St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-06-14
The Giant and the Missing Children
From the Churchman.]


Did you ever hear the German story
of the Giant and the Missing Children
1t tells what happened long time age
in village among the mountains. One
summer, there, the children began to
disappear one by one. 1t was certain
that they were not kidnapped and il
was just as sure that they did not run
away. The first that vanished was lit
tie Hans StObbelt. ''Has anybody seer
my Hans ?" cried his granny, standing
outside the door of her cottage. ~ had
just told him wanted him to go to the
miIler's and he has disappeared, some
how, all at once, without knowing what
the errand is. Hans! Where are your
she shouted. "Why, he was here not
half minute ago!" 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 neighbOrs 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 around about the
grandmother was pitying her, 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 be-
fore her. "My Gretchen is gone" she
said in frightened voice. 81 just babe
her clean the hearth, and when look
ed 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 Hickelt had gone mad. But it
was quite true that Gretchen was not
to be found, though they looked every
where for her, both indoors and out.
That day three other children vanished.
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
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 81 wish--"
But she hadn't time to finish. l heard
more. She was gone like a
fash "That is very strange!" eX-
claimed Granny Stobbelt, who was one
of the listeners. "Now you speak of it,
the last words | heard my Hans say be-
hind my back were, Il wish-'"
"Those very words my Gretchen
saidm cried Frau Hickelt. Indeed,
nearly everybody who had lost a child
came forward, and each and all were
able to confirm this. Two things could
be made out-frst that the children
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 weeks time the thing was car
ried yet a step further. "My Gustave
is gone ~ cried William Neumark, APP
pearing excitedly at the gate of his lit
tie garden. "My ears are quick" as
the neighbors gathered round, "and l
clearly heard all he said. l had bid
him dig faster, and he answered, E"I
wish there was no digging" "Why,
our Hans did not want to go to the
Granny Stobbelt fastened to
say. "Nor," cried Frau Hickelt, "did
my Gretchen like to dust up the HEARTH"
''It is so p solemnly said William Neu-
mark. "They are taken away for be-
ing discontinued 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 a minute passed
before a woman in the group said !:
what great shape is that l see upon
the mountain yOnder ~
Every head turned toward the Eagle
Cliff, as it was called. 1t was 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 a giant sitting
there. She said he was clothed in a
half blown back by the wind,
and that he wore hood on his head.
No sooner did she say this than several
others saw it all. Then two or three
voices cried out together "See, he is
lifting his right arm and reckoning"
At that instant cry sounded from one
of the houses. They knew that it meant
that child had vanished. While they
were looking in amazement, the giant
again raised his arm beckOningly. AS
he did so, there came a fresh cry
another child had been taken. The
whole thing now was plain-the chill
dren disappeared whenever the giant,
on hearing their complaining wishes,
signaled for them. The next morning
his huge shape could be seen more dis
tinctly sitting on the rock, and, when
ever he beckOned, a child went. The
white haired Lutheran minister, just as
the sun was setting, came in front of
the crowd and said: "Let us each to-
night by our bedside pray that the chill
dren may be forgiven and restored to
u.s."
This prayer was answered. Early
the next morning, some who were
watching raised a cry, saying that the
children were coming back. In a long
procession, the little people were seen
winding down the valley. Their faith
ers and mothers and all the inhabitants
ran to meet them. They were astonish-
ed to see how meek the returning chill
dren were. "Oh, let us get back to our
work in helping you," cried out hub
bub of boys and girls voices. No
sooner had they neared the house than
the boys rushed into the gardens, and
snatching up spades began to dig
while the girls, darting into the dwell
ings, instantly were busy sweeping,
busting and polishing. The explana-
ton they all gave was this: "While
we were kept inside the mountain, we
were not allowed to do anything at all,
and, oh, it was so hard The good giant
said that we could not have play with
out work ALSO" All looked toward the
rock, but the figure of the giant was NO