ho loathed any
food but bread and water, and who, parrot-like, repeated a couple of
phrases which he evidently did not understand, and one word, 'horse,' to
which he seemed to attach some meaning. What they saw was a youth of
about seventeen, with fair hair and blue eyes, the lower part of his
face slightly projecting like a monkey's. He was four feet nine inches
in height, broad-shouldered, with tiny hands and delicate little feet,
which had never worn shoes nor been put to their natural use, for the
soles were as soft as a baby's. He was dressed in grey riding-breeches,
a round jacket, which had been made out of a frock-coat by cutting off
the skirts, and wore a round felt hat bound with red leather. In his
pockets were some rags, some tracts, a rosary, and a paper of gold sand.

Everyone who saw him and watched him came to the same conclusion, that
his mind was that of a child of two or three, while his body was nearly
grown up; and yet he was not half-witted, because he immediately began
to pick up words and phrases, had a wonderful memory, and never forgot a
face he had once seen, or the name which belonged to it. During the next
two or three weeks he spent part of every day in the guard-room; part
with the family of the gaoler, whose children taught him to talk and to
walk as they did their own baby sister. He was not afraid of anything;
swords were whirled round his head without his paying any attention to
them; he stretched out his hand to the flame of a lighted candle, and
cried when it burnt him, and when he saw his face in a looking-glass,
looked behind it for the other person. He was particularly pleased when
anything bright or glittering was given to him. Whenever this happened
he called out 'Horse, horse,' and made signs as if he wanted to hang it
on to the neck of something. At last one of the policemen gave him a
wooden horse, when his happiness was complete, and he spent hours
sitting on the floor playing with this horse and the dozens of horses
which were given to him by his visitors as soon as they heard of his
liking for them.

Six or seven weeks passed in this way, and all this time the town
council were discussing what they would do with him. At last they
decided to adopt him as the 'Child of Nuremberg,' and to have him
properly cared for and taught, so that, if possible, something of his
past might be learned. He was taken away from the prison and put under
the charge of Professor Daumer, whose i