Song of the Bel, poem by Schiller, woodcut, published 1880 - stock illustration

The illustration shows the fifth observation (Fire alarm bell)is about how erratic happiness is. Beginning with the fire that causes the metals to melt, Schiller also describes its destructive power in a very dynamic series of descriptions: "roof beams collapse, pillars crash down, windows shatter, children wail, mothers dash around in panic… everyone runs, rescues, flees." After his house burns down, the father of the family stands in front of the smoking ruins of his property and has only one consolation: that his family is complete. Description in German. Wood engraving, published in 1880.