangerous errand with a heartfull of courage. 

At last, he drew near the plain. He could see it on the other sideof the Rhine, from the hilltop where he was standing. With no one tohelp him, not even taking his magic horse with him, he hurried downthe hillside and sprang into a boat on the shore. 

An old man had charge of the boat, and as he rowed Siegfried across, he gave him good advice. This old man, as it happened, was the godOdin, who loved Siegfried and wished to see him succeed. 

"Dig a deep trench along the path the serpent has worn on his way tothe river when in search of water, " said the old boatman. "Hideyourself in the trench, and, as the serpent passes along, you mustthrust your sword deep into his body. "

It was good advice. Siegfried did as Odin directed him. He went towork on the trench at once. It was soon finished, and then the youngprince, sword in hand, was lying in watch for the dread monster. 

He did not have long to wait. He soon heard the sound of rollingstones. Then came a loud hiss, and immediately afterward he felt theserpent's fiery breath on his cheek. 

And now the serpent rolled over into the ditch, and Siegfried wascovered by the folds of his huge body. He did not fear or falter. He thrust Balmung, his wonderful sword, deep into the monster's body. The blood poured forth in such torrents that the ditch began to fillfast. 

It was a time of great danger for Siegfried. He would have beendrowned if the serpent in his death-agony had not rolled over on oneside and given him a chance to free himself. 

In a moment more he was standing, safe and sound, by the side of theditch. His bath in the serpent's blood had given him a greatblessing. Hereafter it would be impossible for any one to wound himexcept in one tiny place on his shoulder. A leaf had fallen on thisspot, and the blood had not touched it. 

"What did Siegfried do with the golden treasure?" asked Hans, whenhis father had reached this point in the story. 

"He had not sought it for himself, but for Mimer's sake. All hecared for was the power of killing the serpent. "

As soon as this was done, Mimer drew near and showed himselfungrateful and untrue. He was so afraid Siegfried would claim someof the treasure that he secretly drew Balmung from out the serpent'sbody, and made ready to thrust it into Siegfried. 

But at that very moment his foot slipped in the monster's blood, andhe fell upon the sword and was instantly killed. 

Siegfried was filled with horror when he saw what had happened. Hesprang upon his horse's back and fled as fast as possible from thedreadful scene. 

"What happened to Siegfried after that? Did he have any moreadventures?" asked Bertha. 

"Yes, indeed. There were enough to fill a book. But there is one inparticular you girls would like to hear. It is about a beautifulprincess whom he freed from a spell which had been cast upon her. "

"What was her name, papa?" asked Gretchen. 

"Brunhild, the Queen of Isenland. She had been stung by the thorn ofsleep. "

Odin, the great god, had said, "Brunhild shall not awake till somehero is brave enough to fight his way through the flames which shallconstantly surround the palace. He must then go to the side of thesleeping maiden and break the charm by a kiss upon her forehead. "

When Siegfried, in his wanderings, heard the story of Brunhild, hesaid, "I will make my way through the flames and will myself rescuethe fair princess. "

He leaped upon the back of his magic steed, and together they foughttheir way through the fire that surrounded the palace of the sleepingbeauty. He reached the gates in safety. There was no sign of lifeabout the place. Every one was wrapped in a deep sleep. 

Siegfried made his way to the room of the enchanted princess. Ah!there she lay, still and beautiful, with no knowledge of what wasgoing on around her. 

The young knight knelt by her side. Leaning over her, he pressed akiss upon her forehead. She moved slightly; then, opening her blueeyes, she smiled sweetly upon her deliverer. 

At the same moment every one else in the palace woke up and went onwith whatever had been interrupted when sleep overcame them. 

Siegfried remained for six months with the fair Brunhild and hercourt. Every day was given up to music and feasting, games andsongs. Time passed like a beautiful dream. No one knows how longthe young knight might have enjoyed this happy life if Odin had notsent two birds. Thought and Memory, to remind him there were otherthings for him yet to do. 

He did not stop to bid Brunhild farewell, but leaped upon his horse'sback and rode away in search of new adventures. 

"Dear me, children, " exclaimed their father, looking at the clock, "it is long past the time you should be in your soft, warm beds. "

"Papa, do you know what day to-morrow is?" whispered Bertha, as shekissed him good night. 

"My darling child's birthday. It is ten years to-morrow since youreyes first looked upon the sunlight. They have been ten happy yearsto us all, though our lives are full of work. What do you say tothat, my little one?"

"Very happy, papa dear. You and mother are so kind! I ought to begood as well as happy. "

"She is a faithful child, " said her mother, after Bertha had left theroom. "That is why I have a little surprise ready for to-morrow. Ihave baked a large birthday cake and shall ask her little friends toshare it with her. 

"Her aunt has finished the new dress I bought for her, and I havemade two white aprons, besides. She will be a happy child when shesees her presents. "

The mother closed her eyes and made a silent prayer to the All-Fatherthat Bertha's life should be as joyful as her tenth birthday gavepromise of being.