r lover's name. Suddenly a shot is heard and a
bird falls dead at their feet. Turning to look at the unwelcome
intruder they find themselves face to face with a strange old man; who,
when they ask him who he is, replies quickly: "I am the King of the
Alps". Dreadfully frightened Lieschen and Marthe look at each other in
consternation, but finding that their sweet young faces are unchanged,
they take courage, and kneeling before the majestic traveller they
implore his help and blessing, which the latter willingly promises.

The second scene takes place in Rappelkopf's house. Lieschen comes to
look for the man servant Habakuk, who is very much in love with her.
She treats him rather scornfully, being averse to his peculiar style of
love-making, and the French phrases with which he adorns his speeches
and which she does not understand. He takes the greatest pride in the
fact that he has lived for two years in Paris, and he continually
refers to that glorious time. Rappelkopf taking his servants by
surprise pours forth a volley of abuse upon them; he is interrupted by
the appearance of his daughter and Hans, whom he receives just as
badly. In vain his wife Sabine implores him to listen to reason; in
his wrath he abuses her too, so that she leaves him broken-hearted,
sighing, that she would rather see him dead than in such a state of
mind. Shortly after Habakuk comes forward with a kitchen-knife, {445}
with which he is going to cut chiccory in the garden. Rappelkopf no
sooner perceives the knife that his wits take leave of him altogether;
and he actually believes that Habakuk has been sent by his wife to
murder him. Making for one door he meets Hans and Marthe, turning to
another he sees Habakuk, and at last trying to escape by the garden
door his wife stops him, but he pushes her aside, and with frantic
vociferations he rushes away.

The second act opens in front of a cottage in the Alpine regions; Veit
the joiner is busy at his bench singing all the while and rejoicing in
the prospect of the coming Festival. His wife Katherine is busy
washing and his daughter is sitting at her wheel spinning and singing,
while his son is playing about merrily. At last the joiner throws down
his plane disregarding the remonstrances of his wife, who still goes on
with her washing and complains bitterly of her light hearted and lazy
family. Thus they are found by Rappelkopf, whose fancy is at once
struck by position of the solit