(1853)
It is more than a hundred years ago! At the border of the wood, near a
large lake, stood the old mansion: deep ditches surrounded it on every side,
in which reeds and bulrushes grew. Close by the drawbridge, near the gate,
there was an old willow tree, which bent over the reeds.
From the narrow pass came the sound of bugles and the trampling of
horses’ feet; therefore a little girl who was watching the geese hastened to
drive them away from the bridge, before the whole hunting party came
galloping up; they came, however, so quickly, that the girl, in order to avoid
being run over, placed herself on one of the high corner-stones of the
bridge. She was still half a child and very delicately built; she had bright
blue eyes, and a gentle, sweet expression. But such things the baron did not
notice; while he was riding past the little goose-girl, he reversed his hunting
crop, and in rough play gave her such a push with it that she fell backward
into the ditch.
“Everything in the right place!” he cried. “Into the ditch with you.”
Then he burst out laughing, for that he called fun; the others joined in-the
whole party shouted and cried, while the hounds barked.
While the poor girl was falling she happily caught one of the branches of
the willow tree, by the help of which she held herself over the water, and as
soon as the baron with his company and the dogs had disappeared through
the gate, the girl endeavoured to scramble up, but the branch broke off, and
she would have fallen backward among the rushes, had not a strong hand
from above seized her at this moment. It was the hand of a pedlar; he had
witnessed what had happened from a short distance, and now hastened to
assist her.
