Original subtitles

This film is dedicated to Lotte Eisner.

She's one ofthose - the better haIf- who had to leave Germany.

On Whitsunday 1828,

a ragged boy who later came to be known as Kaspar Hauser,

was found abandoned in the town of N.

He could hardly walk and spoke but one sentence.

Years later, after having learnt how to speak,

he told of being locked up in a dark cellarfrom birth.

He said he'd had no understanding ofthe world

and had been unaware of the existence ofother people

because they only leftfood in his cave while he was asleep.

He said he hadn't known what a house was, or a tree, or language.

lt was not until the very end that a man came to his cellar.

The mystery of his origins remains unsolved to this day.

Don't you hear that horrible screaming all around you?

That screaming men call silence?

THE ENlGMA OF KASPAR HAUSER

Writing...

Wri-ting!

Remember that - writing.

lfyou write nice now, papa will give you nice horsey.

Horsey...

Horsey!

- Horse. - Horse.

Horsey!

Repeat after me.

l want to be a gallant rider...

like my father was before me.

Remember that!

l want to be a gallant rider

like my father was before me!

Gallant rider.

Gallant rider like my father...

Like my father...

- Father... - Father...

- ...was before me. - ...was before me.

- Remember that! - Remember.

Remember that!

Come on now.

Stand here.

Hold this letter.

The letter...

Stay right here.

Wait here. Waitfor me here!

What do you want here?

Horsey!

l'm asking you what you want here?

Like my father was before me!

Ah, where do you want to go?

Are from out oftown? Can l be ofservice?

Maybe with that letter there...

Do you have to deliver it somewhere? Let's have a look at it.

"To the Cavalry Captain of the Fourth Squadron...

"Sixth Schwolische Regiment."

Let's see now, that'll be straight ahead,

past Augustinergasse, round the corner.

That's the Captain's house.

Should l take you there?

Or have you got other plans?

Say, where are from now?

Ansbach, Erlangen, Regensburg?

- Regensburg! - Ah, Regensburg, good!

Come along now!

The young man here's from Regensburg.

Here's a letterfor the Captain.

The Captain is not here. He'll be in this evening.

Ah, but the young man is very weary.

Can't we find a place for him till then?

Not in the house, perhaps in the barn.

- Horsey! - Right, with the horses on the straw.

There he can give the letter to the Captain.

Horsey.

- ls that him? - Yes.

We've tried everything we could to wake him, without success.

Have you ever seen him before?

No, l don't know him. l've never seen him before.

Here's the letter.

He didn't want to let go of it.

From the Bavarian border, no place name, dated 1828...

"His Excellency the Captain."

- Does it really say "His Excellency"? - lt does, yes!

"l'm senden yr Grace a bouye..."

"Senden yr Grace..." That makes me laugh!

- Should l take that down? - Yes, please do.

"This here bouye wants to serve his King faithfully.

- "The bouye was laid me on..." - The boy was what?

He was "laid" him on 7th October, 1812.

"l am a poor labourer with ten children."

- Ten children? - Ten children!

"l have enough to do to feed myseIf.

"His mother wanted to raise the boy, but l couldn't ask her to."

- Couldn't ask her? - Couldn't ask her!

"l didn't tell her the boy was laid on me by the Court.

"l have not let him take one step out ofthe house since 1812,

"so nobody doesn't know a thing about him."

- Nobody knows? - Yes.

"You can ask him, but he can't tell you.

"l taught him reading and writing,

"and when we ask him what he wants to be, he says he wants to be...

"a gallant rider like his father."

- A "gallant" rider? - A gallant rider, yes.

"A gallant rider like his father was before him.

"lf he had parents, he would have been a smartfellow."

- A "smart" fellow? - A smartfellow, yes.

"You only have to show him something and he can do it.

"Dear Captain, you mustn't plie him with questions...

- You "mustn't"? - Yes, you mustn't plie him... "Plie" with 'ie'!

- With 'ie'? - Yes.

"He don't know where l am.

"l brought him away by night.

"l am not signing my name."

No, there's no signature.

- Did you get it all down? - Yes.

- This is very odd. - Yes, indeed!

Should l report no signature?

Yes, and put this in the file.

l'll try him again...

No, don't. Leave him be.

You can see it's no use.

He seems to be not quite all right in the head.

He's coming around...

Your name!

Should l report that he refuses to talk?

Yes, name unknown.

Where are you from?

- And his passport? - Gallant rider...

Occupation?

- Where were you born? - He says he comes from Regensburg.

- From Regensburg? - Yes, from Regensburg.

The intelligence ofthis man is in a state ofabsolute confusion.

There's nothing to be gained by police interrogation.

Should l take that down?

Nothing to be gained by police interrogation, yes.

- Refuses to answer. - He refuses to answer!

- Right, and what do we do now? - Lay him down again.

- Maybe he's hungry? - lt's worth a try.

- Come, come... Come! - Here!

Lay him down again!

Spits outfood!

Spat outfood...

Let's have a look at his feet.

l say, those are odd boots!

lt's strange, how you open these boots!

Bleeding ofthe toes, scabs...

lndicates a long period of... Feet extremely tender...

Both feet show same indications ofextreme tenderness.

- Aha, vaccination marks! - Vaccination marks!

The foundling seems to be ofthe higher orders!

- Afoundling? - Foundling, yes, get that down.

Upper arm injured...

What was this injury caused by?

By a blunt instrument, l'd say.

- Blunt instrument, l'd say. - The same marks here, and here...

Put that down!

Ah! A prayer book!

- A prayer book? - Entitled "Spiritual Forget-me-nots".

Entitled "Spiritual Forget-me-nots".

Beautiful and Devoted Morning Prayers for Faithful Souls.

The other book...

A printed treatise entitled 'Six Deep and Devotional Prayers'.

Put under 'other things'...

Afour-cornered, folded square of paper, containing...

yes, indeed...

a small quantity ofgold dust, or gold leaf.

- Gold dust or gold leaf? - Gold leaf, yes.

Put that with the other things.

Then a rosary... a small rosary.

- A rosary with a metal cross. - With a metal cross.

With the other things.

Under the circumstances, this man should be taken into custody!

Put that down, word for word.

A pencil!

And a sheet of paper.

Can he write?

Kaspar Hauser.

The fellow is not as wild as l thought.

He came peacefully.

He seems harmless enough.

l've done all l can.

The rest is up to the authorities.

Maybe we should place him under oath.

- Under oath? - Yes, under oath.

He did not impress us as being either mad or depraved.

Neither mad nor depraved.

lt's best we keep him in this tower for criminals and vagabonds.

He doesn't look like going berserk.

No, but you never can tell.

He'll have to sit up to eat.

He can't eat on the floor.

Come...

Julius, take his feet.

You hold him back.

Now forward.

Now he's on his feet!

Sit him down there.

Let's stretch his feet out.

l guess he never sat up straight at a table before!

He never sat up at all in the tower.

Take the bowl away... Hold on to the table there!

Come on, let go!

Give me your hat, you won't be needing it now.

Leave him be, it's all right.

Let's start.

You've got to eat, come on.

You can't eat with your hat!

He won't give it to me.

There, take the spoon...

and start eating.

Look... look... like this.

Do it like me.

He'll be all right.

lt'sjust that he don't have no manners yet.

So, open your mouth...

See, l told you so!

Oh, my goodness me!

Take his bowl away.

He's not used to it.

Give him bread instead.

He always takes bread when you give it to him.

Bread... take the bread.

Give him a drop ofwater, Julius.

Look, it's empty.

There's nothing more inside.

Nothing comes out anymore.

- Empty! - Empty.

- lt's empty! - Empty!

Nothing more inside.

- Nothing comes out anymore. - Empty.

- Empty. - Empty.

No, thisjug's not empty.

There's beer in it. Look... it's full.

Look... it's not empty.

That cup there is empty.

There's nothing in it. lt's empty.

- Empty. - Yes... empty.

lt'll take time, getting him used to such things.

Don't cry, don't cry.

Oh my, how my gut is painin' me!

Finger, thumb, arm...

This is your hand, this is your arm.

Arm, arm...

nose... mouth...

Look, this is your ear.

Look, l've even got a mirror!

This here is your ear.

My gut is killing me.

Finger...

shoulder...

...arm!

No, that's your hand. This is your arm.

- Hand, hand! - This is your arm.

Arm, arm, arm, arm!

Arm, arm!

Hand.

What kind of place is this here, anyway?

Hey! Damn your eyes!

Ain't there nothing to drink in this place?

Stand up, Kaspar, stand up!

You don't have to be ashamed, we're alone here.

Only the dear Lord is watching.

You needn't be afraid.

Mother, my skin is coming off!

Don't worry about it.

He hasn't had a bath in years.

Lap, lap, lap, l like this milk,

lap, lap, lap as smooth as silk.

Good morning, little cat so white.

May l sit down by your side?

Good morning, little cat so white.

May l...

Good morning, little cat so white, may l sit down by your side?

Be nice to me little girl so fair, then you may sit down right there.

Lap, lap, lap l like this milk, lap, lap, lap as smooth as silk.

Agnes, that rhyme is too long for him.

All he knows are separate words.

l just taught him separate words,

and he can't understand your rhyme yet.

lt's no use, he doesn't even respond to a feigned thrust.

- Doesn't respond to feigned thrust. - ...feigned thrust.

l don't think he's a hard boiled swindler.

He's got absolutely no conception ofdanger!

- No conception ofdanger. - No conception ofdanger.

lt didn't even scare him.

How about trial by fire?

- Trial by fire? ls thatfor the record? - Yes.

He's not afraid ofthe flame.

Charmed to meet you!

Charmed, l'm sure!

Charmed to meet you!

Do it, do it...

Look at him gapin'!

He's never seen that before.

Look, look... look here!

He's trying to flee. Look!

Pick up the baby, Kaspar, go ahead.

Mother!

l am so far away from everything.

l eat with my handses...

With your hands!

- With my handses. - With your hands!

Have you heard anything?

A number of people have testified that the foundling

ran away from a group of English circus equestrians.

- They were in the Oberpfalz area. - What was that?

Other citizens say he is a member ofthe Baden dynasty

who was to be eliminated as most likely heir.

- That'sjust a rumour. - That's absurd!

The Baden dynasty, however, is beyond all reproach.

Besides, there are better ways ofgetting rid of unwanted heirs.

l don't believe the story in any case. Just look at him!

- With his coarse, rustic features! - Yes, yes...

There's nothing refined about him at all.

She can't walk on two feet!

After all, he's beginning to be a burden on the community coffers.

He's costing us a pretty penny.

Perhaps he should begin contributing to his own upkeep somehow.

One could turn the public interest in him to good use.

Come right on up, ladies and gentlemen!

Parents keep an eye on their children!

Come right on up, ladies and gentlemen!

Now before we present the Four Riddles ofthe Spheres,

we have for you an entertaining intermezzo.

This wild bear, Kublai Khan, from farthest central Asia

came to us somewhere in Mongolia, where the Huns live.

With one sweep of his mighty paw he can kill a bull!

But here in the temperate zones, dear children,

he is as tame and cuddly as a little cat.

Hup!

Here our lndian fire-eater,

ourfakir, a living flame,

a veritable mountain offire!

He has succeeded, ladies and gentlemen, by will power alone

in rejecting every trace ofa burn or scorch!

Show us your skin!

Soft as a baby's, not a blemish.

What's this, you scoundrel?

And now...

Ladies and gentlemen,

for the very first time in the history ofthe world,

brought togetherfor you and only for the first time -

The Four Riddles ofthe Spheres!

Minors please keep their distance.

The gravity of my presentation permits of no childish pranks.

And now for the first Riddle.

The Little King!

Monarch ofthe Golden Land of Punt ofsong and legend.

The last link ofan ancient line ofgiants!

Each king ofthis line was tinier than the last.

Here you see the last living member ofthe royal family.

Anotherfew centuries, and the Kings of Punt will be invisible.

The very last king will be no bigger than a flea!

Yes, there he sits, our Little King,

cowering like an outcast in the corner of his throne.

And as the kings have grown tinier, so have their kingdoms.

His kingdom is no larger than the spot he is sitting on,

for neither can he leave his kingdom without outside help nor can he climb it.

Our next Riddle, ladies and gentlemen,

our next Riddle of Science - the Young Mozart!

One day long ago he fell into a deep trance

and asked for nothing more but the music of Mozart.

At a tender age he already knew all the scores by heart.

Now, still in the trance, he looks for dark holes in the earth,

because they tried to teach him to read and write at school.

Since that day he has lost the power ofspeech.

He was not able to read or write he says,

because the whiteness ofthe paper blinded him.

Day in, day out, he peers into dark, deep holes in the earth,

looking for entrances to caves and underground waterways.

As you see, there is no way to gain the poorfellow's attention.

His mind is completely engrossed in zones oftwilight.

Our next Riddle, a living specimen ofanthropology,

is Hombrecito.

An untamed lndian from the sunny shores of New Spain.

This wildman is the sole remaining member in all of Europe

ofthe renowned and legendary Kaffir and lndian Show.

He plays his wooden flute night and day,

because he believes that if he stops,

all the people in town will die.

He wears three separatejackets to keep from catching cold

and to protect himseIf from the evil breath of mankind.

Hombrecito is a jolly good fellow, and quite tame.

He speaks hardly a word ofany tongue - except lndian ofcourse.

Hup!

And now to the final and greatest Riddle ofall!

Kaspar, the Foundling!

He has agreed, with the express permission ofthe authorities

to appear in person here every afternoon,

and thus to ease the community's financial burden.

Thank you, Kaspar!

Kaspar Hauser was found in the Town Square ofthis fine city,

just as you see him standing before you today.

ln his right hand, a prayer-book,

and his left, the Anonymous Letter.

Abandoned to his fate in a strange town,

the boy could neither speak nor walk.

He had never seen a living human being in his life before!

His origin remains in darkness to this day, ladies and gentlemen.

ls he a prince?

Or perhaps descended from Napoleon?

His is and will remain the Riddle ofthe European Continent!

Come here, Hombrecito!

Kaspar, have you gone mad?

l will get you!

Hombrecito!

Stop!

Stop, l said!

Kaspar! Ah! There's Mozart!

Take the child. There's Mozart.

Here! Go and lookfor him!

Come down from there!

Stop shaking that branch!

You're gonna break the branch in two!

l forbid you to shake it!

- You mustn't break the branch! - What about the beehive?

- Get down! - Kaspar!

Come down here! Come here, boy! Come here!

- Keep searching for Kasper. - Come here.

The beehive! Ah, it's locked.

He couldn't be in there.

l want to fly like a rider,

midst the bloody tussle ofwar!

What a fine report, what a beautiful report this will make!

l shall write a report the likes ofwhich has never been seen!

Kaspar, what's wrong? Are you feeling well?

ltfeels strong in my heart.

The music feels strong in my heart.

l feel so unexpectedly old.

You've been in the world for such a short time, Kaspar.

You've got your whole life ahead ofyou.

Why is everything so hard for me?

Why can't l play the piano like l can breathe?

Look Kaspar, in the two short years you have been here with me,

you have learned so much!

You must make up for lost time now, at your age,

because you weren't among people before.

The people are like wolves to me!

No, you mustn't say that.

Look at Florian, he lives here too.

He's been blind ever since he lost his entire family in an accident,

but he doesn't complain.

He plays the piano all day long,

even though his music sounds a little strange.

Oh, that's quite tall!

A very big man must have built it.

l would like to meet him.

No, Kaspar, a man doesn't have to be as tall as the tower he builds.

He can use a scaffold!

l'll take you to see a building site.

You lived in this tower, where that little window is.

Do you remember?

- That cannot be! - How come?

Because the room is only a few steps big.

l don't understand.

Wherever l look in the room,

to the right, to the left,

frontwards and backwards - there's only room.

But when l look at the tower,

and l turn around,

the tower is gone!

So, the room is bigger than the tower!

No, Kaspar, that's not right.

Think about it a little more. l still don't understand.

How do you mean that?

Yes, let's ask him. lt's important.

Another cup ofcoffee, Pastor?

Yes, please, it's excellent!

- Another cup ofcoffee? - Yes, please.

You're not going to torture him much longer, are you?

He's got to do his homework.

l wouldn't call it torture!

- l'll leave the pot here. - Thanks.

Kaspar, what we really want to know is

whether a Higher Being didn't occupy your thoughts in prison.

l don't understand the question.

ln my prison l didn't think ofanything.

And l cannot imagine

that God created everything out of nothing,

like you say!

lf he doesn't understand God, then he'll simply have to have faith!

You must have faith!

The tenets offaith transcend mortal doubt.

First l have to learn to read and write better to understand.

No, Kaspar, the articles offaith are more important.

And do stop pressing your thumb and finger when you speak!

And now, my son, please repeat this prayer after me.

Repeat after me!

For the peace of God is higher than all mortal coils,

keep our hearts in the name ofJesus Christ, Amen.

Please, repeat. Say it!

Look, these are last years apples.

Big and red, aren't they?

And those apples on the tree will lookjust the same soon.

How do they do that?

Time does it, Kaspar.

And the Lord's plan!

Let the apples lie, they're tired and want to sleep.

Kaspar, an apple can't be tired.

Apples don't have lives oftheir own - they follow our will.

l'm going to roll one down the path, it'll stop where l want it to.

The apple didn't stop, it hid in the grass!

May l have your help in demonstrating it to him, Mr Fuhrmann?

Come here, Kaspar, watch!

Stand here where you can see.

Now, pay attention, Kaspar. Mr Fuhrmann is going to put out his foot,

and when l roll the apple, it will stop right where we want it to.

Watch this!

This apple is smart!

ltjumped over his foot and ran away!

Smart apple!

What are women good for?

Can you tell me that, Kathe?

Women are not good for anything but sitting still!

But Kaspar...

Why are women allowed only to knit and cook?

You'll have to ask Mr Daumer that, Kaspar.

He'll know a decent answerfor you.

l've already asked Mr Daumer.

Yes, Mr Daumer is an educated man.

l will never learn as much as him.

He told me about the Sahara Desert,

and l can't get it out of my head!

Kathe, have you been to the Sahara Desert?

l'm just a housekeeper, l don't gojourneying so much.

l was in Erlangen once.

But it's a long way from there to the desert!

l know a story about the desert,

but only the beginning.

Yes, Mr Daumer told me about it.

He said you keep trying to tell him a story,

but you only know the beginning.

He says you should wait to tell it until you know the end

and notjust the beginning.

Yes, he takes it seriously, that you should learn to tell a story right.

lf l... can ask...

Mister Daumer...

to read...

this letter...

at his pleasure.

Afew days ago l took some cress seeds

and sowed my name with them.

And it came up right pretty.

And it made me so happy that l can hardly say.

And yesterday, when l came backfrom boating,

somebody had come into the garden

and stepped on my name.

l cried for a long time.

l am going to sow the name again.

lt dreamed to me...

You had a dream?

Tell it to me!

Yes, it dreamed to me.

You're really coming along, Kaspar.

You used to think all your dreams were real.

Just a fortnight ago, you said you saw the mayor's wife,

even though everybody knows she'd gone on a journey.

Strange!

Strange that you didn't dream once during your years in prison!

l dreamed ofthe Caucasus.

ltjust can't be true when you say

that your bed is the only place in the world you're really happy in.

And everything else is bad.

Don't you like the garden?

The gooseberry bushes?

Or the onions over there?

Everything that's green...

Well, it seems to me...

that my coming into this world...

was a terribly hard fall!

But Kaspar!

That...

No, that's not... How should l explain it to you?

Kaspar, the Professor here has come all this way

to ask you a question.

He wants to see how well you can think

and what you have learned in these two years

and whether you can think logically.

Will you answer him?

- Yes! - Good.

Kaspar...

Let's pretend that this is a village.

ln this village live people who tell only the truth.

Here is another village.

The people here only tell lies.

There's a path running towards you from this village,

and there's another path running towards you from the other village.

And you are at the crossroads.

A man comes along, and you want to know...

Does he come from the village ofthe truthtellers,

or does he come from the village ofthe liars?

Now in order to solve this problem, to solve it logically,

you have one question, and only one.

What is the question?

That's too difficultfor him, how can he know that?

l admit, the question is thorny.

lfyou ask the man whether he comes from the village oftruth,

and he does, then he will say, truthfully, yes.

But if he comes from the village of lies, he will lie

and also answer yes.

Yet there exists one question which will solve the problem.

That's much to hard, too complicated.

You have one question, Kaspar,

and only one, to solve this problem of logic.

l wouldn't know either.

Kaspar,

ifyou can't think ofthe question,

then l shall tell you.

lfyou came from the other village

would you answer 'no'

if l were to ask you whether you came from the liars' village?

By means ofa double negative,

the liar is forced to tell the truth.

This construction forces him to reveal his identity, you see.

That's what l call logic via argument to the truth!

- Well, l know another question. - You do?

There is no other question.

- Not by the laws of logic. - There isn't?

But l do know another question.

Let us hear it, then!

l should ask the man whether he was a tree-frog.

The man from the truth village would say,

"No, l'm not a tree-frog,"

because he tells the truth.

The man from the liars' village would say,

"Yes, l'm a tree-frog,"

because he would tell a lie.

Therefore l know

that he comes from the liars' village.

No, that's not a proper question.

No, l can't accept it as a question.

That's not logic.

Logic is deduction, not description.

That'sjust a description, not logic.

- There's no deduction. - But l understood his question.

Understanding is secondary,

the reasoning is the thing.

ln Logic and Mathematics we do not "understand" things,

but we reason and deduce.

l cannot accept that question.

Died June 30th.

Karl Friedrich WoIf, apprentice bookbinder

and orphaned son ofJohannes WoIf, haberdasher and tradesman.

Age - 18 years, 9 months, and 27 days.

Cause ofdeath - consumption.

Died July 6th, Josef Christian Friedrich Hölzlein.

Age - 22 days.

Cause ofdeath - gout.

With gratitude we record the Guardianship Council's petition

to all men ofgenerous heart

to ease the lot ofthe poor and destitute among us.

Flowers will also be accepted.

No, Käthe dear, my eyes aren't what they used to be.

Would you be so kind as to call on the tailor today?

Kaspar will be needing his new coat tomorrow.

l'll do it today.

Don't stop writing, Kaspar.

How far along are you with your biography?

You know, the word is out that you are working on it,

and everybody l know is dying to read it.

No, l don't want to let go ofany of it yet.

There are so many words l don't know

and so many things l don't understand yet.

Sorry to disturb you,

but l just wanted to tell you

that an English nobleman, Count Stanhope, has come to town.

He has taken great interest in your situation,

and said that he would like to adopt you

ifyou made a good impression.

lt would be a wonderful new startfor you.

l am overwhelmed.

Welcome!

Thank you.

l should like to introduce my young protégé Kaspar.

Kaspar, this is our charming hostess.

Don't be afraid, give the lady your hand.

And this is our gracious host

who will open the doors ofsociety to you.

Allow me to introduce my young protégé Kaspar to you.

lsn't he droll!

Yes, quite the noble savage!

- Enchanté, Madame. - Kaspar!

Kaspar, l should like you to meet the mayor and his wife.

Hello, Kaspar.

l'm so happy to meet you, Kaspar.

Tell me, what was it like in that dark cellar ofyours?

Better than outside!

But we all like you so much, Kaspar.

Kaspar, were you about to say something?

You needn't be afraid ofthe people here.

You just tell us whatever comes into your natural young head.

Your Grace, nothing lives in me except my life!

Oh no, there's much more alive inside ofyou.

You've been making such fine progress with your music,

something that educates and ennobles ourfeelings!

Your Grace, l would like to play a piece on the piano.

l shall play Mozart's waltz in F major.

l'm notfeeling well, may l be excused?

A little fresh air will help.

l'll open the window a bit.

Are you feeling better, Kaspar?

l think it would be better ifwe left him alone for a moment.

There's no cause for concern. Kaspar is feeling a bitfaint.

Perhaps in the meantime l can tell you of my visit to Greece.

Not many days ago, the sun of Hellas shone down on me.

l loitered, Pindar in hand, underneath the columns of Corinth.

The sunrises were indescribable,

the crystal clarity ofthe Greek light unforgettable.

A balm to the soul, that unsullied atmosphere!

l continued onto Crete.

There l rode the mules.

The backs ofthese animals are often quite hard, you know,

and l was forced to wear peasants' trousers!

Then l went to the festivals ofthe simple peasants ofthe countryside.

l saw the charming dances...

Excuse me please, my protégé...

What's the meaning ofthis, Kaspar? What's that you're doing?

l don't understand it...

And what manner ofsilly business is this?

Apparently l've been guilty ofa misjudgement.

There hasn't been enough time

for me to get a true picture ofthe circumstances.

Kaspar, why did you leave the church?

Well, the singing ofthe congregation

sounds to me like awful howling.

And then the singing stops, the pastor starts to shout.

Kaspar, we have to go back in.

Poor young fellow!

He must have taken too much ofthat laxative the doctor gave him!

- Käthe! - Yes?

Come here for a moment.

lt looks like a bloody handprint.

Mercy me!

l saw him go in here this morning,

and the door wasn't off its hinges.

Look - it's blood!

There are bloodstains on the cellar door.

He can't have broken in by himseIf.

Kaspar!

He's drunk the entire bowl!

Take it out ofyour mouth.

He's bitten a piece out ofthe bowl!

Ah, here's our patient.

Hello, thank you.

Did you apply the bandage?

There wasn't time to do it better.

Were there any other injuries beside the head wound?

No, only his head.

l have a few important questions to ask the victim.

Please - not now.

Well, we won't be getting anything out of him today!

But at least he's not talking the kind of rot he did last week.

All the same, with respect to the crime and Hauser's origins,

we can't expect much from him today.

Then l shall ask you to take your leave, gentlemen.

There was one thing...

l wanted to mention.

But it has nothing to do with the attack on me.

lt is all so clear before my eyes.

Tell us, Kaspar.

l saw the ocean,

and l saw a mountain,

and there were many people climbing up the mountain.

lt was like a procession.

There was a lot offog.

l couldn't see it very clearly,

but at the very top was Death.

Kaspar!

What's happened? He's been stabbed!

What happened?

And where?

The man told me to watch the gardener,

then he gave me this pouch and stabbed me.

l'll take you home, we'll carry you.

Let me see what's in the pouch.

A note!

"Hauser can tell you exactly what l look like

"and where l come from.

"To save him the trouble,

"l'll tell you myseIf where l come from

"and even what my name is.

"M. L. O."

The Lord have mercy on me, for l am weak.

Heal me Lord, for my limbs are stricken.

Lord, why do you hide from me in my hour of need?

Do not go farfrom me, forfear is near.

l am weary ofsighing.

l lay in my sweat all night long,

and my tears moisten my bed.

My body, weakened by mourning, has grown old,

and l am tormented from every side.

Away from me, evil-doers, for the Lord hears my call.

Kaspar, my son,

ifanything is burdening you, please tell us now.

Yes.

There is something, a story...

lt's about a caravan...

and the desert.

But l know only the beginning.

That doesn't matter now.

Tell us the story, even if it's only the beginning.

l see a caravan...

coming through the desert...

across the sands.

And this caravan...

is led by an old Berber tribes man.

And this old man is blind.

Now the caravan stops,

because some believe they are lost,

and because they see mountains ahead ofthem.

They look at their compass, but it's no use.

Then their blind leader picks up a handful ofsand

and tastes it, as though it were food.

My sons, the blind man says, you are wrong.

Those are not mountains you see.

lt is only your imagination.

We must continue northwards.

And they follow the old man's advice...

and finally reach the city in the North.

And that's where the story begins.

But how the story goes after they reach the city, l don't know.

Thank you all for listening to me.

l'm tired now.

There we have it -

the left lobe ofthe liver is greatly enlarged.

That is an unusual finding indeed, and worth recording.

Please take this down.

Left liver lobe enlarged

- and extends... - ...enlarged, yes.

...and extends to below the left arch ofthe diaphragm.

Doctor, look!

...arch ofthe diaphragm.

Look at the brain, its shape is rather unusual.

Yes, a remarkable abnormality.

- Overdevelopment ofthe cerebrum. - Oh, l agree, yes!

There is also a deformity ofthe cerebrum.

- The left hemisphere is too small. - That explains a great deal!

This should be recorded. Take this down.

Abnormal cerebrum,

definitely overdeveloped.

Deformity of left cerebral hemisphere...

which does not sufficiently cover the cerebellum.

Coachman!

Coachman, today is a day to remember.

Be so good as to take my hat home with you.

l'm going to walk home.

What a wonderful report, what a precise report this will make!

Deformities discovered in Kaspar Hauser's brain and liver!

Finally we have got an explanation for this strange man,

and no one would ever find anything like this.

THE ENlGMA OF KASPAR HAUSER