Moni stood on the Pulpit-rock and saw how it was growing brighter and
more beautiful below in the valley and above over the mountains beyond.
Now the clouds scattered and the lovely light blue sky looked down so
cheerfully that it seemed to Moni as if the dear Lord were looking out
of the bright blue at him, and suddenly it became quite clear in his
heart what he ought to do. He could not carry the wrong around with him
any more; he must throw it off. Then Moni seized the little kid, that
was jumping about him, took it in his arms and said tenderly: "Oh,
Maeggerli, you poor Maeggerli! I have certainly done what I could, but it
is wrong, and that must not be done. Oh, if only you didn't have to die!
I can't bear it!"
And Moni began to cry so hard, that he could no longer speak, and the
kid bleated pitifully and crept far under his arm, as if it wanted to
cling to him and be protected. Then Moni lifted the little goat on his
shoulders, saying:
"Come, Maeggerli, I will carry you home once more to-day. Perhaps I can't
carry you much longer."
When the flock came down to the Bath House, Paula was again standing on
the watch. Moni put the young goat with the black one in the shed, and
instead of going on farther, he came toward the young lady and was going
past her into the house. She stopped him.
"Still no singing, Moni? Where are you going with such a troubled face?"
"I have to tell about something," replied Moni, without lifting his eyes.
"Tell about something? What is it? Can't I know?"
"I must tell the landlord. Something has been found."
"Found? What is it? I have lost something, a beautiful cross."
"Yes, that is just what it is."
"What do you say?" exclaimed Paula, in the greatest surprise. "Is it a
cross with sparkling stones?"
"Yes, exactly that."
"What have you done with it, Moni? Give it to me. Did you find it?"
"No, Joergli from Kueblis found it."
Then Paula wanted to know who he was and where he lived, and to send
some one to Kueblis at once to get the cross.
"I will go as fast as I can, and if he still has it I will bring it to
you," said Moni.
"If he still has it?" said Paula. "Why shouldn't he still have it? And
how do you know all about it, Moni? When did he find it, and how did you
hear about it?"
Moni looked on the ground. He didn't dare say how it had all come
about, and how he had helped to conceal the discovery until he could
no longer bear it.
But Paula was very kind to Moni. She took him aside, sat down on the
trunk of a tree, beside him, and said with the greatest friendliness:
"Come, tell me all about how it happened, Moni, for I want so much to
know everything from you."
Then Moni gained confidence and began to relate the whole story, and
told her every word of his struggle about Maeggerli and how he had lost
all happiness and dared no longer look up to the dear Lord, and how
to-day he couldn't bear it any longer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account