Translations from the German (Vol 3 of 3): Tales by Musæus, Tieck, Richter

A bustling 19th‑century Bremen serves as the backdrop for a vivid portrait of wealth and its temptations. Melchior, a shrewd merchant, displays his fortune openly, using his glittering coffers as both status symbols and tools of trade. When he dies, his son Franz inherits the lavish estate, a handsome youth whose cheerful demeanor and love of revelry quickly turn the family home into a stage for extravagant feasts and generous hand‑outs.

Franz embraces the role of a modern “rich man,” surrounding himself with courtiers, gamblers and merry-makers who keep him in a perpetual whirl of indulgence. Yet beneath the merriment, the practical art of balancing books is ignored, and the once‑secure treasure chest begins to show signs of strain. As creditors start to circle and old cash‑keepers balk, the young heir is forced to confront a reality that his carefree lifestyle has left him unprepared for, setting the stage for a tense reckoning.