E. T. A. Hoffmann
German
The story follows the student Anselmus, who has a series of unfortunate encounters. On Ascension Day, he bumps into an old woman selling apples and cakes, scattering her wares. He pays her from his meager purse, and she curses him, warning him about "crystal." This incident ruins his plans for a pleasant afternoon. Later, while lamenting his misfortunes by the Elbe river, Anselmus hears mystical whispers and sees three golden-green snakes with beautiful blue eyes, which disappear into the river, leaving behind a magical glow. He believes he is in love with the serpent, Serpentina, and this infatuation consumes him. His friends, Konrektor Paulmann and Registrator Heerbrand, are concerned about his behavior, thinking him drunk or mad. Meanwhile, Anselmus is offered a job copying rare manuscripts for the eccentric Archivarius Lindhorst, a mysterious figure with a strange house and even stranger stories about his family and ancestry, including his connection to salamanders and enchanted objects. Anselmus's first attempt to visit Lindhorst is terrifying when the doorknocker transforms into the apple-selling hag, who curses him again. He eventually gets the job, but his work is often interrupted by magical occurrences and visions related to Serpentina and the world of the salamanders. Veronika, the daughter of Konrektor Paulmann, is also in love with Anselmus and seeks the help of an old fortune-teller, Lise (who is revealed to be Veronika's former nurse), to win him over. Lise, who despises Lindhorst and Anselmus for past transgressions, plots to use magic to separate Anselmus from Serpentina and bring him to Veronika. Through a series of magical trials and encounters, Anselmus navigates the realms of the fantastic and the real. He is imprisoned in a glass bottle, witnesses a battle between elemental spirits and witchcraft, and experiences the overwhelming power of the salamander world. Ultimately, through his unwavering belief in Serpentina and his love for her, Anselmus transcends the mundane and enters the magical realm of Atlantis with Serpentina, where he becomes a poet and lives happily ever after. Veronika, realizing her mistake and the impossibility of her love for Anselmus, eventually accepts the proposal of the newly appointed Hofrat Heerbrand, finding a more grounded happiness. The story explores themes of imagination, reality, love, destiny, and the struggle between the mundane and the magical.
