It is very difficult for me to remember the start of my life. Everything was very confusing. I saw, felt, and smelled many things at the same time. It took me a long time to understand my different senses.
At first, the light was too bright for my eyes. I had to close my eyes. Then the darkness was scary. I opened my eyes and the light came back. I walked and went down a hill.
The light and heat made me tired. I wanted to find a place with shade. I found a forest near the city of Ingolstadt. I lay down near a brook (a very small river). I felt very hungry and thirsty.
I found some berries on the trees and on the ground. I ate the berries. I drank water from the brook. Then I fell asleep.
It was dark when I woke up. I felt cold and afraid. I was alone. Before I left your room, I took some clothes. But the clothes were not warm enough.
I was very unhappy. I did not understand anything. I felt pain in my body. I sat down and cried.
Soon, a soft light appeared in the sky. It made me feel better. A bright moon rose above the trees. I looked at the moon with wonder. I went to look for more berries.
I found a large cloak under a tree. I covered myself with the cloak and sat down. I did not have many thoughts. I only felt hungry, thirsty, and cold. I looked at the bright moon and felt happy.
Many days and nights passed. I began to understand my feelings. I saw the clear water and the green trees. I heard the birds singing. I liked the sound of the birds.
I tried to sing like the birds. But I made a loud, strange sound. The sound scared me. I became quiet again.
I stayed in the forest for a long time. My eyes became used to the light. I saw the difference between various plants. I learned that some birds had sweet songs and others had harsh voices.
One day, it was very cold. I found a fire. Some people had left the fire in the woods. I was very happy because the fire was warm. I put my hand into the fire.
I cried because the fire burned my hand. It was very strange. The fire felt good, but it also hurt. I looked at the fire. I saw that the fire was made of wood.
I collected some branches. The branches were wet and they did not burn. I watched the fire. I saw that the wet wood became dry near the heat. Then the wood burned.
I collected a lot of wood to keep the fire alive. At night, I was afraid the fire would stop. I covered the fire with dry leaves and wood. Then I went to sleep.
In the morning, I looked at the fire. The wind made the fire grow. I made a fan from branches to help the fire. I saw that the fire gave light and heat.
I found some food near the fire. Some people had left a little meat. The meat was cooked by the fire. It tasted better than the berries. I tried to cook my own food.
I put berries, nuts, and roots on the fire. The fire ruined the berries. However, the nuts and roots tasted much better. But soon, there was no more food in the forest.
I spent the whole day looking for food. I decided to leave the forest. I was sad to leave my fire. I did not know how to make a new fire.
I walked toward the sun. I walked for three days. Finally, I reached the open country. There was a lot of snow on the ground. My feet were very cold.
It was seven o'clock in the morning. I wanted food and a home. I saw a small hut on a hill. I was curious about the building. I opened the door and went inside.
An old man sat near a fire. The old man was making breakfast. The old man saw me and screamed loudly. He ran away very fast. I was surprised.
I liked the hut. It was dry and warm. The snow and rain could not come inside. I ate the man's breakfast. I ate bread and cheese and drank milk.
I did not like the wine. I was very tired. I lay down in some straw and fell asleep. At noon, I woke up. The sun was bright.
I took the rest of the food and put it in a bag. I walked for several hours. At sunset, I arrived at a village. I thought the houses were beautiful.
I saw vegetables in the gardens. I saw milk and cheese at the windows. I was very hungry. I entered one of the houses.
The children screamed and a woman fainted. The people in the village were very angry. Some people ran away and some people attacked me. People threw stones at me.
I was hurt and afraid. I ran away from the village. I found a small hovel (a small, dirty house or shelter). The hovel was very simple. It was next to a nice cottage.
I was afraid to enter the cottage. The hovel was made of wood. It was very low and I could not stand up. The floor was dry and I felt safe.
I stayed in the hovel. I was happy to find a home. I was safe from the snow and the mean people. The next morning, I looked at the cottage.
I saw a pig sty and a pool of water. I used stones and wood to hide my hovel. No one could see me now. I put clean straw on the floor.
I saw a man in the distance. I did not trust people. I stayed in my home. I had a loaf of bread and a cup for water. The hovel was warm because it was near the cottage chimney.
I decided to live in the hovel. It was much better than the cold forest. I ate my breakfast. Then I heard a sound.
I looked through a small hole in the wall. I saw a young girl with a bucket. She was pretty but she looked sad. She wore simple clothes and her hair was in a braid.
The girl returned with a bucket of milk. A young man met her. The young man looked very sad. He took the heavy bucket from the girl. They went inside the cottage.
I found a small crack in the wall of the cottage. I could see inside a room. The room was small and clean. An old man sat in the corner near a fire.
The old man looked very sad. The young girl cleaned the house. Then she sat down near the old man. The old man took a musical instrument (an object used to make music).
The old man began to play music. The sound was more beautiful than the songs of the birds. I had never seen anything beautiful before. I liked the old man’s kind face.
The music was sweet but sad. The young girl began to cry. The old man was very kind to her. He smiled and held her hand. I felt a strange feeling in my heart.
I felt both pain and pleasure. I did not understand these new emotions. I stopped looking through the hole. Later, the young man returned with a lot of wood.
The girl helped the young man. They showed each other a loaf of bread and some cheese. The girl went to the garden to get plants for dinner. The young man worked in the garden with a tool.
The young man and the girl went into the cottage to eat. The old man became more cheerful when they arrived. After dinner, the girl cleaned the house again. The old man walked outside for a few minutes.
The young man helped the old man walk. The old man was very kind and the young man was very handsome. But the young man always looked very sad. Then the young man went back to work in the fields.
At night, the cottagers used tapers (thin candles) to make light. I was happy. I could watch the people even when the sun was gone. The old man played his music again.
Then the young man made some sounds. The sounds were not like music or birds. I did not know it, but the young man was reading a book. I did not know about words or letters yet.
Later, the family blew out the candles. They went to sleep. I also rested in my hovel.