The Tontla Forest

In ancient times there was a beautiful grove in Allentacken. It was called Tontlawald, but no one dared to enter it. Brazen ones, those They said that they happened to come closer and peek had seen a dilapidated house under thick trees and around the same There are human-like creatures around, of which the lawn looks like one Anthills swarmed. The creatures would have been sooty and ragged looked like gypsies, and there were especially a lot of old women and there were half-naked children among them. As a farmer who once lived in... went home from a feast on a dark night, a little deeper into the When Tontlawald went in, he saw strange things. To a A large number of women and children were gathered around the bright fire, some of them sitting on the ground, the others danced on the plank. An old woman had one wide iron ladle in her hand, which she uses from time to time Time the glowing ashes were scattered over the lawn, whereupon the children followed Screams went up into the air and around like night owls rising smoke fluttered until they finally came down again. Then A small, old, long-bearded man came out of the forest He carried a sack on his back that was longer than himself. Women and children ran noisily towards the little man, danced around him and searched to tear the sack from his back, but the old man ran away from them Come on. Now a black cat, the size of a foal, jumped along with glowing eyes sat on the doorstep, on the old man's sack and then disappeared into the hut. But because the viewer already has his head burned and it flickered in front of his eyes, so did his Narration uncertain, and one couldn't quite figure out what about what is true and what is false. What was striking was that it varied depending on gender Gender such things were told by Tontlawalde; but nobody was able to provide more detailed information. The Swedish king had more than once ordered to cut down the dreaded forest, but the people dared not to carry out the order. Once a bold man took a swing an ax into some trees, blood immediately flowed and there was a sound Screams of wailing as if from tormented people. He was frightened Woodcutter fled, trembling and trembling; Since then, none have been like this strict orders, no amount of reward, no matter how generous, can get one again To lure lumberjacks into the Tontla Forest. --It seemed very wonderful also that there was neither a path out of the forest nor one in; Also, no smoke was seen rising throughout the year would have betrayed the existence of human habitations. The forest was big not, and all around him was a flat field, so that there was a clear view had on the forest. Did living beings really live here from time immemorial? So they couldn't go in and out of the forest other than up underground hiding places, or they also had to go like witches through the air at night, when everything around was asleep. The According to what has been said, the latter is the more likely. Perhaps We will get more information about these wonderful birds when we get the car Continue the story a bit and rest in the next village.

There was a large village a few versts from Tontlawalde. A widowed farmer had recently taken another young wife and, as is often the case occurs, a real poker is brought into the house, so that annoyance and There was no end to the quarreling. The one left behind by the first wife The seven-year-old girl, named Else, was a clever, sensible creature. But the wicked stepmother made life worse for this poor person Hell, she puffed and poked the child from morning to evening and gave him worse food than the dogs. Since the woman was wearing the pants, so The daughter could not rely on her father: the jack of all trades had to dance to his wife's tune himself. Longer than two years Else endured this difficult life and had many tears shed. One Sunday she went out with other village children to pick berries. Strolling, child-like, they arrived unnoticed came to the edge of the Tontla forest, where very beautiful strawberries grew, like that that the lawn was completely red with it. The children ate the sweet berries and picked as much into their baskets as each could. Suddenly cried an older boy, who had recognized the dreaded spot: »Flee, flee! We are in Tontlawalde!” This word was worse than Thunder and lightning, all the children ran away as if they were theirs Tontla fiends already on our heels. Else, who went a little further than the others, and found very beautiful berries under the trees had heard the boy's call, but didn't like it Separate berry stain. She probably thought: The Tontla residents can do it no worse than my stepmother at home. Then a little one came black dog with a silver bell around its neck barking at her to. At this barking a little girl in splendid silk came running clothes, told the dog to calm down and then said to Else: »It's a good thing you didn't run away with the other children. Stay here to keep me company and we'll have some nice games play and go together every day to pick berries; the mother I'm sure she won't refuse me if I ask her. Come on, let's go "Let's go to her immediately!" With that the magnificent foreign child took hold of Else by the hand and led her deeper into the forest. The small The black dog now barked with pleasure, jumped up at Elsen and licked her hand as if they were old acquaintances.

Oh dear time, what wonders and glories appeared now Else's eyes open. She thought she was in heaven. A magnificent one A garden filled with fruit trees and berry bushes stood before them; Birds sat on the branches of the trees, more colorful than the most beautiful Butterflies, some covered in gold and silver feathers. And the birds were not shy, the children could pick them up at will take. The house, made of glass and precious stones, stood in the middle of the garden performed so that the walls and roof shone like the sun. A woman in in magnificent clothes sat on a bench in front of the door and asked her Daughter: “What kind of guest are you bringing?” The daughter replied: »I found her alone in the forest and took her with me for company. Will you allow her to stay here?" The mother smiled but said nothing Word, but looked at Else with a sharp look from head to toe feet. Then she asked Else to come closer, stroked her cheeks and asked kindly where she was at home, whether her parents were still alive, and whether she has the desire to stay here? Else kissed the woman's hand, fell down in front of her, hugged her knees and then bowed back Tears: “The mother has been resting under the grass for a long time.

Mother was carried away
Love left with her!

The father is probably still alive, but what good does that help me, the stepmother hates me me and strikes me mercilessly every day. I can't please her make. Please, gold woman, let me stay here! Let me have that Look after the flock, or give me other work, I will do everything and you obey, but just don't send me back to my stepmother! She beat myself half to death because I wasn't with the other village children I came." The woman smiled and said: "We want to see what happens “Then she got up from the bench and went into the house. But the daughter said to Else: “Take heart, my mother is friendly! I saw from her look that she would grant our request, "When she has thought about the matter more carefully." She then went after her mother and told Else to wait. This trembled between fear and hope, and She waited impatiently for the decision that her daughter would bring.

After a while the daughter came with a box in her hand back and said: "Mother wants us to play together today, while she will decide further things because of you. I hope you stay us, I don't want to let you away from me anymore. Are you already at sea? Have you driven?" Else opened her eyes wide and then asked: "To sea? what is the? I've never heard of it before." "You should do it immediately “Look,” replied the young lady and took the lid off the box. There lay a leaf of lady's mantle, a conch shell and two fish bones; A few drops shimmered on the page, these spilled the child onto the lawn. Instantly there was garden, lawn and whatever else had stood there, disappeared as if the earth had owned it devoured: and as far as the eye could see, only water was visible, that seemed to collide with the sky in the distance. Only among them A small patch of dry feet remained. Now the young lady sat down put the mussel shell on the water and picked up the fish bones. The conch shell swelled and expanded into a pretty boat, which would have had room for a dozen children and probably more. The Children now sat down on their own in the boat, Else with trepidation But the lady laughed; the bones she held became oars. The girls were rocked away by the waves as if in a cradle; Little by little other boats came near them, with people sitting in each one, who sang and were happy. "We must answer their song," said the young lady, but Else didn't know how to sing. Even more beautiful sang the young lady. Else couldn't hear what the others were singing understand a lot, only one word came up again and again, namely "Kiisike." Else asked what it meant, and the young lady replied: “That’s mine Name." I don't know how long they went for a walk like that heard them shout: "Children, come home, it's getting evening." Kiisike took her basket out of her pocket, in which the paper was lying, and dove it into the water so that a few drops stuck to it, -- Instantly they were near the magnificent house, in the middle of it Garden; Everything around seemed dry and solid as before, there was water nowhere. The mussel shell and the fish bones were included along with the leaf put it in the basket and the children went into the house.

In a large room sat around a dining table four and twenty women, all in magnificent dresses, as if they were at a wedding. At the top At the table the mistress sat on a golden chair.

Else didn't know where her eyes came from to see all the glory look at what shimmered towards her here. were on the table thirteen dishes, all in gold and silver bowls; a court but remained untouched and was removed as it was applied, without that the lid had been lifted. Else ate the delicious food, which tasted even better than cake, and it seemed to her again she would have to be in heaven; She couldn't imagine anything like that on earth think. At the table people spoke quietly, but in a strange way Language that Else didn't understand a word of. The woman now said a few Words to a maid who stood behind her chair; the maid hurried out and soon came back with a little old man with a beard was longer than himself. The old man bent over and stayed there Doorposts stand. The woman pointed her finger at Else and said: »Look at this farm girl, I want to take her on as a foster child. Make me an image of her, which we can take to the village tomorrow instead of her “The old man looked at Else sharply, as if he wanted the measure then bowed to the woman again and left the room. After dinner the woman said kindly to Else: “Kiisike has me asked, I would like to keep you here for her company and you yourself said you would like to stay here. Is that really true? “So?” Else fell on her knees and kissed the woman’s hands and feet as a thank you for the merciful rescue from the clutches of the evil stepmother. The But the woman picked her up from the floor, stroked her head and her cheeks moistened with tears and said: "If you are always an obedient good one If you remain a child, you will be fine, I want to take care of you and you have all the lessons you need until you grow up and you you can carry it yourself. My ladies, who teach Kiisike, will also help you to learn all the fine handicrafts and to acquire other knowledge."

After a while the old man came back with a long one filled with clay filled hollow on the shoulder, and a small lidded basket in the left hand. He put the trough and basket on the ground and took some piece of clay and made a human-shaped doll out of it. In the body, which remained hollow, the old man put three salted ones Strömlings and a piece of bread. Then he made in the doll's chest a hole, took a yard-long black worm from the basket and left it him crawling in through the hole. The snake hissed and writhed with her tail as if she were resisting, but she had to go in. After the woman looked at the doll from all sides, he said Old woman: “Now all we need is a drop of the blood the farmer's girl." Else turned pale with fright when she heard that; She thought she was selling her soul to evil. But the woman she comforted: “Fear nothing! We don't want your blood for anything Evil but only for something good and for your future happiness." Then she took a small golden needle and stabbed Else in the arm with it and gave the needle to the old man, who pierced it into the doll's heart. Then he put it in the basket so that it could grow in it and promised the next morning to show the woman what kind of work he had made hands. Afterwards they went to rest, and so did Else was brought to her bedchamber by a maid, where she was given a soft bed was prepared.

The next morning she felt soft in the silk bed woke up and opened her eyes wide, she found herself with a fine Dressed in a shirt and saw rich robes on a chair in front of the bed lay. Then a girl came into the room and told Else to wash comb, whereupon she is dressed in beautiful clothes from head to toe decorated as if she were the proudest German child. Elsen did nothing as much joy as the shoes. Until now she was almost always barefoot gone. In Else's opinion, the king's daughters couldn't either have nicer shoes. In her joy over the shoes she had not Time to pay attention to the remaining pieces of the suit, although everything is magnificent was. The peasant clothes she had brought with her were from the night been taken away, why? She would find out later. Her Clothes had been put on the clay doll, which was attached to her Instead of going to the village. The doll was in hers that night Container swollen and in the morning a complete image of Else and walked like a being created by God. Else was shocked when she saw the doll that looked exactly like her even looked like yesterday. When the woman Else's frightened noticed, she said: "Don't be afraid, child! The clay picture can help you do no harm, we'll chase it to your stepmother so that it can be hers serve as a beating block! Let her hit it all she wants, that rock-hard clay image feels no pain. But if the evil woman doesn't If you think otherwise, your image can receive the punishment it deserves do it to her.”

From that day on, Else lived as happily as a spoiled German Child who has been rocked in a golden cradle; she wasn't worried nor trouble; learning became easier for her day by day and the previous Hard life in the village only seemed like a bad dream to her. But ever The deeper she felt the happiness of this life, the more wonderful it seemed you too everything. It couldn't happen naturally - it had to an unknown, inexplicable power reigns here. There was one in the yard Granite block about twenty paces from the house. When dinner time approached, the old man with the long beard went to the block and moved in silver stick from his bosom and tapped it three times so that it echoed brightly. Then a big golden rooster jumped out and sat on the block. As often as he flapped his wings in this position and crowed, something came out of the block, first a long covered one Table with as many plates on it as there were people eating; the The table went into the house by itself, as if the wings of the wind were carrying it. If When the rooster crowed for the second time, chairs followed the table; Then one bowl of food after another - everything jumped out of it Block out and flew like the wind to the dining table. Likewise meth bottles, apples and berries; Everything seemed animated, so that no one could lifting still needed to carry. When everyone had eaten their fill, the old man knocked on the block with his silver stick for the second time, and then the golden rooster crowed bottles, bowls, plates, chairs and Table back into the block. But when the thirteenth bowl came, from which no food was ever eaten, so ran a large black cat the bowl, and both stayed on the block next to the tap until the old man carried her away. He took the bowl in his hand, the cat in it the arm and the golden rooster on his shoulder, and disappeared with them under the block. Not just food and drinks, but everything too Other needs of the household, even clothes, came to the crowing of the cock out of the block. -- Although at the table little and always in a foreign language was spoken that Else didn't understand There was even more talking and singing when the woman was with her Miss stayed in the room and garden. Gradually Else learned that too to understand the language of their companions; she understood almost everything was said, but years passed before her own tongue addressed it used to foreign sounds. Else once asked Kiisike why the thirteenth bowl comes to the table every day, since nobody eat from it, but Kiisike couldn't explain it to her. She had to but told her mother, because after a few days Elsen left call to him and said to her with a serious expression: "Complain to you Don't worry about idle thoughts. You want to know why us never eat from the thirteenth bowl. Look, dear child, that is it the bowl of _hidden_ ​​blessing; We can't touch them, otherwise our happy life would be over. Even with those People would have a much better life in this world if they weren't in... through their greed they seized all the gifts, without the heavenly ones To give the blessing giver something to thank. Greed is that Humans' biggest mistake!"

Else's years of happiness passed by as quickly as an arrow; she was gone a blossoming virgin and had learned many things with which she was born would not have been known to her village for the rest of her life. But Kiisike was still the same little child as the day she first met met Elsen in the forest. The misses who are with the As the wife of the house, Kiisike and Else had to work for a few hours every day teach reading and writing and all kinds of fine handicrafts. Else understood everything well, but Kiisike had more sense for childish things Games as useful activities. When she felt like it, she threw it She left her work, took her little box and ran outside to see the lake to play, which no one resented. Sometimes she said to Elsen: »It's a shame that you've grown so big, you can't be with me anymore play."

When nine years had passed in this way, the woman left one evening call Else into her bedroom. Else was surprised for the woman had never seen her come to her at this time let. Her heart was beating so hard that it threatened to burst. As As she stepped over the threshold, she saw that the woman's cheeks were red were, her eyes were full of tears, which she quickly dried as She wanted to hide them from Elsen. “Dear foster child,” she began Woman, "the time has come when we must part." "_Divorce_?" cried Else and threw himself at the woman's feet, sobbing. "No, dear woman, That can never happen again until death separates us. You have Once you have welcomed me graciously, don’t cast me out again!” The woman said soothingly: “Child, be quiet! You still don't know not what I want to do for your happiness. You grew up and so did I must no longer keep you in custody here. You have to go back under People go where paths of happiness await you." But Else begged pleadingly: “Dear woman, don’t cast me out. I long for no other happiness than to live and die with you. Makes me to the maid or give me other work, as you please, but don't send me away into the wide world. It would have been better then you would have left me with my stepmother in the village instead of me brought me to heaven for so many years to now bring me back to heaven "Hush, dear child!" said the woman - "you understand not what I am obliged to do for your happiness, how much it is hurts me too. But everything has to be the way I do it. You are a mortal child of man, your years come to an end in their time and that's why you can't stay here any longer. Me and them me those around us may have human form, but we are not human like that you, but creatures of a higher kind and incomprehensible to you. You will be in find a loving husband from far away who is made for you, and you will be happy with him until your days come to an end. The Separation from you won't be easy for me, but it has to be done, and that's why “You just have to submit to it.” Then she stroked her gold one I combed through Elsen's hair and told her to go to bed; but where should it be? deprive poor Else of her sleep that night? Life seemed to her like a dark starless night sky.

While we leave Else to her grief, we want to go to the village went to see how things were going on his father's farm, where the _clay image_ was her stepmother's whipping block in her place. That It is a well-known fact that a wicked woman does not improve with age; man learns well that a hot-tempered youth turns into a pious lamb in old age will, but if a girl who doesn't have a good heart comes under the hood, so she will become like a ravenous wolf in her old days. As a Hellfire tormented the stepmother the clay image day and night, but that It did harm to rigid creatures whose bodies felt no pain not. If the man ever wanted to help the child, he would do so for him also a beating as a reward for his attempt to make peace donate. One day the stepmother had her clay daughter back beat her terribly and then threatened to kill her. Angry She grabbed the clay image by the throat with both hands to close it strangle, behold, a black snake came out of the child, hissing mouth, and stabbed the stepmother in the tongue, killing her fell down without making a sound. When the man returned in the evening When he came home, he found the dead woman lying on the floor, swollen and swollen; the daughter was nowhere to be found. At his shout they came Villagers come over. The neighbors probably had a big one at midday Heard noise in the house, but since something like that happened there almost every day, it was Nobody went. In the afternoon everything remained quiet, but no one had seen the daughter. The dead woman's body was now washed and clothed, and it became night for the guards of the dead Peas cooked in salt. The tired man went to his room to rest, and certainly thanked his luck for getting rid of this hellish fire. On the table he found three salted Strömlings and a morsel of bread, I ate both and went to bed. The next morning he was dead found on the spot, just as swollen as the woman. After a few days both were placed in a grave where they were each other could no longer do any harm. Found out about the missing daughter the farmers have done nothing since then.

Else didn't sleep a wink the whole night; she cried and complained the hard necessity of her happiness so quickly and unexpectedly having to divorce. In the morning the woman gave her a gold one Signet ring on her finger and hung a small gold box on her a silk band around his neck, then called the old man and pointed with it Hand on Else, and then said goodbye to her with a sad expression. Else was just about to thank her when the old man struck her three times with his silver stick gently touched her head. Else soon felt that she was becoming a bird had become; The arms became wings and the legs became eagle feet with long claws, a curved beak coming out of its nose, covered in feathers the whole body. Then suddenly she rose into the air and floated just like an eagle hatched from an egg, floating among the clouds. So was She had been flying south for several days and had probably had it at times rested when her wings tired, but she wasn't hungry felt. Then it happened that one day they were above a low forest hovered where hunting dogs barked at them, which of course did nothing to the bird because they lacked wings. Suddenly she felt her feathers were pierced by a sharp arrow and fell to the ground. Before She had fainted in horror.

When Else woke up from her unconsciousness and opened her eyes wide, she found she is in human form under a bush. How they get there came and everything else strange that had happened to her lay like a dream behind her. Then a proud young king's son came riding and jumping from the horse and offered Elsen a friendly hand, saying: “Zur Happy hour I went horseback riding this morning! From you, dears Miss, I dreamed every night for half a year that I would see you here would find in the forest. Although I've probably traveled this route a hundred times in vain had done, my longing and my hope did not diminish. Today I shot a large eagle that must have fallen here; I went after the prey and found instead of the eagle - you." Then He helped Else onto his horse and rode with her to the city where the old king was welcomed them joyfully. A few days later there was a magnificent wedding celebrated; On the morning of the wedding day there were fifty foeders with us Treasures arrived, which the dear foster mother Elsen sent had. After the old king's death, Else became queen and then... Age tells the events of her youth herself. But from Tontlawald Nothing has been seen or heard since.