The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-04-30

hammered away at g. WOrm-eaten trunk,
and somewhere, up among the branches,
a strange bird' cried, "O-le! o-le" :
Nov would be the time for the fairies,
thought Gretel, and she folded her hands
upon her knitting and sat so quiet that a
little gray rabbit peeped out of the bushes
md hoped slowly across the path. How
still the world was! She could only hear
now and then a dry twig swapping, or a
great bee in velvet and gold 90 trumpet-
ing along like a kings huntsman. The
came straight through the leaves,
and made Gretel's eyes feel as if two soft,
warm fingers were pressing down the
lids. The woods were l n g culver, all
green and gold, and further and further
OF the strange birds sang, sole! ole!
ole" as if it called some one, but Gre,el
was asleep.
By and by Hans came running along
the path. He had been gone a long time,
and as he came he called, "Gretel
Gretel ="
Gretel sat up and rubbed her eyes,.
Her thoughts were like birds that had
hown away on their own errands, but now
they came slowly back and she began to
remember. The,e was the pile of wood,
and yonder came Hans. Here was her
handkerchief and her knitting, and the
book in which she was reading, and here
was-What was it lying ION the book
right over the picture of Grindenwaldt?
Yellow leaves, do you think, that had
Huttered down from the tree? All, no,
but a handful of round, yellow gold
pieces-good, lawful money as ever was
seen in Btunden. Gretel fairly screamed
with delight, yet dared not touch it.
"What is it?" asked Hans, coming up
quite out of BREATH"
"The f%airies," said Gretel, "they have
brought the gold for Mis-"
"1t is good money!" said Hans, biting
the pieces in his teeth; but he knew no
more than Gretel who had brought it.
"Let us sit down and watt" said Gretel,
lit might be they would come back"
"No," said Hans. site the money in
thy handkerchief. Gretel, and we will 90
quickly home to Nils"
So they went, Hans with his great bun
die of wood, and Gretel with the money
held fast in the handkerchief. At the
Brunden road Hans stopped to rest.
."See," he said, "there have been horse
men in the wood; here is where they
came. out"
mo n came through the wood" said
Gretel; but she, too, saw the tracks of the
horses coming out upon the dusty road.
"Feel the gold, Gretel," said Hans; "is
it still there?''
ut is still here" said ~Gretel, pinching
the money.
Then 1t is not fairy gold, or it would
have vanished when we came out of the
wood, said Hans, with a great deal Of
satisfaction.
When they showed the money to Nils
he was almost as much astonished as
Gretel. He laid it on his palm and look
ed at it, and rubbed his grizzly chin.
But when Hans Spoke of the horses, he
said:
20, aye, the horses; we'll, I might
have thought of that. It was the pastor
and the young prince who went riding
through the woods"
mo mi came through the woods"
said Gretel. 80 ..f,. 49,,
sit might be, said Hans, II was at
Hanne Petersen's, and ran, to bring her
some water, to the sprlng in the hollow,
and Gretel must have been asleep"
swell, WE'LL" said Nils, 1--WE will put
the money in the blue Jug, and tell no.
body of it. 1shall myself 60 to the pas
tor"
Gretel watched him put away the mon
ey. Every piece fell with = loud selling"
to the bottom of the Jug.
"That is music" said Nils, laughing.
ut is good money; it will ll. bring q bless
Before Gretel went to bed she climbed
up to look in the jug and to shake it. "It
is still there,". she said. -
When the children we're asleep Nils
took the gold piece, and went away to
the pastor. The pastor smiled when he
sa " him coming, and made him sit down
and tell the story.
"Do you think it is fairy moneys"
asked Nils, with a funny twinkle in his
eye. s T -
"No doubt" said the pastor. "If the
fairies ever bring gold they would be
sure to leave it in the lap Of a good child
who sat asleep under q tree, with her
knitting and her book; and that is what
the young prince said when we rode
through the wood today
aye" said Mills, nodding wisely.
"And the young prince, who means to
be the father of his people, will himself
see that nothing is lacking to a man who
takes the bread from his own mouth aud,
gives Ito fatherless Children
$780," said Nils, stupidity.
IL told him you were obstinate and
simple headed, and would not hear to
good advice, but were determined, to
keep the children from the. a%lms-house. y
EYES," said Nils, "that. sit. / must.
answer for them at the judgment; I said
so to their father when he lay dead"
The pastor took his great Bible and
laid it on his knees. ~ ~ 4-r. 49,. - ~
"Listen to this, Nils: - .s''+ - L.
BLESSED is he that %considereth the
poor; the Lord will deliver him in time
of trouble And this: .sHe that hath
pity on the poor lendeth unto the Lord,
and that which he hath given will He
pay him again." Y
"That is good said Nils, and he went
away very light Of heart, though his back
ached and his legs were tired with so