r, and for thanks he will teach
you a couple of new songs. You shall have mine immediately. He beckoned
for the music to commence, and sang with a clear voice:--

"Surely life is most distressing,
And a mournful fate we meet!
Stress and need our only blessing,
Practised only in deceit;
And our bosoms never daring
To unfold their soft despairing.

"What the elders all are telling,
To the youthful heart is waste;
Throes of longing are we feeling
The forbidden fruit to taste;
Would the gentle youths but deign us,
And believe that they could gain us!

"Thinking so then are we sinning?
All our thoughts are duty-free.
What indeed to us remaining,
Wretched wights, but fantasy?
Do we strive our dreams to banish,
Never, never will they vanish.

"When in prayer at even bending
Frightens us the loneliness,
Favor and desire are wending
Thitherward to our caress;
How disdain the fair offender,
Or resist the soft surrender?

"Mothers stern our charms concealing,
Every day prescribe anew.
What availeth all our willing?
Spring they not again to view?
Warm desire is ever riving
Closest fetters with its striving.

"Every impulse harshly spurning
Hard and cold to be as stone,
Never glances bright returning,
Close to be and all alone,
Heed to no entreaty giving,--
Call you that the flower of living?

"Ah, how great a maid's annoyance,
Sick and chafed her bosom is,--
And to make her only joyance,
Withered lips bestow a kiss!
Will the leaf be turning never,
Elders' reign to end forever?"

Both old and young laughed. The girls blushed and smiled aside. Amidst
a thousand railleries a second garland was brought and put upon
Klingsohr. They begged him, however, very earnestly not to give them
such a gay song. "No," said Klingsohr, "I will take good care not to
speak so lightly of your secrets; say yourselves what kind of a song
you would prefer."

"Anything but a love song," cried the girls; "let it be a drinking song
if you like." Kl