Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-10-04

it happened just as the crow had fore
told; an immense fox-red horse sprang
up. "Capital!" exclaimed the king ;
/ "thls shall carry me to my castle. -
And he tried to mount, but faithful
John came straight, and, swinging him
| self quickly on, drew the fire arms out
of the holster and shot the horse dead.
| Then the other servants Of the king,
who did not like faithful John, exclalm-
ed ; FL )w shameful to kill the beau
tiful creature, which might have borne
the king to the CASTLE But the king
replied "Be silent. and let him go:
he is my very faithful John; who knows
the good he may have done ~ Now
they went to the castle, and there stood
q dish in the hall, and a splendid bridal
shirt lay IN it, and seemed nothing else
than both of gold and silver. The
young king went up to it, and wished
to take it up, but faithful John pushed
him away, and, taking it up with. his
gloves on, bore it quickly to the fire,
! and let it burn. The other servants
again began to mnrmur, saying: ''See
how he is burning the kings bridal
shirt ~ But the young king replied
'EWho knows what good he may have
done2 Let HIM alone he is my faith
fnl John"
Soon after, the wedding was cele-
brated and grand ball was given,
and the bride began to dance So the
faithful John paid great attention and
watched her cUuntenance. All at once
she began to grow pale, and fell as if
dead to the ground. Then he spran9
up hastily, raised her up and bore her
to a chamber, where he laid her down,
kneeled beside her, and, drawing the
three drops of blood out of her right
breast, threw them away. As soon as
she breathed again she raised herself
up, but the young king, not knowing
why faitE ful John had done this, was
very angry, and called out, "Throw
him into prison" The next morning
the trusty John was brought up for
trial, and led to the gallows and as he
stood upon them, and was about 10 be
executed, he said &C Everyone con-
demned to die may, before his death,
speak; shall I also have that privi-
lege 2" 9 Yes" answered the king,
" 1t shall be granted to you"
Then faithful John said 81 have
been wrongly judged, and have been
always true to you" and then he mar
rated the conversation of the crows
which he had heard at sea, and how,
IN order to save his master. he was OBJ
liged TO do all he had done, then the
king cried out F.: "Oh, my most faith
ful John, pardon; release him" But
the faithful John had fallen down at
Lis last word, and was turned to stone.
At this both the king and queen were
IN great grief, and the king said: ooh. !
how wickedly I have rewarded his great
fidelity" Ind then he had the stone
figure raised up and placed in his sleep
ing chamber, near his bed, and as often
as he looked at it he wept and said -
{" Oh, could [ only bring you back to
life again, lay faithful John.
After some time had passed, the
queen bore twins, two little sons, who
were her great JOY. Once, when the
queen was in nhnrch, and the two boys
at home playing by their fathers side,
he locked up al the stone statue full of
sorrow, and said, with O sigh ooh,
could [ but restore you to life, my trusty
John" At these words the stone figure
spoke, saying: "You can make me
alive again, if you will bestow on me
that which Is dearest to you" The king
replied "All that have in theworld
[ will give up for you" The stone
spoke again; off you, with your own
hand, will cut off the heads Of beth Of
your children, and sprinkle me with
their blood, I shall be brought to life
again"
The king was terrified when he heard /
that he himself must kill his dear chill
dren but he remembered his servants
great fidelity, and how the faithful
John had died for him, and drawing
his sword be cut off the heads Of beth
his children with lis own hand, and as
soon as he had sprinkled the stone
figure with the blood the life came back
to it, and faithful John stood again
alive aud we'll before him, and said =
Your faith shall not go unrewarded :"
and taking the heads of the two chill
dren he set them on again, and, anoint-
ing their wounds with their blood, in
moment they were healed, and the
children sprang away and played rs Il
nothing had happened.
Now the king was full Of happiness, !
and as soon as he saw the queen com
ing he hid faithful John and the chill /
dren in great cupboard. As soon as
she came in he said to her: " Have
you prayed in the church2" Yes,
she replied "but [ thought continu-
ally cf faithful John, who has come to
such misfortune through U.s." Then
the king said: "My dear wife, we can
restore his life again to him, but it viii
cost us both our little sons, whom we
must sacrifice. " The queen became
pale, and was terrified at heart, but
she said : " We are guilty of his life
on account of his great fidelity" Then
he was very glad that she thought as he
did, and opening the cupboard he
brought out faithful John and the two
children, saying "God be praised,
he is saved, and we still have our little
ones ;"Sand then he told her all that
had happened, and they afterward all
lived happiIy to the end Of-their davs.