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threatened us； and struck the dog again with all his might and knocked
one of his eyes out； and he said to us； 'There； I hope you are satisfied
now； that's what you have got for him by your damned meddling'and he
laughed； the heartless brute。〃 Seppi's voice trembled with pity and
anger。 I guessed what Satan would say； and he said it。
〃There is that misused word againthat shabby slander。 Brutes do not
act like that； but only men。〃
〃Well； it was inhuman； anyway。〃
〃No； it wasn't； Seppi； it was humanquite distinctly human。 It is not
pleasant to hear you libel the higher animals by attributing to them
dispositions which they are free from； and which are found nowhere but in
the human heart。 None of the higher animals is tainted with the disease
called the Moral Sense。 Purify your language； Seppi； drop those lying
phrases out of it。〃
He spoke pretty sternlyfor himand I was sorry I hadn't warned Seppi
to be more particular about the word he used。 I knew how he was feeling。
He would not want to offend Satan； he would rather offend all his kin。
There was an uncomfortable silence； but relief soon came； for that poor
dog came along now； with his eye hanging down； and went straight to
Satan； and began to moan and mutter brokenly； and Satan began to answer
in the same way； and it was plain that they were talking together in the
dog language。 We all sat down in the grass； in the moonlight； for the
clouds were breaking away now； and Satan took the dog's head in his lap
and put the eye back in its place； and the dog was comfortable； and he
wagged his tail and licked Satan's hand； and looked thankful and said the
same； I knew he was saying it； though I did not understand the words。
Then the two talked together a bit； and Satan said：
〃He says his master was drunk。〃
〃Yes； he was；〃 said we。
〃And an hour later he fell over the precipice there beyond the Cliff
Pasture。〃
〃We know the place； it is three miles from here。〃
〃And the dog has been often to the village； begging people to go there；
but he was only driven away and not listened to。〃
We remembered it； but hadn't understood what he wanted。
〃He only wanted help for the man who had misused him； and he thought only
of that； and has had no food nor sought any。 He has watched by his
master two nights。 What do you think of your race？ Is heaven reserved
for it； and this dog ruled out； as your teachers tell you？ Can your race
add anything to this dog's stock of morals and magnanimities？〃 He spoke
to the creature； who jumped up； eager and happy； and apparently ready for
orders and impatient to execute them。 〃Get some men； go with the doghe
will show you that carrion； and take a priest along to arrange about
insurance； for death is near。〃
With the last word he vanished； to our sorrow and disappointment。 We got
the men and Father Adolf； and we saw the man die。 Nobody cared but the
dog； he mourned and grieved； and licked the dead face； and could not be
comforted。 We buried him where he was； and without a coffin； for he had
no money； and no friend but the dog。 If we had been an hour earlier the
priest would have been in time to send that poor creature to heaven； but
now he was gone down into the awful fires； to burn forever。 It seemed
such a pity that in a world where so many people have difficulty to put
in their time； one little hour could not have been spared for this poor
creature who needed it so much； and to whom it would have made the
difference between eternal joy and eternal pain。 It gave an appalling
idea of the value of an hour； and I thought I could never waste one again
without remorse and terror。 Seppi was depressed and grieved； and said it
must be so much better to be a dog and not run such awful risks。 We took
this one home with us and kept him for our own。 Seppi had a very good
thought as we were walking along； and it cheered us up and made us feel
much better。 He said the dog had forgiven the man that had wronged him
so； and maybe God would accept that absolution。
There was a very dull week； now； for Satan did not come； nothing much was
going on； and we boys could not venture to go and see Marget； because the
nights were moonlit and our parents might find us out if we tried。 But
we came across Ursula a couple of times taking a walk in the meadows
beyond the river to air the cat； and we learned from her that things were
going well。 She had natty new clothes on and bore a prosperous look。
The four groschen a day were arriving without a break； but were not being
spent for food and wine and such thingsthe cat attended to all that。
Marget was enduring her forsakenness and isolation fairly well； all
things considered； and was cheerful； by help of Wilhelm Meidling。 She
spent an hour or two every night in the jail with her uncle； and had
fattened him up with the cat's contributions。 But she was curious to
know more about Philip Traum； and hoped I would bring him again。 Ursula
was curious about him herself； and asked a good many questions about his
uncle。 It made the boys laugh； for I had told them the nonsense Satan
had been stuffing her with。 She got no satisfaction out of us； our
tongues being tied。
Ursula gave us a small item of information： money being plenty now； she
had taken on a servant to help about the house and run errands。 She
tried to tell it in a commonplace； matter…of…course way； but she was so
set up by it and so vain of it that her pride in it leaked out pretty
plainly。 It was beautiful to see her veiled delight in this grandeur；
poor old thing； but when we heard the name of the servant we wondered if
she had been altogether wise； for although we were young； and often
thoughtless； we had fairly good perception on some matters。 This boy was
Gottfried Narr； a dull； good creature； with no harm in him and nothing
against him personally； still； he was under a cloud； and properly so； for
it had not been six months since a social blight had mildewed the family
his grandmother had been burned as a witch。 When that kind of a malady
is in the blood it does not always come out with just one burning。 Just
now was not a good time for Ursula and Marget to be having dealings with
a member of such a family； for the witch…terror had risen higher during
the past year than it had ever reached in the memory of the oldest
villagers。 The mere mention of a witch was almost enough to frighten us
out of our wits。 This was natural enough； because of late years there
were more kinds of witches than there used to be； in old times it had
been only old women； but of late years they were of all ageseven
children of eight and nine； it was getting so that anybody might turn out
to be a familiar of the Devilage and sex hadn't anything to do with it。
In our little region we had tried to extirpate the witches； but the more
of them we burned the more of the breed rose up in their places。
Once； in a school for girls only ten miles away； the teachers found that
the back of one of the girls was all red and inflamed； and they were
greatly frightened； believing it to be the Devil's marks。 The girl was
scared； and begged them not to denounce her； and said it was only fleas；
but of course it would not do to let the matter rest there。 All the
girls were examined； and eleven out of the fifty were badly marked； the
rest less so。 A commission was appointed； but the eleven only cried for
their mothers and would not confess。 Then they were shut up； each by
herself； in the dark； and put on black bread and water for ten days and
nights； and by that time they were haggard and wild； and their eyes were
dry and they did not cry any more； but only sat and mumbled； and would
not take the food。 Then one of them confessed； and said they had often
ridden through the air on broomsticks to the witches' Sabbath； and in a
bleak place high up in the mountains had danced and drunk and caroused
with several hundred other witches and the Evil One； and all had
conducted themselves in a scandalous way and had reviled the priests and
blasphemed God。 That is what she saidnot in narrative form； for she
was not able to remember any of the details without having them called to
her mind one after the other； but the commission did that； for they knew
just what questions to ask； they being all written down for the use of
witch…commissioners two centuries before。 They asked； 〃Did you do so and
so？〃 and she always said yes； and looked weary and tired； and took no
interest in it。 And so when the other ten heard that this one confessed；
they confessed； too； and answered yes to the questions。 Then they were
burned at the stake all together； which was just and right； and everybody
went from all the countryside to see it。 I went； too； but when I saw
that one of them was a bonny； sweet girl I used to play with； and looked
so pitiful there chained to the stake； and her mother crying over her and
devouring her with kisses and clinging around her neck； and saying； 〃Oh；
my God！ oh； my God！〃 it was too dreadful； and I went away。
It was bitter cold weather when Gottfried's grandmother was burned。 It
was charged that she had cured bad headaches by kneading the person's