The Trumpeter of Sakkingen Part 14

Deeply moved by these high praises From a man of such rich knowledge, The whole orchestra, delighted, Bowed to him when he had finished.

Highly pleased, the Baron also Walked around, gave hearty greetings; And to testify his thanks--for Words alone don't suit a Baron-- Ordered from his well-stocked cellars A huge cask of beer brought up there.

"'Twas well done, my good musicians, Most efficient chapel-master!

Where the devil have you picked up All these pretty compositions?

And you, Fludribus, have also Painted well; suits me exactly.

Other times, 'tis true, may come yet When our G.o.ddesses must wear more Draperies than you have painted; But a gray old soldier does not Blame you for a little nudeness.

Therefore, let us ring our gla.s.ses To our n.o.ble guest's good health, and To the excellent musicians.

Yes, for aught I care, we'll drink to The fair s.h.i.+vering painted deities, That the winter in the Rhine-land May not prove too rigorous for them."

Margaretta thought it wiser Now to leave the room, well knowing That the party might get noisy.

On the threshold she gave Werner Her fair hand with grateful feeling.

'Tis most likely that the pressure Of the hand was full of meaning; But no chronicle doth tell us: Was it homage to the artist, Or a sign of deeper interest?

Gla.s.ses rang and foaming b.u.mpers, And there was some heavy drinking; But my song must keep the secret Of the fate of late returners; Also hide the sudden drowning Which the hat of the lank teacher Suffered in the Rhine that night.

But at midnight, when the last guest For his home long since had started, Low the chestnut trees were whispering.

Said the one: "Oh fresco paintings!"

Said the other: "Oh thou ding dong!"

Then the first: "I see the future-- See there two remorseless workmen, See two monstrous painting-brushes, See two buckets full of whitewash.

And they quietly daub over, With a heavy coating, heroes, Deities, and Fludribus.

Other ages--other pictures!"

Said the other: "In the far-off Future I hear from the same place Glees resounding from male voices.

Rising to our lofty summits, Simple touching German music.

Other ages--other music!"

Both together added: "True love Will endure throughout all ages!"

NINTH PART.

TEACHING AND LEARNING.

Winds and the swift river's current Hardly had swept off the dulcet Melodies of Monteverde, When the people in the city Held no other conversation Than of this great feast of music.

Not, however, of the spirit Of the melodies they'd heard then, Neither of the deep emotion Which was in their souls awakened, Were they speaking; they disputed Who received the Baron's thanks first At the end of the performance; Whom the Abbot had distinguished Most that evening by his praises; And what finally was served up From the kitchen and the cellar.

As the tail of a dead lizard Still, when life has long departed, With spasmodic jerks is writhing: So the memory of great actions Still lives on in daily gossip.

But with thoughts above such nonsense Margaretta took an early Solitary walk next morning To the honeysuckle arbour, There to dream of last night's music, Specially of Werner's solo, Which still through her soul was thrilling Like a message of sweet love.

But what saw she? In the arbour On the little rustic table She beheld the very trumpet.

Like the magic horn of Huon, Wondrous mysteries containing; Dumb, but full of deep expression, Like a star it sparkled there.

Margaretta stood confounded At the arbour's shady entrance: "Came he here? And now, where is he?

Wherefore has he left his trumpet Here so wholly unprotected?

Easily a worm might crawl in, Or a thief might come and steal it.

Shall I take it to the castle, Take it in my careful keeping?

No, I'll go, do nothing with it, Should indeed have gone before."

But she tarried, for her eyes were Held in durance by the trumpet, Like a shad caught by the fish-hook.

"Oh, I wonder," she was thinking, "Whether my breath would be able From its depths a tone to waken.

Oh I much should like to know this!

No one sees what I am doing, All around no living being.

Only my old Hiddigeigei Licks the dew from off the box-tree; Only insects in the sand here Follow out their digging instinct, And the caterpillars gently Up and down the arbour crawl."

So the maiden shyly entered, Shyly she took up the trumpet, To her rosy lips she pressed it; But with fright she well-nigh trembled At her breath to sound transforming In the trumpet's golden calyx.

Which the air was bearing farther, Farther--ah, who knoweth where?

But she cannot stop the fun now, And with sounds discordant, horrid, Fit to rend the ears to pieces, So disturbed the morning stillness, That the poor cat Hiddigeigei's Long black hair stood up like bristles, Like the sharp quills of a hedgehog.

Raising then his paw to cover His offended ear, he spoke thus: "Suffer on, my valiant cat-heart, Which so much has borne already, Also bear this maiden's music!

We, we understand the laws well, Which do regulate and govern Sound, enigma of creation.

And we know the charm mysterious Which invisibly through s.p.a.ce floats, And, intangible a phantom, Penetrates our hearing organs, And in beasts' as well as men's hearts Wakes up love, delight and longing, Raving madness and wild frenzy.

And yet, we must bear this insult, That when nightly in sweet mewing We our love-pangs are outpouring, Men will only laugh and mock us, And our finest compositions Rudely brand as caterwauling.

And in spite of this we witness That these same fault-finding beings Can produce such horrid sounds as Those which I have just now heard.

Are such tones not like a nosegay Made of straw, and thorns, and nettles, In the midst a p.r.i.c.kly thistle?

And in presence of this maiden Who the trumpet there is blowing, Can a man then without blus.h.i.+ng E'er sneer at our caterwauling?

But, thou valiant heart, be patient!

Suffer now, the time will yet come When this self-sufficient monster, Man, will steal from us the true art Of expressing all his feelings; When the whole world in its struggle For the highest form of culture Will adopt our style of music.

For in history, there is justice.

She redresses every wrong."

But besides old Hiddigeigei, Standing far down by the river There was still another listener To these first attempts at blowing, Who felt anger more than pleasure.

It was Werner. He came early With his trumpet to the garden, Wanted to compose a song there In that quiet morning-hour.

First, however, his dear trumpet He laid on the rustic table.

Then stood musing by the stone-wall Gazing at the rapid river.

"Yes, I see, your waves preserve still Their old course and disposition, Ever toward the ocean rus.h.i.+ng, As my heart for my love striveth.

Who now from the goal is farthest, Clear green river, thou or I?"

All this train of thought was broken By the stork from the old tower, Who, full of a father's pride, had Taken his young brood to ramble On the Rhine-sh.o.r.e for the first time.

'Twas amusing to young Werner How just then the old stork gravely, On the sand with stealthy cunning, Closely a poor eel was watching, Who of various worms was making There a comfortable meal.

He, however, who was wielding O'er the little worms the strand-law, Soon himself will serve as breakfast.

For the greater eats the lesser, And the greatest eats the great ones.

In this simple manner nature Solves the knotty social question.

No more did his smoothness help him, No more his sleek body's wriggling, No more his spasmodic beating With his tail so strong and supple.

Tightly held in the indented Beak of the determined parent, He was given to the hopeful Stork-brood, now to be divided; And they held with noisy clatter Solemnly their morning-feast.

Nearer to observe this, Werner Had descended to the Rhine-bank, And he seemed in no great hurry To commence his composition.

There he sat himself down gently On the insect-covered moss-bank.

Shaded by a silvery willow, And it gave him much amus.e.m.e.nt Thus to be a silent witness Of this banquet of the storks.

Pleasures, yet, of all descriptions Are but fleeting on our planet.

Even to the most contented Doth it happen that fate often Like a meteor bursts upon them.

Only a short time had Werner Viewed this scene when he was startled By the tones of his own trumpet, Which like keen-edged Pandour daggers Deep into his soul were cutting.