
In the summer of 1915 a young woman named Hedda moves through the bustling courtyard of a modest farm, tending an eclectic flock of exotic chickens that seem as out‑of‑place as the war raging beyond the fields. Her deft hands and quiet confidence set her apart from the other servants, and through her eyes we glimpse a world where ordinary chores mingle with the oddities of bronzed‑feathered birds and whispered rumors about the estate’s owners. The narrative paints a vivid portrait of rural life—sun‑baked roses, distant forests, and a river that carves the valley—while hinting at the uneasy balance between tradition and the changes brought by modernity.
Beyond the henhouse, the sprawling baronial manor looms on a hill, its stone walls steeped in family legend and recent financial surrender to a wealthy councilman. Hedda’s observations of the aging baron, his dwindling lineage, and the restless ambitions of the new elite suggest underlying tensions that may soon stir the quiet countryside. As the heat of the afternoon lingers, the story invites listeners to follow Hedda’s gentle yet inquisitive spirit as she navigates a world poised on the brink of transformation.
Language
de
Duration
~9 hours (559K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Markus Brenner and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2010-05-15
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1857–1934
A German writer, journalist, dramatist, and noted lover of books, he moved comfortably between literature and literary culture. He is remembered not only for his own writing, but also for helping build Germany's bibliophile scene around the turn of the twentieth century.
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