In German the expression _Kopf zu waschen_, besides the literal sense, also means "to give a person a sound drubbing."—TR. Footnote 12: "_Germany, Germany, above all_": the first line of the German national song.—TR. Footnote 13: An allusion to the German Proverb, "Handwerk hat einen goldenen Boden."—TR. Footnote 14: Title of the well-known poem of Uhland.—TR. APPENDIX SONGS OF PRINCE FREE-AS-A-BIRD TO GOETHE.[15] "The Undecaying" Is but thy label, God the betraying Is poets' fable. Our aims all are thwarted By the World-wheel's blind roll: "Doom," says the downhearted, "Sport," says the fool. The World-sport, all-ruling, Mingles false with true: The Eternally Fooling Makes us play, too! THE POET'S CALL. As 'neath a shady tree I sat After long toil to take my pleasure, I heard a tapping "pit-a-pat" Beat prettily in rhythmic measure. Tho' first I scowled, my face set hard, The sound at length my sense entrapping Forced me to speak like any bard, And keep true time unto the tapping. As I made verses, never stopping, Each syllable the bird went after, Keeping in time with dainty hopping! I burst into unmeasured laughter! What, you a poet? You a poet? Can your brains truly so addled be? "Yes, yes, good sir, you are a poet," Chirped out the pecker, mocking me. What doth me to these woods entice? The chance to give some thief a trouncing? A saw, an image? Ha, in a trice My rhyme is on it, swiftly pouncing! All things that creep or crawl the poet Weaves in his word-loom cunningly. "Yes, yes, good sir, you are a poet," Chirped out the pecker, mocking me. Like to an arrow, methinks, a verse is, See how it quivers, pricks and smarts When shot full straight (no tender mercies!) Into the reptile's nobler parts! Wretches, you die at the hand of the poet, Or stagger like men that have drunk too free. "Yes, yes, good sir, you are a poet," Chirped out the pecker, mocking me.