Cihlar & Egeler - The Saint and her Fool

„Father and I sipped water from the well, with a silver cup. This was indeed something very special and I will never forget it. A fairy and a knight in armor were there also.”

Harro laughs aloud and slaps his thigh.

„You are a living fairytale book ... oh, how content I feel here with you and how wonderful the roses smell! And Mama is knitting something, which my Aunt Uli had called a soul-comforter. Please knit one for me also, I am in need of it in my wet, collapsing badger burrow. Continue, my little Saint Rose, tell me more of the story of the knight and the fairy.“ „It is a story that my father did not remember and I do not even want to speak of this anymore. I upset Father with my behavior and I spoiled his beautiful day, but Mama seemed pleased that I had misbehaved. She did not like Castle Schweigen at all, because it smells of ghosts.”

„How do ghosts smell?”

„Father says they smell outmoded. Harro, what are ghosts like?”

„How should I know? You must stop thinking that I know an answer to all questions.“

„Why was your Father annoyed with you? You have not told me anything about it,” asks Frau von Hardenstein.

„I was ashamed to. I was not supposed to walk on my toes and when I kissed the curtains, Father was angry. But I had to.“

„Why, my Rose?“

„Oh, Harro, I just had to! I could not speak aloud in the room she had been lying down in…the woman in the silver dress. Oh, I had not wanted to speak of her again…and a little blue dwarf was hanging from the ceiling.” Saint Rose is almost crying. „Father did not want to believe me.”

„Harro, must I beg? Please do not encourage her in this,” interrupts Frau von Hardenstein.

„Excuse me, Mama, but the blue dwarf, this must be approved of!“

Rosemarie describes the little blue man as being dressed in a blue raincoat and hood.

„And the strangest thing about the little man was a deer antler that grew out of its back, with candles on it.“

„Oh, you speak of a figure made to a chandelier ... that is why the castle is called Schweigen ! My Rose, it would sometimes be quite advisable for you to also learn when to be quiet, I mean at the right moments. But I am delighted that you have the imagination to see your blue dwarf; it sounds like a wonderful lighting for a music room. Rose, I do believe you! And you know what; the little man must carry a lantern, to show us all the way through the darkness of silence. This is surely the reason for his appearance.”

Walking back home through the dark of the night, the Earl cannot help but think of the tale of the blue dwarf…maybe one of the secrets to this ancient castle with such a cryptic name. No one really knows where the name originates from. There had surely been much noise made there, by the noble men staying there during the hunting seasons. He decides to find out more about this castle of silence. Back in his ruin, he is only welcomed by the rubble of collapsed walls. He settles himself between this chaos and is determined to go back to Brauneck tomorrow, to seek out more of the history of this enchanted castle.

But there was not much to find out. For two hundred years, the castle has not been permanently inhabited. Eighty years ago, it was newly furnished and the old rubbish was thrown out. The Duke is very determinate that nothing there should be changed. It has been known as Castle Schweigen since the sixteenth century. He cautiously asks the Duke if he might permit him to rummage about there a bit.

„Count Thorstein, I am afraid you will find nothing but old pots; although the kitchen is a sight worth to see, still with all the original equipment. The inventory is listed, down to the last skewer - yes, we keep order here in Brauneck. If you are interested in old pots and pans ... amazing, what is kept over the years. Should you find something of interest; it would be my pleasure to share this with you.”

Harro has no special predilection for old pots, but on a grey, autumn day, he decides to look further into this. The sky is colorless and rain trickles down the walls of his ruin, as he pulls on his boots and makes his way to Castle Schweigen. On such a bleak day, Schweigen would surely hold up to its reputation, as to the silence it was named after. Harro walks through the dripping forest, where the rain resounds and the falling leaves rustle, descending slowly to the ground like dying, sad butterflies. The meadows shine in an emerald green, with the last freezing autumn flowers peeking out from underneath. Wearing a duffle coat with hood and high boots – he enjoys this rain forest. Each tree bears its load of rain differently; the most beautiful are the birch trees with their boughs hanging full of drops that look like glittering gems of fine jewelry. The pine forest is secluded, with a thick, fragrant roof that silently lets the rain drizzle down onto the needle flooring. A wisp of fog lingers among the tree trunks, which are surrounded by mushrooms that look just like the finest opal gold rings.

The dark walls of Castle Schweigen seem to disappear in the foggy sky and the tower looks like a fantastical creation. Harro sighs with delight. A giant castle inhabited by demons! This is the exact right weather for a castle of silence!

„I must only follow your footsteps, my dear Rose and see things with your eyes. I should be at my ruin, in-between dust and the smell of decay, trying to restore order, but to be here in exchange is more important. This is indeed a mysterious dwelling; hidden in the forest as if unseen for those who have no insight. There, out of the hatch in the wall, a little red light should break forth like an evil eye, so one can see; the demons do not sleep – they are guarding. I should not be standing here in this duffle coat, but beside a weary, white horse, dressed with iron helmet and dented armor ... and in front of me would be the ancient drawbridge. I can still see the stone fortification, in which the bridge had been secured. My Rose can surely versify what a knight does in front of this haunted castle...she would know ... I will just need to paint the picture in her mind ... Lord, what a joy!”

It comes close to worship; the way the Earl of Thorstein stands there, watching the clouds of mist and fog dancing their circles around the dark castle; a blessed hour for the fortunate ones, who have eyes that are able to behold the sights of fools and dreamers. Until a gust of wind tears apart the fog and the rain begins to furiously pelt down – he comes back to reality, remembering why he had actually come. He now feels a damp chill.

„I should not be surprised if the demons bestow me with body aches and pains by this weather, fool that I am.”

The forester’s wife is quite surprised as the Earl knocks on the door und cordially invites him to supper; she has made dumplings for her two red-headed children. The present forester has only shortly been employed in Schweigen and they know nothing of the old stories. The attic is empty; she assures that order is kept in this castle.

„I am quite sure, madam, no doubt to that.” Harro politely tries a dumpling. „I would nonetheless like to look around.” He is given all the necessary keys to get into each room.

So this is how ghosts smell. The rooms seem gloomy; the narrow windows are even more darkened by the ivy vines. The charming rococo furniture has a somber look to it and the porcelain figure of a shepherd seems to shiver.

Never has Harro seen such mirrors; it is as if suddenly a second face could be seen behind his own reflection. The ghosts seem to be everywhere; up to the highest loft, where well-maintained guest beds are stored in a chamber, benevolently waiting for the hunting season and its guests. The kitchen is very interesting, but Harro even shows little interest in the most finely chiseled brass bowls. Nowhere is a blue dwarf to be seen! Now, Harro considers his idea as very absurd, if not ridiculous, to look for it. After going through each room, he remembers seeing some adjacent buildings outside. There is an extension next to the castle with barred windows.