THE OLD WOMAN WITH THE BASKET MEETS THE YOUTH

So going straight into Goethe's text we experience curiosity, both disinterest and interest by these two characters between themselves and in their surroundings largely determined by their individual needs.

The old Woman with the Basket had seen a young noble-looking handsome man in the Ferryman's boat being steered across the River. She could not gaze upon him enough.

His noble form and strange dress mad a deep impression upon her. His breast was covered with a glittering coat of mail, in which whose wavings might be traced every motion in his fair body. From his shoulders hung a purple cloak; around his uncovered head flowed abundant brown hair in beautiful locks; his graceful face and his well formed feet. With bare soles he walked composedly over the hot sand and a deep inward sorrow seemed to blunt him against all external things.

The Woman hurried after the Youth whom she had seen step out of the boat. He was walking softly and thoughtfully down the bank. His noble form and strange dress had made a deep impression on her.

The garrulous Woman tried to lead him into conversation; but with his short answers he gave her small encouragement or information; so that in the end, notwithstanding the beauty of his eyes, she grew tired of speaking with him to no purpose and took leave of him.

The old Woman said: "You walk too slowly for me, worthy sir; I must not lose a moment, for I have to pass the River on the Green Snake and carry this fine present from my husband to the fair Lily." So saying she stepped faster forward; but the fair Youth pushed on with equal speed and hastened to keep up with her.

The Youth Prince cried: "You are going to the fair Lily! Then our roads are the same but what present is this you are bringing to her?"

The old Woman remonstrated with him about his sudden interest in wanting to talk with her and bartered with him to tell each other their adventures.

She spoke about the history of the Pug and let him see the singular gift. He lifted this natural curiosity from the basket and took Mops, who seemed as if sleeping softly, into his arms.

The Youth Prince cried: "Happy beast! Thou wilt be touched by her hands, thou will be made alive by her; while the living are obliged to fly from her presence to escape a mournful doom. Yet why say I mournful? Is it not far sadder and more frightful to be injured by her look, than it would be to die by her hand?"

The Youth Prince continued: "Behold me. At my years, what a miserable fate I have to undergo! This mail which I have honourably bourne in war, this purple which I sought to merit by a wise reign, Destiny has left me; the one as a useless burden, the other as an empty ornament. Crown and sceptre and sword are gone and I am as bare and needy as any other son of earth; for so unblessed are her bright eyes, that they take from every living creature they look on all its force and those whom the touch of her hand does not kill are changed to the state of shadows wandering alive."

He continued to bewail, nowise contending the old Woman's curiosity who wished for information not so much of his internal as of his external situation. Amid such conversation they described from afar the majestic arch of the Bridge, which extended from one bank to the other, glittering with the strangest of colours in the splendours of the Sun.

Both were astonished for until now they had never seen this edifice so grand.

The Youth Prince cried: "How! Was it not beautiful enough as it stood before our eyes, piled out of jasper and agate? Shall we not fear to tread it, now that it appears combined in graceful complexity of emerald and chrysopras and chrysolite?"

Neither of them knew the alteration that had taken place upon the Snake.

The Woman and the Youth reached the other side of the River and thanked the Snake for the privilege of  crossing on her back. They consulted in what order they should introduce themselves to the fair Lady; for however many people might be in her company - there were others whom they could not discern - they were obliged to enter and depart singly, under pain of  suffering hard severities.

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There is an incredible amount of wisdom hidden within this text, particularly in terms of how we listen and Be with others, how well we discern a general as opposed to our own or an individual need. A need which is current, present, now and can be a stark contrast to how an individual, group, community or society has been in the past. The former "Princely" accoutrements of clothes, crown sceptre and sword in contrast his direct relationship with the earth now and corresponding need.

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If you are able or have an opportunity to explore this text with others there are three characters that can be entered into: the Woman with the Basket; the Youth (Prince as was and is to be again in this story) and the fair Lily. Although the Lily is not actually present in this scene,an individual entering into being this character would feel the direct affect she has upon others by her look and touch.  There is of course a fourth role, that of the Narrator, who effectively "glues" everything together particularly in enabling the most effective rhythm and timing of the action and speaking of the Woman with the Basket and the Youth (Prince).

At conferences this scene has been created and developed in this way to very helpful effect for those being the characters, they often relating their experiences to their current phase of life.

Please tell me and others through this Blog what experiences you have.

The related audio recording for this section of the story is number 8 on www.tgsatbl.blogspot.com