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    Outside trance of ter,  tree stood close to t  cnut, urdy trunk and a full round cro sly in t from Italy many years earlier by a monk  ed until all trees  trees ing its o leaves; test nig drove te s exotic blossoms out tufts of leaves, filling t fragrance. In October, after ts, tumn s out of trees burniser students iful treetop—secret kin to tals slender sandstone columns and tone ornaments of ts and pillars, loved by tins—ser entrance, a conspicuous outsider in tives.

    Generations of cloister boys passed beneatree, carrying ting tablets, cting, laug or so t beteets. t most of tayed for life, becoming novices and monks; t and cincture, read books, tauger finisudies aken s to castles, or to mercs and artisans  out into ts or ts. turned to ter occasionally as grotle sons to be taugs, stood for a nut tree, ter, bets and trim double columns of red stone, eacration, ruling; many kinds of arts and sciences—tion to anotten and annotated, systems invented, ancient scrolls collected, need, tered, ty smiled upon. Erudition and piety, simplicity and cunning, testaments and te and black magic—a little of eacation and repentance, for gregariousness and terest y of t abbot or tendency of t times ters reputation for exorcism and demon-detecting tract visitors; at otimes ter s fine music, or for a o ag-liver pies served in tory. And among ting or fat, en.

    Even noer of Mariabronn s midst to tories, c Daniel and Brotter ly entered on iate, s, been appointed a teac all tradition. t and tanding in ty and cimes slandered.

    Most brot for y, and y. Only trifle condescending in tion for liness, Abbot Daniel  in  and soever.

    tted t ts simplicity  Greek, impeccable manners, quietly penetrating tiful, slined lips. traordinary Greek; almost all ty and refinement. Many quite simply loved  tably ted reme reserve, self-control, and exquisite manners.

    Abbot and novice, eace and ruled and suffered in  closer and more drao eaco anyone else in ter, yet neito t at ease in t treated test solicitude,  ive, pered ts every order, counsel, and good  equanimity, never argued or sulked, and if t er at concealing it. to be said against  and no one c, apart from tinction surrounded .

    Once, after confession, t said to ;Narcissus, I admit t I am guilty of en I , and perice. You are very muc no friends. I ime to time, but I en do. But you never misbe you a little, Narcissus.quot;

    t.

    quot;I o le fat may  I am arrogant. If so, I beg you to punisimes I feel an urge to puniso a age, fat;

    quot;You are too young for eit; said t. quot;Besides, you are eminently gifted in speec. to assign you loalents. In all probability you eac not your own wis;

    quot;Forgive me, fat certain udy,  be ot I do not believe t my life ed to study. A mans ermine iny, ermining, factors.quot;

    t listened gravely. Still, a smile played about ;Insofar as I o knoendency, especially ion. But tell me, since you believe t you iny, tell me ined for?quot;

    Narcissus let il t answer.

    quot;Speak, my son,quot; t ordered after mucing.

    In a lole fat I am destined above all else for cloister life. I believe t I s, a prior, per. I do not believe t t, I do not wis;

    Bot for a long time.

    quot; gives you t; tantly. quot; talent is t expresses itself in t;

    quot;It is a capacity to sense ters and destiny of people,quot; Narcissus said slo;not only my oiny, but t of ot obliges me to serve ot born for cloister life, I so become a judge or a statesman.quot;

    quot;Per; nodded t. quot;ested your capacity to recognize peoples cers and destinies? ;

    quot;I ;

    quot;Are you o give me an example?quot;

    quot;I am.quot;

    quot;Very  o ts of our brot t perell me  me, your Abbot Daniel.quot;

    Narcissus raised  in the eye.

    quot;Is t an order, gentle fat;

    quot;An order.quot;

    quot;I find it difficult to speak, fat;

    quot;And I, my young brot difficult to force you to speak. And yet I do. Speak.quot;

    Narcissus botle of you, gentle fat you are a servant of God age and listen to peasants confessions ter. I kno you  most of your prayers are addressed to  Greek and similar subjects t are studied in ter do not lead to confusion and danger. Occasionally you pray for continued patience imes you pray for a gentle end. And I t your prayer le.quot;

    It ill in ts small office. At last the old man spoke.

    quot;You are a romantic and you ; said tleman in a friendly voice. quot;But even pious, friendly visions may trick us; do not rely on tic brot I t tter in my ?quot;

    quot;Fat you s about it. You are tly in danger. ates too muc  I s is ;

    t rose and smiled. o to take his leave.

    quot;All rig; ;Do not take your visions altogetoo seriously, my young brot us assume t you tered an old man by promising  us assume t, for an instant, to  is sufficient for noomorroer early mass. You  ion, not superficially. And I s;

    On anot Daniel o settle a disagreement bet of teac of teacely urged troduction of certain cified ts; but out of a kind of jealousy Fato il Narcissus, ;ell, Narcissus, let us put an end to t yours. You are not my colleague, you are my assistant, you must do as I say. But since tter seems so important to you and since I am your superior only by rank and not by knoalent, I  take t tter to our fat and let ;

    t Daniel listened le patience as t tions of teaching of grammar.

    After eacated  of vie, t tly, and said: quot;My dear brot I knoers as you do. I commend Narcissus for erest in to  to improve teac opinion, Narcissus must be silent and obey, because no improvement of test disturbance of order and obedience in t kno t is t cure for pride.quot; it  during t fe to keep an eye on teaco see if ored.

    And t  a neer  pass unremarked and unremembered. An adolescent, previously enrolled by o study at ter scetnut tree; ter came out to meet them.

    t tree still bare er. quot;Ive never seen a tree like t,quot; ; a strange, beautiful tree. I  is called.quot;

    tleman ly pinctention to ion. But ter, old rees name. t ;I am Goldmund, Ill be going to sc; ter smiled and led tal and up tone steps, and Goldmund entered ter   tree and ter.

    Fat by t  imes troduced ed to stay for a er. But ed only for a nig o ride back t day. er as a gift, and it ed. ion eous and cool; but bot and priest looked fully silent Goldmund. taken an immediate liking to te, good-looking boy. it regret, t t to keep taken to see teacudents dormitory. Sad-faced and respectful, o ood gazing after il e of ters outer ear urned a ter o give  on the shoulder.

    quot;Young master,quot; ;dont be sad. Most everyone is a little  first, for ers. But youll see: life isnt bad  bad at all.quot;

    quot;ter,quot; said t;I ers, and no mot;

    quot;Youll find sces o make up for o me.quot;

    Goldmund smiled at ;t beo say o ;

    ter led o table beside talls Goldmund found ttle broer. retco tenderly, and ;ill? ill remember our tle  youve stayed, Ill come to see you often.quot; From t  into small pieces, and fed it to ter across a courtyard as place of a large city, srees. At te er and s o terday, laugtle, bluser to take er o do. ered tting on bencant teacurned his head.

    quot;I am Goldmund,quot; ;t;

    Narcissus nodded to  a smile, indicated a seat on t on he lesson.

    Goldmund sat doeaced to find teacern, yet so cer o  ion. Not far aable le bit of eacrolled, matter-of-fact yet compelling voice. ened gratefully, alt at first understanding t of to feel o seek t morning ill tired from to tle. But noeacook pleasure in traig iring voice.

    But arted and realized a little s e some time. And  to realize it; ticed too and passed it on in  him from all sides.

    quot;; asked one of th a grin.

    quot;A fine sc; jeered anot;o be a true pillar of t lesson!quot;

    quot;Lets put to bed,quot; proposed anoto carry er.

    Goldmund artled; it made ruck out at tried to free  puncimes, and o till . o be standing nearest, and  fistfigrong; everyone c eagerly. ood es before  suddenly ttered and ered and faced till standing on t, alone. Astonis t of a flus scarred face.

    quot; o you?quot; Fatin asked quot;Arent you Goldmund? ;

    quot;O; said t;I got even ;

    quot;it;

    quot;I dont kno kno. One of t ;

    quot;art it?quot;

    quot;Im not sure. No, I guess I started it myself. teasing me and I got angry.quot;

    quot;An auspicious beginning, my boy. Noen to me. If I catcing in to supper!quot;

    itcrying to smootousled blond h his fingers as he ran.

    Goldmund t t  act in ter edly, es at table. But t.  moment on  t o the school.