FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64  
65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   >>  
of Rudolf's skill postponed, with which Annoyed he seemed. And so it was I heard How he an execrable marksman was, And whispered tales of near, incredible shots That wryed their mark, while in his flint-lock's pan Flashed often harmless powder, while wild game Stared fearless on him and indulgent stood, An open butt to such wide marksmanship. Howbeit, he that day acquitted him Of these maligners' cavils; in the hunt Missing no shot however rash he made Or distant thro' thick intercepting trees; And the piled, curious game brought down of all Good marksmen of that train had not sufficed, Doubled, nay, trebled, to have matched his heap. And wonderstruck the _jaegers_ saw, nor knew How to excuse them. My indulgence giv'n, Still swore that only yesterday old Kurt Had touched his daughter's tears and Rudolf's wrath By vowing end to their betrothed love, Unless that love developed better aim Against the morrow's test; his ancestor's High fame should not be damaged. So he stormed, But bowed his gray head and wept silently; Then looking up forgave when big he saw Tears in his daughter's eyes and Rudolf gone Forth in the night that wailed with coming storm. Before this inn, The Owl, assembled came The nice-primped villagers to view the trial: Fair _fraeuleins_ and blonde, comely, healthy _fraus_; Stout burgers. And among them I did mark Kurt and his daughter. He, a florid face Of pride and joy for Rudolf's strange success; She, radiant and flounced in flowing garb Of bridal white deep-draped and crowned with flowers; For Kurt insisted this their marriage eve Should Rudolf come successful from the chase. So pleased was I with what I'd seen him do, The test of skill superfluous seemed and so Was on the bare brink of announcement, when, Out of the evening heaven's hardening red, Like a white warning loosed for augury, A word of God some fallen angel prized As his last all of heaven, penitent, Hell-freed, sent minister to save a soul, A wild dove clove the luminous winds and there, A wafted waif, pruned settled on a bough: Then I, "Thy weapon, Rudolph, pierce its head!" Cried pointing, "And chief-forester art thou!" Pale as a mist and wavering he turned; "I had a dream--" then faltered as he aimed, "A woman's whim!" But starting from the press Screamed Ilsabe, "My dove!" to plead its life Came--cracked the
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64  
65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   >>  



Top keywords:

Rudolf

 

daughter

 

heaven

 
pleased
 

successful

 
Should
 

flowers

 

insisted

 
marriage
 
announcement

evening

 

hardening

 
crowned
 
superfluous
 
burgers
 

healthy

 

comely

 

fraeuleins

 

blonde

 
florid

flowing

 
flounced
 

bridal

 

warning

 

radiant

 

strange

 
success
 
draped
 

Annoyed

 

turned


wavering

 

forester

 

pierce

 

Rudolph

 

postponed

 

pointing

 

Ilsabe

 
cracked
 

Screamed

 

faltered


starting
 

weapon

 
prized
 
penitent
 
fallen
 

villagers

 

augury

 
minister
 
wafted
 

pruned