The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various CountriesKeightley, Thomas
General
The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various Countries
Keightley, Thomas
Fairies; Fairy tales; Folk literature; Folklore
The master of the house, when he saw that the spirit attached himself
more and more to him, began to get frightened, and knew not how he
should get rid of him. By the advice of his friends he determined at
last to leave his castle for some time, and set out for Hanover. On
the road they observed a white feather that flew beside the carriage,
but no one knew what it signified. When he arrived at Hanover he
missed a valuable gold chain that he wore about his neck, and his
suspicions fell upon the servants of the house. But the innkeeper took
the part of his servants, and demanded satisfaction for the
discreditable charge. The nobleman, who could prove nothing against
them, sat in his chamber in bad spirits, thinking how he should manage
to get himself out of this unpleasant affair, when all of a sudden he
heard Hinzelmann's voice beside him, saying, "Why are you so sad? If
there is anything gone wrong with you tell it to me, and I shall
perhaps know how to assist you. If I were to make a guess, I should
say that you are fretting on account of a chain you have lost." "What
are you doing here?" replied the terrified nobleman; "why have you
followed me? Do you know anything about the chain?" "Yes, indeed,"
said Hinzelmann, "I have followed you, and I kept you company on the
road, and was always present: did you not see me? why, I was the white
feather that flew beside the carriage. And now I'll tell you where the
chain is:--Search under the pillow of your bed, and there you'll find
it." The chain was found where he said; but the mind of the nobleman
became still more uneasy, and he asked him in an angry tone why he had
brought him into a quarrel with the landlord on account of the chain,
since he was the cause of his leaving his own house. Hinzelmann
replied, "Why do you retire from me? I can easily follow you anywhere,
and be where you are. It is much better for you to return to your own
estate, and not be quitting it on my account. You see well that if I
wished it I could take away all you have, but I am not inclined to do
so." The nobleman thought some time of it, and at last came to the
resolution of returning home, and trusting in God not to retreat a
step from the spirit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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