" Joseph Erhardt " writes that the appearance and enigmatic identity of Germany's "Forest Boy " reminds him of the tale of Kaspar Hauser , who appeared in Nuremberg in the spring of 1828 with a very odd story as to his origins.
At the time, Hauser's claims that he was raised in an isolated cell by a man whose face he never saw stimulated much public debate and hypothesis.
Famed French poet Paul Verlaine was inspired to write a poem about the mysterious young man , and included it in his volume Sagesse (1881):
Kaspar Hauser Sings:A quiet orphan, I came forth,rich only in my tranquil eyes,to men of the great towns of earth:they've found me neither shrewd nor wise.When I was twenty a new care,the flames of love, set me aglow,and I thought every woman fair:but they have not found me so.Although not being brave at all,with neither king nor country, Iyet wished in some great war to die:but death passed up a thing so small.Born too early or too late,what have I on earth to do?My misery is deep and great:pray for poor Kaspar, all of you!(translated by C. F. MacIntyre)
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