Frau Trude


Heksen


There was once a little girl who was obstinate and inquisitive, and when her parents told her to do anything, she did not obey them, so how could she fare well? One day she said to her parents, "I have heard so much of Frau Trude, I will go to her some day. People say that everything about her does look so strange, and that there are such odd things in her house, that I have become quite curious!" Her parents absolutely forbade her, and said, "Frau Trude is a bad woman, who does wicked things, and if thou goest to her; thou art no longer our child." But the maiden did not let herself be turned aside by her parent's prohibition, and still went to Frau Trude. And when she got to her, Frau Trude said, "Why art thou so pale?" - "Ah," she replied, and her whole body trembled, "I have been so terrified at what I have seen." - "What hast thou seen?" - "I saw a black man on your steps." - "That was a collier." - "Then I saw a green man." - "That was a huntsman." - "After that I saw a blood-red man." - "That was a butcher." - "Ah, Frau Trude, I was terrified; I looked through the window and saw not you, but, as I verily believe, the devil himself with a head of fire." - "Oho!" said she, "then thou hast seen the witch in her proper costume. I have been waiting for thee, and wanting thee a long time already; thou shalt give me some light." Then she changed the girl into a block of wood, and threw it into the fire. And when it was in full blaze she sat down close to it, and warmed herself by it, and said, "That shines bright for once in a way."
Der var engang en lille pige, som var meget egenrådig og stivnakket. Når hendes far og mor sagde noget til hende, brød hun sig ikke en smule om det, og derfor gik det hende heller ikke godt. En dag sagde hun til sine forældre: "Jeg har hørt så meget om heksen. Alle mennesker siger, at hendes hus er fuldt af de mærkeligste ting, så jeg er blevet ganske nysgerrig. Jeg tror, jeg vil gå hen og besøge hende." Forældrene forbød hende det og sagde: "Heksen er en ond kvinde, som har ugudelige ting for. Hvis du gør det, er du ikke vort barn mere." Pigen brød sig ikke om det, men gik sin vej. Da hun kom derhen spurgte heksen: "Hvorfor er du dog så bleg?" Pigen rystede over hele kroppen. "Jeg er blevet så forskrækket over det, jeg har set," sagde hun. "Hvad har du da set?" spurgte heksen. "Oppe på stigen sad der en sort mand." - "Det var bare en kulsvier." - "Så så jeg også en grøn mand." - "Det var bare en jæger." - "Og derpå så jeg en blodrød mand." - "Det var bare en slagter." - "Og så til sidst," sagde pigen, mens tænderne klaprede i munden på hende, "kiggede jeg ind gennem vinduet og så ikke Jer, men djævelen med ildrødt hovede." - "Hoho," råbte heksen, "så har du set mig rigtig i pudsen. Jeg har allerede længe længtes efter dig, nu skal du lyse for mig." Derpå forvandlede hun pigen til et stykke brænde og kastede det på ilden. Så satte hun sig ned, gned sig i hænderne og sagde: "Nu kan her da endelig en gang blive rigtig lyst."