The troglodytine

The Troglodytin (1887) is a novella by Ferdinand von Saar .

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"Yes, it has been a while since I saw the story," said the forester Pernett, pensively stroking his grayed beard, "and yet the memory of it strikes me in a very peculiar way. But do you hear: "

Summary of the internal story: The young assistant to a forester, Pernett, works for a count in Moravia. He particularly noticed the decrepit Kratochwil family, who lived outside the village in a self-made hut. For this reason they are called the "troglodytes". Maruschka, like the whole family without employment, begins to pursue the young adjunct in the forest and arouses conflicting feelings in him: on the one hand, she is annoying and provokes his anger, on the other hand, he is confused by her charms. To keep her away from the forest, he persuades her to work as a day laborer. But she can only be found in the field for a few days. Shortly afterwards, when Pernett Maruschka surprises while bathing in a lonely pond, he gets into a serious crisis. But he manages to forget the girl. One day a Heger reveals to his parents the relationship between Maruschka and the mayor's son, which has now been tense. Then his house burns down. The girl cannot be proven, but at the instigation of the mayor she is sentenced to one year of forced labor for vagrancy. The mayor's son goes to the war of 1866 and never returns. As soon as Maruschka is free, she sets fire to the mayor's house. Pernett surprises her as she watches the fire. Completely drunk, she confesses her hatred of everyone who brought her to the "workhouse". She escapes into the forest and cannot be found until her body is discovered after six months.