Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-07-11
History Of a Penny.
AFABLE FROM THE GERMAN,

In the mint, where ali our pounds, shillings
and pence are made, there once were a gold
ducat and a penny Just coined. There they lay,
shining and clean, close together on table, and
the bright rays of the sun danced and sparkled
on them.
Then said the sovereign to the penny, q" You
lump, get away from me! You are only made
of common copper, and are not worthy of the
sunlight that shines on you. You will soon be
lying all black and dirty on the ground, and no
one will take the trouble Of picking you up. |
am made of costly gold | shall travel about in
the world with great lords and princes; | shall
do great things, land perhaps some day shine in
the emper0r's crown"
In the same room there lay by the fire an old
gray cat. When he heard this he licked his
paws thoughtfully, turned himself round on the
other side, and said, Some things go by the
rule of contrary"
And so it proved with the pieces of money.
1t turned out the very contrary of what the gold
ducat expected.
1t fell into possession of an old miser, who
locked it mp in great chest where it lay idle
and useless with hundreds OF others like itself.
But when the old miser found that he should
not live much longer he buried all his money in
the ground, that no one might get il, and there
lies the proud ducat to this day, dirty and black,
and no one will ever find it.
But the penny Travelled far about in the world
and it came to high honor. And this is how it
happened
First, one of the poor boys at the mint re-
ceved it in his wages. He carried it home, and
as his little sister was so delighted at the clean
shining penny, he gave it TO her.
The child ran ont into the garden to show it
to her mother, and saw a poor, lame beggar
passing by, who begged for piece of bread.
81 have not got any," said the child.
"Then give me a penny TO buy some,' said
the beggar, and the child gave him her new
penny
The beggar limped off to the bakers. Just
as he came to the shop an old friend of his
passed by, dressed as pilgrim, with mantle,
staff and scrip. He gave 10 some children who
were standing round the bakers door pictures
of good and holy men, and the children IN re-
turn put some money into the little box he had
in his hand. The beggar asked, Where are you
travelling tor
The pilgrim answered: "AIany hundred miles
away TO the city of Jerusalem, where the Holy
Christ dwelt and died. l wish to offer up my
PRAYERS at his grave, and redeem my brother,
who is a prisoner in the hands of the Turks; it
is for this purpose that beg for money"
"Then take mite towards it from me" said
the beggar, and he gave his penny to the pill
grim, and would have gone away as hungry as
he came had not the baker, who saw all that
passed, given him the loaf which he wished to
buy.
And now the pilgrim wandered through
many lands, and went in ship far over the
rived here he first offered up his prayers at the
sepulchre of the holy Christ, and then went to
the Turkish sultan who kept his brother a
prisoner. He offered the Turk large sum of
money if he would set his brother free. But the
sultan wanted more.
The pilgrim said 81 have nothing more to
offer you bnt this copper penny, which was
given me by a poor hungry beggar, out of COM
passion. May you also have pity as he had,
and this copper penny will secure you re-
ward"
Then the sultan took compassion on him, and
set his brother free, and he received the penny
from the pilgrim.
The sultan put the copper penny in his pocket,
and after a little while forgot all about it. Now
it happened that after a time the emperor of
Germany came TO Jerusalem to fight against the
sultan. So the sultan fought bravely at the
head of his army, and was never wounded; but
ono day au arrow was aimed right at his breast;
it struck him, indeed, but glanced off from his
clothes without wounding him. The sultan was
very much surprised, and when his clothes were
examined after the battle, the penny was found
in the pocket, and this had caused the arrow to
glance off. So the sultan priced the penny very
much and had it fastened with golden chain
to the hilt of his curved sword. Some time after
ward the sultan was made prisoner by the en-
peror, and had to yield up bis sword to his CON
queror. So the penny came into the possession
OF the emperor.
One day when the emperor was sitting at the
table, and was just in the act of raising his
goblet to his lips, the empress said she was
anxious to see the curved Turkish sword. So it
was brought in, and as the emperor was show
ing 1t TO the empress the penny became UNI
fastened, and fell into the goblet of wine. The
emperor saw it; and before drinking the wine
he took out the penny. But when he looked at
it he perceived that the penny had turned quite
green. This showed everybody that there was
poison in the goblet. A wicked servant had
mixed the poison, hoping TO kill the emperor.
The servant was ordered to execution, but the
penny was set in the emperorS crown,
So this penny made child happy, gave
bread TO beggar, delivered prisoner, saved a
sultan from being wounded, and preserved the
life of an emperor IL deserved to be set in an
emperor's crown. Perhaps it is there to this
day if we could only see the crown Cbildren'S
Hour.