Roux, Jacob Wilhelm Christian; Helvig, Amalie von: Six views of Heidelberg and its castle / To which is added the tale of the wolfs-well (Heidelberg, 1826)

by spirits, reflected their splendour up into the air in such a manner, that the distant beholder saw the coloured lights
of the rainbow playing in the sunny air, whilst clear sounds, like the chiming of silver bells, were carried over the walls
along with the perfume of the flowers.

Many a maid did indeed in the social hours of eve timidly confess to her playmate, that she one time, whilst
deeply immersed in amorous cares and ascending towards the western side of the mount, thence had heard a kind, gentle
call, like the soft voice of a woman — and having followed it — had beheld a female form closely veiled, looking out of
a small round casement, beckoning to her with a small while hand, and so wonderfully inspiring her with courage and
confidence, that she also without fear had not hesitated unbosoming her cares to the veiled lady, and received consolation
such as she had not obtained before, and that she had beheld the picture of what was to happen to her, delineated on a
small tablet held up" to her, as if reflected from a roseate evening — cloud.

Tales of this sort were not, indeed, regarded much by the fishermen and shepherds of the valley, because scarcely
any but love-sick souls pretended to have found consolation there; but such amorous folks were at all times suspected of
being half crazy, and looked upon as spell-bound dreamers. Thus it happened that no one minded it, when it was
reported, that the majority of those believing lovers had found relief and soon had obtained the quiet happiness of
undisturbed love, after having struggled with melancholy doubts.

The most imbittered railers against the invisible inhabitant of the hill were the young free sparks, cursing her
fora mischievous magician and sorceress; nay, they flatly contradicted the girls, when they in the long wintery evenings,
whilst turning their spindles, were extolling her beauty, and, like the fine thread betwixt their fingers, one marvellous
tale after the other was spun from the confused knot of maiden fancy.

One argument was by the disbelieving young men deemed tantamount to all: „if she were handsome," they
would say — „why should she conceal herself from our looks? Surely she would be the first woman that would over-
„anxiously hide her charms from the eyes of men! — Therefore she /is and ever will be an ugly sorceress, and all the
„beauties of her mountain-garden are but an airy phantom intended to delude us, in order to wring the neck of every
„one that heedlessly might penetrate into her accursed magic circle."

Yet there happened to be one youth or an other, who took the part of the mountain-lady; though their accounts^
singular enough, never did agree with the tales of the young women. — They had sometimes chanced to meet in the forest
an old woman gathering simples, who had craved a morsel of bread from the hoard of their sporting-pouches. If then
the herdsman or sportsman happened goodnaturedly to comply with the old woman's request, she would offer him a
handful of her herbs, which, being accepted for funs sake and preserved from sheer curiosity, had afforded speedy relief
in hurls and various distempers.



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