Goethe’s The Elf-King
For German language learners, it is exciting to read Goethe’s famous poem The Erl-King, also called The Elf-King, written in 1782 and published as Der Erlkönig. The poem is based on the Germanic legend of an evil elf who haunts the Black Forest, luring children to destruction. It was translated into English by Sir Walter Scott and set to music in a famous song by Franz Schubert.