Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-07-19
The Three Gifts.

There was once poor weaver who be-
came known to three rich students, who
seeing that the man was very poor, gave
him for his housekeeping hundred dol
lars. The weaver was overjoyed at the
gift, and resolved On employing it to the
greatest advantage, but would first for
time feast his eyes on the shining money.
He would not tell his wife of his good
fortune, who happened just then to be
from home, and concealing the money
where no one would think of looking for
it, namely, among some old rags. One
day while he was out rag collector
came to the house, and his wife sold him
a whole bundle of rags for few pence.
Now there was grief of heart, when the
weaver returned, and his wife, full of joy,
showed him the trife of money she got
for the old rags. When a year passed,
the three students came again hoping to
find the weaver in comfortable circum-
stances instead of which they found him
poorer than ever, and on expressing Won
der for this. he informed them of his mis-
fortune. After warning him to be more
careful in future, they gave him another
hundred dollars. Now he thought he
would be more prudent, SO without say
ing word to bis wife, he hid the money
in dust-tub; and this time it fell out
just as on the former occasion. His wife
exchanged the ashes with dust-man for
two or three pieces of soap, while her huS
band was just gone out to carry some
work to a customer. When he returned
and was told of the bargain of the ashes,
he was so enraged that he gave his wife a
good beating. .
When another year had passed, the
three students came for the third time,
and found the weaver in rags and misery.
They said throwing at the same time a
piece of lead at his feet "Of what use is
nutmeg to COW? To give the money
again would prove us to be greater fools
than thou art. We will never come to
thee again. Thereupon they went away
in anger, and the weaver picked up the
lead and laid it on the window sill. Soon
after his neighbor entered the room-he
was fsherman-bade him good day,
and said, 'sMy friend, have you perchance
a piece of lead, or anything heavy, that /
can use for my net +? for | have Just now
nothing at hand" The weaver gave him
the piece of lead which the students had
left, for which the fisherman thanked, and
promised that he should have in return
the first large fish he caught. Every
well, - replied the weaver, but it is not
worth speaking about" f.
q, Soon after the fisherman actually
brought fine fish weighing four or five
pounds, and obliged his neighbor to ac-
cept it. He Immediately cut up the fish,
and found bright stone in his belly.
This stone the weaver also laid in the
window sill. In the evening when it be-
came dark the stone began to shine, and
the darker it grew the brighter the stone
became, and just like candle. That's
cheap lamp" said the weaver to his
wife, ''wouldst thou not like to dipose of
it as thou didst the two hundred dollars2'
and he placed the stone so that it illu-
mined the whole room. The next even
ing merchant chanced to ride past the
house, who, on seeing the brilliant stone
alighted and entered the room, looked at
it, and offered ten dollars for it. The
weaver answered "that it was not for
sale" "What, not for twenty dollars 2"
4" Not even for that" replied the weaver.
The merchant, however, kept on bidding
and bidding for the stone, till at last he
offered a thousand dollars, for the stone
was precious diamond, and really worth |
much more. Now the weaver struck the |
bargain, and was the richest man in the |
village. His wife would have the last
word, and took much credit to herself, |
saying, " See, husband, how well it was
that | threw away the money twice, for
thou hast me to thank for this good
luck"