The fool, in misfortune, accuses another of it; the pious man accuses himself; the wise man no one. * * * * * One may suffer from too much love even as from too much hatred: Joseph had suffered twice, both times from too much love, once from his father's love, a second time from that of Potiphar's wife. You cannot always believe tears: even Joseph's brothers wept as they brought to Jacob the bloodstained shirt. VI. THE STEPMOTHER In the cemetery, under a tombstone the bitter words of a woman are heard; it is a mother that cries: "Oh, Dās schreit a Mutter: "Oi wēh mir, oi wünd! Wās thut a Stiefmutter mein teueren Kind? "Mein ganzes Leben, wās ich hāb' verbracht, Is' dās nor gewe'n a finstere Nacht; Mein Kind is' mir gewe'n mein Licht, mein Schein,-- Itzt leidet es nebech grōss Zores un' Pein. "Mit Blut vun Harzen hāb' ich ihm erzōgen, 'Ch hāb' ihm gewaschen mit Trähren vun meine Äugen;-- Itzt zappt män sein Blut, män brecht seine Bēiner; Er schreit, er wēint,--es helft ihm nit Kēiner. "Es stēhen Menschen vun arum un' arum; Wās schweigt ihr Alle? Zu seid ihr stumm? Wenn euer Harz is' vun Eisen un' Stēin, Vun Kind's hēisse Trähren darf es zugēhn. "Ot seht! Die Stiefmutter schlāgt ihm in Kopp, Sie drapet sein Ponim,--Blut rinnt arāb; Sie schlāgt ihm, warft ihm auf die Erd' anieder; Sie beisst ihm, reisst ihm, brecht seine Glieder. "Er schreit:--O Mutter, O Mutter, helf' mir! Wenn kännst nit helfen, to nemm mich zu dir!-- Stēht auf, alle Tōte, stēht auf geschwind! Stēht auf, alle Tōte, ratewet mein Kind! "Alle Tōte liegen ruhig in sejer Ruh'; Zu Gott's Kisse-kowed flieh' ich bald zu. Vun Gott's Kisse-kowed well ich nit ābtreten, Bis Er wet derhören mein Schreien, mein Beten." * * * * * "Ribōne-schel-ōlem, wu senen Deine Rachmones? Der Vāter bist Du vun Jessōmim un' Almones, Wie kännst Du sehen, wie die Marschas Giesst aus auf mein Jossem ihr giftigen Kas? woe to me! What does the stepmother do to my beloved child? "My whole life that I have passed was nothing but a dark night; my child had been my light, my lustre,--and now he suffers both sorrow and pain. * * * * * "With the blood of my heart I have reared him, I have washed him with the tears of my eyes;--now they tap his blood, they break his bones; he weeps, he cries,--but no one helps him. * * * * * "People stand all round about; why are you silent? Are you dumb? Even if your heart is of iron and stone, it ought to melt from the child's hot tears. * * * * * "Now look! The stepmother strikes him upon his head, she scratches his face,--blood trickles down; she beats him, throws him down on the ground; she bites him, tears him, breaks his limbs.