since the creation of the world no human
foot has ever trod? Here lie the forest trees decaying, and no man can
fetch them away. The birds alone know how things look up there. No,
surely I cannot have got so far as that, and yet my way home cannot lie
down in that direction. I called out--'Heavenly powers! where am I?'
And never did I hear an echo so distinct and beautiful as then, calling
out after me--'Where am I? where am I? where am I?' It sounded at least
seven times following, and just as if some one were dwelling on the
tones in the sky, loud and long; it proceeded from the rocky precipices
and the clefts like lovely music, as if something were singing the
words, but taking a longer breath than a man could do. I shouted out
the names of all those whom I loved, and all those who loved me. I
shouted, and shouted--I seemed to love all mankind. In such an
extremity as mine, all discord and strife are at an end. I called, and
called, but no one heard me--not a living soul. It is no good, I must
go on. I search about everywhere--famous! There is another path that
goes through the wood; but after pursuing it for a little way I found
that it again turned to the left. I thought, however, well! I will go
forward, and so I did; but once more I came to a wall of rock, with no
path whatever, so I crossed the meadow, and suddenly came on the edge
of a precipice going straight down into a fearful abyss. I started back
as far as I could, my head began to turn, and I felt as if the
precipice were dragging me thither to dash me over the rock. Then I
stood still, and thanked God that I was still on solid ground. A
yellowhammer sat on a tree above my head, singing so prettily, and when
I looked up at him he flew away to the opposite hill--yellowhammers
when they fly, raise their backs like a cat, and fly higher than the
spot on which they wish to alight, and then let themselves gently down.
A bird like that is very well off; he does not care either for hill or
valley. Oh! if I could only fly like him! I turned to the right. God be
thanked! I could see fields beyond the hills, and the valley looked
like a tray, or a flat pan. But, good heavens! am I on the famed Todten
Hof? I saw a lilac bush, and that is a proof that men either are, or
were here. Yes! the lilac in the ground, and the swallow in the air,
show that the dwellings of man are not far away. But no house is to be
seen, and all around there is a mysterious dim light, like th