Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-08-21

of the foreign lands, and in return told
him all the village gossip, and how the
corn stood, and when the next dance at
the Crown would be.
Suddenly she rose, leaned toward the
stranger, and said:
"Pray tell me what those three leaves
are, sticking out of your waistcoat?"
The young man looked down and found
the twig, with the three leaves, which had
fallen upon him while he slept. 1t was
caught in the flap of his waistcoat.
at must have fallen from the great
beech tree just outside the village he
replied. 81 had nap under it."
The girl listened attentively, waiting to
hear what he would say next. When he
had ceased speaking she began to ques-
ton him narrowly, till she had ascertain
ed beyond a doubt that he had really fall
| len asleep under the great beech tree, and
| that, moreover, he knew nothing of the
wonderful power and properties attached
| to the tree. For he was a sly dog, and
pretended to know nothing.
AS soon as she had done questioning,
she went and drew him another jug of
beer, and pressed him to drink, telling
him all the Lowell, things she had herself
| dreamt, and what pity it was they had
never come true.
Just then the shepherd came from the
field, driving his sheep through the village.
AS he passed the Crown Inn, he saw
the two sitting in the arbor in earnest
converse, and he stood still moment, and
said:
"Ah, yes, he'll be sure to tell you the
beautiful dream, though | can get moth
ing out of him" And then he drove on
his sheep.
When the girl found, do what she
would, she could not learn anything about
the dream her curiosity knew no bounds.
and at last she could control herself no
longer, and asked him outright what he
had dreamt while sleeping under the
beech.
Then the young man, who was mis-
chlevous rogue, and in very high spirits
about his pleasant dream, with sly look
and wink, said:
" All! had most glorious dream,
which must come true but / dare not
tell you what it was"
But she worried and leased him so
that at last he drew his chair towards her,
and told her quite gravely:
dreamt [ should marry the daughter
of the landlord of the Crown Inn. and
that after bit | should become landlord
myselfr'
On hearing this the girl grew as white
as lily and then as red as a rose and
then got up and walked back into the
house. Then after some little time she
came again, and asked if he had really
dreamt it, and was quite in earnest
To be sure, to be sure" said he; she
who appeared to me in the dream was
most certainly like your
Then the girl went again into the house
and did not return. She walked straight
to her own room; and thoughts flowed
through her brain like water that run
meth apace. First one idea, then another
chased it away till back came the first
thoughts. There was no end to the con-
fusion? He knows nothing about the
tree" she said to herself, " he dreamt it.
and whether | wish it or no, it will surely
come to pass; there's no possibility of
changing that" And with this she went
to bed, and dreamt the whole night of the
young man. When she aWoke the next
morning, she knew his face by heart, so
often had she seen it in her dreams during
the night. And he was very cookbook
ing fellow too.
The young man had slept soundly on
his bed Of straw. Dreaming Beech,
dream, and all he had said to the land
lords daughter were alike forgotten. He
stood at the door Of the tap-room, and was
just shaking the landlords hand. and
wishing him good bye" when the girl
entered On seeing him ready to start an
Undesirable feeling came over her, and
she could not let him go.
Father" she said, "the beer has not
yet been tapped, and the young man has
nothing to do; couldn't he stay day
longer, and earn his board and lodging,
and get something beside for the journey
hOme?''
The landlord had no objection to make
to this proposal, as he had just had his
morning draught and was in the best
humOr.
Somehow the beer-tapping progressed
but slowly. Then came bottling the wine,
and when the cask was empty and the
bottles full, then the girl thought he could
help in the field work, and when that was
finished there were so many things to be
done in the garden that no one ever
thought of before SO week after week
slipped by, and every night she dreamt
of him. In the evenings she sat with him
in the arbor by the house, and when he
told her how roughly strangers had treated
him, and what hardships he had gone
through, it was really very singular, but
gnat or a hair was sure to get into her
eyes, so that she was obliged to wipe
them with the corner of her apron.
And so it came to pass that at the end
Of the year the young man was still IN the
house. And then the floors were we'll
secured, and white sand and fir twigs
strewn in all the rooms, and the whole
village had a holiday. It was the we'd
ding day of the young journeyman and
the innkeeper's daughter; and everybody
rejoiced at it, except just the few who
sulked because they were jealous or pre-
tended to be so.
Not long after, the landlord of the
Crown Inn was decidedly once more in a
happy frame of mind. He had been eat
ing and drinking to his hearts content,
and sat in his armchair with his snuff-box
on his knee. Long he slept; and at last
when they tried to wake him, they found
he was dead!
So the young jOurneyman became real
ly landlord of the Crown, as he said he
would in joke And, indeed, all that he
had dreamt under the beech tree came
true, for soon he had two lovely children,
one of whom he probably took sometimes
on his knees, and fed with spoon, and
possibly blew upon the food when it was
too hot. Perhaps, too the other boy ran
about the room with the carrot; but the