Page:Select Popular Tales from the German of Musaeus.djvu/75



N the Tuesday after S. Bartholomew’s-day, the same year that saw the Emperor Wenceslaus’ flight from the prison at Prague, the shepherds at Rottenburg, according to ancient custom, held their annual festival, at which all the country people for several miles round were present. After service at the church of S. Wolfgang, they adjourned to the sign of the Golden Lamb, where they spent the remainder of the day, in quaffing their cups, playing on their rustic instruments, and dancing in the open air.

The younger part of the company had turned homewards; not so, however, the elder shepherds; they continued over their wine till the night was far advanced; and, the generous liquor having loosened their tongues, they began to indulge in lengthy conversation. Some uttered wise predictions as to the weather, on which subject, it may truly be said, they were in no wise inferior to our modern almanack-makers. Others recounted stories of their young days; how they had defended their flocks from the attacks of the wolf, by aid of their faithful companion—the dog; or put to flight the still more terrible were-wolf by devoutly crossing themselves, and repeating a prayer to their patron saint. Some, again, told how they had been led out of their way, through wilds and forests, and had been mocked and deluded by demons and spectres. So fearful were these tales, that they caused the townsfolk to shudder, and made their hair to stand on end with horror. Of these townspeople, no small number attended the festivities of the rustic holidays; and many a tradesman and mechanic betook himself on these evenings to the public room of the Golden Lamb.

No one contributed more to the conversation, on the present occasion, than the silver-haired Martin, a cheerful old man of eighty, who, like the patriarch Jacob, had seen a whole race of shepherds descended from himself. When the room was somewhat cleared of the company, he called for a cup, by way of farewell before retiring; not displeased, moreover, to find that, in the comparative quietness, it would now be in his power to make himself more easily heard.