The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-03-23
The Ear-Fairies.

There is a part of fairy-land where all
the music goes, and all the sounds, good
and bad, which mortals make. The
fairies there have more ears than any
thing else. and mt distance look like
nothing but ears. They know bad
noise from good one in an instant. If
q pin drops, they can tell from the sound
whether it is crooked or straight, and
they Judge all the world by its noises
The world, on the whole, is so bad, and
the ear-fairies are so sensitive, they can
not pass many happy hours.
Otto and Greta lived very near the
border OF this land, but while they were
very little their innocent noises gave
nothing but pleasure to their fairy
neighbors. As they grew older, how
ever, they grew rougher, and, instead of
playing together like little lambs, they
often snapped and snarled at each other
like the wild beasts OF the forest where
they lived. If nobody but their old
grandmother had listened TO them they
might have grown to be MS savage as any
of them; for she, poor woman, was SO
deaf she couldn't tell the growing of a
bear from the cooling of a dove.
1t was, therefore, lucky for those chill
dren that one day, after most disgrace
full wrangle made terrible by pinches
and blows and screams, little fellow
with cottonwood in his big ears and a
great smell OF laudanum about him
stepped out from behind n tree and or
dered them to be quiet.
"There isn't a man, woman or child in
my kingdom" said he, "that isn't i'll
agony from your dreadful noises. We
have borne with you long enough. Now
come with me.
They We're too frightened to speak, and
allowed him to lead them on without q
word. His path took them away from
the grandmother's cottage, away from
all the scenes they knew, toward thick
er part of the wood than they had ever
ventured into At first their guide looked
very stern, and from time to time wagged
his great ears at them in a frightfully
unnatural manner. They had never
been threatened by ears before, and they
: knew not what to expect. But as they
went on, always in silence, the little man
grew happier and his ears calmed down.
Before long he pulled the wool out and
threw it away, with pleasant smile at
the children.
"You have given me a chance to get
well at last, he said 81 haven't been
so free from pam for six months
Still the children answered not word.
He was growing more pleasant because
they were quiet. Perhaps if they kept
quiet he would grow SO pleasant as to
let them go home again.
But when he walked them along fur
Their and further and gave no sign of
relenting, Otto lost courage and piteously
begged to be set free.
Cant let you go" said the captor,
until you have been punished. You
won't have to wait long" he added cheer
fully. And they shook with terror at
his grim smile.
Already they began to love each other
better, and now they walked along with
arms around each others neck.
Truly it was not long before their walk
came to an end. They were in the deep
est recesses OF the forest and everything
was strangely quiet, when they saw be-
fore them great white gate, which dis
appeared as their guide approached, and
appeared again behind them as they
passed on into a large open field. Their
footsteps made no noise on the thickly-
padded turf. Their own heart beats
were the only sound they heard, and yet
the place was full of little elves tiptoeipe
about and in awful silence doing various
things. The children and their guide
paused and looked Mt them.
Many were employed in shearing the
sheep, which were the only animals tc
be seen. Others took the wool and
spread it on the ground, and everywhere
il was needed to mufile sound, and occa
sionally some would dance with pain anC
stuff the wool into their ears with frantic
haste. Then the children knew som,
bad noise had been made in the world
although they themselves could heal
nothing with their little ears.
Suddenly every one of them clappet
an ear-trumpet to his ear (where the,
came from was n Mystery and appeared
to be listening with delight. 1t seemed
to the children as if they were drinking
in some sweet sound. The trumpet
themselves stretched out like spyglassel