THE MAN WBO SOLD HIS SHADOW. 



6i 



wliose personal attractions and amiable manners soon made an im- 

 pression on his heart, — he became enamoured of her, and resolved 

 to make an effort to obtain her affections. The young lady accepted 

 bis proposals, and her parents looking at the match, as every way 

 suitable, at once consented to it, and every preparation was made for 

 their wedding, which was to be celebrated on a most magnificent 

 scale ; every thing was now ready, the day was fixed — when,— Oh, 

 shame, — oh desolation — a horrid valet let out the secret, he informed 

 the father of the young lady that this rich stranger, whom they took 

 for a prince durst not shew himself in the day time, because he had 

 no shadow. Schlemiht entered the house, the family were in deep 

 distress, the father had just communicated the intelligence to his wife 

 and daughter; there was the father stamping with rage — the mother 

 in tears, and the daughter inconsolable. He was rejected — in an 

 agony he flew from the apartment and ran into the fields. He had 

 now got a considerable distance from the town, when all at once there 

 appeared before him the man in the grey surtout. " I will return 

 thy shadow," said he, " thou shalt be rich, and marry the young 

 lady thou lovest if thou wilt sign me this paper," holding out before 

 him a paper which Schlemiht read, when he had perused it he re- 

 coiled back with horror. " No, no," said he, "I will not — I dare not, 

 no, I will not loose my immortal soul for a shadow. The mysterious 

 being in grey, here made a beautiful shadow float in the air for 

 Schlemiht to look at, but he resisted ttie temptation and fled in a 

 state of dreadful agitation ; he ran over mountain and hill, not know- 

 ing where he was going ; on the fourth day he found himself in a 

 desert and suddenly there appeared before him a shadow, and he 

 began to run after it, the shadow passed on, but the desire to 

 possess it gave him almost supernatural strength, and he ran 

 with immense swiftness, the shadow, however, entered a forest and 

 he had the unhappiness to see that it had escaped him. As he 

 walked on the road, in a state of wretchedness, almost indescribable, 

 he was overtaken by a person who asked permission to accompany him, 

 and they walked with immense strides along the earth. That night 

 he perceived the unknown was no other than the man in grey. They 

 ooniinued walking together until they arrived at the edge of an abys^ 



