The true northerner., 1878-02-22


Well, come and sit on her knee awhile;
.One-two-threep u
There now Wen sing in rollickng style
40 dear WI! J!
--Harriet McEren Kimbatl, in Youths Companion.
The Giant and the Missing Children.
Did our young readers ever hear the
German story OF the giant and the miss
ing children? 1t tells what happened
long time ago in village among the
mountains. One summer there the chill
dren began to disappear one by one. It
was certain that they were not kid
mapped, and it was just as sure that
they did not run away. The first that
vanished was little Hans Stobbelt
HAS anybody seen my Hans ?" cried
his granny, standing outside the door of
her cottage. CT had just told him I
wanted him to go to the miller's, and he
has disappeared, somehow, all at once,
without knowing what the errand is.
Hans where are you?" she shouted.
Why, he was here not half minute
ago p
But none of the neighbors could tell
anything of Hans. What is more, Hans
did not reappear. The night passed, and
he did not come the next morning
nothing was to be seen of him. All the
villagers were much excited, for, though
Hans had not been a good boy, every
body was sorry at this having happened
to him. While a group of them round
about the grandmother were pitying her,
a cry arose In one of the other cottages.
Those who hurried there found Frau
Hickelt standing near the hearth with
her hands raised, gazing vacantly before
her.
"My Gretchen is gone !" she said in
frightened voice. II just bid her clean
the hearth, and when looked again she
was not there. Where is she gone ?" she
asked, turning from one to another of
them. They could only shake their
heads. In fact, they thought Frau Hick-
cit had gone mad. But it was quite true
that Gretchen was not to be found,
though they looked everywhere for her
both indoors and out.
That day three other children van
ished. On the next day five went. All
the village was in alarm, that is, the
elders were, for they tried to keep it from
the children themselves. There was no
certainty about any boy or girl in the
place. The grown-up people had but to
turn their backs, and he or she was gone
in an instant.
At last strange clew was got to the
mystery. Little Augusta Hirsch van
ished, when her aunt as well as her
mother was in the kitchen.
The aunt said: 81 saw her go! At
her mothers bidding she had just taken
the broom to sweep behind the stove,
when all at once she disappeared, just
as she was speaking the words, I wish
- But she hadn't time to finish 1
heard nothing more. She was gone like
a fash !"
"That is very strange'' exclaimed
Granny Stobbelt, who was one of the
listeners. Now you speak of it, the
last words heard my Hans say behind
my back were, wish"
"Those very words my Gretchen
said !" cried Frau Hickelt.
Indeed, nearly everybody who lost
child come forward, and each and all
were able to confirm this. Two things
could be made out-frst, that the chill
dren only went when their elders had
set them to do some task; second, that
in the act of vanishing, they all uttered
the words, 81 wish" But, in about a
weeks time, the thing was carried yet
step farther.
"My Gustave has gone p cried Will
lam Neumark, appearing excitedly at
the gate of his little garden. "My ears
are quick" ne added, as the neighbors
gathered around and clearly heard all
the words he said. / had bid him dig
faster, and he answered, Il wish there
was no digging ="
"Why, our Hans did not want to 90
to the miller's," Granny Stobbelt has
tened to say.
"Nor," cried Frau Hickelt, "did my
Gretchen hke'to dust up the hearth"
"It is so y solemnly said William
Neumark. "They are taken away for
being discontented at there being any
work to do in life. They want it all
play"
All the hearers grew more afraid on
hearing this, and looked one at another.
Scarcely minute passed before woman
in the group said
"What great shape is that see upon
the mountain yonder9"
Every head was turned toward the
Eagle Cliff, as it was called. It was a
lofty rock some distance from the village,
but looking right down the valley tow
ard it. The distance was too great for
things on the rock to be clearly made
out, but the woman declared that she
could see the figure of giant sitting
there. She said he was clothed in a
mantle, half blown back by the wind,
and that he wore hood on his head
No sooner did she say this than several
others saw il all. Then two or three
voices cried out together:
"See, he is lifting his right arm and
beckoningi"
At that instant q cry sounded from
one of the houses. They knew it meant