Bildungsromans; Germany -- Fiction; Poets, German -- Fiction
The flower gardener stepped from the ranks, bringing at vessel full of
fire, and sowed shining seeds therein. Soon flowers sprang up. Fable
gathered them in her apron, and returned. The spiders had been
industrious, and nothing more was needed but to attach the flowers,
which they immediately began to do with much taste and skill. Fable
took good care not to pull off the ends which were yet hanging to the
weavers.
She carried the dresses to the wearied dancers, who had sunk down
dripping with perspiration, and were taking a moment's breath after
their unwonted exertions. She dextrously undressed the haggard
beauties, who were not backward in scolding their little servant, and
put on the new dresses, which fitted excellently. While thus employed,
she praised the charms and lovely character of her mistresses, who
seemed really pleased with her flatteries, and the splendor of their
new appearance. Having in the mean time rested themselves, they
recommenced their mazy whirl, whilst they deceitfully promised little
Fable a long life and great rewards. Fable returned to the chamber, and
said to the spiders, "you can now eat in peace the flies which I have
brought to your web."
The spiders were soon impatient at being pulled back and forth by the
distracted movements of the dancers, for the ends of the threads were
still in them. They therefore ran out and attacked the dancers, who
would have defended themselves with the shears, had not Fable quietly
removed them. They therefore submitted to their hungry companions; who
for a long time had not tasted so rich a feast, and who sucked them to
the marrow. Fable looked out from the cleft in the rock, and saw
Perseus with his great shield of iron. The shears flew to it, and Fable
asked him to trim with them the wings of Eros, and then with his shield
to immortalize the sisters, and finish the great work.
She now left the subterraneous kingdom, and flew rejoicing to
Arcturus's palace.
"The flax is spun. The lifeless are again unsouled. The living will
govern, the dead will shape and use. The Inmost is revealed, and the
Outermost is hidden. The curtain will soon be lifted, and the play
commence. Once more I petition thee; then will I spin days of
eternity."
"Happy child," cried the monarch with emotion, "thou art our
deliverer."
"I am only Sophia's god-daughter," said the little one. "Permit
Turmaline, the flower gardener, and Gold to accompany me. I must gather
up the ashes of my foster-mother; the old Bearer must again arise, that
the earth may not lie in chaos, but renew her motion."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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