Here's another memory

When I was six months old, my parents moved from Kesswil
(Canton Thurgau) in the parish of the castle of Laufen, situated on lake Constance in
the upper Rhine. It happened in 1875.
 I can remember two or three years. I remember the priest's house, garden, Laundry,
the Church, the waterfalls, the majestic bulk of Laufen castle and miniature Wertz and
Church farm caretaker. This is only small Islands of memories
swimming in a sea of vague shapes, each by itself, without connection with
the rest of them.
 Before me stands one recollection, probably the earliest in my
of life, which in reality seems unclear, foggy. I'm lying in
the pram in the shade of a tree. It's a beautiful, warm summer day, the sky
blue, and Golden sunlight penetrates through the green leaves. Top
stroller raised. I just started to feel the beauty of this day, and I
indescribable good. I can see how the sun shines through the leaves of trees and
flowering shrubs. All totally amazing, bright, gorgeous.
 The following recollection. I'm sitting in a high chair in the dining room,
located in the Western part of our house, and scoop a spoon of warm milk
bread crumbs. Milk has a pleasant taste and a special smell. It was the first time
smell of milk. It was a moment when I am, so
to speak, even aware of the existence of smell. This is also one of the very
earliest memories.
 One more memory. Wonderful summer evening. My aunt says to me, "And
now I want you to show something". She leads me to the road in Dachsen.
Far on the horizon, towering Alps in crimson flames of sunset. In the Alps
the evening were very clear. "Take a look in there, what the red mountains", -
she says. That's about when I first time knowingly looked the Alps. Then I
heard that tomorrow the guys from Docena go on a trip to Zurich and visit
the mountains. I wanted to go with them!
 Alas, it turned out that these small children, like me, do not take, and here it is
nothing can be done. From this point on the mountain and Zurich for me
unreachable fairyland with glowing snowy peaks.
 Memory later. Mother took me to Torgau, she
was going to visit friends living in a castle on lake Constance. I don't
could pull away from water. Waves left  the steamer splashed on
beach, sun sparkling on the water, and it was clear ribbed sand bottom. The lake
it seemed huge, and the water surface gave me ineffable pleasure. In
this moment I suddenly clearly realized that should live near any lake;
without water, I thought, to live is impossible.
 Here's another memory. Strangers, commotion, noise. The maid rushes in
with a cry of: "the Fishermen have found a corpse sailed through the waterfalls, they want to place it
in Laundry". My father replied: "Yes, Yes, of course". I'd really
wanted to see a dead body. Mother holds me and strictly prohibits
out in the garden, but as soon as men go, I quietly sneak into the garden and
I run to the Laundry room, but the door is locked there. I walk around the back and look at
downward sloped chute, where a thin stream flow blood and water.
I find it extremely interesting. I was only four years, not
more.