Stories by Foreign Authors: German — Volume 2

This collection gathers German short stories that probe the quiet tensions of moral life, the choices that quietly shape who we become. The centerpiece, "Christian Gellert's Last Christmas," follows the beloved eighteenth-century poet and professor as he navigates his final Christmas, wrestling with loneliness and purpose while students seek his counsel. A parallel narrative follows Christopher, a humble peasant who feels compelled to express his gratitude to Gellert, and their meeting becomes a beautiful meditation on mutual respect and human connection. Other tales in the volume explore the wreckage of addiction and redemption through the story of gambler Ascher and his conflicted family. These are stories about the small weights of guilt and grace, the debts we owe one another, and how ordinary people confront ethical dilemmas in everyday moments. Written during the late nineteenth century and beautifully translated, these tales preserve the literary elegance of the original German while revealing universal truths about moral existence.