home.

_How the two young journeymen Frederick and Reinhold
became acquainted with each other._

Upon a beautiful, grassy, gently-sloping hill, shaded by lofty trees,
lay a fine well-made young journeyman, whose name was Frederick. The
sun had already set, and rosy tongues of light were stretching upwards
from the furthest verge of the horizon. In the distance the famed
imperial town of Nuremberg could be plainly seen, spreading across the
valley and boldly lifting up her proud towers against the red glow of
the evening, its golden rays gilding their pinnacles. The young
journeyman was leaning his arm on his bundle, which lay beside him, and
contained his necessaries whilst on the travel, and was gazing with
looks full of longing down into the valley. Then he plucked some of the
flowers which grew among the grass within reach of him and tossed them
into the air towards the glorious sunset; afterwards he sat gazing
sadly before him, and the burning tears gathered in his eyes. At length
he raised his head, and spreading out his arms as if about to embrace
some one dear to him, he sang in a clear and very pleasant voice the
following song:--

My eyes now rest once more
On thee, O home, sweet home!
My true and honest heart
Has ne'er forgotten thee.
O rosy glow of evening come,
I fain would naught but roses see.
Ye sweetest buds and flowers of love,
Bend down and touch my heart
With winsome sweet caresses.
O swelling bosom, wilt thou burst?
Yet hold in pain and sweet joy fast.
O golden evening red!
O beauteous ray, be my sweet messenger,
And bear to her my sighs and tears--
My tears and sighs on faithfully to her.
And were I now to die,
And roses then did ask thee--say,
"His heart with love--it pined away."

Having sung this song, Frederick took a little piece of wax out of his
bundle, warmed it in his bosom, and began in a neat and artistic manner
to model a beautiful rose with scores of delicate petals. Whilst busy
with this work he hummed to himself some of the lines of the song he
had just sung, and so deeply absorbed was he in his occupation that he
did not observe the handsome youth who had been standing behind him for
some time and attentively watching his work.