The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-12-11
and Eve Over Again.

There was an old couple who earnp
a poor living, working hard all day j
the fields.
"See how hard we work all day. sal,
the wife, land it all comes of the FOOLS
curiosity of Adam and Eve. If it ha,
not been for that We should have beel
living now in Il beautiful garden, witt
nothing to do all day long"
Yes" said the husband; if YOU ant
had been there, instead of Adam anc
Eve, all the human family had been il
paradise STILL"
The count, their master, overheard
them talking in this way, and he came
to them and said:
"How would you like it if l took YOU
into my palazza there, to live, and gave
you servants to wait on you, and plent,
to eat and drink? ?"
ION, that would be delightful indeed
That would be as good as paradise it.
self" answered husband and wife to-
gether.
well, you may come up there, if you
think so. Only remember, in paradise
there was One tree that was not to be
touched; so at my table there will he
n dish not to he touched. You mustn't
mind that" said the count.
"Oh, OF course not" replied the old
peasant; "that's just what | say: when
Eve had all the fruits in the garden,
what did she want with just that one
that was forbidden? And if we, who
are used to the scantiest victuals, are
supplied with enough 10 live well, what
does 1T matter to us whether there is an
extra dish or not on the tablet"
Is NnpFy uynl1 r,,n-D-,,I y ,-:l H. --I
quite understand each other, then?"
"Pertectly," replied both husband and
wife.
"You come to live at my palace, and
have everything you can want there, so
long as you don't open Ii dish, which
there Will be in the center OF the table.
IT you open that you go back to your
former way OF life"
"We quite understand" answered the
peasants.
The count went in and called his ser
want, aud told him to give the peasants
an apartment to themselves, with every
they could want, and asumptuous
in the middle of the table was
to be an carthen dish, into which he was
TO put y little bird alive, so that if one
the cover the bird would hy out.
was to stay in the room and wait ON
and report to him what happened.
The old people sat down to dinner.
md praised everything they saw, 50 de-
igiltfuI it all seemed.
"L"0k that's the dish we're not to
said the wife.
"NO; better not look at it," said the
husband.
"PShaw! There's no danger of want
ng, to open it when we have such Il lot
dishes TO eat our fill out Of" returned
he wife.
S" they set and made such a repast as
hey had never dreamed of before. By
degrees, however, as the novelty of the
hing wore of, they grew o and more
for something newer and newer
till. Though when they ut first sat
it seemed that two dishes would
'e ample to satisfy them, they had now
or eight, and they we've wishing
here might be others coming. There
an end to all things human, and no
tiIer came. There only remained the
arthen dish in the middle of the table.
eve will just lift the lid up a little
zee bit,H said the wife.
NO; dOu't talk about it," said the
usband.
The wife sat still for five minutes, and
hen she said:
III one just lifted up one corner of the
d it would scarcely he called Opening
/, you know"
Better leave it alone altogether, and
OF think about it at ALL
The wife sat still another five minutes.
nd then she said: eff one peeped in
lst the least in the world it would not
e any harm, surely, and I should so like
know What can the count have put in
lat dish?n
"Fm sure 7 can't guess in the least"
nd the husband, "and I must saw
nj see what it can signify to him if
e did look at it,"
No; that's what I think, and, besides, {
NV, would he know if we peeped? 1t
onld not hurt him." said the wife. s
No, AS You say, one could Just take a
ok" said the husband. S
The wife did not want more encour-
cement than that. But when she lifted
le side Of the lid the least mite she
uid see nothing. She opened it the E
asst mite more, and the bird few ont. .
he servant ran andt told his master, and {
e connt came down and drove them
{, bidding them never complain of n
lam and Eveany more.-[Roman Folk n
)re. .