E l f r i e d e   H e r b
The Story of the Half Man

There was once a half man. Yes, actually a half man! Everything other folks have two of, he had but once, one eye and one ear. That would be all right, but he also had only one arm and one leg. Everything was, for the half man, terribly difficult-no matter what he wanted to undertake - and so the half man was very unhappy.

But one day he began to hope. He had heard about the Master of Fates, who lived in a village far away high up in a tree.

"Oh, I'll go there!"

And so the half man set off. It was unbelievably difficult, as you can imagine. But he absolutely wanted to go therel. He supported himself on a cane with his one arm, hopped and made his way, always a bit father along. So one day he reached the village, and there he found the tree.

There was a long ladder going up into the tree. He stood at the foot of the ladder and called out as loud as he could, "Master of Fates, hear me! Master of Fates, hear me! O Master of Fates, please listen to me."

The Master of Fates was just wrapping packages. - Packages of Fate for people. He had one of them in his hand when he came to the window.

"What do you want? Why are you screaming that way?"

"Oh, listen to me, Master of Fates. I am only a half man and everything that other people manage with the greatest ease is a big job for me. I don't want this any more. I don't want to be a half man any more. I beg you, please give me a better lott. S0 that O can be happy in life/"

The half man looked up beseechingly toward the window, but the Master of Fates thought it over for a long time. Then he looked at the brightly colored package that he had in his hand just at the moment, and asked:

"Do you want this one?"

"Oh yes, give me that one!"

So the Master of Fates tossed it down at the feet of the half man. He picked it up, bowed, expressed his thanks and made off toward home. And when he finally got there he tore off the paper, opened the package impatiently, so that he could finally see what was in it. He looked inside……."Oh…….!"

"It's a half man again! No, I won't take it! It must be a mistake! I asked the Master of Fates for a better lot in life…No, I won't keep it!"

So he set off again on the long way. He reached the distant village again, stood at the bottom of the tree, and again cried out impatiently:

"Master of Fates, hear me! Master of Fates, hear me!" Yes, he was even a bit furious.

"Listen to me, Master of Fates!"

The Master of Fates came to the window.

"There you are again. What do you want? Aren't you satisfied?"

"No, I'm not satisfied! I asked you for something different, for an easier lot, but this, this is again a half man. Oh, please! Give me a better lot. I don't want to be a half man, I beg you!"

"Come up here!"

"Oh, I may come up!"

The half man had a lot of trouble with his one leg and one arm, but he managed it. When he got up there and looked in the window, he was astonished. He had never seen anything like that! It was a big hall filled with little packages - packages of fate for people. They were all artistically wrapped and beautifully colored. Oh, they were lovely to behold!

"Come in here… choose!"

The half man was astonished. "I may choose!"

He hopped from one little package to the next and he held them up…Oh, this one was gorgeously wrapped, but it was so heavy; he could never have carried it home. And another one was so light, he didn't want that one either. And so he tried them, raised them up, put them down, and then! Then he found one that felt so good in his had. It was exactly what he wanted. He would be able to carry it home.

He looked at the Master of Fates and said, "May I take this one?"

"Go right ahead! It's your choice!"

As quickly as he could the half man hurried past the Master of Fates, thanked him, went down the ladder and made his way toward home. It was arduous, but he had never before gone so quickly.

And when he got home, he tucked the little package between his leg and the table, pulled the paper off and looked inside…What could be inside?

And he looked in…

Oh, I believe we already know….It was a half man again!

For a long time the half man said nothing. Motionless, he stood there like a statue on his one leg, breathing heavily….Then he said, "But that's a half man again! And I chose it myself! I can't take it back to the Master of Fates! No, I chose it myself; it's not his fault. I can blame no one else for it. Am I perhaps destined to be a half man? Alas, then I suppose I must accept this little package!"

There was silence; a while passed. Then the half man cried with a loud voice, "Yes, I'll take it!"

And he repeated it: "I'll take it!"

And behold: When he said that something happened to the half man. He was still a half man, there was no doubt about that, but it was as if a burden had fallen from his shoulders…He suddenly felt so light! The half man had never experienced anything like it. It was as if something had entered him….It must be joy! The half man was happy! It was a miracle!

Then the half man decided to tell everyone who crossed his path. In this way the story finally reached me. And since the half man wanted to much to share his good fortune with others, I've passed it on to you.

From the German magazine Gralswelt
Translated by Esther E. Hanson