Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1860-02-23
From "Daseutis Tales of the Morse"
Boots and his Brothers.

1bOOtS anu MS ttEOtMcESs
Once on time there was man who
had three sons, Peter, Paul and JOHN
John was Boots, of course, because he was
the youngest. 1 can't say the man had
anything more than these three sons, for
he hadn't one penny to rub against anotb-
er; and told his sons over and over again
they must go out into the world and try
and earn their bread, for there at home
there was nothing to look for but starving
10 death.
Now, a bit off the mans cottage was
the kings palace, and you must know, just
against the kings windows great tree had
sprung up, which was so stout and big
that it took away all the light from the
kings palace. The king had said he would
give many, many dollars to the man who
would fell the oak, but no one was man
enough for that, for as soon as ever one
chip of the oaks trunk flew off, two grew
in Its stead. A well, too the king wanted,
which would hold water the whole year
for all his neighbors had wells, but he
hadn't any, and that he thought shame.
So the king said he would give any one
who could dig him such well as would
hold water for whole year round, both
money and goods; but no one could do it,
for the kings palace lay high, high on a
hill and they hadn't dug but few inches
berfore they came upon living rock.
But as the king had set his heart on
having these two things done, he had it
given out far and wide, in all The churches
of his kingdom, that he who felled the big
oak in the kings courtyard, and got him a
well that would hold water the year round,
should have the Princess and half the king
dom. Well, you may easily know that
there was many man who came to try his
luck; but for all their hacking and hewing
and all their digging and delving, it was no
good. The oak got bigger and stouter at
every stroke, and the rock didn't get softer
either. So one day these three brothers
thought they'd set off and Try too, and
their father hadn't word against il; for
even if they didn't get the Princess and
half the kingdom, it might happen they
might get place somewhere with some
good master; and that was all he wanted.
So when the brothers said they thought of
going to the palace, their father said "yes"
at once. So Peter, Paul and Jack went
off from their home.
Well they hadn't gone far before they
came TO fir wood, and up along the side
OF it rose steep hillside, and as they
went, they heard something hewing and
hacking away up on the hill among the
trees.
81 wonder now what it is that is hewiDg
away up yonder?" said Jack.
"You're are always so clever with your
wonderings," said Peter and Paul both at
once. "What wonder is it. pray, that a
wcod-c hopper should stand and hack up on
hill-side?'
"Slill I'd like to see what it is after ALL"
said Jack; and up he went.
"Oh, if your such child, twill do you
good to go and take a lesson," bawled out
his brothers after him.
But Jack didn't care for what they said !;
he climbed the steep hillside towards
where the noise came, and when he reach
ed the place what do you think he sawG-
Why, an axe that stood there hacking and
hewing, all of itself, at the trunk of a fir
Good day." said Jack. $50 you stand
here all alone and hew, do youy"
"Yes; here have stood and hewed and
hacked long, long time, waiting for you"
said the axe.
swell, here I am at last" said Jack, as
he took the axe, pulled it off its haft, and
stuffed both head and haft in his wallet.
So when he got down again TO his bro
thers they began to jeer and laugh at him.
"And so, what funny thing was it you
saw up yonder on the hill-side?" they said.
"Oh, it was only an axe we heard," said
Jack.
So when they had gone a bit farther,
they came up to steep spur of rock, and
and there they heard something digging
and shoveling.
"I wonder now," said JACK, .'wbat it is
digging and shoveling up yonder at the
top of the rock"
"Oh, you're always so clever with your
wonderings," said Peter and Paul again,
as if you'd never heard wood-pecker
hacking and pecking at hollow tree"
"Well, well," said Jack, II think it
would be piece of fun just to see what it
really is"
and so off be set to climb the rock,
while the Others laughed and made game
of him. But he didn't care bit for that; {;
up he climbed, and when he got near the
top, what do you think he saw? Why, a
spade that stood there digging and delving.
"Good day !" said Jack. $50 You stand
here all alone. and dig and delve."
ayes that's what do" said the Spade,
"and that's what I've done this many a
day, waiting for you"
"Well, here l am, said Jack again, as he
took the spade and knocked it off its han
die, and put it into his wallet, and then
down again to his brothers.
"Well, what was it, SO rare and strange"
said Peter and Paul. shat you saw up
there at the-topiof the rock 2"
"Oh," said Jack, "nothing more than
spade; that we heard"
So they went on again good bit, till
they came to brook. They were thirsty
all three after their long walk, and so they
lay beside the brook to have drink.
81 wonder now," said Jack, "where all