Ji Zhang 2/10/1999 Per3Ger3 Ruebezahl Translation (3rd quarter story #2) 1. Ruebezahl, the man of the mountain range, is hard to describe because he sometimes appears as a giant with a bushy red beard, and then again as an animal or tree on the road. This mountain spirit often stays in his realm under the earth, where he has a pretty castle out of stones and gold and the wonderful garden because he loves all pretty things. When he leaves his realm, he likes to wander through the big mountains, lie in the warm sunshine on the grass, and hear the lovely birds. Since old times the people describe him, sometimes with fear and sometimes with friendliness because he tricks them, toys them, and also plays wicked jokes. 2. Once he had an idea- to live for a while like humans. He takes the figure of field workers and works for a farmer. Later he works as shepherd, then as a judge. He does all jobs well, but the life under humans is not pretty since he finds his masters unthankful, lazy, and dishonest. In the end he gives up his job under humans again. 3. One morning he sits quietly in the mountains as he hears the happy girls playing in the forest. He sneaks behind a bush and spies on the girls. The prettiest of all, who is fresh as Spring, is the daughter of the king, and often likes to go in the forest to play with her girl friends under the magnificent and big trees. Today the mountain ghost sees her for the first time. He waited until the girls run home at noon. Then he changed his landscape in the forest so that it is very strange when they come back in the afternoon. The red stones are now white marble and rose flowers in a circle in the stream. Right next to a gleaming waterfall he opened a cave and placed fresh fruits and sweets in the many colored stones. The girl cannot believe their eyes and moved closer to the cave. Soon they arrived and ate to their hearts’ desire while they happily ran in circles and looked around. In the end they are quite tired and sit next to the stream. The clear and cool water invites me. I would like so much to swim in this stream.” says the happy princess. Therefore, she jumps in, and the water gets deeper and deeper and pulls her down until her eyes sink below her scared friends. The friends cry loudly and bring the sad story to the king. The king is besides himself in deep misery. He sends around many men in his land to find his daughter. One finds the landscape like the girls described nowhere, and also the pretty princess is not found. 4. Meanwhile the princess lives with Ruebezahl in his magnificent realm under the earth. The mountain ghost, in the form of a young and cute man, wants to make her happy, but she always remained sad. “I like the pretty flowers,” she says one day, “and there are none in a magnificent castle under the earth. You love me and are good to me, but I miss my girl friends so much. I did not want to say, but I am so lonely.” Ruebezahl runs immediately to a close fiend and fetches for the princess a basket full of gold carrots and turnips. “You can be happy, you pretty daughter of the earth,” says Ruebezahl happily, “in this basket are your friends. Take the wand and make every carrot a playmate!” 5. Therefore the princess touches a turnip with the wand and says, “Brunhilde, my favorite Brunhilde! Come quickly to me!” And immediately Brunhilde stood there. Both hug each other happily and explained and played together like in the old times above the earth. Soon the princess had all of her friends by her, even her favorite kat and his small dog Eni. She remained happy with her playmates for a whole week. She sings, dances, and plays from mornings to evenings. But the princess noticed that the fresh young faces became duller and paler with each day. When she wakes up one morning and plays with the friends, she finds them as sick old women. Next to the bed lies Beni. He became in the week quite old and is already dead. The scared princess runs to her master and cries bitterly, “You, you wicked ghost, why do you horribly take away my friends?” “Do not be angry with me, my love,” answers Ruebezahl softly, “when the juice in the carrots dry up, the wand cannot help any more. But do not be sad! I bring you soon more turnips so that you can play with your friends again.” The princess touched the hags with her wand so that they became turnips again and threw them away. 6. Ruebezahl does not know that the princess often thinks about the young prince Ratibor, whom she loves. She would like to be back to him but knows not how she can flee from Ruebezahl. Suddenly she has an idea. She turns a turnip into a magpie and says to it, “Fly to my dear Ratibor and tell him that I will soon flee. He should in three days with his men ride to the Dornigtals mountain and wait for me there.” 7. After three days the princess puts on a bridal gown and goes to Ruebezahl. “You are always so good and true,” she says, “that I want to fulfill you wish.” I will be your wife. But I am afraid because I will become old while you on the other hand can stay young. How do I know that you will always love me?” “What can I do to prove to you my eternal love?” asks Ruebezahl. “Go in every field and count the turnips!” said her, “guests should be at the wedding. I believe your eternal love for me when you count enough turnips.” Ruebezahl is happy that he can prove his love and runs to the field. Then the princess changes a turnip into a pretty stout horse and rides to the Dornigtals mountain, where Ratibor waits for her. 8. Meanwhile Ruebezahl counts the turnips again so that he counts enough. In the end he is positive that the number is right and quickly goes to his pretty bride. But the princess is nowhere to be found, neither in the garden nor in the castle. He changes himself into a bird and flies high above his realm. In the distant he notices many men at the Dornigtals mountain, and he sees the young princess in the arms of the prince Ratibor. 9. The now lonely and sad mountain ghost swears never to trust humans again because they are so wicked and dishonest. He helps the poor people, but those unfaithful, dishonorable, or those who mockingly names Ruebezahl must often suffer his wicked tricks. ***---message me if you need a copy of the story---*** http://fly.to/acejizhang --or-- http://acejizhang.cjb.net Ji Zhang 2/10/1999 Per3Ger3 Ruebezahl (3rd Quarter story 2) Translation © 1999 Ji Zhang, all rights reserved.