The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-12-21
MISCELLANEOUS.
Why the Sea 10 Salt

Once on time, but it was long, long tim,
ago. there were two brothers, one rich ant
one poor. Now, one Christmas ev., tn,
poor one hadn't SO much as crumb in tn,
house, either Of meat or bread, sc he wen,
to his brother to ask him for something t.
keep Christmas with, in Gods name. II
was not the first time his brother had been
forced to help him, and you may fancy he
wasn't very glad to see his face, but he said
IF you will do what ask you to do, III
give you whole fitch of bacon"
So the poor brother said he would do any.
thing, and was full of thanks.
"Well, here is the fitch" said the rich
brother, land now 90 straight to He'll"
"What | have given my word to do, !
must stick to-" said the other; so he took
the fitch and set off. He walked the whole
day, and at dusk he came to a place where
he saw very bright light.
"Maybe this is the place." said the man
to himself. So he turned aside, and the
first thing he saw was an old, old man, with a
long white beard, who stood in an out house
hswing wood for III. Christmas fire.
Good evening"" said the man with the
fitch.
''The same to you; whittier are you going
so late?" said the other.
"Oh! I'm going to He'll, if only knew
the right way" answered the poor man.
"Well, you're not far wrong, for this is
Hell," said the old man; "when you get in.
side they will be all for buying your fitch
for meat is scarce in He'll; but mind you
don't sell it unless you get the hand-quern
which stands behind the door for it. When
you come out, I'll teach you how to handle
the quern, for it's good to grind almost any
/! thing"
So the man with the fitch thanked the
other for his good advice, and gave q great
knock at the DEVILS door.
When he got in, everything went just as
the old man had said. All the devils, great
and small came swarming up to him like
ants round an anthill, and each tried to out
bid the other for the fitch.
"Wellr' said the man, 'by rights my old
dame and ought to have this fitch for our
Christmas dinner; but since you have all
set your hearts on it, l suppose must give
it up to you; bu. if sell it at all, I'll have
for It that quern behind the door yonder." "
At first the Devil wouldn't hear of such
bargain, and chartered and haggled with
the man; but he stuck to what he said, and
ut last the Devil had to part with the quern.
When the man got out into the yard, he
asked the old w0od-cutter how he was to
handle the quern; and after he had heard
how to use it, he thanked the old man and
went off home as fast as he could, but still
the clock had struck twelve on Christmas
eve before he had reached his own door.
wherever in the world have you been p
said his old dame; ''here have sat, hour
after hour, waiting and watching, without
so much as two sticks to lay together under
the Christmas brosc."
"Oh!" said the man, II could not get
back before, for l had to go long ay, first
for one thing, and then for another; but
now you shall see what you shall see."
So he put the quern on the table, and
bade it first Of all grind lights, then table-
cloth, then meat, then ale, and so on till
they had got everything that was nice for
Christmas fare. lie had only to speak the
word, and the quern ground out what he
wanted. The old dame stood by blessing
her stars, and kept on asking where he had
got this wonderful qucrn, but he wouldn't
tell her.
Its all one where got it from; you
see the quern is good one, and the mill
stream never freezes, that's enough"
So he ground meat and drink and dain-
ties enough to last till Twelfth Day, and on
the third day he asked all his friends and
kin to his house, and gave great FEAST
Now, when his rich brother saw all that was
on the table, and oil that was behind in the
larder, he grew quite spiteful and wild, for
he couldn't bear that his brother should
have anything.
"'Twas only on Christmas eve," he said
to the rest, 'he was in such straits, that he
came and asked for amorsel Of food in God S
name, and now he gives 2 feast as if he
were count or king" and he turned to his
brother and said
"But whence, in Hell's name, have you
got all this wealth."
"From behind the door," answered the
owner of the quern, for he didn't care to
let the cat out Of the bag. But later on in
the evening, when he had got drop too
much, he could keep his secret no longer,
and brought out the quern and said
"There, you see what has gotten me all