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J AKOB was as gay as a lark. He had recently received his master's certificate as glassblower, and now he was on his way to earn his living by his craft.
As he trotted along the broad highway, he was seized with the desire to turn to the right into a large forest, about which he had heard wonderful things. Within it, so it was said, was a mountain wherein was to be found a sleeping fairy, who had it in her power to make a man easily the first in his profession, a master of masters. It needed only to awaken her from her trance. But every one knew this much,—that it could only be done by the ringing of a bell, which also was to be found in the wood. There were many who had heard the peal; yes, there were even those who insisted they had seen the bell. But for several hundred years no one had had it in their hands and tried to ring it.
When Jakob was a little boy he felt sure he had heard the bell's peal, like sweet far off music. And only when he stood very still could he hear it. But he never had time to go into the forest to get nearer the sound, so closely to his work had his master kept him.
Now, however, he was free; now he could go in and listen. Soon, too, he heard the ringing of the bell, which seemed stronger and sweeter than before. It sounded full of joy, like the splashing of a waterfall or the frolic of a spring wind. He heard it very clearly and continuously. At last it sounded right over his head; and when he looked up, there it hung, like a great shining flower-cup amongst the birches' light green foliage.
All the others who had seen the bell had climbed up the tree after it; but when they had tried to take it away, it floated off like a soap bubble. But Jakob reached out only longing arms to it,—and immediately it fell like ripe fruit into his hands.
In a transport of joy, he let the bell swing softly, back and forth; whereupon the whole forest was filled with the loveliest music. And as he listened, a rocky wall in front of him split asunder, and he saw within a long, illuminated passage-way. Without any fear, he entered; and the farther he went in, the greater were the number of shining lights which flamed along the crystal walls, and increased more and more until he stood in a magnificent hall, where glorious palms, watered by the continual splashing of fountains, drooped their leaves over a raised marble pavement where a young woman lay sleeping upon a couch with a purple coverlet.
Jakob drew near to her, and after he had stood awhile in contemplation of her loveliness, he swung the bell in his hand. The fairy's sleeping eyelids trembled. Suddenly she opened them, raised herself with a smile, and sat a few moments, dreaming and listening to the music.
"I have slept a long while undisturbed," said she; "but I am always glad to be awakened by the sound of my bell; and the one who sends forth the sound shall not go away from here empty-handed."
She then lifted the cover from a golden box which stood at the head of her couch, and handed Jakob what was seemingly only a common blowpipe, such as glass-blowers use in their work.
"This pipe will help you to make many wonderful things, which will bring happiness and health to human beings," said she. "But use it only when you hear the song of my bell in your ears. Take good care to bear this in mind."
As she spoke these last words, she sank back wearily on her pillow.
"What would then happen to me?" asked Jakob. But the fairy had already closed her eyes, and would only whisper softly, "Bear this in mind! Bear this in mind!"
And now she slept as heavily as before. Jakob tried to waken her with the bell, but she no longer heard it; and so he was forced to go out again into the living wide-awake world.
So soon as he had come out of the mountain, he barred it after him; and as he stood blinded by the sunshine, the bell slipped from his hand without his being able to hold on to it.
Like a shining bubble, it floated up into the sky and vanished from his gaze.
But though Jakob could no longer see the bell, he still could hear it. Like soft low music its tones followed him the whole way through the woods and thence to the high road, and even until he came to the noisy town. In the streets he heard it no more.
But so soon as he had rented a workshop, and put the fairy's blow-pipe in his mouth, he again noticed the tinkling of the bell. And the mass of molten glass under his hands swelled up and took the loveliest forms.
Never before had he succeeded in making anything so pretty and finished.
The next morning he set out with a great bowl and some goblets to the nearest merchant, who was so pleased with the beautiful fragile things that he paid double as much for them as Jakob asked, and wished to buy all he could let him have.
With a joyous heart Jakob returned home, and worked still harder, with both body and soul,—and always to the invisible bell's soft music. And everything he had ready was immediately bought by rich and distinguished people; and soon the whole town knew what a wonderful artist Jakob was as a glass-blower. As to his goblets and drinking-cups, it was at last reported that they had power to bring happiness and health to all who drank from them.
Dukes and princes came personally to his workshop, ordered what they wished, watched him while he worked, and paid him so generously that he soon became a wealthy man.
Now it happened there was a little person who was neither rich nor distinguished who also liked to see Jakob work. This was Rosalinde, the fifteen-year-old daughter of the poor potter on the other side of the street.
Whenever Rosalinde had an idle hour, it was her habit to poke her head through Jakob's open window, and follow with rapture the noble forms of the shining glass goblets as they grew under his hands. And whenever Jakob looked up from the midst of his work, it seemed pleasant to meet the smile on the fair girl's face.
One day she took courage and said: "Dearest Master Jakob, will you not also blow a little goblet for me? If you will, I'll run errands for you for a whole year."
Jakob laughed. "Come now!" said he; "run my errands, and I will make you a goblet when I find the time."
And Rosalinde did as he said. She brought water and food to him. She decorated his door frames with garlands of fresh green, she tripped on light feet about his work-shop to do his bidding, she put everything in its right place, and brought the loveliest flowers for his table.
One year slipped by, and then another; and never did Jakob find time to blow for Rosalinde the goblet he had promised her.
Sometimes in a humble voice she reminded him of it, and he would then say:
"Tomorrow, perhaps tomorrow."
But when the next day came, new and distinguished customers happened in, who must be satisfied. Indeed so many came that Jakob, who did not know of anything more amusing than to blow his lovely glass, found it was almost too much of a good thing. He was often so tired that his ears buzzed, and he could scarcely hear the notes of the invisible bell, which up to this time had always sounded whenever he put the blow-pipe to his mouth.
One morning Rosalinde's patience would stand it no longer.
"I have waited for my goblet all of two years," said she, "and if you will not make it for me now, I will go away and never come here again."
Jakob smiled. He did not believe she would keep her word, in spite of his neglect of her; besides she liked very much to see him turn out the lovely works of art. But he certainly wished to keep friends with her, and therefore he nodded, and said;
"Just wait until I have finished with the goblet I am now working on, and then I will blow one for you."
Rosalinde clapped her hands with joy; she had never been so near to the fulfillment of her wish; now she would really get it! She worked with great zeal while she waited; and finally the goblet that had been begun stood finished upon the table. And at last Jakob lifted up the blow-pipe to blow one for her very own.
But at the same moment the door was thrown open and in came the royal chamberlain, who announced the country's king, and his distinguished guests the king and queen of Azurien and their five little princesses.
Jakob laid down the blow-pipe and the lump of glass which was destined for Rosalinde's goblet. It could wait. But he heard a sob just behind him, and when he turned around he caught a glimpse of a young girl's brown skirt as its wearer vanished through the window.
Rosalinde had taken flight, fully determined never to come back again.
But now in walked the two kings, the queen, and the five little princesses. So Jakob must set to work.
After the grown people had received their drinking-cups, nothing would do but each of the little princesses must have one, too.
But never had Jakob felt so weary as on this day; and weaker and weaker sounded the bell's notes in his ears.
When he had finished the third princess's goblet, he bowed low before the royal company and begged that he be allowed to wait until later in the day to make the two last cups, for he felt that now he could not do any more.
Immediately the two princesses who had not received any goblets began to cry and carry on. They had come there to see him blow goblets for them, and they would not think of waiting!
So Jakob must make another effort. But now the bell sounded like a faint whistle only; and when the fourth princess's glass was finished he again made a low bow before the royal company and laid down the blow-pipe.
"Your majesties must pardon me," said he, "but I cannot blow any more. I am not well."
"So, then, there's nothing more to do about it," said the queen, and turned to go.
But at the same time the princess who had not received any goblet began to shriek to the heavens, and no one could comfort her either with cake or candy. She would have her goblet, she roared, and she stamped on the floor with both feet, and would not budge from the place.
"You shall have double pay for the last goblet," said her father the king to Jakob.
And his country's own king clapped him upon the shoulder; "Come, hurry up now, my friend," said he, "no one can deny a princess anything."
In despair Jakob again put the blow-pipe in his mouth. He listened as usual for the ring of the bell, but was not certain that he heard it.
There sounded, sure enough, a faint whistling in his ears; but whether it came from the bell, or was the result of his own weariness, he did not know.
Yet for all that, blow he must!
But at the same moment that the glass swelled up, the pipe fell from his mouth, then his arms dropped and he fell senseless to the floor.
When Jakob came to himself again the royal company were gone; but the neighbors were standing around him, and among them was Rosalinde,—she who would never come again!
"My blow-pipe," said he, "where is my blowpipe?"
The first thing he thought was that he had lost it, and he was very anxious lest it had been injured.
But no harm had come to the blow-pipe;— Rosalinde had picked it up from the floor, and would give it to him. Jakob put out his right hand to take it, but found to his horror that he could not hold it. He put out his left hand, but that proved no better. Both hands hung from his wrists like withered leaves.
At last he knew what the fairy meant when she bade him, "Bear this in mind!" But it was now too late. Never more would he be able to use his blow-pipe and make his wonderful works of art!
His despair showed itself in two great tears which he could not wipe away.
From that hour, Jakob moved about like an unhappy ghost. The one bright spot in his suffering was Rosalinde's care; she waited on him, sang for him, put flowers in his buttonhole, and followed him on his restless wanderings in the forest.
Jakob thought that perhaps he could manage yet once again to hear the wonderful bell, whose tones had not sounded in his ears since his hands had become helpless. But in vain! It seemed to have entirely disappeared from the woods.
Then one day, while he stood and watched Rosalinde as she gathered flowers for him, he suddenly heard the welcome peal.
He looked around him, but he did not know from whence the bell came. And as soon as Rosalinde took leave of him the bell grew silent.
And he did not hear it until the next day, when Rosalinde stood at his open window and called good morning. But then it rang out, loud and clear.
Jakob soon realized that the wonderful bell, itself invisible, must be hanging from an invisible branch over her head; and that it was when she was at his house, and only then, that the sweet soft tones were heard there.
Then came a day when Rosalinde did not appear; and when Jakob went over to the potter's to ask after her, he learned that she lay ill of a high fever, and her parents were afraid she might die.
The world looked dark for Jakob. It seemed as though the sun had gone down, though it stood high in the arch of heaven. The whole day he roved about in the neighborhood of the potter's house, so that he might ask about her, and know if she were still alive. When night came he went home. But he couldn't even think of going to bed; and hour after hour found him wandering restlessly about his workshop.
Suddenly, as he was thus roaming around, he heard footsteps and voices outside. Then some one knocked upon his door, and when it was opened he took a step backward in utter surprise.
Upon the threshold stood Rosalinde, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright with fever, followed by her parents who seemed paralyzed with fear.
"We could not prevent it," they declared, "she slipped away from us."
Rosalinde went up to Jakob. "You shall now blow me my goblet, as you promised," she said.
Jakob raised his arms with the lame hands. But in the excitement of fever she did not understand. "I must have my goblet," she repeated.
Jakob thought it might be best to pretend to please her. She would then see for herself how impossible her wish was.
He bade her father heat the oven and, in a word, make all the preparations; and when this was done the potter took the blow-pipe down from the shelf and put it between Jakob's lips, though he well knew that the next instant it would slip out again.
But—wonderful to tell—it did not do this. So soon as Jakob felt the pipe between his lips, a feeling of power flowed through him. He received strength to hold it fast while he blew the molten glass. And as this swelled up and rounded itself, he heard with rapture the invisible bell singing more sweetly than ever before. His very soul was filled with delight. He raised his wrists and pressed them against the mass of glass. He felt he must be able to create a work of art with the aid of his strong will alone.
After a moment's time the potter whispered to his wife, "Now just look! A miracle has happened! He can move his hands!"
And now the potter's wife saw it also. Jakob's fingers worked with the glass as nimbly and as ably as before. But Jakob himself did not take in anything of this. He was conscious of nothing except his work. He saw only that his most beautiful creation was about to come forth, perfected, as it was in his thought. And soon he held it in his hand, shining and lovely.
Then he hastened to the cupboard, took a flask of wine from it, filled the new goblet and held it out to Rosalinde.
She drank the wine, her gaze fixed deep in the bottom of the goblet; and when she raised her eyes they were clear and free from the light of fever. Then she looked around as though she had just awakened from a dream.
"My goblet!" she cried out, "I have my goblet!—and your hands are as skillful as ever, Master Jakob."
And now for the first time Jakob looked at them, and saw they were no longer like withered leaves. And he rejoiced with a great joy. Then he turned anxiously toward Rosalinde:
"But how does it really help matters," said he; "for all that, I cannot work as before. Once the invisible bell sang for me whenever I listened for it. Now it sings only when you are in my house."
Rosalinde did not answer. She only smiled. But when Jakob saw that he, too, smiled; they were both at the same time thinking of a remedy whereby Jakob could get the bell to sing when he wished it. They must get married, so Rosalinde could always be in his home.
Three days later the wedding took place.
And never again did it happen that Jakob tried to make any of his works of art unless he heard the wonderful bell sing.