n a neighboring jurisdiction, alive and happy in a
favorite resort of his kind, and since nobody had any interest in
bringing him back without necessity, standing in the way of whatever
happiness he might find, and continuing to feed him at the town's
expense, it was decided to abandon the investigation and allow the free
bird, with the best of wishes, to fly wherever he chose. Six weeks
later came a postcard from him to the weaver, in which he wrote:

"Honored Herr Sauberle: I am in Bavaria. It is not so warm here. Do you
know what I think you'd better do? Take Holdria and his sparrow and
show him off for money. We might both travel on that. Then we might
hang up Huerlin's sign. Your true friend, Stefan Finkenbein,
Doorknob-gilder."

There might have been more trouble in the almost empty nest of fate,
but the last Sun-Brother, Holdria, was too innocent and of too
sedentary a disposition. Fifteen years have gone by since Heller's
death and Finkenbein's disappearance, and the imbecile still dwells,
sound and rosy-cheeked, in the former "Sun." For a while he was the
only inmate. The numerous personages who were qualified held back
discreetly and timidly for some little time; the terrible death of
the manufacturer, the swift taking off of the stout sailmaker, and
the flight of Finkenbein had gradually shaped themselves into a
widely-known theory, and surrounded the dwelling of the imbecile for as
much as six months with bloody legends and tales of horror. After this
period, however, need and laziness again brought several guests to the
old "Sun," and since that time Holdria has never been alone. He has
seen some curious and tiresome brothers come, share his meals, and die;
and at this moment he is the senior of a company of seven, without
counting the manager. Any warm, pleasant day you may see the whole
company on the turf by the side of the hill-road, smoking their stumpy
pipes and with weather-beaten faces and various feelings looking down
on the town which in the meantime has grown considerably up and down
the valley.

ERNST ZAHN

* * * * * *

STEPHEN THE SMITH (1906)

TRANSLATED BY KATHARINE ROYCE

Chapter I

Toward the south lay a wood, while toward the north lay another wood.
Between these woodlands spread the white, wintry plain. A road ran
directly onward from t