These two stories are lovely, and a bit different from the Rilke works to which we English-speakers are exposed. They are very interesting for those enchanted with Prague, as Rilke mentions many landmarks within the city (buildings, graveyards, and such that still exist), and the translator does a very nice job footnoting all the locations mentioned. Both these stories deal with the relationship between the Germans and the Czechs in Prague when Rilke lived there, which is fascinating, since this is no longer the situation at present. The stories are both romantic, but <> is the better one, being a more convincing picture of reality and less muddled.