Part 15 (1/2)
But he could not keep still very long; a mighty hunger was gnawing at his vitals, he was in absolute need of finding food; so he rose stiffly from his couch, stretching his aching limbs as he went to the door to look out.
There in the flickering light of the fire sat the shepherd, a beautiful boy with large brown eyes and dark hair hanging to his shoulders, a high fur cap on his head with a flower behind his ear.
He was dressed in a white s.h.i.+rt and trousers, with linen bands wound round his legs; on his feet he wore sandal-like shoes kept in place by leathern thongs.
About his waist was a broad leather belt within which a flute and a dagger had been stuck, and over his back hung a coat of s.h.a.ggy sheep-skin. Chin in hand the peasant sat staring with dreamy content into the flames. In a circle around him lay his dogs, their heads resting on their paws, their unkempt coats the colour of earth and autumn-leaves. Only one enormous brute was white, which kept staring at his master with watchful eyes, whilst the others slumbered and snored.
It was a peaceful sight; the stars coming out one by one, and not far off the flock lay, huddled together in att.i.tudes of repose.
Eric had moved so noiselessly that even the dogs had not heard his approach, but now as he ventured out of the hut they immediately were all upon him snarling and gnas.h.i.+ng their teeth. The shepherd jumped to his feet and came quickly to where Eric stood with a joyful exclamation of greeting; but his guest fixed him with hollow eyes not able to utter a word.
”I know what thou needest,” cried the boy, and leading Eric back into the hut he took from a chest two earthenware dishes, one of which was filled with thick creamy cheese.
”Eat,” said the youth, ”it will do thee good; but then I want thee to talk, for lonely forsooth are these hills; I want to hear the sound of thy voice. I live here in utmost solitude many months of the year: I guard my sheep and make this cheese. I play to the stars and sing to the sun, but they are too far above and care not to talk to me: I want to hear of thy wanderings and why thou lookest so sad. Tell me, I pray, didst thou verily come from the other side?”
Eric seized the bowl with a hasty gesture, and greedily consumed the tasty food, feeling as he ate how new strength began gradually to course through his veins. Never had he been so hungry, and this simple fare was in truth the very best dish he had ever eaten in his life!
Gratefully he looked at the young peasant, and at last he spoke:
”I cannot thank thee enough for thy spontaneous hospitality at a moment when without thy help I would surely have died of exhaustion. Thou wast sent me from G.o.d, as a sign that in His mercy He desireth me to continue my road. I have come from far, so far that to me it seems as if I had been wandering all my life.”
He turned his trustful eyes to the youth, and with the smile which made him dear to every man's heart, he continued:
”Once, it may be years ago, for I have no more count of time, I lived in the palace of a king.”
”Oh!” cried the boy, ”why didst thou go?”
”Because,” answered Eric, ”I am seeking for a face which I cannot find--a face that I see in my dreams; so I had to leave all that rich ease and comfort, all that had sweetened my days, and always am I searching and still may have to wander many a mile.”
The shepherd stared at him in growing astonishment, almost afraid that his strange guest might be crazy.
”It seems to me,” he said, ”that there are many faces on this earth; and why must thou journey so far looking for what is so easy to find? Why didst thou leave the king's palace? Forsooth, I would have remained and lived in joy and plenty;” and merrily he laughed, showing two rows of splendid white teeth.
Eric did not smile but replied:
”Ah! thou dost not understand. Dearly did I love my kingly master; and I grieve that I could not listen to his bidding. But there is something within each of us that when the time comes calls with insistent voice, and then we must leave all and follow. I am but a foolish youth, but this I have learnt: we cannot choose our lives nor in what way we desire to live them; some power there is stronger than our human will that carries us forward upon a road we do not know. I had but a short while ago a venerable master, and these were his words: 'That each man runs after the same thing, although each calls it by a different name.' The master I loved said the name he had found for it was Happiness, but that none of us realize when we have it in our hands. Why he said this I do not know. Dearly did I love to hear him talk, but not always did I grasp the meaning of his words.”
”Happiness!” queried the peasant boy; ”happiness! It soundeth sweet to the ear; dost thou think that thou shalt find it at the end of the way?”
Eric looked out into the flames of the fire before he slowly replied:
”The master said that we could grasp but the shadow, that the thing itself was G.o.d's. Deeply have I pondered over the sense of this saying, and this is what I have found in my mind: G.o.d hath not time for each man's clamouring, so He has strewn over the world things that s.h.i.+ne and things that lie in the shadow; those that s.h.i.+ne dazzle the eye and give pleasure, and those in the dark awake a longing to know, and thus G.o.d leads each man forward to search for himself, each according to his desire. But the wise man said that few reach it in the end, and when they do they seldom may keep it long. Ah! but I wish I knew! My heart is so full of longing, and yet I feel that some part of it will never be filled!”
But the peasant boy wanted to hear of other things; to him this talk was but a waste of time.
”Tell me, hast thou really climbed over this barrier of mountains; and how is it thou didst not perish on the way?”
Gundian took his sword between both hands, and looked at it with tears in his eyes:
”This sword kept me from death when I thought my last hour had come, and always, when all hope seemed at an end, something there was that saved me in my bitterest need.