The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1870-08-11
Seleet Story.
THE GREEN GNOME.

Once upon time there was peasant
named Peter, who lived on the edge of
a wood in the interior of GERMANY
Having had the good fortune to rescue
the child Of great uobleman from
drowning, the latter not only gave him
large purse of money, but also the
privilege of choosing four morgeus Of
ground to be his and his heirs forever.
He picked out for himself a beautiful
bit of hill sile, lying in grass, but suit,
able for vineyard, and on this pro.
ceeded to erect house. AS there we're
number Of loose stones aud fragments
of rock lying arour Peter determined
. to dig aud make a famous cellar. not
only because it would keep the house
above it dry, but since il would make q
famous store for the wine that he pro.
posed to make from the Erayes he Ia.
tended to grow. This cc..41 he com.
menced to dig to great depth; but he
had scarcely gone more than three feet
into the ground, when he was waited
upon by a little copper faced man,
dressed in suit Of green silk, who
craved an interview.
Peter" said the little man, has
the baron given you the deed for this
ground, or are you still at liberty to
change the location 7"
al have not yet formally made this
as my choice" replied the other, "un.
less the digging be considered so. But
why do you ask ?"
:" am the King of the Gnomes,' was
the reply, and | want you to 90 a little
farther to the right Of where you are.
You see you are just over my palace,
and if you should dig so deep us you
propose, you will certainly break hole
in my root, aud tumble into my garre.,
when l should be obliged to punish
you"
:" / don't want to do that" said Peter,
"and it your majesty will only deigu to
point out where should go, will take
that place in preference to this"
The guome king thereupon pointed
out the proper spot aud said:
"Dig your cellar here. You will
come to deserted treasure chamber of
mine, containing few gold pieces which
the careless porters spilled in removing
the treasure, together with a rusty iron
key, which | advise you to take. Should
you ever find lock which that key fits,
whatever you find in the place thus Sc.
cured, win be yours"
And then the guome sank into the
ground, which closed after him, leaving
Peter to dig his cellar in the new place,
As the guome king had predicted, Pc.
ter dug his way into vault where he
found hundred gold pieces aud a rusty
key, all Of which he carefully put away.
He finished his cellar, aud then his
house, aud planted his vineyard and
garden, from all of which 10 due time
he had fruits. After three years he be.
came very tired of his loneliness, and
began to look around him for wife.
As he had prospered very much in the
meanwhile, he began to look above his
own rank of life for mate, and his
choice fell upon the lady Thecla, the
only daughter of decayed gentleman,
who was the cadet of noble family.
The lady herself, though of gentle birth,
aud noble, bad been brought up in re-
tiremeut, for her father was miserably
poor, and she favored the suit Of the
handsome aud well to do wine. grover; /;
but when her father heard the PROPOSE.
tion Of Peter, he was very much inccnsed
at his presumption. As Peter had been
very liberal with his first vintage, send
ing the master of Mangclberg quarter
cask Of the best, the father of Thcca did
not couch his refusal in discourteous
terms.
"You know, Master Peter" said he
"that so far as your looks and your mer-
its go, you are the mate for princess !;
but as the lady Thecla is Won Mangcl.
berg, and as you are not entitled to use
the proposition denoting noble rank,
there arc certain little matters to be dis.
passed Of before you can become my son.
in-law."
"And pray will your lordship tell me
what they are ?" asked Peter,
In the first place, said Won Mangel-
berg, "You must have at least hun
dred thousand forms, for having no good
blood yourself, you must be able, if you
desire to enter noble house, to gild
your want of pedigree. Iu the second
place, you must have a large estate, with
handsome house and a retinue to
match, since, though my daughter is
poor, she has had all the advantages of
society through my rich kiusfolk, and
would pine away If condemned to utter
solitude. And in the last place, it is nc.
cessary that you should obtain a patent
of nobility, in order that the children
who are to follow the marriage may be
noble on both sides Of the house. When
you have complied with those requisites,
the hand Of Thocla is yours. Till then,