The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-10-31
NO. 81.
The buck.Eheat.

Translated FROM HANS ANDERsEN-sY LURLLA CLARK
Often, when one, after shower passes field
upon which buckwheat is growing, one sees
| that it has become all scared and black
| 1t is just as if fame of fire had over run it
and the peasant says, That has come OF the
| lightning. " Bat why come it from that?
will relate what the sparrow told me, aud the
sparrow had heard it from an old willOw-tree
which stood, and still stands, by buck whea'
field. 1t is a very large aud venerable willow
but gnared and old !; 1t is cleft in The middle
and grass and blackberry vines grow from the
opening. The tree bent over, and it's branches
dropped quite down to the earth,a as if they were
long green hair.
Upon the fields around grew grain, not only
rye and barley, but oats a!So-yes, the beautr
tul oats, which, when they are ripe. look just
like multitude of little canary birds upo" a
bough. The grain stood so blest; and the
richer, the lower it bowed in willing humility.
But there was also field of buck~ heat, and
this lay over by the wiIlow-tree. The buck
wheat by no means bowed itself like the other
grain, but paraded stiff and proud.
II am ind ed as rich as The corn ears" it
said besides, l am far pretter my flowers
are beautiful as the flowers of the apple-tree
it is Joy to look upon me and mine, Didst
thou ever see anything more splendid than me,
thou old wll,w-tree?
And the willow nodded with the head, just as
if it would say Eyes, that is understood
Bur the buckwheat paraded with open ar
rogance, and said, THE stupid tree? 1t Is SO
old, the grass grows from its trunk"
Now frighttul storm came on. All the field
flowers folded their leaves together, or bowed
their little heads, while the storm went over
them; but the buckwbeat alone stood upright
in its pride
"Bow thy head, like us" said the flowers.
Il am by no means accustomed to that, an
sweIed the ouckwheat.
Lower thy head, like us" cried the grain.
"Now comes flying the angel OF the storm He
has wings which reach from the clouds even
down to the earth, and he will break through
thy midst before thou canst pray him 10 be
merclful TO thee.
"Yes, but will not bow said the buck
wheat
'Shut thy flowers, and lower thy leaves, u said
he old wilIow-tree. Look hot al the lightning
when The cloud bursts. Even men dare not do
it, for in the lightning one can look into Gods
heavens, but this sight might even blind men ;
but what would not happen to us, the plants
Of the earth, if we dared tive who are in
ferior?"
Far inferior T" said the buckwheat. Now,
| look straight INTO Gods heaven And it did
in g arrogance and pride. 1t was as if the
whole world stood in fame, it hghtemed so.
When the storm was over, the flowers aud
grain stood il the clear, quiet air, greatly re-
treshed from the rain cut the buckwheat was
burned coal-b ack by the lightning it was on
iy a deadwe,d upon the fed.
And as the branches of the old wilow-tree
stirred in the wind, great drops of water tell
from the green leaves, just as if the tree wept.
And the sparrows said. why weepest thou
1t is so blest here. See how the sun shines
500 row the clouds Withdraw Dost thou not
breathe the fragrance IF the flowers and shrubs?
Why weepest thou, willow-tree?"
And the willow told OF the pride of the buck
wheat, of his arrogance, and the punishment
that always follows it. l, who relate the histo-
ry, heard 1T from the spalTows They told it
t. me one evening, when asked for a story
gDde0eDdanE