Tamino

Therefore I praise thee, Herman, that thou, with an honest assurance, shouldst in these sorrowful days be thinking thyself of a maiden, and amid ruins and war shouldst thus have the courage to woo her.

straightway then and with warmth the father replied to her saying worthy of praise is the feeling and truthful also the story mother that thou hast related for so indeed everything happened better however is better it is not the business of all men thus their life and estate to begin from the very foundation every one needs not to worry himself as we and the rest did oh how happy is he whose father and mother shall give him furnished and ready a house which he can adorn with his inquiries every beginning is hard but most the beginning a household many are human wants and every thing daily goes dearer so that a man must consider the means of increasing his earnings this i hope therefore of thee my herman that into our dwelling thou wilt be bringing ere long a bride who is handsomely dowered for it is meet that a gallant young man have an opulent maiden great is the comfort of home whene'er with the woman elected enter the useful presents besides in box and in basket not for many a year in vain has the mother been busy making her daughter's linens of strong and delicate texture godparents have not in vain been giving their vessels of silver and the father laid by in his desk the rare pieces of money for there a day will come when she with her gifts and possessions shall that youth rejoice who has chosen her out of all others well do i know how good in a house is a woman's position who her own furniture round her knows in kitchen and chamber who herself the bed and herself the table has covered only a well-dowered bride should i like to receive to my dwelling she who is poor is sure in the end to be scorned by her husband and will a servant be held who as servant came in with her bundle men will remain unjust when the season of love is gone over yes my hermann thy father's old age thou greatly canst gladden if thou a daughter-in-law wilt speedily bring to my dwelling out of the neighbourhood here from the house over yonder the green one rich is the man i can tell thee his manufactures and traffic daily are making him richer for whence draws the merchant not profit three daughters only he has to divide his fortune among them through that the eldest already is taken but there is the second still to be had as well as the third and not long so it may be i would never have lingered till now had i been in thy place but had fetched one of the maidens as at once i bore of thy dear mother modestly then did the son to the urgent father answer truly twas my wish too as well as thine own to have chosen one of our neighbour's daughters for we had been brought up together played in the early days about the market-place fountain and from the other boys rudeness i often have been their defender that though is long since past the girls as they grew to be older properly stayed in the house and shunned the more boisterous pastimes well brought up are they surely i used sometimes to go over partly to gratify thee and because of our former acquaintance but no pleasure i ever could take in being among them for i was always obliged to endure their censures upon me quite too long was my coat the cloth too coarse and the colour quite too common my hair was not cropped as it should be and frizzled i was resolved at last that i also would dress myself finely just as those office-boys do who always are seen there on sundays wearing in summer their half-silken flaps that dangled about them but i discovered betimes they made ever a laughing-stock of me and i was vexed when i saw it it wounded my pride but more deeply felt i aggrieved that they bore the good-will should so far misinterpret that in my heart i bore them especially minna the youngest it was on easter day that last i went over to see them wearing my best new coat that is now hanging up in the closet and having frizzled my hair like that of the other young fellows soon as i entered they tittered but that not at me as i fancied minna before the piano was seated the father was present hearing his daughters sing and full of delight and good humour much i could not understand of all that was said in the singing, but of Pamina I often heard, and oft of Tamino.

And I, besides, could not stay there dumb, so as soon as she ended, something about the words I asked, and about the two persons.

Thereupon all were silent and smiled, but the father made answer, Thou knowest no one, my friend, I believe, but Adam and Eve.

Minna before the piano was seated; the father was present, hearing his daughter sing, and full of delight and good humor.

Much I could not understand of all that was said in the singing, but of Pamina I often heard, and oft of Tamino.

And I, besides, could not stay there dumb, so as soon as she ended, something about the words I asked, and about the two persons.

Thereupon all were silent and smiled, but the father made answer, "Thou knowest no one, my friend, I believe, but Adam and Eve." No one restrained himself longer, but loud laughed out then the maidens, loud laughed out the boys; the old man held his sides for his laughing.

Back to the house here I hurried, overcome with shame and vexation, hung up my coat in the closet, and pulled out the curls with my fingers, swearing that never again my foot should cross over that threshold.

And I was perfectly right, for vain are the maidens, and heartless.

E'en to this day, as I hear, I'm called by them Tamino.

Thereupon answered the mother, and said, "Thou shouldest not, Herman, be so long vexed with the children; indeed they are all of them children.