The Marvellous History of the Shadowless Man, and The Cold Heart — John Shaqi
The Marvellous History of the Shadowless Man, and The Cold HeartChamisso, Adelbert von
Science
The Marvellous History of the Shadowless Man, and The Cold Heart
Chamisso, Adelbert von
Conduct of life -- Fiction; Fairy tales -- Germany; Shades and shadows -- Fiction
The wish was scarcely expressed, when the man in the grey coat put his
hand in his pocket, and, with a modest and even humble air, pulled out
a rich Turkey carpet, embroidered in gold. The servant received it as a
matter of course, and spread it out on the desired spot; and, without
any ceremony, the company seated themselves on it. Confounded by what I
saw, I gazed again at the man, his pocket, and the carpet, which was
more than twenty feet in length and ten in breadth; and rubbed my eyes,
not knowing what to think, particularly as no one saw anything
extraordinary in the matter.
I would gladly have made some inquiries respecting the man, and asked
who he was, but knew not to whom I should address myself, for I felt
almost more afraid of the servants than of their master. At length I
took courage, and stepping up to a young man who seemed of less
consequence than the others, and who was more frequently standing by
himself, I begged of him, in a low tone, to tell me who was the
obliging gentleman in the grey cloak.
"That man who looks like a piece of thread just escaped from a tailor's
needle?"
"Yes; he who is standing alone yonder."
"I do not know," was the reply; and to avoid, as it seemed, any further
conversation with me, he turned away, and spoke of some common-place
matters with a neighbour.
The sun's rays now becoming stronger, the ladies complained of feeling
oppressed by the heat; and the lovely Fanny, she who had pricked her
finger with the thorn, turning carelessly to the grey man, to whom I
had not yet observed that any one had addressed the most trifling
question, asked him if, perhaps, he had not a tent about him. He
replied with a low bow, as if some unmerited honour had been conferred
upon him; and, putting his hand in his pocket, drew from it canvass,
poles, cord, irons--in short, every thing belonging to the most
splendid tent for a party of pleasure. The young gentlemen assisted in
pitching it; and it covered the whole carpet: but no one seemed to
think that there was anything extraordinary in it.
I had long secretly felt uneasy--indeed, almost horrified; but how was
this feeling increased when, at the next wish expressed, I saw him take
from his pocket three horses! Yes, three large beautiful steeds, with
saddles and bridles, out of the very pocket whence had already issued a
letter-case, a telescope, a carpet twenty feet broad and ten in length,
and a pavilion of the same extent, with all its appurtenances!
This man, although he appeared so humble and embarrassed in his air and
manners, and passed so unheeded, had inspired me with such a feeling of
horror by the unearthly paleness of his countenance, from which I could
not avert my eyes, that I was unable longer to endure it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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