The Easter Eggs from The Easter Eggs and Five Other Stories for Dear Young People by Christof von Schmid - Pages 16-20


and no one saw or heard the armored men, the lady ventured out to take a walk after it had rained. It was a beautiful late fall day. A small country chapel stood a few hundred steps from her cottage. It was constructed of rough-hewn pine logs completely exposed at the front. A picture of the flight to Egypt hung within. Kuno had brought back this fine painting after one of his trips. He thought it might comfort the lady, who also was in flight. Behind the chapel was a high rock wall. Out front were some pine trees which shadowed the entrance. The place was so peaceful and cozy that people often stayed there in contemplation and joy. A pleasant pathway of green grass bordered by colorful rocks and shrubs led to the entrance. This was the lady's favorite destination. With some trepidation she strolled this way and kneeled at the prayer stool near the entrance with her two children. The similarity between her situation and that of the Mother of God, who had to flee with her child to a strange land, moved her to tears. After praying for a long time she sat on a bench. The children picked blackberries, enjoying the fact that each berry was made up of tiny, sparkling black clusters which pushed out from the center.

As the lady sat so solemnly a pilgrim came up between the rocks and approached the chapel. He dressed as pilgims dressed in a long black cassock with a short coat over it. His hat was trimmed with colorful seashells and he had a long white staff in his hand. He looked to be a very old man but he was stately and handsome. His long hair, which simply hung to the sides of his head, and his beard were as white as snow blossoms but his rosy cheeks attested to his youthful vigor and strength. The lady shrank when she saw the man. He respectfully greeted her and began a conversation. She chose her words carefully and glanced at the man only as long as necessary to assess whether this stranger could be trusted.

"Noble lady," the pilgrim said. "Do not fear me. You are not as foreign to me as you think. You are Rosalinde of Burgundy. I know what difficulties fate has cast in your way in forcing you to live in this rocky wilderness. Your husband, from whom you have been separated for three years now, is also known to me. Since you have been in this region the world has change a lot. If you wish to hear about Arno von Lindenburg and the memory of him has not been extinguished from your heart, I can give you much happy news of him. We have peace! Our christian army returned triumphant. Your husband has recovered his estates. Evil Hanno von Schroffeneck was saving himself when he came into these mountains. He's had to continue fleeing from here as well. It is your husband's most heartfelt wish to be reunited with you."

"O God," the lady exclaimed. "What happy news! Oh, thank You, dear God!" She sank to her knees and tears flowed down her cheeks. "Good God," she cried. "You have seen my tears, felt my quiet sighs, heard by constant prayers. Oh, Arno. May the time soon come when I see you again and you see your children. When you left they could barely speak. This will be the first time you hear them call you father!"



"Did you have doubts, stranger," the lady said to the Pilgrim. "Did I still think of my husband or keep him within my heart?" — She called to her children, who were quietly standing in the distance and observing the strange man. Both children came immediately.

"Edmund," she called to the boy and then told him not to be shy but rather honest with the man. "Tell this man the prayer we say each morning for your father." The boy folded his hands and spoke in a clear voice while lifting his eyes to heaven. "Beloved Father in heaven! Look upon these two poor orphans. Our father has gone to war. May he not perish! We will be pious and good so our father will be pleased with us when he returns. Please answer our prayer!"

"And you, Blanda," the lady said to the blonde curly haired girl with the rosy cheeks. "Tell how we pray at night for your father before we go to sleep." Like her brother, the girl folded her hands, lifted her eyes to heaven and prayed in a soft voice: "Beloved Father in heaven! Before we take our rest we pray to You for our father here on earth. May he find peace and may Your angel protect him from his enemies. Give our mother peaceful sleep so she may forget her troubles for a while. But if You wish to deprive her of sleep, at least let her drift off with visions of our father. May this evening be the last day of separation! May we soon wake to the morning when we will see him again." "Amen," said the lady as she tearfully gazed up to heaven.

The pilgim began to cry. In an instant he took off his disguise — hair and beard, pilgim coat and cassock. He threw them aside and stood now in knightly attire trimmed in gold and purple, full of youthful beauty, vigor and strength. He opened his arms and said in a heart quickening voice, "Oh, Rosalinde, my beloved wife! Oh Edmund and Blanda, my cherished children!"

The lady was suddenly frozen in shock. The children looked to their mother for help as the pilgrim started crying. But when they heard him call their names they looked around and scarcely believed what they saw. Their mother had told them a legend about an old man who transformed into a handsome youth but who was actually an angel from heaven. Indeed this man was the most handsome man in all of Christendom. How delighted the lady was as she turned to her children and told them that this handsome man was their father. Father, mother and children were so happy they thought they were in heaven. Several hours passed as thought they were merely minutes.

From what he told her Rosalind learned that her husband had ridden under heavy cover to retrieve her as quickly as possible. He had left his retinue behind and donned the pilgrim costume, which he had used to his advantage in other situations where he didn't want to be recognized. He traveled on foot because that would be quicker in the steep and rocky terrain. In this disguise he believed he was guaranteed to find his wife and children unharmed while at the same time preparing them for his unmasking. Rosalinde asked him how he had found out where she was hiding.


"Rosalinde," he said. "Our reunion is the fruit of your beneficience towards the poor people, especially among the children in this valley. For this reason God gave your children back their father. Had it not been for your charitable nature we might not have found one another so soon, or maybe not at all! You were surrounded by our enemies and you could easily have fallen into their hands. It was only after my people came to the mountain that Hanno fled along with his retinue." Arno then showed her the colored egg with the verse, Trust in God, He helps in times of need. "See there," he said, "this egg was the tool in the hand of God which brought us back together. I had sent people out for a long time looking for you but the searches yielded nothing. Then Eckbert, a servant whom I thought was lost because he had been gone for so long, returned. He had fallen into a chasm and very well could have starved. A foreign young man saved him with a pair of eggs and then gave him this egg with the verse on it to commemorate his rescue. Eckbert showed me the egg and by heaven, I was astonished. At first glance I recognized your handwriting. We immediately mounted horses and rode to the marble bridge where the young man worked. He showed me the way here. If you hadn't had beautiful and kind thoughts and hosted the party with the colored eggs for the children, if you hadn't put so much thought into teaching a fine lesson and not written beautiful verses on the eggs, had my beloved children Edmund and Blanda not shown such kindness to that young man, then we might not have our happy day today. Each individual act of kindness, no matter how small, initiates a blessing from heaven as long as the act is done with a pure heart and without thought of compensation. Each act is a seedling which will bear fruit. Remember that your whole lives long, children! Gladly give to the poor and try to make someone else's life joyful, just as your mother has done! Show mercy and you will receive mercy. You will find joy in trusting God. The rock-hard truth of the verse written on this egg shell will be fulfilled. God will never abandon us into helplessness. You've seen that from our story. I will have this egg encased in gold and pearls so it will hang at the altar of our castle chapel in memorium."

Evening came and stars glittered in the cloudless sky. Count Arno walked with his wife to her cottage. Their two children ran alongside. A happy future lay before them. Arno's servant, Eckbert, and the servant's savior, Fridolin, were there talking to Kuno, whose health had been restored with the arrival of his beloved master. Fridolin, who had received the egg from the Countess, greeted her and the children in the most friendly manner as though they were the closest of friends. Then Eckbert, who had been saved from starvation by the colored eggs, came forward and said, "Allow me to kiss your hand, dear Countess. It was your generosity guided by the will of God which saved my life." The Count embraced Kuno and praised him as the most loyal of servants. He shook the hand of the noble miller, who stood there clean and dressed in his bright blue Sunday jacket. That night they all dined together and their hearts were filled with joy and contentment.

The next morning there was a great celebration throughout the valley. News concerning the arrival of the husband of the good lady, a truly good and noble man,


had set everything in motion. Adults and children came to see him. The tiny cottage was surrounded by people. The Count came out of the house with his wife and children, greeted the crowd in the warmest fashion, and thanked them all for their kindness to his family. "But we're not the benefactors," the people said with tears in their eyes. "She is our greatest benefactress!" The Count spent much time with the good people, speaking warmly with each and every one of them.

The Count's retinue had found its way to the valley with the help of the coal burners. Amid the blaring of trumpets many knights and squires traveled on horseback and on foot between two wooded mountain peaks and down into the valley. Their helmuts and lances glistened in the sun. All greeted their long lost lady and the sound of rejoicing echoed through the hills.

Count Arno remained a couple days. On the evening before he was set to depart with his wife, children, Kuno, and other retainers, he hosted a feast for the residents of the valley. Miller and coal burners sat among knights and squires and the table was festively set. At the end of the meal the Count richly rewarded his country guests, especially the miller. Martha remained in the service of the Countess. The Count amply provided for Fridolin's mother and siblings. Then he said to the coal burner's children, "In memory of my wife's stay among such good people, to you, my dear children, I will make a special endowment. Each year at Easter time all children will receive eggs of every color. The Countess added, "And I will introduce this practice throughout our lands. To commemorate my reinstatement each year all children will receive colored eggs at Easter time." And so the custom was established. The eggs became known as Easter eggs and the wonderful tradition spread throughout the entire country.


Imaging and translation by Susan Kriegbaum-Hanks