MISTER MYSTERY RESPONDS

Mother Nature begins to awaken from the harsh winter while the Romantics advance along a narrow path between high snow-capped mountains. Everywhere you hear the word "sublime" on their lips. Because Romantics feel a sincere love for Nature. With the excuse of having to relieve himself, Wieland gets out of the path and embraces a red spruce passionately. From the path, the others hear him murmuring and panting. And, thinking that Wieland has met someone, they join him at the precise moment when he is proposing to the tree and then stamps his lips against the trunk. When feeling reciprocated, he presses his lips with even more pleasure. He stays that way for a while, like in a rapture. However, upon hearing the sudden laughter of his companions, he tries to detach himself from the trunk. But it's too late: the red spruce has fallen in love with Wieland and nothing will be able to separate them. But this is merely a romantic interpretation. The rough reality is that the poe...

Sunset, the expected time for the duel, is approaching. Tieck is alone in the snowy meadow where the duel must take place. But he doesn’t stop for an instant: he is practicing the hot-water bottle fighting. Then he sees Wieland climbing the meadow. -Hey, I thought you would not come. The sun is about to set! You do not want to fight a duel in the dark, I imagine. So hurry up and take out your hot-water bottle before the water cools. -There is no hot-water bottle. -What? -My wife caught me taking it surreptitiously and kicked up a stink in the street. She wanted to know what I was going to do with the hot-water bottle.  And since I could not tell her, she imagined who knows what. He accused me of pervert and threatened to ask for a divorce. -The divorce? For a simple hot-water bottle? I hope you never dare to be unfaithful to her! -I tried to borrow one, but everyone seems to have affection for their hot-water bottle. In addition, in this cold, people need them to heat their b...

Wieland and Tieck stroll in the morning sun on a snowy meadow outside Weimar chatting amiably. -It's been published in Italy the last Shelley book. A masterpiece. -Yes, I've already ordered it from my bookseller. -I can lend it to you. He is a sublime poet. He has nothing to envy to Byron. -That’s true. By the way, I have not heard from Byron in a while. Is he still in Weimar or has he returned to England? -It's funny, everyone asks about him. But he wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye… -Why not? We Romantics detest formalities. -I don’t. On the contrary: I think that Romanticism is not at odds with good education. - Are you calling me rude? -My gosh, Wieland, don’t be so sensitive! - Are you calling me fussy? Suddenly, Tieck gets irritated: -I'm calling you asshole! What’s the matter? -What’s the matter?! You’ll see what the matter is… Wieland tries to take off a glove but does not succeed. -These damn gloves! Why are they all so tig...

Wieland and Byron (both exalted poets, the first old, the second in full youth) stroll through the Park on the Ilm river, in Weimar. Suddenly, Wieland lowers his head and discovers a penny coin on the ground. -Look, Byron! A pfennig! With an expression of great joy, he picks it up and pocketed it. -As always, Mrs. Schopenhauer was right. Last week she read my palm and predicted that very soon I would pocket unexpected money. -This afternoon I will attend her salon. They say it's very busy lately. -Yes, it's because of the reading of palms. She never fails. Wieland looks curiously at the palm of his hands. -I wonder how she does it. As much as I look at my palms, I don't perceive anything else that they need a good wash. -In Manchester I met a gypsy who read the foot soles -Bah, Mrs. Schopenhauer beats the hell out of your gypsy. -Well, I've been told that last week she failed in a prediction with a member of her family. -Bah, you mean that airhead Arthur. He...