utiful music and a great feast there
too; the sound came into my poor little room, where I lay ill. And it
was towards the evening; the moon had risen beautifully, but was not
yet in its full splendour; I looked from my bed out over the wide sea,
and far off, just where the sea and sky join, a strange white cloud
came up. I lay looking at the cloud, and I saw a little black spot in
the middle of it, that grew larger and larger; and now I knew what it
meant, for I am old and experienced, though this token is not often
seen. I knew it, and a shuddering came upon me. Twice in my life I
have seen the same thing; and I knew there would be an awful tempest,
and a spring flood, which would overwhelm the poor people who were now
drinking and dancing and rejoicing--young and old, the whole city had
issued forth--who was to warn them, if no one saw what was coming
yonder, or knew, as I did, what it meant? I was dreadfully alarmed,
and felt more lively than I had done for a long time. I crept out of
bed, and got to the window, but could not crawl farther, I was so
exhausted. But I managed to open the window. I saw the people outside
running and jumping about on the ice; I could see the beautiful flags
that waved in the wind. I heard the boys shouting 'hurrah!' and the
servant men and maids singing. There were all kinds of merriment going
on. But the white cloud with the black spot! I cried out as loud as I
could, but no one heard me; I was too far from the people. Soon the
storm would burst, and the ice would break, and all who were upon it
would be lost without remedy. They could not hear me, and I could not
come out to them. Oh, if I could only bring them ashore! Then kind
Heaven inspired me with the thought of setting fire to my bed, and
rather to let the house burn down, than that all those people should
perish so miserably. I succeeded in lighting up a beacon for them. The
red flame blazed up on high, and I escaped out of the door, but fell
down exhausted on the threshold, and could get no farther. The flames
rushed out towards me, flickered through the window, and rose high
above the roof. All the people on the ice yonder beheld it, and ran as
fast as they could, to give aid to a poor old woman who, they thought,
was being burned to death. Not one remained behind. I heard them
coming; but I also became aware of a rushing sound in the air; I heard
a rumbling like the sound of heavy artillery; the spring-flood was
lifting the c