nterest that still surrounds the place, and influences the
children who grow up there. It was in the days of the old Emperor
Barbarossa (Redbeard).

The sister of the Emperor whose name was Jutta, was married to the
Landgraf Ludwig of Thueringen, and they lived at the Wartburg.

One day when Barbarossa came to visit them, he observed that the castle
had no outer walls round it, as was usual in those days.

"What a pity," he said, "that such a fine castle should be unprotected
by walls and ramparts, it ought to be more strongly fortified."

"Oh," said Landgraf Ludwig, "if that is all the castle needs, it can
soon have them."

"How soon?" said the Emperor, mockingly.

"In the space of three days," answered his brother-in-law.

"That could only be possible with the aid of the devil," said
Barbarossa, "otherwise it could not be done."

"Wait and see for yourself," said the Landgraf.

On the third day of his visit, Ludwig said to the Emperor: "Would you
care to see the walls? They are finished now."

Barbarossa crossed himself several times, and prepared for some fearful
manifestation of black magic; but what was his surprise to see a living
wall round the castle of stout peasants and burghers, ready armed, with
weapons in their hands; the banners of well-known knights and lords
waved their pennants in the wind where battlements should have been.

The Emperor was much astonished, and called out: "Many thanks,
brother-in-law, for your lesson; stronger walls I have never seen, nor
better fitted together."

"Rough stones they may some of them be," said the Landgraf, "yet I can
rely on them, as you see."

Now as you may imagine, the children who grow up in this town, must have
their heads full of these tales, and many poets and artists have been
inspired by the beauties of Eisenach. The natural surroundings of the
town are so wonderful, that they also provide rich material for the
imagination.

Helmut was a boy who lived in Eisenach. He was eight years old, and went
to a day school. He lived outside the town, not far from the entrance to
the forest. He was a pale, fair-haired little boy, and did not look the
tremendous hero he fancied himself in his dreams; not even when he
buckled on helmet, breast-plate and sword, and marched out into the
street to take his part in the warfare that went on constantly there,
between the boys of this neighbourhood, and the boys who belonged to
another part of the town.

Now th