The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Severed Hand, by Wilhelm Hauff

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Title: The Severed Hand
From "German Tales" Published by the American Publishers' Corporation

Author: Wilhelm Hauff

Release Date: September 18, 2007 [EBook #22664]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Produced by David Widger

THE SEVERED HAND

By Wilhelm Hauff

From "German Tales." Published by the American Publishers' Corporation.

1869

I was born in Constantinople; my father was a dragoman at the Porte,
and besides, carried on a fairly lucrative business in sweet-scented
perfumes and silk goods. He gave me a good education; he partly
instructed me himself, and also had me instructed by one of our priests.
He at first intended me to succeed him in business one day, but as I
showed greater aptitude than he had expected, he destined me, on the
advice of his friends, to be a doctor; for if a doctor has learned a
little more than the ordinary charlatan, he can make his fortune in
Constantinople. Many Franks frequented our house, and one of them
persuaded my father to allow me to travel to his native land to the city
of Paris, where such things could be best acquired and free of charge.
He wished, however, to take me with himself gratuitously on his journey
home. My father, who had also travelled in his youth, agreed, and the
Frank told me to hold myself in readiness three months hence. I was
beside myself with joy at the idea of seeing foreign countries, and
eagerly awaited the moment when we should embark. The Frank had at last
concluded his business and prepared himself for the journey. On the
evening before our departure my father led me into his little bedroom.
There I saw splendid dresses and arms lying on the table. My looks were
however chiefly attracted to an immense heap of gold, for I had never
before seen so much collected together.

My father embraced me and said: "Behold, my son, I have procured for
thee clothes for the journey. These weapons are thine; they are the same
which thy grandfather hung around me when I went abroad. I know that
thou canst use them aright; but only