This short story as written by me is a simplified adaption of ‘The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily’ (1795) by Johann Goethe.

Once upon a time, a Ferryman, who slept in his hut by the Great River, was awoken. Awoken in the night by two will-o’-wisps seeking eagerly to be taken across the river. Without a moment’s hesitation, the Ferryman pushed his boat into the river and began taking the two across. As they came to the other side, the two will-o’-wisps began to shake gold pieces from themselves, that fell haphazardly into the boat. “Stop!” Said the Ferryman. “What are you doing‽ Do you not know if a piece of gold fell into the Great River, the river would send up waves - a great tempest - and it would swallow up both me and my boat? Take back your gold at once, I do not accept it as payment.”

The will-o’-wisps then explained how they never took back anything that they gave.

“Be that as it may, the Ferryman of the Great River (that’s me!) only accepts as payment the fruits of the good earth! Everyone knows that! I cannot let you go until you promise to return to me with – with – let’s see - three cabbages, three artichokes, and three onions – three large onions!”

The will-o’-wisps agreed and departed into the night. The Ferryman then collected up the perilous gold coins in his cap. Once he was sure he hadn’t missed a single piece, he took them up to a high place and dropped them into a cleft in the rock. Deep in that cleft, the gold pieces fell, chinking as they went down, awakening, deep within the rock, a green Snake. The green Snake, to her great delight, discovered the gold coins and swallowed them up. Scarcely had she swallowed them, when she felt great delight flood her body. She could feel the metal within her melting, spreading joy throughout her body; her skin began to glow. She was emanating a bright light which allowed her to see all about her. So often she had to rely upon the feel of things, the sharp rocks, the pillars, and the polished marble about her in the depths of the earth, but now she could see, she could navigate. So, slithering down into the deep, she went exploring, and in no time at all, in a subterranean cavern, she discovered a grand Temple, shimmering with precious metals. A temple to the three which have rule on earth: wisdom, appearance, and strength.

The Ferryman was used to taking all sorts across the Great River - everyone who was seeking to pass from the land of the senses to the land of the spirit.

“Oh what does it matter!” Like this one for instance. “Oh woe is me!”

The Ferryman took him across just a couple of days ago, this sad looking prince.

“My heart aches for the one I love, the beautiful Lily of the garden; I can never be with her.”

He moaned liked this constantly. So much so, that when the Ferryman had taken him across the river, he didn’t even ask him for payment. He was glad to be rid of him.

“I am without hope!”

The Ferryman asked why he had returned with what looked like a basket of vegetables.

“Two will-o’-wisps bade me to do so. They stole my gold, and ordered me to come and pay you what they owed. Is this right - three cabbages, three artichokes, and three small onions?”

“Close enough”, explained the Ferryman, who then enquired as to why the prince had listened to them at all, especially after they had robbed him.

“Because what does it matter? That’s why. I am alone and I always will be alone.” You see, it was said that the Lily of the garden was the most beautiful, but it was also said that if one got to close to her, they would surely die.

“Must I walk up and down this river for evermore? No! I must be with her, and if die I must, then die I shall!” cried the prince, and with that, he left the Ferryman and made his way to the garden.

Sure enough, when the sad prince reached the garden, he made for the beautiful Lily, and just before he reached her, he collapsed and died. The Lily of the garden looked down at the prince full of sorrow, with despair in her heart. But from afar, the glowing Green Snake watched the whole scene unfold, for she had come forth from the Temple of the deep.

“The time is at hand”, the snake said as she went towards the garden, moved by compassion. When the snake was before the prince and the Lily, she took the hand of the prince and the hand of the Lily and placed them both on her scaly skin. The prince instantly sat upright, as all that energy and joy flowed out of the snake and into him. At that very moment the ground began to shake. As it did so, the prince and the Lily, hand in hand, along with the snake, made their way down to the Great River. As they arrived at the water’s edge, they all watched in astonishment as the shimmering Great Temple of the deep burst up out of the ground, the temple of wisdom, appearance, and strength. But as the snake saw the united couple and the temple, she knew wisdom, appearance, and strength were not enough; there was a fourth power that ruled the world, a fourth power which is older and more universal: the power of love.

With that thought the snake stretched herself across the river, and, sacrificing herself, created a bridge which for evermore united the land of the senses and the land of the spirit. United also in marriage were the prince and the Lily, who lived happily ever after. To this present hour the bridge is swarming with travellers, and the Temple is the most frequented on the whole Earth.

THE END

I did a talk on Rudolf Steiner analysis of the piece.