Aladdin's Problem - Ernst Jünger
Aladdin's Problem - Ernst Jünger
Aladdin's Problem - Ernst Jünger
Problem
Ernst Jünger
- 130 AH -
1
It is time I focused on my problem. Who does not have a
problem?—everybody has one, and indeed several. Each
problem has its rank; the main problem moves to the cen-
ter of one's life, displacing the other problems. It incessant-
ly haunts us like a shadow, casting gloom on our minds. It
is present even when we awaken at night; it pounces on us
like an animal.
A man has a headache now and again; this is not pleas-
ant, but there are remedies. It becomes serious once he
surmises that there is something behind it—a small tumor,
perhaps. Now, the fleeting worry becomes a steady one; it
becomes the main worry.
2
Nevertheless, such a main worry is part of everyday
life. This becomes obvious when we think of the statis-
tics—for while our man is pondering his tumor, the same
worry is preying at the same time on thousands and thou-
sands of other minds on this planet. Do he and those other
people then have this worry in common? Certainly, but it
nevertheless remains his utterly private and unsharable
problem. Everything is at stake: the headache has con-
cealed the tumor, but behind the tumor there may be
something else—perhaps a carcinoma.
Then again, there may be NOTHING behind it—the
problem may be imaginary. Fear too has its fashion: today
it favors nuclear war and the carcinoma—that is, collective
and individual destruction.
Earlier, when paralysis was rampant, especially in the
upper classes, and there, in turn, among the artists, many
2 Ernst Jünger
people imagined that they had been stricken with this dis-
ease, and a few killed themselves as a result. But it is pre-
cisely when there is nothing behind it that the problem be-
comes even more sinister. Terror no longer threatens as
this or that, but in its undivided might.
3
When I stir my morning coffee and watch the swirling
of the streaks, I am observing the law that moves the uni-
verse—in the whirling of the spiral nebulae, in the eddying
of the galaxies.
Intellectual as well as practical conclusions may be
drawn from this. The sight reminds me of Newton's apple
or the steam that Watt, as a boy, saw pouring from the ket-
tle long before he invented his engine. "Food for thought,"
we say. Evidently, thinking is preceded by a harmony with
matter, which is followed by the dreamlike mood that cre-
ates thought and from which thought springs.
But what does it matter? Whether the universe whirls
or crumbles—the problem remains behind it.
4
The problem is indivisible; man is alone. Ultimately,
one cannot rely on society. Although society usually
wreaks harm, indeed often havoc, it can also help, alt-
hough not more than a good physician—up to the inevita-
ble limit where his skill fails.
Above all, no melancholy. The individual can comfort
himself by recognizing his situation. Earlier, the religions
contributed to this. Their close link to art is no coincidence,
for they are its most sublime inventions.
Now that the gods have abandoned us, we must fall
back on their origin: art. We have to gain an idea of what
or whom we represent. There has to be a workshop some-
where. A potter throws vases, pitchers, ordinary table-
Aladdin’s Problem 3
9
All this might arouse the mistaken impression that I
plume myself on my pedigree; such is not the case. On the
contrary: I keep it hidden, I have stripped doff.
Nobility has become burdensome, even potentially
dangerous. That began with the "Ça ira" of the great Revo-
lution. There were recoveries, reactionary periods, major
and minor islands like Prussia, Japan, the Baltic; but there
can be no doubt concerning the decay of the aristocracy.
Anyone who seeks to fix the blame for such declines—
which I refuse to do—must start with himself. The deterio-
ration was preceded by a spiritual weakening. The latter
can be seen in people's characters—first of all, the mon-
archs. There is a limit, at which morality is no longer in-
herent in action, but instead begins moving away from it
and enfeebling it. Charisma wanes at the same time.
I can observe this process within my own family too.
The number of failures, idlers, gamblers, eccentrics, and
aesthetes increased. People become good-natured, dis-
mount from their horses, sell their forests, turn to trivia,
such as commerce, become tennis players or racing-car
drivers. You go on like that for a century, living off your
inheritance, and then you have to admit more and more
bluntly: "The Jew won't pay a penny for what you used to
have."
10
It goes without saying that I cast that off There is, to be
sure, a hitch: I mean the level on which genes remain con-
stant. Forebears lodge deeper in us than we realize. That
sentence deserves to be read twice.
In addition, there is something that I wish only to ad-
umbrate: the Silesian quality. Of our old provinces, Silesia
8 Ernst Jünger
me. The topic was the American War between the States. I
stuck to the assigned readings, but, almost imperceptibly,
went a little beyond them. This is a good spice, but one to
be used sparingly.
21
"What good does it do the sugar-cane slave if he is put
to work on the assembly line? He remains a Negro; he has
been pulled out of nature—and now he is controlled by
Taylor's system. We must regard every war as progress—
that is to say, as progress only within the capitalist system.
The exploitation remains; it is more refined. From our
point of view, progress is the attainment of a new level of
consciousness. "
So much for my self-quotation. I had said: "The exploi-
tation remains," but not, "It remains under all circumstanc-
es." Nevertheless, it could stimulate in this respect. The
objective analysis of the enemy includes a great deal of
self-criticism. Incidentally, I had ventured into this diver-
sion not with a pedagogical goal, but for my own pleasure.
My speech was applauded, and the things I had left out
also brought me success. After the commander had
praised me, one of the officers came up to me: "I liked
what you said about the Yankees; I'd like to pursue it per-
sonally with you." He invited me over that evening.
22
This officer, a Pole, was a young captain; he had served
in the Foreign Armies division and had then been assigned
the post of instructor at the military academy. He was a
native of Stettin (Szczecin), and his last name was Muller;
his parents had made sure to give him a good first name.
At the outset, we addressed each other respectively as
"Captain" and "Cadet Sergeant" (which I had become in the
meantime), then as Jagello and Friedrich. Jagello had a typ-
Aladdin’s Problem 19
He would say: "There are vices that cancel one another out.
When I smoke heavily, it affects my stomach. I prevent this
by drinking a lot of tea."
While people may become very intimate, even among
brothers, there are still taboos. We avoided them after rec-
ognizing them. One day, when there had been another
rumpus in the Sejm, I found Jagello absorbed in his news-
paper. He said: "It's so ridiculous that they can't overcome
their fiasco."
I replied: "And yet with Pomerania, they have one of
the richest soils, where prosperity was at home."
I had tried to express myself neutrally, but Jagello was
obviously disgruntled. This was a wound for him—and for
me too. The difference was that for him Poland, and for me
Pomerania, were not yet lost. Our friendship was put to a
test, which it survived.
When we travel today, not only in Europe, but also in
faraway countries, we feel that a brother lies under the
ground. He calls to us, and we have to restrain ourselves
like the sons of Korah in Psalm 88: "Prayer in great tribula-
tion and imminent mortal danger."
26
Spring had come. Our nights grew longer and longer;
sometimes, when we separated, day was already dawning
toward us. Our work did not suffer—on the contrary: we
became as alert as if we had been trained in abstracting. I
was allowed to accompany him on his early-morning
rides.
Jagello's friendship also brought a change in my career.
At the end of the military-school year, I became a lieuten-
ant; Jagello was also promoted—he was now the youngest
staff officer, and he was posted as attaché to the Berlin em-
bassy. From there, he requested me as his assistant. This
presented no difficulty; the Foreign Service offices were
Aladdin’s Problem 23
37
Grandfather said: "Fridolin is presentable." Indeed,
gradually, my uncle became our piece de resistance. That too
is a statistical matter: the decline of old families. The time
comes when they either face extinction or need replenish-
ment. Power slips from their fingers; they suffer the fate of
drones or come to an arrangement. British lords, French
marquis marry billionairesses, who restore their castles.
Princesses elope with bandleaders. The Hungarians say:
"In our country, coachmen are fathered by counts and
counts by coachmen."
Regarding the nobility, there were two big thrusts: the
first, in the French Revolution; the other, in the two world
wars, which future historians will, presumably, not sepa-
rate. Salient turning points came when the entails were
broken by the Code Napoleon and then by the Weimar
Constitution, the goal being a redistribution of land. This
was made possible by the spiritual weakness of the aristoc-
racy, which was also physically liquidated in vast areas.
Numerous members of my family did not escape this fate.
Quite generally, one may say that Prussia was well rep-
resented by the nobility until the Franco-Prussian War.
Bismarck, Moltke, and Roon were paragons. The decline is
evident when we compare portraits from that war with
those from World War I—say, the portrait of Wilhelm I
with that of Wilhelm II, or that of old Moltke with that of
his nephew. But then, in my father's generation, came
Moltke's grandnephew, Helmuth James Moltke, who was
executed.
38
I close the circle: Uncle Fridolin did not contribute to
our replenishment like the Hungarian coachmen. In this
respect, he most likely did little; at any rate, Friederike did
Aladdin’s Problem 35
aunt placed her hand on his arm. He took off his spectacles
and said:
"Friedrich—I expected this. Come to my office tomor-
row morning at eleven. Bring along your documents—
every last one of them, starting with your birth certificate."
40
The next morning, accompanied by Bertha's good
wishes, I stood outside his firm on Potsdamer Strasse.
Having come early, I spent a quarter of an hour pacing up
and down in front of the building. The bombs had spared
it. It had only been "aired out"—and not until the final
days of the Reich Chancelery. My uncle had redone the
rooms for his needs and added a new facade. No show
window—whatever belonged to the final arrangements
could be seen in the branch offices. There was a sign at the
entrance:
PIETAS
Funerals
Above it, two silver palm fronds. There were no other
firms in the building, only an apartment for the concierge.
The latter was indispensable, for many calls came at night.
At the stroke of eleven, I entered his office. I was led
not into the waiting room but directly to my uncle. "Herr
Gädke is expecting you," said the secretary when I gave
her my name. She pressed a button; my uncle opened the
door and ushered me in. His office was plain, but roomy,
with a big desk on which there was little paper—all incom-
ing items were processed instantly. No pictures, only a few
diplomas and the portrait of the old kaiser in uniform.
"Some customers are offended, but I don't care."
After a quick handshake, my uncle put on his specta-
cles and delved into my credentials; they formed a thick
file, which Bertha had put in order. There was nothing
amiss in my transcripts—I had done well, indeed, to some
38 Ernst Jünger
45
One thing was not as bad as I had pictured it: the close
bond between tragedy and business. Whenever I entered
as the harbinger of Charon's boat, followed by my assistant
with his tape measure, I actually sensed a feeling of relief
among the mourners. The chaos was beginning to ease—I
could take over some of their worries. And also, the mo-
ment comes when, hard as it may be to say farewell, one
wishes that the dead person were under the ground.
Then again, I could not neglect business. Once, when I
submitted an order to Uncle Fridolin, he said: "They would
have been more than willing to spend twice as much for
their father and they are even obligated to do so: he was a
general. After all, we're not running a charity here."
I took his words to heart; on the other hand, I could not
exploit the bewilderment of the bereaved. Gradually, I
struck a balance.
Why did I care less and less about these visits the more
routine they became? The answer would require a bit of
soul-searching, for I would not wish to present myself to
myself as a good person. Nevertheless, the work was
stressful. My situation was roughly that of a thespian who
has to perform in dramas every evening. At first, he is pas-
sionate, then it becomes a daily habit; it imbues his lan-
guage, his gestures, his acting—the mask becomes con-
stant.
That was what happened to me. Now, when I went to
the homes of the deceased, I had no stage fright; this de-
velopment was harmful to my character.
46
It was Bertha rather than I who noticed the change. She
said, when I came home exhausted: "You can stop looking
Aladdin’s Problem 43
What tied me to Bertha was not just taste but also pas-
sion. We owe this distinction to Stendhal; it was he who
established it. But when passion grew weaker, good taste
prevented our having a quarrel a la Strindberg. Nor did
another man, another woman emerge. We drifted apart,
and this caused both of us distress—certainly Bertha won-
dered, just as I did, to what extent it was her fault.
She did not hold back with the small overtures at
which women are better than we. For example, dates,
which we forget more easily than they do—why were
there flowers on the table today? Right—it was the anni-
versary of our first night together. Then again, a favorite
dish would be on the table, or else she was wearing the
cheap jewelry that I had given her in our student days, and
her hairdo was the same as back then. These were memo-
ries of the old times, but only memories.
50
We would have drifted apart even without my work,
which occupied me more and more, ultimately affecting
my health, especially when the firm rose to sudden notori-
ety. If anyone was at fault, it was I—because of my charac-
ter, which was exposed by my profession; however, time
would have done the same, even under different circum-
stances. As a moralist once said: Aging makes not only our
profiles but also our characters more distinct.
I wonder whether, in regard to eros, I fit into one of the
prevailing typologies. If I were to fill out a test question-
naire, I would be the paragon of a normal spouse. I cannot
oblige with any surprise, any physical or mental deviation.
One should not be content with that; statistics are de-
vised for parochial minds. What does, say, the question
"What is your favorite color?" mean to someone who feels
good in a fog or who is delighted by a palette, an opal, a
rainbow, a sunset in Manila? Besides, under every normal
46 Ernst Jünger
66
Although I could now take very good care of Bertha
and fulfill her every wish, she stuck to her modest lifestyle.
Having completed her studies, she was preparing for a
teaching position. She had moved into a larger apartment
only because her old one had become too small for all her
books. Books and travels—those were the things she
splurged on. Twice a year, she drove to Greece in her little
car. Recently, these trips had extended to the Ionian Coast
as well as the Anatolian interior. She had visited Sardis,
the residence of Gyges and Croesus, on the ancient golden
river, the Pactolus.
When my problem started afflicting me, I went to see
her and also spent the night. I slept fitfully, and it was
good feeling her next to me, when I suddenly awoke as if
plunging from a height. She then switched on the lamp;
we chatted, not about my problem, but about her travels; I
had her read aloud to me. Now that we had become
friends, I understood her better there was still some eroti-
cism, but of a different kind.
She enjoyed hearing my accounts of Kornfeld's investi-
gations. After all, historical, especially archeological inter-
ests are closely interwoven with graves; basically, the
world is a grave into which the ages descend and from
which they rise again like asphodels. These processes are a
sowing and reaping, and Orpheus lives in every historian.
Once, right after returning from Asia Minor, Bertha
said: "It's obvious why Kornfeld visited Knossos, Mycene,
and Troy—but why hasn't he been to Cappadocia? That
would be the Promised Land for you people."
67
This was the second major turning point in the history
of Pietas-Terrestra, if I may call our car trouble near the
Aladdin’s Problem 67
68
But that was not all. In front of these underground cit-
ies, there is a forest of towers, at the sight of which Sieur
Paul Lucas was utterly astonished: an enormous mass of
cones shaped like sugarloaves and often as high as the
Castle of St. Angelo. There are well over a hundred thou-
sand; the Turks call them the "chimneys of the fairies."
Hermits and monastic orders established themselves in
some; a few served as dovecotes, while others are still in-
habited today, containing, for instance, a police station. A
teahouse had also been set up, and we relaxed there after
ascending from the underworld.
As I have said, these towers have been known and also
described for a long time; in Kornfeld's library, I came
across a six-volume opus by Guillaume de Jerphanion: The
Rock Churches of Cappadocia.
Kornfeld enlightened me about the geological origins
of these formations; I am not sure that I fully understood.
According to him, the high plateau was once covered, or
rather coated, by a thin, hard stratum; water had seeped in
through cracks, disintegrating the friable subjacent rock.
Sandstorms had completed the job, grinding the cylinders
into shape. It is owing to their caps, which protect them
like helmets, that the towers have survived for millennia.
This explanation made it clear to me why the majority
of these towers looked like mushrooms with black caps
and sand-colored stems, while others, which were not yet
completely detached, formed chains.
Thus, along with halls, grottoes, and caverns, there
were also unlimited numbers of tumuli beckoning to Ter-
restra.
Aladdin’s Problem 69
69
In this way, the first stage of the undertaking was com-
pleted according to Jersson's guidelines, and far more fa-
vorably than we had hoped. We could now focus more
strongly on promotion.
To start with, we had to think about acquiring the land.
A lease would have to be obtained for an unlimited time
or, as the phrase goes, "in perpetuity"; for that was the only
possibility in keeping with Terrestra's plan and its unique
offer. Fortunately, the terrain, although gigantic, was a
wasteland. Here too we had unexpected luck.
Once again, a military regime had taken the helm in
Anatolia; the name of the general who controlled the good
and bad weather was Humayum. There were old connec-
tions with him, partly through a bank that Jersson main-
tained in Istanbul. The general was in a quandary both at
home and abroad; oil and foreign currency were lacking,
the prisons were overcrowded. He had to be on good
terms with the democracies. As a result, we could look
forward to striking a deal with him.
Actually, I was supposed to negotiate it. The banker
knew that I had studied media; furthermore, aside from
Kornfeld, I was the one most familiar with the plan. But I
had to refuse, for by then I was already doing only half a
job, although I was still accessible.
How was it that he decided on Sigi? After all, the bank-
er had no lack of promoters who had proved their worth
in the petroleum trade. Sigi lived a Bohemian life and des-
pised business; he had been active for only a few weeks,
playing the role of a sort of government minister. Perhaps
Jersson merely wanted to hand his nephew and son-in-law
a job on the Terrestra payroll. It could do no harm, for the
general was bound to accept our offer.
70 Ernst Jünger
75
So far, my story is a statistical matter, under the sub-
heading: Personal success after difficulties in war and civil
war. These ascents occur not only in business, but also in
art and science. Like a winning lottery ticket, they presup-
pose an enormous number of losers.
Nor do I consider unusual that stage of nihilism in
which I abide as in a waiting room, half bored, half expect-
ing the warning bell. Individuals become passengers, and
it is surprising that the waiter still takes their order? Given
the sinister way in which our world is changing, almost
everybody ought to be familiar with this mood, in which
one begins to doubt rationality. Perhaps the whole thing is
a ghostly dream.
Fear only intensifies the confusion. The individual per-
son has always experienced that; but we are not yet famil-
iar with titanic dimensions. When an illness becomes seri-
ous, and destruction looms, we fall prey to despair. This
applies even more to mental disorders than to physical
ones. What, in contrast with that, are wealth and success,
such as I have gained at Terrestra? They are actually bur-
densome, and so is society—one seeks a hole to creep into.
Frederick III, German Emperor, King of Prussia, ruled
for ninety days before succumbing to his cancer of the lar-
ynx. I can picture Bismarck going to the monarch's bed
and submitting documents for him to sign. What are prov-
inces, the Black Eagle, unrest in the Silesian mining dis-
tricts, compared with the small knot in the throat—the kai-
ser no longer listens to the chancellor, he pays heed only to
clearing his throat, torturously forcing the mucus through
the tube. Man is alone.
Aladdin’s Problem 77
76
However: madness is only part of my problem. It
would be an ordinary case. As such, it would again be a
statistical matter, and I would have to put up with it for
better or worse. I am mulling over another possibility. It is:
"Madness or more?" Bertha thinks I have to overtrump—
this is in keeping with my character. Fate has set up a hur-
dle for me. Behind it, the abyss; perhaps I can leap across
both.
I have to make sure that my notes do not crisscross, for
I am traveling on two tracks: along the curves of my fever-
ish dreams and also in reality. Collisions threaten, but per-
haps the convergence will work out. After all, parallel lines
supposedly meet at infinity. Could this be also possible in
time—that is, in life, even if only in echoes? The dream
vanquishes reality; it transforms it into poetry, into an art-
work. I believe that this is how every great turning point
has been reached. It was preceded by madness. Moham-
med strikes me as a good example.
A loss of individuality may be an additional factor.
Doctors have a special term for that. I have not yet men-
tioned my grandmother, who died long ago, but who visits
me in dreams. It is chiefly to her that I owe my intimate
knowledge of our family history, which goes back all the
way to legendary times, and whose figures are so fully
merged with mine that I sometimes sense as awake: that
was not I, that was my father or grandfather, perhaps even
an anonymous forebear.
77
Something wishes to alight—an eagle, a nutcracker, a
wren, a jester? Why me of all people? Perhaps a vulture—I
have liver problems now too.
78 Ernst Jünger
78
Headaches, seizures, visions, strange voices, unex-
pected encounters, voluntary or forced isolation. Mad-
houses are the monasteries of our world. Whatever hap-
pens in laboratories is the work of the lay brothers and
nothing more.
The lay brothers carry out orders; they know not what
they do. Even in the realm of great politics, where millions
of lives are at stake, the wretchedness of the actors is obvi-
ous. By what principles are they selected?
Aladdin was the son of a tailor in one of the countless
cities of China, a playful boy—but only he could dig out
the treasure. How was it that the Mauretanian, a man of
profound knowledge, could hit upon this dreamer? He
employed magical writings, the sandbox, mantic and as-
trological skills.
I do not regard Phares as a magus. I am unsettled by
him, but I do not feel damaged. Naturally, we become
suspicious when someone walks in and offers us a blank
check. This is a major theme in fairy tales, legends, and re-
ligion. The issue is the decision between mental and physi-
cal, between spiritual and concrete power—in a word, the
issue is salvation.
Perhaps it was an ordeal for which Phares led me into
his grotto. It bordered on the Terrestra territory; the walk
or the vision must have occurred at the time that the busi-
ness with the dead left me extremely dissatisfied. Inci-
dentally, our treasure chambers cannot be compared to
Aladdin's—they are bursting with energy. Aladdin's lamp
was made of pewter or copper, perhaps merely clay. Gal-
land's text reports nothing about this matter—all we learn
is that the lamp hung from a grotto ceiling. It was not lit,
but rubbed, to make the genie appear. He could put up
palaces or wipe out cities overnight, whatever the master
80 Ernst Jünger
en. Then the barrier between men and gods could also col-
lapse.
I could already feel that our encounter satisfied my ni-
hilism. I could tell by symptoms too—especially a new af-
fection that both surprised and delighted Bertha and me. It
was as if we had never known one another before.
I noticed in general that the people I dealt with as well
as strangers I encountered in the street had more to say to
me than a bit earlier. And even Terrestra appeared to me,
indeed in a new light, as a worthwhile task.
84
My being animated by a new spirit is something I per-
ceive in the fact that I have jumped ahead, for I am still
with my problem—say, with the decisions demanded of us
by the power that streams toward us. Aladdin could limit
himself to comfort; with Budur he had nothing more than
a happy marriage. That is how simple minds behave: they
remain untouched by stronger temptation. Even concern
about society, say, "the welfare of the fatherland," on
which they could focus their power, is alien to them. I
thought about that, albeit only for an instant, but my nihil-
ism leads to other considerations.
A description that designates itself as a problem can of-
fer no solution. Deeds and images still attack one another.
"I am in action," Jellicoe radioed to the Admiralty when it
demanded reports from him during the naval battle.
Today, solutions are really white lies, for they do not
belong within the framework of our times: perfection is
not their task. The approach can only be gradual. Alad-
din's problem was power with its delights and dangers;
yet it seemed to me that Phares had nothing in common
with the genie of the lamp. It makes a difference whether
demons or messengers knock at the door.
Aladdin’s Problem 85
85
The initial contact was fairly banal; it resulted from one
of the letters that arrived at Terrestra. The precipitous de-
velopment of the firm required more and more advertising
for open positions. It is an old experience that mid-level
positions are easy to fill. But top-level positions are a dif-
ferent story. The China market had soon reached first
place. It began with inquiries and orders from the periph-
eral areas: Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, scattered communi-
ties in South East Asia, New York's Chinatown. Plus the
Chinese restaurants, the silk and porcelain boutiques in all
the big cities around the world. Their proprietors along
with their staffs wanted to do something for themselves
and their ancestors. A coffin was once again considered a
nice present.
Then, with the return to capitalism and the loosening of
borders, the flood of mail came from the Middle Kingdom
itself. It was overwhelming. We needed a senior executive
who both had special experience and was a genius at
planning.
In such cases, it is hard to choose. Some people waste
their time and energy on secondary stipulations, others
wreak havoc with outlandish ideas. The category to which
each belonged was usually apparent in the applications,
which were read by various people in the company, in-
cluding graphologists; I received the digests.
Thus, Phares's application likewise reached my desk af-
ter being routed through numerous offices. Good
knowledge of languages, many years in the Far East, excel-
lent penmanship. Several passages were painted in ideo-
grams. This was not unusual, for some of the applicants
were Chinese. We had special readers for them.
The question about nationality was answered with:
"Cosmopolitan." Place of residence: "Adler's Hotel." While,
86 Ernst Jünger
or rather before, reading it, I saw that the letter was ad-
dressed to me personally. The impression was that of an
afterimage: we close our eyes, and the inner text appears. I
read it like a painting and discovered unmistakable en-
grams—for instance, among the positions previously held:
"Landscape gardener in Liegnitz, Silesia." Some details
could be known only to Bertha and myself, others to my-
self alone.
I remembered the signs as if I had carved them into a
tree trunk years ago. Now they became visible; I did not
notice that they were in the Chinese text. But I grew more
and more dumbfounded as I read the letter if it was a
dream, then it was no ordinary one. It dawned on me that I
could not invite the sender to come to my office, for I was
the recipient of the invitation—so I immediately dropped
what I was doing and walked through the Tiergarten to
Adler's Hotel. It was a spring morning, and I was gratui-
tously cheerful—elated.
Wilflingen, January 6, 1982
AFTERWORD
THE PARABLE OF
ALADDIN'S PROBLEM
Martin Meyer