Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-01-26
THE sToSE.cUTTER.

iuo ioho"ihk y oPauVsc nbOtJ 10 quotcu
by Dutch author, Decker, in his MAX
Havelaar:'
THE sToEE.cUTTER.
"0nce upon time there was in japan
poor stone-cutter. simple workman
in the quarries. His life was rude, he
worked much, gained little and was not
at all contented with his fate.
40, if could only be rich enough
to rest, to sleep on thick mating, wrap
ped in kirimon Of soft sikh Such
was the sigh he breathed to heaven. An
angel intercepted it.
"It shall be according to thy desire,
said the angelic him. And he at once
became rich, and be rested, slept upon
thick mating, and wranned himself IN g
kirimon of soft silk.
ut happened that the emperor passed
by He was preceded by heralds on foot
and horseback, followed by a brilliant
escort of cavaliers, and surrounded by
persons who held over his head an i'm
mense parasol resplendent with gold
What good does il do me TO be
rich! " murmured the man, as long as
| have not the right TO 60 out with an
escort and my head protected by a
golden parasol? Why am l not the en-
peror?
"'Thou shalt be, said the angel.
"And, indeed, he became the emperor.
he had an escort of cavaliers before and
behind him, and people who held above
his head an immense parasol resplend.
ent with gold.
However, the sun with his ardent
beams dried Up the country, and the
dusty road, quivering with his brightness,
fatigued the eyes.
"'I II is great advantage to be empe-
ror," cried the man, when the heat of
the day exhausts you, and the sun never
ceases to make you feel his powerl But
If one could be the sum-
90 Behold Are, you satisfedT the
angel asked. For he had become the
sun, and he darted his beams up and
down, right and left, and all around him.
And he scorched the herbage of the
earth and the faces of the princes of the
earth.
but now a cloud thrust itself between
the earth and him it held back the rays
of the sun, and prevented them from
falling upon the ca rths surface.
"' There is strength, cried the sun
a cloud capable of resisting my power.
1t would be bette,. if / were cloud.
Very well, said the angel.
And the transformation was at once
accomplished. The new cloud placed
itself haughtily betFeen the sun and the
earth, and so thoroughly intercepted the
rays of the SUI that It soon saw the earth
covered with IT'S shadow. Then it caused
big drops of Z ain, anil pouring showers
and wstersponts to fall on the lands, so
that the torrents burst their bounds and
the rivers spread over and devastated
fields. c.E
Nothing resisted the force Of the in
undation; only rock defied it, perfectly
motionless. In vain the believing wa
ters beat it in their fury, the rock yielded
not, but the foaming waves died at its
foot"
g, A rock then, is my superior, said
the clouds / would rather joe in its
place.
"'You shall be, said the angel.
And he was transformed into g steep,
unshaken rock, insensible to the RAYS OF
the sun, indifferent to the torrents OF
rain and the shock of. the tumultupus
waves. ag.A ~ s'a
Nevertheless, he distinguished at hil
FEET man of poor appearance, hardly
clothed, but armed with chisel and a
hammer; and the MIN, with the help Of
,hese instruments, struck off pieces OF
he rock, which he dressed into stones
proper for cutting. N 8a@f
"' What is that2 cried the rock;
has man the power of rending pieces
If stone from my breast2 Shall / be
weaker than he2 Then it is absolutely
necessary that sho uld be that MANI
Have your will?' said the angel;
md he became again what he had
'een-a poor stone cutter, a simple
in the quarries. His life was
ude; he worked much and gained little,
ut he was content with his lot "