The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-01-28
:MiGGeIIJ ;.s.
TIE MAN IN THE BAG,

There were two brothers who were soldiers: the
one had gown rich, bu, The other had had no ucl,
and was very poor The poor man thought he
would try TO better HIMSELF 50 pulling of his red
coat, he became II gardener, and dug his ground
well. and sowed tGfnpl.
When the crop came up, there was one plant
bigger than all the rest; and 1t kept getting larger
and 'uraeI, AND seemed as if it would never cease
growing, that it mig have been called the prince
UF tGEnip'; for there never was such q one seen
b.lore, and never wi' again, At last it was so big
that il filled cart, aud two oxen could hardly draw
it; but the gardener did not know what il the world
to do with 1t, nor whether il would be blessing or
a curse to him. One day he sajd TO himself "whal
slm do with it? II sell ii, it Will bring me no
more than anoD,Ir would; und Us for eating ii, the
lille ljumvs, am S1ro, Uta better than tn, grca,
one. The hest thug, perhaps, that can do, will
be to give Il TO the N'ng, as Il mark Of ny res
pect."
Then he yoked his oxen, and drew the ,urnp
to The comt, AMI gave it 10 The king, "What Il
wonderful thins," said the king. ~ have seen
many strange lhi-ge i!ing, III ny life, bat such Il
monster us this nG"c. saw before Where did
you get the seed ur is ii only your good luch /:
iiso, YOU nrc true Guild Of fortune. "Ah no'
answered the gagdrner, " lam no child Of fortune:
| am poor sodar, who never yet could get e.
noug, TO iirG rron; 70 | set 10 work li,linl the
ground. have brother who is rich aud your
uaj sly knows him we'll and all the world knows
HIN; hut as am poor, every body l0rgets me-
Then the king TOOK pity on him, and said, :" You
shall be poor no longer. will give you so much,
that YOU shall be even richer than your brother.
So he give hin money, and lands, and ilockS,
and herds, aud Iuude lim SD rich, that his broth
eI's wcaIli. cogil not at all be compared with
hi.
When the brother heard Of all this, and how II
turnip had made the gardener 50 rich, he enyied
hm screly, ;ui be;hougIl himself how he could
please the king and get the same good luc:. for
himself. However, he thought he would manage
more cevGrly than his brother; 50 he got together
II rich gill oEjewcls and fine horses for the king,
thinking ,ht; he most have much larger glil in
return, ior If his brother had so much given him
fora turnip, what mus his gil he WORTH
The king took the gl very graciously, and said
he knew not whit he could give in return more
costly and wonderful un the great turnp; so the
soldier was forced 20 20 il iito cart and drag
il home with him. VI hen he reached home, he
knew not upon whom - vent his rage and envy;
aud nj length wicked Thoughts came into his head
and he sought 10 hill his brother.
So he hired some villains TO murder him; and
having shown them where 10 lie in ambush, he
went 10 his brother and said, " dear brother have
found hidden treasure; let Us 20 and dig il up,
aud share i, between u.s." he other had no
thouIh or fear Of his brothers roguery; so they
wcni out together and, as they were travelling a.
long the inurdercls rushed out upon him, bound
him, and were going to hang him on tree
Bat whilst they were getting all ready, they
heard the lrampng Of a horse ar.r Of, which so
frightened them that the pushed their prisoner,
neck and shoulders together, into sack, and
swung him up, by cord, 10 the tree, where they
left him dangling, and ran away, me1nng 10 come
back and despatch him in the evening.
Meantime, however, he worked and worked u
way, I'LL ha had made II hole large enough to put
ont biz head. When the horscman came up, he
proved 20 be- a student, merry fellow, who was
,oaneying along Oh his nag, and singing as he went
As sn0n rs The man in the bag saw him passing un-
der ,ho Tree, h. cried out, " GOOD morning, good
roMin:, 70 thee, NV friend:" The student looked
about, and seeing no one aud not knowing where
lhi voice came from, cried out. "Nho calls nc,''
Then the man in the 5i: cried cut LII up
ihiaa eyes; for. behold, here si, in the sack Of
wisdom! Here have !, IN short iluIe learned great
and wondTous things. Compared To what is taught
in this seat a the learning o the schools is az emp
t, air. A iii.!a longer, and shall know all thit
nan can know, and siil,. come forth wiser than the
yy,.os. Of nantnI. Here discern the signs and
motions Of III heavens aud the stars, the laws thu,
control the winds the nlnber Of the sands on the
sca-shofc; the healing Of the sicl.; the virtues of
all sinp,es, If birds, aud ofpr3aious stones. Vert
thju but once here, my fienl, thou wouldst soon
feel The power Of knowledge"
The student listened 10 oil this. and wondered
much; at las, ho said, 3" Blessed be the day and
hour when found ,ou! Cannot YOU let me into
,,o ,,c f far I,,in ,vhiln -, Tbon ia. o,bar .,,
swereI, az If yeiy unangly, "A little space
may liow the to ST. here. iithou wit reynrd Inc
well, aud teai me kindly; but ihol must larry YET
an hour below, till have learnt some little matters
thu, are SCI. unknown 10 the"
so the student sat himself down aud wal ed
while; bat the time hung heavy upon him, and he