The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-12-21
McGREGOR, IOWA, WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 21 1859.

this wealth. and so ne bade the quern
grind all kind Of things. When his brothe,
saw it, he set his heart on having the quern
and, after good deal Of coaxing, he got it;
but he had to pay three hundred dollars fo,
it, and his brother bargained to keep it til
hay harvest, for he thought, if keep it till
then, I can make it grind meat and drink
that will last for years. So you may fame,
the qucrn didn't grow rusty for want OF
work, and when haying-harvest came, tn,
rich brother got it, but the other took care
not to teach him how to handle it.
It was evening when the rich brother got
the qucrn home, and next morning he told
his wife to 60 out into the hay field and toss,
while the mowers cut the grass, and he
would stay at home and get the dinner
ready. So, when dinncr-time drew near.
he put the quern on the kitchen-table, and
said
"Grind herrings and broth, and grind
them good and fast"
So the quern began to grind herrings and
broth; first Of all, all the dishes full, then
all the tubs full, and so on till the Kitchen
floor was quite covered. Then the man
twisted and twirled at the quern to get it to
stop, but for all his twisting and lingering
the quern went on grinding, and in little
while the broth rose 50 high that the man
was like to drown So he threw open the
kitchen-door and ran into the parlor, but it
wasn't long before the quern had ground
the parlor full too, and it was only at the
risk of his life that the man could get hold
Of the latch Of the house door through the
stream Of broth. When he got the door
open, he ran out and set off down the road,
with the stream Of herrings and broth at
his heels; roaring like waterfall over the
whole farm.
Now, his old dame, who was in the field
tossing hay, thought it was long time to
dinner, and ut last she said
"Well! though the master doesn't call us
home, we may as we'll 60. Maybe he finds
it hard work to boil the broth, and will be
glad of my help"
The men were willing enough, so they
sauntcrcd homewards but just as they had
got little way up the hill, what should they
meet but herrings, and broth, and bread,
all running, and dashing, and splashing to-
gether in stream, and the master himself
running before them for his life, and as he
passed them he bawlcd out-"Would to
Heaven each one Of you had hundred
throatsl but take care you're not drowned
in the BROTH" .s
Away he went, as though the Evil One
were at his heels, to his brothers house,
and begged him for Gods sake to take back
the quern that instant; for, said he
IF it grinds only one hour more, the
whole parish will be swallowed up by her.
rings and BROTH"
But his brother wouldn't hear of taking
it back till the other paid him down three
hundred dollars more.
So the poor brother got both the
money and the quern, and it wasn't
long before he set up a farmhouse far finer
than the one in which his brother lived,
and with the qncrn he ground out 50 much
gold that he covered his house with plates
Of gold; and as the farm lay by the sea-
side, the golden house cleaned and glisten-
ed far away over the sea. All who sailed
by put ashore to see the wonderful ouern.
the fame of which spread far and wide, till
there was nobody who hadn't heard tell
of it.
So one day there came skipper who
wanted to see the quern; and the first thing
he asked was if it could grind salt.
Grind salt" said the owner; should
think 1t could. 1t can grind any thing"
When the skipper heard that, he said he
must have the quern, cost what it would ::
for if he only had it, he thought he should
be rid Of his long voyages across stormy
seas for lading of salt Well, at first the
man wouldn't hear of parting with the
quern; but the skipper begged and prayed
so hard, that at last he let him have it, but
he had to pay many, many thousand dollars
for it. Now, when the skipper had got the
quern on his back, he soon made of with
it, for he was afraid lest the man should
change his mind; SO he had no time to ask
how to handle the quern, but got on board
his ship as fast as he could, and set SAIL
When he had sailed a good way off, he
brought the quern on deck and said
Grind salt, and grind both good and
fast"
Well, the quern began to grind salt so
that it poured out like water; and when the
skipper had got the ship full, he wished to
stop the quern, but whichever way he turned
it, and however much he tried, it was no
good; the quern kept grinding on, and the
heap Of salt grew higher and higher, and at
last down sunk the ship.
There lies the quern ut the bottom Of the
sea, and grinds away at this very day, and
that is the reason why the sea is salt.
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