Die drei Nüsse

In the bustling town of Kolmar, 1665, a learned professor‑librarian presides over the mayor’s three sons while a traveling alchemist is the evening’s guest. A simple bowl of exotic nuts sparks a curious debate, leading the boys to recite a cryptic Latin verse about three nuts—one useful, one harmful, the third deadly. Their playful misreading provokes the professor to challenge the translation, hinting that the “deadly” nut may not be what it seems. The conversation takes a sudden turn when the alchemist, trembling and tearful, rushes to his quarters and collapses in anguish, muttering a desperate plea for mercy.

The next day, the town’s atmosphere is thick with unease as the mayor’s household revisits the unsettling episode. A sorrowful, beautifully clad widow arrives, seeking refuge after the loss of her husband, only to be shaken by the sight of the same nuts that triggered the alchemist’s crisis. Her frantic refusal—“No nuts!”—adds a new layer of mystery to the already tense gathering. As the professor and the mayor grapple with the strange events, listeners are drawn into a world where scholarly debates, secret alchemical practices, and personal grief intertwine, promising intrigue and subtle danger.