The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-06-22
Miscellaneous
The Wonderful Worm.
A DANISH LEGEND.

there dwelt in the land of Denmark two
very high-born and wealthy young men, each
equally rich and handsome, but one pious
and good, the other wicked and blasphe-
nous. The first was named Olsen the last
KALI, and both loved a very beautiful lady
named Christine This young lady had,
however q very cruel step.mother, not much
older than herself, who was suspected of un-
derstanding more than she should of the
black arts She was very much feared in the
neighborhood, and had been seen wan
dering at unholy hours in places supposed to
be haunted by evil spirits. She was also
very handsome, with weird ,witch-like beau
ty, and remarkably jealous.
When she found that in her stepdaughter's
presence neither KALI nor Olsen took any
heed of her, she grew furious, and having
picked some quarrel with them, banished
them from her house, and forbade them ever
to enter its doors again. discovering after
ward that both of them had contrived to
meet the beautiful Christine in the garden
that adjoned the house, she accused her of
improper conduct, and gave out in the neigh
borhood that she had locked her up in her
own room until she could behave herself
better
The neighbors pitied Christine, but they
were too much afraid of her step-mother,
Gertrude, to interfere, or even to demonstrate.
Olsen and KALI haunted the outer walls of
the house like ghosts, but saw nothing of the
beautiful prisoner, and though they spoke
to her father, who sat summing himself in the
doorway-he was very old and had grown
childish since his marriage with the hand
some witch Gertrude, he only nodded and
shook his head and muttered to himself:
"Ah! she is safe at least from foolish
young men. Ask me no questions and you
shall hear no lies"
So the two young lovers went away in de-
spair. Now Sunday came. The Sabbath;
the day all God-tearing people should go to
church and Olsen did as he ought, and
kneeling. prayed that God would at least re-
ward his constant love by giving him Chris
tine for his own; and it seemed to him, as
in his ear: "Do not fear; despite all the
witches in the world, Christine shall be
thine. Only deserve her and Gods bless
ing, and have no fear"
But KALI instead of going to church, be-
took himself to the sea, where, sitting in his
boat, he broke the Sabbath by fishing from
sunrise to sunset; even while the church
bells were ringing and all the good people
going on their way with their prayer books in
their hands. But steadily as he fished, the
very worst ill-luck attended this ungodly
KALI Not a fish would bite his hook, and
all the while hideous, red-eyed worm, or
water-snake followed his bait.
At last, when the fading twilight warned
KALI of supper time, he, in a rage, cried out
to the worm, still striving to get the bait
into its hideous mouth, "Come, then, since
thou will be caught" and offering the worm
the bait, drew..it into his boat and tossed into
his basket As he trudged home, he met
the wicked step-mothcr, Gertrude, demure
as nun, going home from church, her eyes
downcast, her book in hand.
To insult her, he cried out, Hi, Madam
Gertrude, wilt thou have the fish l have
caught for thy ?" and he held the hid
eous worm toward her.
At the sight of it the witchw oman
cheek grew white, and she uttered scream
and fell fainting into the arms of her decrep.
it old husband. While the worm, lifting
its head and writhing hideously, threw such
a terrible look at all three that KALI with s
degree of disgust and fear, cast it from him
into the little stream that rippled through
the village, and ran home as fast as his legs
could carry him.
The worm he had cast into the stream
sank out of sight for while. but returned
to the surface next day larger than before
and more hideous to look upon and day by
day hour by hour, it grew larger and NOR
frightful until it became great fiery beas
with voice like woman and terrible ap
petite
The whole village was in terror. 1t threat
ened destruction if it were not we'll fed, apt
demanded the milk of nine COWS and all tn,
eggs that all the hens thereabout could lay
tor its breakfast
Then, satisfied, it would sit upon a roe
and cry, great tears splashing into the water
Nothing could prevail against it, nor coul
it be driven away.
At last, seeing that it had some sense an,
seemed 20 have feeling, a wise man of tn
village was appointed to make it a speech
and request it to leave the little place and G
to some larger town where there was ample
provision for its support.
The fiery beast answered very politely tina
it wished the town no i'll, but that it mus
stay where it as..until The handsomest ma
in the place had three times kissed it coul
teously upon its mouth.
Now the handsomest man was Olsen, q
all knew but the question was whether h
could be persuaded to kiss the lips of fer
beast. with mouth like volcano, for th
good of the town.
1t was not only not pleasant, but danger
Gus; for it might be that the request Cor a ki.
was merely ruse, and that when once sh
had him near enough the fiery beast woul
swallow the handsome Olsen. But when h
townsmen bore the news to the young mar
he promised to do as the beast desired, an
going to the river side, first received II
promise that after the three kisses the fer
beast would no longer torment the poor PEE
pie Of the place, but would disappear and
seen no more of them.
A great crowd assembled on the banks
G the little stream to see the kiss given. The
d watched with eager eyes and palpitatir
K hearts as the hideous creature approache
4 the spot on the shore where Olsen stood |
eyes shone with strange light. Its sea
le sides glittered in the sun. 1t was awson
g to look upon, but Olsen bowed his head, az
n gave 1t as courteous a kiss as though it ha
, been the farest lady in the land. And b