Klein Zaches, genannt Zinnober: Ein Märchen
In der Tat blieb auch der Verlust…
In der Tat blieb auch der Verlust unersetzlich; denn niemals fand sich wieder ein Minister, dem der Orden des grüngefleckten Tigers mit zwanzig Knöpfen so an den Leib gepaßt haben sollte, wie dem verewigten unvergeßlichen Zinnober.
Letztes Kapitel
Wehmütige Bitten des Autors. - Wie der Professor Mosch Terpin sich beruhigte und Candida niemals verdrießlich werden konnte. - Wie ein Goldkäfer dem Doktor Prosper Alpanus etwas ins Ohr summte, dieser Abschied nahm und Balthasar eine glückliche Ehe führte.
Es ist nun an dem, daß der, der für dich, geliebter Leser, diese Blätter aufschreibt, von dir scheiden will, und dabei überfällt ihn Wehmut und Bangen. -Noch vieles, vieles wüßte er von den merkwürdigen Taten des kleinen Zinnober, und er hätte, wie er denn nun überhaupt zu der Geschichte aus dem Innern heraus unwiderstehlich angeregt wurde, wahre Lust daran gehabt, dir, o mein Leser, noch das alles zu erzählen. Doch! - rückblickend auf alle Ereignisse, wie sie in den neun Kapiteln vorgekommen, fühlt er wohl, daß darin schon so viel Wunderliches, Tolles, der nüchternen Vernunft Widerstrebendes enthalten, daß er, noch mehr dergleichen anhäufend, Gefahr laufen müßte, es mit dir, geliebter Leser, deine Nachsicht mißbrauchend, ganz und gar zu verderben. Er bittet dich in jener Wehmut, in jenem Bangen, das plötzlich seine Brust beengte, als er die Worte: "Letztes Kapitel" schrieb, du mögest mit recht heitrem, unbefangenem Gemüt es dir gefallen lassen, die seltsamen Gestaltungen zu betrachten, ja sich mit ihnen zu befreunden, die der Dichter der Eingebung des spukhaften Geistes, Phantasus geheißen, verdankt, und dessen bizarrem, launischem Wesen er sich vielleicht zu sehr überließ. - Schmolle deshalb nicht mit beiden, mit dem Dichter und mit dem launischen Geiste! - Hast du, geliebter Leser, hin und wieder über manches recht im Innern gelächelt, so warst du in der Stimmung, wie sie der Schreiber dieser Blätter wünschte, und dann, so glaubt er, wirst du ihm wohl vieles zugute halten! -
Eigentlich hätte die Geschichte mit dem tragischen Tode des kleinen Zinnober schließen können. Doch ist es nicht anmutiger, wenn statt eines traurigen Leichenbegängnisses eine fröhliche Hochzeit am Ende steht?
So werde denn noch kürzlich der holden Candida und des glücklichen Balthasars gedacht. -
Der Professor Mosch Terpin war sonst ein aufgeklärter, welterfahrner Mann, der dem weisen Spruch: Nil admirari gemäß sich seit vielen, vielen Jahren über nichts in der Welt zu verwundern pflegte. Aber jetzt geschah es, daß er, all seine Weisheit aufgebend, sich immer fort und fort verwundern mußte, so daß er zuletzt klagte, wie er nicht mehr wisse, ob er wirklich der Professor Mosch Terpin sei, der ehemals die natürlichen Angelegenheiten im Staate dirigiert, und ob er noch wirklich, Kopf in die Höhe, auf seinen lieben Füßen einherspaziere.
Zuerst verwunderte er sich, als Balthasar ihm den Doktor Prosper Alpanus als seinen Oheim vorstellte und dieser ihm die Schenkungsurkunde vorwies, vermöge der Balthasar Besitzer des eine Stunde von Kerepes entfernten Landhauses nebst Waldung, Äcker und Wiesen wurde; als er in dem Inventario, kaum seinen Augen trauend, köstliche Gerätschaften, ja Gold- und Silberbarren erwähnt gewahrte, deren Wert den Reichtum der fürstlichen Schatzkammer bei weitem überstieg. Dann verwunderte er sich, als er den prächtigen Sarg, in dem Zinnober lag, durch Balthasars Lorgnette anschaute, und es ihm auf einmal war, als habe es nie einen Minister Zinnober, sondern nur einen kleinen ungeschlachten, ungebärdigen Knirps gegeben, den man fälschlicherweise für einen verständigen, weisen Minister Zinnober gehalten.
Bis auf den höchsten Grad stieg aber Mosch Terpins Verwunderung, als Prosper Alpanus ihn im Landhause umherführte, ihm seine Bibliothek und andere sehr wunderbare Dinge zeigte, ja selbst einige sehr anmutige Experimente machte mit seltsamen Pflanzen und Tieren.
Dem Professor ging der Gedanke auf, es sei wohl mit seinem Naturforschen ganz und gar nichts, und er säße in einer herrlichen bunten Zauberwelt wie in einem Ei eingeschlossen. Dieser Gedanke beunruhigte ihn so sehr, daß er zuletzt klagte und weinte wie ein Kind. Balthasar führte ihn sofort in den geräumigen Weinkeller, in dem er glänzende Fässer und blinkende Flaschen erblickte. Besser als in dem fürstlichen Weinkeller, meinte Balthasar, könne er hier studieren und in dem schönen Park die Natur hinlänglich erforschen.
Hierauf beruhigte sich der Professor.
Balthasars Hochzeit wurde auf dem Landhause gefeiert. Er - die Freunde Fabian- Pulcher - alle erstaunten über Candidas hohe Schönheit, über den zauberischen Reiz, der in ihrem Anzuge, in ihrem ganzen Wesen lag. - Es war auch wirklich ein Zauber, der sie umfloß, denn die Fee Rosabelverde, die, allen Groll vergessend, der Hochzeit als Stiftsfräulein von Rosenschön beiwohnte, hatte sie selbst gekleidet und mit den schönsten, herrlichsten Rosen geschmückt. Nun weiß man aber wohl, daß der Anzug gut stehen muß, wenn eine Fee dabei Hand anlegt. Außerdem hatte Rosabelverde der holden Braut einen prächtig funkelnden Halsschmuck verehrt, der eine magische Wirkung dahin äußerte, daß sie, hatte sie ihn umgetan, niemals über Kleinigkeiten, über ein schlecht genesteltes Band, über einen mißratenen Haarschmuck, über einen Fleck in der Wäsche oder sonst verdrießlich werden konnte. Diese Eigenschaft, die ihr der Halsschmuck gab, verbreitete eine besondere Anmut und Heiterkeit auf ihrem ganzen Antlitz.
Das Brautpaar stand im höchsten Himmel der Wonne, und - so herrlich wirkte der geheime weise Zauber Alpans - hatte doch noch Blick und Wort für die Herzensfreunde, welche versammelt. Prosper Alpanus und Rosabelverde, beide sorgten dafür, daß die schönsten Wunder den Hochzeitstag verherrlichten. Überall tönten aus Büschen und Bäumen süße Liebeslaute, während sich schimmernde Tafeln erhoben mit den herrlichsten Speisen, mit Kristallflaschen belastet, aus denen der edelste Wein strömte, welcher Lebensglut durch alle Adern der Gäste goß.
Die Nacht war eingebrochen, da spannen sich feuerflammende Regenbogen über den ganzen Park, und man sah schimmernde Vögel und Insekten, die sich auf und ab schwangen, und wenn sie die Flügel schüttelten, stäubten Millionen Funken hervor, die in ewigem Wechsel allerlei holde Gestalten bildeten, welche in der Luft tanzten und gaukelten und im Gebüsch verschwanden. Und dabei tönte stärker die Musik des Waldes, und der Nachtwind strich daher, geheimnisvoll säuselnd und süße Düfte aushauchend.
Balthasar, Candida, die Freunde erkannten den mächtigen Zauber Alpans, aber Mosch Terpin, halb berauscht, lachte laut und meinte, hinter allem stecke niemand anders, als der Teufelskerl, der Operndekorateur und Feuerwerker des Fürsten.
Schneidende Glockentöne erhallten. Ein glänzender Goldkäfer schwang sich herab, setzte sich auf Prosper Alpanus' Schulter und schien ihm leise etwas ins Ohr zu sumsen.
Prosper Alpanus erhob sich von seinem Sitz und sprach ernst und feierlich: "Geliebter Balthasar - holde Candida - meine Freunde! - Es ist nun an der Zeit -Lothos ruft - ich muß scheiden." -
Darauf nahte er sich dem Brautpaar und sprach leise mit ihnen. Beide, Balthasar und Candida, waren sehr gerührt, Prosper schien ihnen allerlei gute Lehren zu geben, er umarmte beide mit Inbrunst.
Dann wandte er sich an das Fräulein von Rosenschön und sprach ebenfalls leise mit ihr - wahrscheinlich gab sie ihm Aufträge in Zauber- und Feen-Angelegenheiten, die er willig übernahm.
Indessen hatte sich ein kleiner kristallner Wagen, mit zwei schimmernden Libellen bespannt, die der Silberfasan führte, aus den Lüften hinabgesenkt.
"Lebt wohl - lebt wohl!" rief Prosper Alpanus, stieg in den Wagen und schwebte empor über die flammenden Regenbogen hinweg, bis sein Fuhrwerk zuletzt in den höchsten Lüften erschien wie ein kleiner funkelnder Stern, der sich endlich hinter den Wolken verbarg.
"Schöne Mongolfiere," schnarchte Mosch Terpin und versank, von der Kraft des Weines übermannt, in tiefen Schlaf.
- Balthasar, der Lehren des Prosper Alpanus eingedenk, den Besitz des wunderbaren Landhauses wohl nutzend, wurde in der Tat ein guter Dichter, und da die übrigen Eigenschaften, die Prosper rücksichts der holden Candida an dem Besitztum gerühmt, sich ganz und gar bewährten, Candida auch niemals den Halsschmuck, den ihr das Stiftsfräulein von Rosenschön als Hochzeitsgabe beschert, ablegte, so konnt' es nicht fehlen, daß Balthasar die glücklichste Ehe in aller Wonne und Herrlichkeit führte, wie sie nur jemals ein Dichter mit einer hübschen jungen Frau geführt haben mag -
So hat aber das Märchen von Klein Zaches genannt Zinnober nun wirklich ganz und gar ein fröhliches
Ende.
Sie haben Klein Zaches, genannt Zinnober: Ein Märchen zu Ende gelesen
E. T. A. Hoffmann
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