Fortunately the bough had caught her, otherwise she would have fallen
into the ravine and met a sorry death. Even now if she could no
longer hold to the bough, she would fall into the depths and be
dashed to pieces.
In the greatest anguish he called down: "Hold fast, Maeggerli, hold fast
to the bough! See, I am coming to get you!" But how could he reach
there? The wall of rock was so steep here, Moni saw very well that it
would be impossible to go down that way. But the little goat must be
down there somewhere near the Rain-rock, the overhanging stone under
which good protection was to be found in rainy weather; the goat-boys
had always spent rainy days there, therefore the stone had been called
from old times the Rain-rock. From there, Moni thought he could climb
across over the rocks and so bring back the little kid.
He quickly whistled the flock together and went with them down to the
place from which he could reach the Rain-rock. There he left them to
graze and went to the rock. Here he immediately saw, just a little bit
above him, the bough of the tree, and the kid hanging to it. He saw very
well that it would not be an easy task to climb up there and then down
again with Maeggerli on his back, but there was no other way to rescue
her. He also thought the dear Lord would surely stand by him, and then
he could not possibly fail. He folded his hands, looked up to heaven and
prayed: "Oh, dear Lord, help me, so that I can save Maeggerli!"
Then he was full of trust that all would go well, and he bravely
clambered up the rock until he reached the bough above. Here he clung
fast with both feet, lifted the trembling, moaning little creature to
his shoulders, and then climbed with great caution back down again.
When he had the firm earth under his feet once more and had saved the
terror-stricken kid, he was so glad he had to offer thanks aloud and
cried up to heaven:
"Oh, dear Lord, I thank Thee a thousand times for having helped us so
well! Oh, we are both so glad for it!" Then he sat down on the ground a
little while, and stroked the kid, for she was still trembling in all
her delicate limbs, and comforted her for enduring so much suffering.
As it was soon time for departure, Moni placed the little goat on his
shoulders again, and said anxiously:
"Come, you poor Maeggerli, you are still trembling; you cannot walk home
to-day, I must carry you--" and so he carried the little creature,
clinging close to him, all the way down.
Paula was standing on the last rise in front of the Bath House,
waiting for the goat-boy. Her aunt had accompanied her. When Moni came
down with his burden on his back, Paula wanted to know if the kid was
sick, and showed great interest. When Moni saw this, he at once sat
down on the ground in front of Paula and told her his day's experience
with Maeggerli.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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