Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-02-22
Miscellaneous.
The Wooden up--A Fairy Tale.
BY NINA CLAUS.


lr was almost midnight tire full moon
looked down on the German iills. covered
Si,h vineyards, on the broad fields of corn
on tie little village jus. at t1e outskirts Of
tlo Black Forest, and thc I'D weli-the
haunted well-just vi. han los shadows.
The well had once been t1c village well /;
tutIt lad long been dry. ana had become
70 sal1 the villagers. the pathway through
which the gnomes who dw,ir beneath the
earth went to and from their gb de- This
particular race who iTcoucutei the well
came at last to be distinguished from the
other gn0mcs and fairies. so abundant in
Germany, and were known by the name Of
Spirits OF the Well. They were kind and
obliging. II poor man los. his money, he
need but 90 near the well, and be would
bnd lying there, perhaps not exactly what
be lost but something that would in some
way compensate him for il . and if any one
missed bis way IN the forest by night, he
bad only 10 look straight down before his
feet. to see a little hopping creature, hardly
distinguishsble in the darkness, but which,
il followed, would guide him Alright.
1t was almost midnight. as / said, when
Crispus. and his brother, and las sister Mel
he-thrce golden-hairtd. bluc-oyed, adyen-
field toward the well They had stolen out
Of their father's house, after he had shut
up his shop, and packed away his boots and
shoe and awl and gone to his bed, believing
the children safe asleep in theirs They
reached the well and looked down
T" e must wait till the moon rises higher
ana shines down there, said CTispus, then
We viii see the the gnomCs, and hear them
sing, perhap5.'
AZ be spoke, the moonlight began slowly
T. creep down the siios Of the stone walls.
lower and lower, until IT glimmered far
down IN their depths. As the children
gazed they were startled hy laugh behind
them. They looked round there stood an
odd-looking little brown msn. no more than
a foot high.
"You are bold children" said he, 'sbut
you are good. know you. You never
tease the dog or the clt You Ike to give
carrots TO the horse and have seen YOU
carry water to the poor, thirsty cow
Such tenderness men sometimes laugh at .
but the day will come when these hard
hearted men, who scruple not 70 inflct pain
even on the poor, dumb brut,s, viii cease
their laughing and laughno more forever -
His eyes kndled like Ere when be spoke /;
but he smiled again bcnignantly, and pro-
ceeded in 4 softer tone:
. Ii You will get into the bucket, and
come down the well With me. and my
brother gn0mes will do our best to enter
tain you and, moreover, make You a pres
ent OF whatever you choose.
o, yes" cried Crispgs, eagerly. for the
benevolent face Of the gn0me, added to his
own curiosity, banlshed fear. Yes, Let US
60"
His brother and SISTER hcsi.ated a mo-
mt; but, assured by bis ielrlossnsss, they
nodded their heads in assent.
= But the bucket viii not hold us all, -
said Crispus; ''and the chain is old and
rusty II might break"
Never fear - answered the gnome /;
ana he laughed heartily. "Only get in /;
you would be safe with me were You held up
Dy nothing but SPIDERS thread" So they
climbed into the tall iron-bound bucket, and
down they went.
II was quite dark when they stopped. with
aJog, at the bottom, and the gn0me helped
them all out; but in another instant they
were dazzled with burst Of light like noon
day-the little brown man had opened a
door in the side Of the well, and led his
companions into a magnificent hall The
ceilings arched upward higher than the
taliest forest trees, the walls seemed made OF
goia ana precious stones, and it was 6lled
with thousands Of little men and women, all
busy at work.
In one place they were making golden
hair. They would take lump Of the pure
orc. and beat 1t on Their tiny forces and
then draw it ont into long, fine, bright curls
''This will be charming for a pretty maiden
to wear" said one, "when she goes to sce
her lover in his dreams.
In another place they were making
coach, and Harvesting snow white horses L
it. The king wants new coach, sai'
they. I'VE are going to take this one an'
show II 10 his coach maker, when he !
asleep tonight, and it will be bis model.
In another corner party were fxin.
wings on their shoulders. There Is a poo
boy in danger of shipwreck tonight" SAT-
one Of them; "his mother sits CRYING; WI
must fly over the seas. and when the shil
goes down, we will seize him by his browi
curls, and bring him safe ashore"