TO THE RESCUE

The green Snake saw sailing high in the air, with purple-red feathers, the Prince's Hawk, whose breast was catching the last beams of the Sun. Shortly afterwards the Man with the Lamp was seen gliding towards them across the Lake, fast and smoothly, as if he had been travelling on skates. The Snake did not change her posture.

Lily rose and called to him: "What good spirit sends thee, at that moment when we were desiring thee and needing thee so much?"

The Man with the Lamp replied: "The spirit of my Lamp has impelled me and the Hawk has conducted me. My Lamp sparkles when I am needed and I just look about me in the sky for a signal; some bird or meteor points to the quarter towards which I am to turn. Be calm fairest maiden! Whether I can help, I know not; an individual helps not but he who combines himself with many at the proper hour. We will postpone the evil and keep hoping. Hold they circle fast,
continued he, turning to the Snake; then set himself upon a hillock beside her and illuminated the dead body, bring the little Bird hither-too and lay it in the circle!"

The maidens took the little corpse from the Basket, which the old Woman had left standing and did as he directed.

Meanwhile the Sun had set. The Snake and the old Man's Lamp began shining and the fair Lily's veil gave out a soft light. All were peaceful and calm, except the old Woman. In spite of the assurance of her husband, that her hand could diminish no farther, she asserted more than once, that if things went on thus, before midnight this noble member would vanish.

The Man with the Lamp had listened attentively to the conversation of the Flames (the Will-o'-wisps) and was gratified that Lily had been cheered in some measure and amused by it. And in truth, midnight had arrived they knew not how.

The Old Man looked to the stars and then began speaking: "We are assembled at the propitious hour; let each perform his task, let each do his duty and a universal happiness will swallow-up our individual sorrows, as a universal grief consumes individual joys."

At these words arose a wondrous hubbub; for all the persons in the party spoke aloud, each for himself, declaring what they had to do. Only the three maids were silent for they had fallen asleep.

The Man said to the Hawk: "Take the mirror and with the first sunbeam illuminate the three sleepers and awake them, with light reflected from above."

The Snake now began to move; she loosened her circle and rolled slowly, in large rings, forward to the River. The two Will-o'-wisps followed with a solemn air: you would have taken them for the most serious Flames in Nature.

The old Woman and her husband seized the Basket, whose mild light they had scarcely observed till now; they lifted it at both sides and it grew still larger and more luminous; they lifted the body of the Youth into it, laying the Canary-bird upon his breast; the Basket rose into the air and hovered above the old Woman's head and she followed the Will-o'-wisps on foot. The fair Lily took mops on her arm and followed the Woman; the Man with the Lamp concluded the procession and the scene was curiously illuminated by these many lights.

But it was with no small wonder that the party saw, when they approached the River, a glorious arch mount over it, by which the helpful Snake was affording them a glittering path. If by day they had admired the beautiful transparent precious stones, of which the Bridge seemed formed; by night they were astonished at its gleaming brilliancy.

On the upper side the clear circle marked itself sharp against the sky, below, vivid beams were darting to the centre exhibiting an airy firmness.

The procession moved slowly across the Bridge and the Ferryman who saw it from his hut afar off, considered with astonishment the gleaming circle and the strange lights which were passing over it.

No sooner had they reached the other shore, than the arch began, in its usual way, to swing up and down and with a wavy motion to approach the water. The Snake then came on land, the Basket placed itself upon the ground and the Snake again drew her circle round it.

The old Man stooped towards her and said: "What has thou resolved on?"

The Snake replied: "To sacrifice myself rather than be sacrificed. Promise me that thou wilt leave no stone on shore."

The old Man promised and said to the Lily: "Touch the Snake with thy left hand and thy lover with thy right."

Lily knelt and touched the Snake and the Prince's body. The latter in this instance seemed to come to life; he moved in the Basket, nay he raised himself into a sitting posture; Lily was about to clasp him; but the old Man held her back and himself assisted the Youth to rise and led him forth from the Basket and the Circle.

The Prince was standing; the Canary-bird was fluttering on his shoulder; there was life in both of them, but the spirit had not yet returned; the fair Youth's eyes were open, yet he did not see, at least he seemed to look on all without participation. Scarcely had their admiration of this incident a little calmed, when they observed how strangely it had fared in the meantime with the Snake.

Her fair taper body had crumbled into thousands and thousands of shining jewels: the old Woman reaching at her Basket had chanced to come against the Circle and of the shape or structure of the Snake there was now nothing to be seen, only a bright ring of luminous jewels was lying on the grass.

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At this stage in the story everyone knows what to do. There are meaningful reflections and decisions by characters. There is a feeling of growth within them and the community they form.

How has this come about? What is Goethe encouraging to be "discovered?" One thing is certain he knew it would be different for different people.

The imagery he created is stunning and profound which makes it all the more important the reader or speaker of the text creates this theatre in their mind.

Finally, the focus of the previous two Posts upon the flow, rhythm and movement in speaking, consciously using the spirit of language to form speech sounds, was Marie Steiner-von Sivers life's work.