The Weinfeider Lake
The
Weinfeider Lake
Nach dem Gemalde von Fritz v. Wille
All who wander through the Eifel Mountains know
the three
gloomy-looking lakes, one of which is called Weinfelder Maar. Dead
silence
prevails over its waters, and over the ancient little church and
burying-ground
near its shore.
A great knight once built his stronghold where the
dark
lake now lies, and led a very gay and merry life there with his noble
guests.
He had a beautiful but haughty wife, whose heart was cold
and
full of disdain towards her inferiors. She caused the servants to be
lashed,
and she treated with scorn the poor who came to her husband's doors, so
that
they were obliged to turn back hungry with bitter resentment in their
hearts.
The knight, a goodhearted but weak man, adored his proud wife though he
was
in mortal fear of her fierce temper. So the years wore on, and she
still
remained a hardhearted contemptuous woman.
One cold wintry day about Christmas, when the snow
was
lying deep on the ground and a bleak wind blowing from the north, the
proud
countess was standing at the window looking out at the falling flakes.
At
the gate she saw a poor old beggar on crutches, to whom the steward's
wife
stealthily handed a loaf of bread. The lady of the castle hurried to
the
spot, snatched the bread from the old man, threw it on the ground, and
trampled
on it angrily, at the same time scolding the trembling woman with sharp
words
for enticing a thriftless rabble about the castle. The old gray-haired
beggar
lifted his hands to heaven, looked silently at the furious woman, and
went
his way.
In the meanwhile the knight had ridden out to the
chase,
but perceiving that he had forgotten his gauntlet, he sent his servant
back
to fetch it. The latter returned after a short time white with terror,
and
informed the knight that the castle had disappeared, and in its place
there
was a large dark lake.
The knight listened to him incredulously. "That
would
be just as possible," cried he shaking his head, "as that my horse
Falchert
which I am now riding should scrape up a spring out of the earth." And
at
his word the charger scraped the sand with his bronze-shod hoof, and a
well
bubbled up out of the ground.
Then the knight rode furiously back to the castle
which
he looked for in vain. Before him he saw nothing but gloomy dark waters
on
which a cradle was floating. With a desperate effort he rescued his
child
who had been so miraculously saved, and pressing it passionately to his
heart
he fled, never to return again to that terrible spot.
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