The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1878-03-07
The Giant and the Missing Children.

Did our young readers ever hear the
German story of the giant and the miss
ing children?- It 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. 81 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
agor
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 st this having happened
to him. While group of them round
about the grandmother were plying her,
a cry arose in one of the other cottages.
L
Hickelt standing near the hearth with
her hands raised, gazing vacantly before
her.
"My Gretchen is gone l'' she said in a
frightened voice. 81 just bid her clean
the hearth, and when I 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 goI 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. I
heard nothing more. She was gone like
a flash p
"That is very strangel" exclaimed
Granny Stobbelt, who was one of the
listeners. CHOW you speak of it, the
last words heard my Hans say behind
my back were, / wish"
"Those very words my Gretchen
said I" cried Frau Hickelt.
Indeed, nearly everybody who lost a
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, :" / wish" But, in about q
weeks time, the thing was carried vet q
step farther.
lam Neumark, appearing excitedly al
the gate of his little garden. "My ears
are quick, ne added, as the neighbors
gathered around and I clearly heard al
the words he said. I had bid him dig
faster, and he answered, 4 wish there
was no digging i"
"Why, our Hans did not want to &c
to the miller's,' Granny Stobbelt has
tened to say
"Nnr," cried Frau Hickelt, "did my
Gretchen Ike to dust up the HEARTH
1t is so y solemnly said William
Neumark. "They are taken away fol
being discontented at there being any
work to do in life. They want it al
play"
All the hearers grew more afraid or
hearing this, and looked one at another
Scarcely minute passed before a woman
In the group said:
What great shape is that see upon
the mountain yonder2 '
Every head was turned toward the
Eagle Cliff, as it was called. It was 9
lofty rock some distance from the village
but looking right down the valley tow.
ard 1t. The distance was too great fol
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 {
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 it all. Then two or three
voices cried out together:
"See, he is lifting his right ar. and
beckoningi"
At that instant q cry sounded from
one of the houses They knew it meant
that a child had vanished. While the,
were looking in amazement, the giant
again raised his arm beckoningly. As he
did so there came fresh cry-anothel
child had been taken. The whole thing
now was plain-the children disappeared
whenever the giant, on hearing theil
complaining wishes, signaled for them.
The next morning his huge shape could
be seen more distinctly sitting on the
rock, and whenever he beckoned q child
went The white-haired Lutheran min
lister, Just as the sun was setting, came
front of the crowd and said
Let us each tonight by our bedsid,
pray that the children may be forgiven
and restored to us"
This prayer was answered. Early tn,
next morning, some who were watchins
raised cry, saying that the children
were coming back. In long procession
the little people were seen winding dow
the valley. Their fathers and mother
and all the inhabitants ran to meet them
They were astonished to see how meel
the returning children were.
"Oh, let US get back to our work IL
helping you" cried out hubbub O.
boys and girls voices.
No sooner had they neared the house:
than the boys rushed into the gardens
and, snatohing up spades, began to dig
while the girls, darting into the dwell
lngs instantly, were busy sweeping,
busting, and polishing.
The explanation they all gave wat
this: While we were kept inside the
mountain we were not allowed to dc
anything at all, and, oh, it was so hard
The good giant said that we could not
have play without work also
All looked toward the rock, bct the