Once upon a time, every river bend, every mountain peak and every church tower had its own story to tell; adventurers and pitch-burners roam­ed the lands of Bohemia, and the forests were home to devils and goblins. Young Adalbert’s grandfather loved to spend quiet moments telling him tales of those days. Later in life, Stifter drew on this abundant spring to capture the landscape of his childhood in poetic images. Gather round and listen as grandpa begins, his voice hushed: “A very strange thing once happened in all these forests and all these villages…!”