Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1859-12-07

/ years"
do dcclare.'' cried his listener. in
great rage, .'tha. this is the most audaciou
demand [ ever heard of, and before l will
submit
MASTER" said Aennchen. outside, ''her,
is some Of the wood
Pest" said he in the chair, Il suppose
l must accede- Ten years you may have
and the and theu-wc shall see"
Well, Carl set him free. not without some
inward trembling. But people in old times
kept their promises much better than people
DO now, aud Carl was unharmcd. One exhi-
bition of temper did not make No sooner
was he free, than. taking his sword. he hack
ed the chair to pieces and threw them into
the fire. This done, he departed, and left
Carl once more alone.
s.When he cpnes again" thought Carl to
himself. as he sippel his punch, Il shall have
my affairs in order, land will follow him con-
tentedly."
The ten years granted to Carl under the
foregoing circumstances, do not seem to have
been very eventful ones, for the legend pas
ses them over III single pa agraph, to the
effect that during this period Carl grew very
fat.
On certain autumn day. Carl was sitting
was in full! bearing aud such pears! Large.
ripe. golden hued-there were dozens of
them, not one of which need be ashamed To
stand before king Carl looked at them,
and his heart was glad within hun. They
were his-to give away, to SELL to eat. to
keep if he chose and then his eyes wandered
from the free, over the garden, to his snug
cottagc-yes, all his own, he fell into rev.
erie, revcrie pleasantly broken at intervals
by the hum of bees, the sighing of the wind
on the tree tops, ard the sweet child-song
which Nina, Aennchen Tochte-lien, sang at
her wheel.
Carl ~ said voice behind him.
Though it was long siuce Carl had heard
that voice. he had not forgotten it. His
heart sauk no escape this time, he
tho1ght.
Has the time really comet he asked.
''The ten years agreed upon expired some
months ago: but, being very busy, granted
you little respite" said Death, for il was no
less parsonage
Here was return for Csrl's shabby treat
meut of bin on his former visit Carl vas
quite overcome by this kiuiness
''1udeed-indeed, ynu are too good
Would that it lay in my power to do any
thing to show you that L am net ungrate-
full -
As fate would ,ave it, at this moment,
largo pear dropped at Carrs feet. Taking it
up, he offered it to his companion. The lat
ter waved him of at first; but the rich, spicy
odor of the fruit, reached his ol!actories, and,
hesitatingly, he took the pear aud Bit it to
tue core.
..Ah - be exclaimed, what delicious
pear
Say you SO % cried Carl There are
loads of them to be bad for the picking
Wait but a moment, and you shall have
score. With this ladder / will ascerd the
tree only hold the ladder SO that it can not
fali.''
During this speech. the person addressed,
having finished the pear, stood looking hun
griy at the fruit above him Carl now plac-
ed tue ladder, aud commenced ascending -
But the cracking of the rounds warned him to
desist, his weight was more than the ladder
would bear
"Alas /. were my little Fritz here. he
would run up like aoy squirrel; but the lad
der is SO frail, fear we must leave the fruit
untouched"
Leave the fruit" cried Death. with
watering teeth. Stuff ~ | myself will
climb
DuI, CtIcu SaEl, III great
you not hear how the ladder creaked with me.
Consider, sir, you may fall"
NAY, my weight is not half Sd great as
yours Let go my arm; | ~iu 60. Hold
the ladder"
Carl Gid hold the ladder very carefully
he warned the climber against the broken
round near the top, but no sooner was the
ladder uumcumbered than he threw it on
the ground aud hiusef alongside of it, and
rolled around III perfect paroxysm of laugh
ter.
Does any reader require to be told that
of Carl fodschalk?
The history, as if ashamed of the whole
transacyion, gives but few particulars of
the scene. Briefly Carl demauded and
received six months longer leave of life =
The prisoner, when released, descending
and departing without saying siugle
word
Il know that have acted uDgenerously, -
disorder, aud my farm would so to ruin were
to leave it now | will set about putting
things to rights this very day"
1 am compelled to state that things were
not put to rights by Carl, nor was the small
est attempt thereat made by him. When
exactly five minutes of the six months extort-
ed by Carl had expired. be commenced cast
ing about him for some means of extending
sill further his allotted time aud this occu-
patton was by him continued. with intervals
for sleep aud food. till he had devised one of
the most cunning plans that ever entered the
mind of man Nothing equal to it for inge-
nuity and r-sightedness has ever been read
in books or heard from the lips OF travellers
am gwen TO understand there was not a
doubt of its success in the minds of its au :
thor.
But who is it that has escaped his desti-