Frederick the Kaiser,
In castle underground.

"The Kaiser hath not perished,
He sleeps an iron sleep;
For, in the castle hidden,
He's sunk in slumber deep.

"With him the chiefest treasures
Of empire hath he ta'en,
Wherewith, in fitting season,
He shall appear again.

"The Kaiser he is sitting
Upon an ivory throne;
Of marble is the table
His head he resteth on.

"His beard it is not flaxen;
Like living fire it shines,
And groweth through the table
Whereon his chin reclines.

"As in a dream he noddeth,
Then wakes he, heavy-eyed,
And calls, with lifted finger,
A stripling to his side.

"'Dwarf, get thee to the gateway,
And tidings bring, if still
Their course the ancient ravens
Are wheeling round the hill.

"'For if the ancient ravens
Are flying still around,
A hundred years to slumber
By magic spell I'm bound.'"

FRIEDRICH RUeCKERT.

The seven evenings with historic places on the Rhine had proved a
source of profitable entertainment to the Club. It was proposed to
continue the plan, and to follow Mr. Beal's and the boys' journey to
the North.

"Let us add to these entertainments," said Charlie Leland,--

"(1) A Night in Northern Germany. We will call it a Hamburg Night.

"(2) A Night in Denmark.

"(3) A Night in Sweden and Norway."

The proposal was adopted, and Master Beal was asked to continue the
narrative of travel, and all the members of the Club were requested to
collect stories that illustrate the history, traditions, manners, and
customs of these countries.

CHAPTER XII.

HAMBURG.

HAMBURG.--BERLIN.--POTSDAM.--PALACE OF SANS-SOUCI.--STORY OF THE
STRUGGLES AND TRIUMPHS OF HANDEL.--STORY OF PETER THE WILD BOY.

"Hamburg, the fine old city of the Elbe, is almost as large as was
Boston before the annexation; it is familiar by name to American ears,
for it is from Hamburg, as a port, that the yearly army of German
emigrants come.

"I looked sadly upon Hamburg as I thought how many eyes filled with
tears had turned back upon her spires and towers, her receding harbor,
and seen the Germany of their ancestors, and the old city of
Charlemagne, with its historic associations of a thousand years, fade
forever from view. Down the Elbe go the steamers, and the emigrants
with their eyes fixed on the shores! Then we