Middletown transcript., 1873-03-29
The Stone Cutters Six Wishes.

Ouce upon time there wus in japan a
poor stone-cuttsr. . simple workman in
the quarrics. His life was rude, be work
ed much, gained little. and was not at all
contcnted with his fate.
"Oh. IL could only be rich enough
to rest. to sleep on thick mating, wrap.
ped iu kirimon Of soft silk - Such was
the sigh he brca,hed to heaven. An an
gel heard it.
:" II shall be according to thy desire. .
said an angel to him. And he at once
became rich, and be rested. slept upon the
thick mating. and wrapped himself in n
kirimon Of soft silk Il happened tina, the
Emperor passed by. lie was preceded by
hsralds op horseback. followed by a bril-
liant escort Of cavaliers. and surrounded
by persons who held over bis head an i'm
mense parssol re.plendent with gold.
What good doe. il do M to be rich, y
murmurcd the man. " as long as | have
not the righ, to go with an escort, and my
head protected by golden parasol? Why
an, not an emperor Y
Thou shalt be-" said the angel.
Aud, indeed, he became the Emperor
He had an escort before and behind him,
and people who held above his head au
immense parasol rcsplendent with gold.
However. the sun with It's ardent beams
dried up tho country, and the dusty road
quivering with its brightness, fntigucd the
eyes.
:" 1t is great advantage to be empe-
ror." cried the man, when the heat ol
the day exhaus,s you. and the sun never
ceases TO make you feel his power. Blu,
if one could be the sun :"
Behold. Are you satisfied y the an
gel asked For he had become the sun,
and he Lartcd his beams up. down. right
and left aud all around him And he
scorched the heritage Of the earth, aud the
faces OF the princes upon the earth
But now cloud thrust itself bstvsrt
the earth aud him. Il held baok the ray,
Of the sun, and prevented them from fal
ling upon the eartll's surface
" There is strength, " cried the sun, ~
cloud capable Of resisting my power; i
would be better il were cloud "
Very well" said the angel.
And the Transformation was at once ac
compiishcd The new cloud placed itscl
haugh,ily between the sun aud the earth
and 80 thoroughly intercepted the rays o
the sun that i soon saw the earth coyeret
with n shadow Then il caused biz drop
of rain aud pouring showers and water
.pou's to fall Oh the land. 50 that the tot
rents burst their bounds, and the rivers
spread over and devastated the field.
Noihing resisted the force of the inun
da,ian; only a rock dttled il, perfect,
motoulcss In vain the believing water
bea, it in their fnry--the rock yielded not
bu, the foau.ag waves died at its foot.
"A rock. then, is my superior" sai'
the cloud, = would rather be in il
place
And he wa. transformed into steep
uusEaksn rork. iussnsihle TO the rays Q
the sun, indifferent TO the torrents Of rain
aud the shock Of the tumultuuus waves
l,a, he distinguished at hs foot a man q
poor appearance; hardly clothed. arme
with ch.el aud hammer and tAe ma
with the help Of rock, dressed them int
stones proper for cutting
What is that cried the rock "hn
man the power of rcniing pieces Of ston
from ms base: Shall be weaker tha
he? Then il is absolutely necessary tha
should be that man
Have your will = said the angel: an
he became again what he had treu -
poor ,toue-eu,icr, simple workman i
the auarrcs His life was rude he workc
much aud gained little. but be had learnc
; contcntmcu, With he 10, -.Jppdnsss ~
, IL