I am no Hans of thine . My name is Hans Lorbass . A knave who stalks stiff-necked and solemn up and down the world does not much relish being treated like a child . Burial-wife . Thou art my dear child none the less . Only grow old and gray ; and then shall thy body bear its scars and thy soul its sins back to the old wife . Not yet . Burial-wife . Thou hast dug many a deep still grave for me ; many a wanderer will come and find rest , therein . Over the gray path of the boundless sea will each one come bringing his life 's sorrow to lay it here upon my bosom . I open wide my arms to them as my father bade me , and blessing them I thus absolve myself from suffering and penance . Beneath my breath sin and crime straightway disappear ;— and smilingly I bear all my dear children to their rest . Not me . What concern hast thou with me ? It is true thou holdest me here within thy grave-yard prison and compellest me to play the grave-digger with blows and taunts ; but let my prince once come this way again , and not another hour of service shalt thou have .... My prince , my gold-prince ! My sweet lad ! How I could burst with a single leap straight to thy side through all the world , and with my too-long-idle sword hurl down to hell the coward pack that presses round thee !... And thou art all to blame ,— yes , all . He had already quite enough agonizing longings , unfulfilled desires ; but thou must needs fan the warmly glowing flames to a devouring blaze . It was thou that lured him into that adventure , that willed his braving danger singlehanded ; and if he cracks the accursed nut , if I see the foam curl again about his prow ,— even if I clasp him to me and feel him safe indeed ,— who shall tell me that after all his prize is worth his pains ? Where is that woman thou hast showed to him , that pattern of beauty and purity , that paragon of softness and strength , she who was born to steal away his other longings ,— where is she ?— show her to me ! Burial-wife . My little Hans , my son , why stormest thou so ? Let me curse . Burial-wife . Hush thee , and lie down here beside me on the straw , and listen what I tell thee . On the grave-straw ?Burial-wife . There landed two men yonder on a golden spring day , and wandered lost like wild things through the thicket . Who were they ? I and my master were the two . The villainy of his step-brother had rent from him his throne and kingdom . He was too young , he was too weak ,— there lay the blame . Burial-wife . Yet he was blustering and drew his sword and demanded with storm and threat that I should grant a wish for him . Still thou knowest him , my dear son ? Do I know him ! Burial-wife . “ Thou desirest the fairest of women for thy bride ? ” I said . “ She is not here ; but if thou dost not shrink before the danger , I can show thee the way , my son . ” The way to death ! Burial-wife . “ There lies an isle in the northern seas , where day and night are merged in dawn ; never more shall he rejoice at sight of home who loses his path there in a storm . There lies thy path . And there , where the holy word is never taught , within a crystal house there lives a wild heron , worshiped as a god . From that heron thou must pluck three feathers out and bring them hither . ” And if he brings them ? Burial-wife . Then I will make him conscious of miraculous power , through which he shall find and bind her to himself who awaits him in night and need ; for by this deed he grows a man , and worth the prize . And then ? When he has got her , and sighs and coos and lies in her bosom half a hundred years , when he turns himself a very woman , I shall be the last to wonder at it . Look !I shovelled this shining glittering bauble out of the dune-sand . I have heaped up whole bushels of it in my greedy zeal . Now , as I toss from me this sticky mass of resin , that borrows the name and place of a stone , so with the act I hurl away in mocking laughter these many-colored lies of womankind .Now go and brew my evening draught . I will to the sea to seek my master .OttarHolloa , Gylf ! GylfWhat is it ? Bandits ! Just come on once !How is it ? I hope they have not hurt thee . Burial-wife . None can harm me , none molest me , who has not first wronged himself and all his hopes . OttarHo , Hans is playing with his love ! Have a care ! It is now scarce three years since we bore within the hall our master in his ash-hewn coffin . He raised his hand already cold , and pointed with his pallid , bony finger — not toward the bastard Danish conqueror , but towards his own true son , Prince Witte ; and him he left his country 's lord . The land was poor , the people rude , yet it had preserved its pride and loyalty un stained through a thousand murderous brawls . Three years ago as everybody knows , you would have murdered our young lord at summons of the Bastard and his fair promises ; and now — what are you ? Thieves , sand-fleas , loafers , riff-raff , haunting the moors and hiding in the thickets . Stop ! I will build a gallows for you presently ; my brave sword is too good for you . Quite right ! Give us thy fist !... No use to wrangle !Thou hast need of a little scouring first , I think . Children , what fine fellows you would be , if only you were not such frightful rogues .Tell me now , what have you been at so long ? OttarWho ? We ? Yes , you ! No need . I know that trade a thousand miles away . You are wreckers ! AllOf course . HansSee , see ! And your Duke ? So , so ! I just bethought myself . One question more : How come you here ? Who , then ? Are you so sure of it ? No need , my lord , I have my pay . I drive naught , my lord , I am driven . DukeIt pleases thee to jest . And thee to be galled thereat . Think what thou wilt . Covered with wounds I sunk it in the ocean 's depths . What is that , now thou art here ?And even if thy journey were in vain , if thou hast not brought the heron 's feathers back with thee , what is — Thou hast the feathers ? Are they really heron 's feathers , from the very bird ? Forgive me , dear my lord and master , that I forgot a moment the bare fact itself , to thee so all-important . I knew thou wouldst never have returned without them , however my heart thirsted after thee . Where are they , master ? Dost thou bear them in thy breast ? I feel thou wouldest . Chide me if thou wilt , but show them to me . Thy story , master ,— come , tell it to me ! Master , how changed thou art . Thy fire seems smothered , and thy passions burn less fiercely , being self-controlled . I look at thee in wonderment . I left thee a boy , I find thee a man . And for this , though my sword has itched in my hand to answer to my thoughts , though I have sat for hours on end in gnawing tedium and spat into the sea , for this result I bless the old wife there . Once more I may strike good blows for thee , once more be proud to guard thee as before . PrinceIt shall be so .... Yes , yes , my lad . Since I have been gone — how long is it ? A good two years , master . I will go . Do not blame me , master ; I know of what I speak . First of all , mistrust the old one . I fear her not ... but something horrible and slimy crawled in my throat when I first saw her crouching in a grave , all stiff , her brows drawn and her staring eyes turned inwards lifelessly .... When a storm stood coal-black in the heavens and gave the greedy coffins fresh food — lo , there she stood and bade me dig the graves ; and when the wave cast corpses up on the strand , she bore each one up the hill pressed mother-like to her breast , shaken meanwhile with a sly laugh ; and thus she laughed until they all lay quietly at rest beneath . Have a care for thyself ! But if she weaves enchantment , master ? And once more I stand broad-legged in thy unhappy path and shout : Do not destroy thyself ! Whoever runs after his desire shall perish in the race ; it only yields to him who hurls it from him . Thou dost not know as yet the old wife 's schemes ; thou standest now above enchantment , a young glowing god confiding in the magic of thine own strength . What thou dost know is that thy prize is hidden , and that the broad path of possibilities , on which thou thinkest to glide aloft , may be choked all at once between black walls and leave thee fevered and panting with the chase , with desire and loathing , eagerness and shrinking , to hasten on forever and never gain the end . PrinceLook there ! Thou hast done well to bring them ; if the fatal seed of death does not draw thee down to eternal failure thou must do well indeed ! For now the secret purpose of thy path is about to reveal itself ; now thy proud and self-poised soul pants to mount aloft ,— and here I stand and counsel thee : Hurl away thy prize ! Too late . It has begun .It looks as if the hearth-fire glowed straight through her parchment skin and wrapped her bones in flame . Bravo ! Bravo ! Cursed witch , thou hast —Art thou singed ? PrinceI see naught . Thou hast bewitched him finely . I am armed .The hangman — My master , a brave knight and skilled in arms , born far in the north , where he was betrayed in feud with his stepbrother , to atone has undertaken a journey to the Holy Sepulchre . We have but just now entered your kingdom , and crave for God 's love , if not a refuge , at least a resting place . And I warrant , my lord , that thou hast warranted rightly .SkoellHans Lorbass — seize him ! Whither then ? What 's that ? Eh , there , sleepy-head , wake up ! Hsh — sh ! Thy master is here ? The devil take him !What now ? What draws you here ! Well , did she please thee ? Hast thou found her worthy to awake thy idle sword to deeds of battle ? Then come . Thy path is hot . Thy path is broad !— Then hasten ! Already far too long hast thou delayed before this tottering throne , from which an eye in speechless pleading calls for help . Who would it have been ? Some body-servant about the castle , perhaps , some — Here is thy shield . Quick , take it . Let the filthy rascal go , whoever he is , and come ! For what , my lord ? Here are the very bones whereon thine eyes desired to feast themselves . It is true they are covered with flesh for the present , but they are there inside , I swear to thee . How — what —? That witch-work to distract thee now ? Here is thy sword , and there the foe ! Play with him , tickle him , stroke his beard , till he weeps blood out of his mouth , till — Master ! I am the Prince 's servant ! I counsel thee , take off thy hands ! SkoellCome , brother of my heart , be sensible , stay in thy seat ; down below there is just a mob of women , and thou wouldst be no use at all . True enough .The third call ! Now is the time ! I tell thee , thou brute beast , thou calf , thou knave , thou thief , as truly as I love thee as my brother , I will kill thee ! There , which one of them drives the other in the corner , now ? Eh ? Ho , ho ! How the rascal puffs ! Yes , thou wilt learn to run , my fine fellow ! Another blow ! He struck him not ! Now for thy life !— What is he thinking of ?My master bleeds ! Wipe it off ! Whisk it away ! That little blood-letting but sharpens the anger , pricks the hate and — Now gather all thy powers together , master ! And all my love for thee turn into fire and flame , that — Away from here ! Whoever loves his life , whether man or woman , comes not too near ! QueenNot even I , my friend ? HansThou , Lady ,— yes . QueenSend for physicians that he may be saved . He is saved ! If he were not , I 'd spring in the very face of death for him ,— I would spring down death 's very throat ; death and I , we know each other well . And I will answer thee : I myself am that justice . I bear it on my sword 's point , I carry it here beneath my cap , I pour it forth in my master 's name , who gave it for his glory and his happiness .If ye believe it not , then listen trembling to the thousand toned joy that peals from far away like spring thunder quivering in the air , and sweeps throughout the land the joyous message of deliverance : we are free ! Thou seest , O Queen , he speaks in fever . Do not listen , do not heed his words . When thou canst .