The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-10-11
The Penny-A Story for the Young.

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They both now lay together, bright
and clear, close on the table, and gilt
tering in the sunlight.
The Ducat said to the Penny, Glow
fellow, get away from me ! You are
only made of common copper, and do
not deserve the sunshine. You will
soon be lying on the ground all tar
nished and black, and nobody will care
to pick you up. [ on the contrary, am
made OF precious gold. I shall there
fore travel through the wide world
among lords and princes, do great
deeds, and at last even become part
of the kings CROWN
In the same room, there lay on the
bench by the stove a wise old Cat.
When he heard the Ducat's speech he
turned over on his other side, and,
stroking his beard thoughtfully, said,
''Turn about is just as likely And
it so happened that the fate of the two
coins was just the reverse of what the
Ducat had predicted.
The Ducat came into the possession
of a rich old miser, who kept it in his
money chest, where it lay for time,
idle and useless, among coins of it's
own rank. But as the miser foresaw
that he must soon die. he buried all
his money in the ground and there
the proud Ducat lies to this day, and
has become furnished and black, and
nobody is ever likely to pick it up.
The Penny, however, was to journey
through the wide world and come to
great honors, which happened in this
wise
In the first place, a poor boy, en-
ployed about the mint, received it as
wages. He carried it home, and as
his little sister was greatly pleased
with the bright new piece, he made
her present of it. The child ran
with it into the garden, to show it to
her mother. A sick and old beggar
limped up to her, and asked for piece
of bread. II have none," said the
girl.
''Then give me d penny to buy
some,'' said he. And she gave him the
coin. He then hobbled off to the bak-
er's. AS he stood by the shop, there
came up the street an old acquaintance
clad as a pilgrim, and carrying a staff
and wallet. He gave to the children
who stood about pictures of saints and
other worthless, for which the children
dropped money in the bag, which he
held out. The beggar asked him,
''Where are you going?''
''Many hundred miles further, to
the city of Jerusalem, where the dear
little Christ-child was born and died.
I shall pray at His grave, and then re-
deem my brother. who is held for ran
som by the Turks. For that purpose I
am collecting money in this bag.'
"Then take also for that purpose my
mite, said the beggar, and he gave
the penny to the pilgrim, and was
about to go away as hurg as he came.
But the baker, who had been looking
on, and had seen the whole, gave the
poor man the bread which he meant
to buy.
The pilgrim wandered through many
countries, and sailed across the sea to
the great city of Jerusalem. When
he arrived there, he first prayed at
the Holy Sepulcher, and then visited
the Turkish Sultan, who had shut up
his brother in prison. He offered the
Turk a large sum OF money, to set the
captive free; but the Turk wanted
more still.
The pilgrim answered. 4 can offer you
nothing more but this penny, which a
poor hungry bnggar gave me out of
pity. Be you as compassionate as he,
and the copper will make you rich"
Then the Sultan took pity, gave the
prisoner his freedom, and received the
penny from the beggar.
The Sultan put the copper coin in his
pocket, and for some time afterward
thought nothing of it. Then it hap
pened that an Emperor came to Jerusa-
lem, and made war upon the Sultan
The latter defended himself bravely,
and escaped being wounded. Once,
however, an arrow was shot directly at
his breast, and struck him fair, al
though it glanced off from his garment
without injuring him. He was aston
ished at this, and when, after the bat.
tie they examined his clothes, they
found in his pocket a copper penny. on
which the arrow had glanced. Then
the Turk held the penny in high honor,
and had it fastened by gold chain to
the handle of his sword. But after
this the Sultan was taken captive by
the Emperor, and was obliged to give
up his sword, which, with the penny,
thus came into the Emperor's hands.
One day as the Emperor sat at table,
and held in his hand goblet of wine,
the Empress remarked that she much
wished to see the Turkish sabre. It
was brought in, and as the Emperor
showed it to his wife, the penny drop
ped into the goblet of wine. Awicked