Again ice ing do of violets rose from under tten leaves. Goldmund iable eyes drank in ts, tains, to farm, from village to village, from o  self over and over, all t o knourned, and yet different eacime: tony roads, sleeping in t, strolls trailing after bands of young girls coming urning over t sumn, t angry frosts—everyt his eyes.

    Muc already ligain ridge  ; it gladdened ations, desires, and . For several days  o to it. No came as a surprise and  visual impression confirmed and strengtations. trunks and softly s s t , and solitude, ed farm ime. Do beautiful and famous roads in tiful land lay ts sailed to beautiful villages, castles, cloisters, and prosperous to road for days and  fear t it er out in a forest or in  pato it.

    t evening o a beautiful village, ty ed red; tranceone steps. A forge treet;  in every alley and corner, sniffed at cellar doors for ter; ed cery and did not forget to look for a good barn for t. But first ed to try  ts  asked ions and Goldmund told ory of ions. tion and spent tion over good food and  day inued s float by; s, and some of tretcoing bulbs; young girls sang in treets in the evening.

    A young servant girl in a mill pleased  tried to get to kno o  tay t ers feed and comb t and a ride in excravelers did er ter so muc  s  to ty, the highway became.

    In one village ook an evening stroll along trees already in leaf. ter ran quietly, mig sigs of trees; ting ligrees. ting t  doo ale; old  t and ted tle, made tle, and sted  at t point ted tting beside  s. Goldmund y defending  finally  tco Goldmund did not trust truce;  and , t silver remely content, glad of rong legs, until te dust from  tired, lay do tree, and fell asleep. It ickling; a peasant girl anding t ickling ip of a cumbled to . ito eaco a sable. togetill ly found in treet, and to leave her.

    t evening er in a cloister, and t morning  to mass. A t; tone air of t movingly familiar. After mass, rangely moved;  nig to unburden , to c  moved  to confess and purify o be admitted, but most  burdened by tor, ors neck and back. Oo confession! t of o o do a stiff penance for t  sened calmly. Earnest and friendly,  speaking of damnation.

    Relieved, Goldmund stood up, prayed in front of tar as t to leave t; in a side catue t spoke to rongly and attracted  urned to  it ion. It ely, gently sretc a delicate, girlisiful, so deeply permeated  t Goldmund t  any t seemed to  anding t en seen in dreams and inklings, someten o go; again and again tatue drew him back.

    urned to leave, tanding behind him.

    quot;Do you find iful?quot; one.

    quot;Inexpressibly beautiful,quot; said Goldmund.

    quot;ts ; said t. quot;Ot t soo modern and  true and exaggerated. t deal of controversy about it. So you like ion from a benefactor of our order. Ser Niklaus.quot;

    quot;Master Niklaus? ell me about  a magnificent, blessed man .quot;

    quot;I dont knoation as an artist. Artists usually are no saints,  eit ainly is a gifted, imes …quot;

    quot;O does ;

    quot;You seem completely fascinated o see ;

    Goldmund tly. time Goldmund stood before terious statue,  it made  ache.

    t carried ely c moment in front of t saintly  possessed before, someten mocked or envied in ot; perence o eps. tiful  it ive playground, a cozy place to be. No  led to ty, to ter. Impatiently oy gates, entered , icing tle in treets, ts on ts and carriages. Neits nor carriages, city nor bistered to  person  ed w know wer Niklaus was.

    o a square surrounded by stately ed or decorated ood t in robust, laug  as beautiful as tatue in ter c it  its calves and sticking its bearded co t Goldmund t t er. o t doors, climbed stairs; finally o a squire in a fur-trimmed velvet coat and asked  find Master Niklaus.  did  from urn. Goldmund y o say merely t old reet on ime Goldmund   ood outside ters  t ran up to t it e, y and dusty from tered ience and ed. For a long time ood outside t go on in a  as  to leave, ep to tiful blond girl le s flohe back.

    t morning, after ty er , slapped t from o ters street and knocked at t appeared o lead o ter, but o soften tance, and finally so a small  anding t: a bearded, tall man of forty or fifty, Goldmund t. ranger ly w ings.

    quot;Is t all?quot;

    quot;Master,quot; Goldmund said ed breat;I saer t give me suc love and veneration  me to you. I am not a fearful man, I , sno I am afraid of you. I ic desire, o t of pain.quot;

    quot;And ?quot;

    quot;to become your apprentice and learn ;

    quot;You are not to  I dont like apprentices, and I already ants. s?quot;

    quot;I s, I come from no in a cloister, il today.quot;

    quot;And ried anyt;

    quot;Ive made many dra I no longer  let me tell you . I  deal of t about ts ormented me and given me no peace. It ruck me ain sain line recurs in a persons structure, o to t corresponds to ture and temperament of t knee, t s fore. And anotruck me: one nigo  for a est pain and t intense ecstasy  t;

    ter gave tranger a piercing look. quot;Do you kno;

    quot;Yes, Master, it is trut  precisely t I found expressed in your madonna, to my utter deligernation, t is e face, and at time all t, a fire s ts and dreams seemed confirmed. Suddenly tely er Niklaus, I beg you , let me learn ;

    Niklaus ened attentively,  making a friendlier face.

    quot;Young man,quot; ;you kno art, and it puzzles me t, young as you are, you o say about ecstasy and pain. Id gladly c  t look: to speak pleasantly and intelligently  toget conversation.  a man may  up and kno count  s. You seem to mean  simply send you on your  all. Did you ever s;

    Goldmund found  ood up and groo giants. But  mention it and said t ried.

    quot;Good. Youll draable; youll find paper and c doake your time, you can stay till noon or evening. Per ell me alked enoug;

    Goldmund sat in ted to  of table. o accomplisask. First , ing and silent like an appreudent. ity and love ared toer, o  a small clay figure. Attentively udied tern, already sliged artisans  t, soberer, muc and - in t rated on , Goldmund minutely took in ters entire figure. t, mig earnest searced o a task t many predecessors  o enacious, long-lived never-ending ion of t and dedication of many generations. At least t Goldmund read from ters  patience, years of study and t modesty, and an aaking, but also faitradiction bet extremely sensitive fingers into treated treat tress: lovingly, enderly sion, greedy but  distinguisaking and giving, filled  also y, masterful and sure as t experience. Goldmund ced admiration. o draer,  not been for tradiction between face and hands which paralyzed him.

    For about an ceadily ist, full of searcs about t of to form inside o become visible in front of  of all,  flaradiction, alt too bore many lines and recalled many struggles. It  greangible, became an entity, a iful controlled moutigo tly sad eyes; ted  for spirituality; te, distinguis since ure from ter ely hin him.

    As t eager, Goldmund cautiously began to draly over t lived in ;  ter,  ice t sloer looking over at imes. Like a sacrificial ritual ask t   o gat t lived in oday. it t,  , situde.

    Niklaus stepped up to table and said: quot;Its noon. Im going to eat; you can come along. Lets see—did you dra;

    epped be t. took t in  of  ter ation. ter stood,  it very carefully ern light-blue eyes.

    quot;; er a while.

    quot;My friend, a young monk and sc;

    quot;Fine. as. My assistants arent side ty.quot;

    Obediently Goldmund  out, found tyard and to knoers ts. er oo iful clot instead of t of stairs—t banister posts—lined atues, into a beautiful room able  iful girl of the evening before.

    quot;Lisbet; ter said, quot;bring anote. Ive broug.  even kno;

    Goldmund said his name.

    quot;Goldmund t;

    quot;In a minute, Fat;

    Sce, ran out and soon returned ils and   in silence, ate a little and felt very ill at ease and apprely, a stately, beautiful figure, almost as tall as  s, ely inaccessible as t speak to tranger, or look at him.

    ing, ter said: quot;Ill rest for o troll around a bit outside. Afteralk.quot;

    Goldmund bo. It er  said a  it. No anot it; ed.  go into t  to see  noo tyard, sat docer trickling endlessly from to tone disiny  fell, altle air do,  t er er days, or Lydias Goldmund, or even ts.  t  all men, trickled aly, until tist-created images remained unche same.

    t fear of deat of all art, per lifes instability, o see t again and again, and ts  oo, are transitory and s create pictures and te ts, it is in order to salvage somet dance of deato make somet lasts longer ter ed or dead, and soon oo,  at able—but ill be standing a  er ciful, forever smiling h.

    er come doairs and ran into ter Niklaus imes  Goldmunds dra ant, dry manner: quot;It is customary for an apprentice to study at least four years, and for o pay for tices;  ter   pay ning,   titc up. Niklaus c laughe coin.

    quot;A ?quot; ;No, young man, you keep your gold piece. Listen noold you omarily deals ices. But I am no ordinary master, nor are you an ordinary apprentice. Usually an apprentice begins ices teen or fourteen, fifteen at test, and  running errands and playing t. But you are a groo your age, you could long er even. Our guild ice. Besides, as I told you before, I dont like to keep an apprentice in my s .quot;

    Goldmunds impatience  its peak. Every neful er put enter all seemed disgustingly boring and pedantic to ly ;ell me all t  to make me your apprentice?quot;

    Firmly ter continued: quot;I  about your request for an  ience to listen to me. I  s, but it is beautiful. If it  beautiful, I ten about you. t is all I  to ist; per is your destiny. But youre too old to become an apprentice. And only an apprentice er in our guild. Noions. But you so give it a try. If you can maintain yourself in ty for a ion, no contract, you can leave again ry your skill at ot satisfy you?quot;

    Ashamed and moved, Goldmund had heard his words.

    quot;I t,quot; ;I am o keep alive in ty as and t you dont y for me as for a young apprentice. I consider it a great fortune to be alloo learn from you. I ttom of my  for doing t;