The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-07-19
ZEE HIsEoRY o. a PENNY
A FABLE FROM THE GERMAN.

In the mint, where all our pounds,
shilling and pence are made, there
once were a gold dueat and a penny
just coined. There they lay, shining
and clean, close together on a table,
and the bright rays Of the sun dane
ed and sparkled on them.
Then said the sovereign to the
penny, "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 dir
ty on the ground, and no one will
take the trouble of picking you up.
1 am made of costly gold. 1 shall
travel about in the world with great
lords and princes; l shall do great
things, and perhaps some day shine
in the Emperor's crown"
In the same room there lay by
the fire an old gray cat. When he
heard this he licked his paws
thougtfully, 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 ex-
pected.
1t fell into possession of an old
miser who locked it up in q 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 it,
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 word, and IL came to high
honor. Aad this is how it hap
pened:
First one of the poor boys at the
mint[eseiEed it il his wages. He
carried it home, and as his little sis
ter was so delighted with the clean
shining penny, he gave it to her.
The child ran out into the garden
to show it to her mother, and saw a
poor, lame beggar passing by, who
begged for a 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 imped off to the ba-
ker's. just as ne came to the shop
an old friend of his passed by dress
ed as a pilgrim, with mantle, staff,
and scrip. He gave to some children
who were standing round the bakers
door pictures of good and holy men,
and the children in return put some
money into the little box he mad in
his hand. The beggar asked
"where are you travelling tor
The pilgrim answered: "Many
hundred miles away to the city OF
Jerusalem, where the Holy Chris
IdWelt and died. l wish to offer uI
my prayers athis grave, and redeem
my brother, who is a prisoner in the
hands of the Turks; it is for this
purpose that I beg for money"
"Then take a mite toward it from
me" said the beggar, and he gave
his penny to the pilgrim, and would
have gone away as hungry, as he
lcame had not the baker, who saw all
that had passed, given him the loaf
which he wished to buy.
And now the pilgrim wandered
through many lands, and went in q
ship far over the sea to the holy city
of Jerusalem. When he arrived here
he first offered up his prayers at the
Isepulchre of the Holy Christ, and
then went to the Turkish Sultan
who kept his brother prisoner. He
Offered the Turk a 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 but this copper
penny, which was given to me by a
Ipoor hungry beggar, out of compass
sion. May you also have pity as he
had, and this copper penny will Sc
cure you a reward"
Then the Sultan took compassion
on him, and set his brother free, and
he received the penny from the pill
grim.
The Sultan put the copper penny
in his pocket, and after little while
forgot all about it. Now it happen
ed 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
one day an arrow was aimed right
at his breast; it struck him, indeed,
lbut glanced off from his clothes
without wounding him. The Sultan
was very much surprised, and when
Ibis clothes were examined after the
battle, the penny was found in the
pocket, and this had caused the arrow
Ito glance of. So the Sultan priced
1.-THE penny very much, and had il
fastened with a golden chain to the
hilt of his curved sword. Some time
afterward the Sultan was made pris
loner by the Emperor, and had tC
yield up his sword to his conqueror
$50 the penny came into the pesses
sion Of the Emperor.
One day when the Emperor was
sitting at the table, and was just il
the act of raising his goblet TO his
: Hips, the Empress said she was anx
lious to see the curved Turskisl
sward. So it was brought in, and al
The time had fully expired, and witt
; a rush forward, l threw my heavy
crowbar with full force saying;
| "'Man or ghost, take that"
"There was a heavy thud, and
} knew that a body had sunk to the
t ground.
aFilled with alarm and a horrible
g suspicion, rushed to the object anC
pulled it out on the high road. As
if to show me my murderous work
| the moon came out brilliantly.
"Great heavens what sight met my
Ieyesl Sarah, a0jth her skull crushed
= IN!
Il never knew whom passed tina
night, for when 1 came to my senses
2 two years afterward it was in q luna
tic asylum. Luckily for me, l re