nstituted in the Forest for the
father of little Frida.

As he reached the door, and just as the sun was rising above the
hill-tops, and throwing here and there its golden beams through the
autumn-tinted trees, he saw not one but several wood-cutters and
charcoal-burners going into the house of his friend Johann Schmidt.
Somewhat wondering he hastened his steps, and entered along with them,
putting as he did so the question, "_Was gibt's?_" (What is the matter?)
His friend, who came forward to greet him, answered the question by
saying, "Come and help us, Wilhelm; a strange thing has happened here
during the night.

"Soon after Gretchen and I had fallen asleep, we were awakened by the
noise of some heavy weight falling at the door; and on going to see what
it was, there, to our amazement, lay a man, evidently in a faint. We got
him into our hut, and after a while he became conscious, looked around
him, and said 'Frida!' Gretchen tried to find out who it was he wished,
but could only make out it was a child whom he had left in the Forest;
but whether he was still delirious none could tell. He pressed his hand
on his heart and said he was very ill, and again muttering the word,
'Frida, Armseliger Frida,' he again fainted away.

"We did what we could for him, and he rallied a little; and then an hour
ago, Gretchen stooping over him heard him say, 'Herr Jesu. Ob ich schon
wandelte im finstern Thal fuerchete ich kein Unglueck: denn Du bist bei
mir' ('Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will
fear no evil: for thou art with me'); and giving one deep breath his
spirit fled."

As their mate said these words, exclamations of sorrow were heard
around. "_Ach_, poor man!" said one. "Thinkest thou the child he spoke
of can be in the Forest?" "And the words he said about fearing no evil,
what did they mean?" said another. "Well," said one who looked like a
chief man amongst them, "I believe he was _ein Ketzer_, and if that be
so we had better send to Dringenstadt, where there is a _ketzer Pfarrer_
[heretic pastor], and get his advice. I heard the other day that a new
one had come whom they called Herr Langen."

Then as a momentary pause came, Wilhelm Hoerstel stepped forward and told
the tale of the child he had found in the Forest the night before, who
called herself Frida. The men listened with amazement, but with one
breath they all declared she must be the child of whom the dead man had
spoken.

"Ay,