Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-04-07


had also severed the bonds of his cnmpanicn
whom he was urging to escape As soon as he
saw the child approaching, he exclaimed
"Ha /! here is the monsters cub again. She
will cry and alarm the brute who keeps us here
Come hither, young devil!" said he, seizing the
child. "Your father has made us to suffer. and
we will now give him something to remember us
by"
| He raised his knife for sacrifice.
"Stop! 1t shall not be so, Uric" cried Pla.
tow, nerposing. You shall not kill the child.
1t has not harmed u.s."
at shall die f" cried the other furousy.
"It shall live" said Platow, firmly. 81 swear
you shall not harm it. What did it not give us
milk this morning, and will you pay it back in
blood at noon2"
He spoke in vain. Uric seized the child by
the throat. At that instant laugh that made
the mountains ring, sounded close behind them.
The giant was there He held mighty club,
| which he brandished tbreateningly on high A
moment more, and as it seemed they would be
smashed into a jelly.
$50, rascals, this is the way you pay me for
my milk and corn" cried their host. "Come,
let me she which shall kill first. IIa this is
the latest" And with one hand he seized Ul-
ric by the waist, and turned him round carelessy
IN the air, as one would turn rat. After salts
flying himself as to his victims condition, he
tossed him gently down and said, " Now, vii
lain! strip, and be quick. can't roast you with
those rags on. But first, have you anything TO
say why you should not die? | will give yom
air trial. You have two minutes to make your
defence"
U.ric stammered out some unintelligiblc words
in his extremity; but in the end he gave in, and
answered simply, Nothing"
WE'LL" said the giant, that is good at least.
And you !" he asked, addressing himself to
Platow, who replied,
Il had your child in my power, and-I did
not kill her."
"kilI her ?" echoed the other. "What! kill
chd Is that what they teach ye to do in
Your own couniry?" =
swell, then, saved her from u
4 "Fhafs better, and for thAe n
fspare yo,s." NV
\ " And ny companion, too?" said \
I "No; he must de-" -
"Spare him for my sake, urge
more.
T The giant looked gravely, but IN
him, and said 4" For your sake Wv
4 lsparc him, too. And now. know, men, that
have listened to your talk. You have neve
been out OF my grasp.no, not for moment.-
Had you harmed my poor sckly child, death in
stantIy would have been yonr fate. But one o
you were merciul -and mercy begets mercy
good deed should be returned tvofold. AM
6 1t is thus that | ".deaycr to, repay one. Stran
lgegs We are poor and Wild people sn. Y.
model OF your own And We wistt, wnen W,
return to your own rich and beautiful country
that you should be able to say, there is no spo
however savage, where men may not learn some
: thing-no spot where human gratitude does no
flourish, and whete the wisdom of kindness ina
not be taught"
A few evenings afterwards, as the two soldiers
well supplied with food, were travelling qqietl
towards their homes, Uric observed an u
IS silence. AT length he said to his co!
, 81 have been thinking that the
perhaps his mind-was almost as
+, Ibody."
: u" have thought SO all the time,
y other.
y By this time they had reached their
when they arrived at the gates of thelprlnclpa
" city, Sapienza, they parted; each taking his wa
to his own home.
d It is said that the seeds sown by the mouna al
II giant were not thrown away, even on the rock
e bosom Of Uric. He became wiser and bette
It, nan. In Patow they produced a less obviou
N benefit, the change within him being less br
:" the events of his journey were ever atlerward
r gratefully remembered. And when, in late
o. years. his children clustered around him,
at would often amuse and instruct thcm on SUNNI
evenings, by relating to them the fruitful lesse
as of wisdom which, in his YOUTH he had hea
a among the barren mountains.