The Worthington advance., 1879-05-01
THE FAIRIES OF THE WENGERN
MOUNTAIN. 8.

MOUNTAIN. Il
H. Whatever you may think, there are
! etll1 fairies in the Wengern Mountains
Hans and Gretel knew it quite we'll. and
so did Nils, the cobbler. You might
.. hays, aaid Nils was unfortunate, for he
~ lne and crooked, and though he
| s3s III IN old fellow, yet there was not
'dne Sfhie; hin tossy "God bless thee"
So, as nobody cared tor him, he took to
caring for all the world; for the old men
at the almshouse; for the stray dogs that
skunk about the alleys; but especially for
Hans and Gretel, who must have been
q cold and hungry but for him. No doubt
Nils himself was sometimes hungry, since
the loaf that would have made one very
comfortable was hardly enough for three,
but then the children had claim upon
Nils; he had taken them for debt, and SO
in way they belonged to him. Tneir
: father was Peter Larsen, who had been a
clock-maker whep there were any to buy
clocks at Brunden, but who lay dying
/, one morning between dusk end daylight
with no ono to sit by HIM but Nils the
eobb.er.
49, "Ah, Mis-" said Peter, 81 am going
,zxithodt ever paying You the money l
owe you."
III does not matter" said Nils. cheer
fully. II will take the tools for the debt.
Some man may like to buy them."
.u,,, "But the tools are pledged to the
" miller; he takes them away this even
ing"
. i: "So! Then will take the COW, and the
- children Can still have their milk"
-. ut is tho butcher who has the COW;
he drove her Oft on Friday.
$50! Then should like the clock. It
is a famous thing to have clock like
.Kat in ones house to CRY the hour when
one lies awake
r. "The clock is pledged TO the doctor
aud the bed to Hanne Petersen" said the
sick man, growing blue and pinched as
he spoke. "Everything is pledged but
the children, and they must starve.p
"Why, then," said Nils, shifting his
hands, together, II will even take the
children. Look you, Peter, l will take
them for the debt"
-. He put his hands on Gretel and Hans,
who stood very still and frightened on
either side of him, and at that moment
the sun rose. 1t shone into the man 8 face,
! and filled the room with strange wonder
full light. No one spoke, neither Nils or
Peter; they only looked at each other.
By and by Gretel went to the window
~ and drew the curtain.
= : : .'vFhe sun blinds my father,' she said.
'tHe does not see it; he is in greater
ight,' said Nils.
q Then no took the children by the hand
and led them away, but at the door he
turned back and went to the bedside.
''Wherever you have gone," he said to
the dead man, ."you may know that
have taken the children. I will answer
or thon at the Judgment"
Afterwards the miller took away the
tools, and Hanne Petersen came for the
bed, and the great clock licked in the
doctors hall, and nothing was left to the
dead man but the box in which he was
carried away to burial; but he looked so
peaceful think he did not mind. Hans
and Gretal wept, but there is an end to
every thing, whether joy or sorrow, ana
they were soon comforted. They had
almost forgotten that they were orphans
when one day the pastor stopped to say
to Nils:
"These children should not eat your
bread. They should be cared for at the
aims house."
Nils bowed very respectfully.
; II have taken them for debt" he said {;
ain these times one takes what he can
: !, 2 liz pastor shook hi. head, and rode
on laughing.
"Do We eat thy bread. Nils9" asked
little Gretel, coming to his knee.
"Thou art my blessing" said Nils,
s:roklng her yellow hair; "Tho pastor is
good man, but he studies much. 1t
Is bad for the wits to read much in
books"
twas about this time that Nils bought
tor Hans and aretel some picture books !;
won 'eriul picture books, such as they
sell nowhere but at the fair at Konigs-
~ burg. There was long table with rows
upon rows of them, not shut up, but set
open, SO that one could see the CAV pic
lures and ev. read little of the stories
Nils stood looking at them when the
': paator came by.
''See," he said to his companion, ''this
'is the fellow who takes two poor children
In payment of 4 debt and starves himself
to feed them."
He drew silver coin from his pocket.
<''Tnsre, y, said he, ''buy the youn nglings
some picture books"
SO Nils bought two books, and fine
ones they were promise you, with such
- stories OF knights and FAIRIES as make one
dream dreams in the day times.
Hama, and Gretel read them sitting
under, the great tree with their heads
Gloss together and their eyes wide open
With a4tonishment.
''Dost think they are true9" asked
-, ,Gretel.
I .SNot now" said Hans; "There were
have been rare to live IN those DAYS"
But Nils said he was not sure. If one
were good aand innocent and loved every
living creature he might see aad hear a
great. deal that could not we'll be told
Az for the FAIRIES, it might be and it
might not. be; stranger things were hap.
pehing every day; men had seen angels,
''!aJe, and talked with them, so why not
u.:with 'faries9
r.. 'Surely," said Gretel, "why not9" and
she looked every day to see them.
II know what will ask thera," she
said to herself. 1T is that they will
make Nils we'll of his crooked back, and
I'LL his pockets with plenty of shilllngs,
10 that he can have white bread every
day and not work so early and so
late"
ana Every day Hans and Gretel went to the
forest to gather wood, and sometimes
when there had been storm they
brought homo great loads of branches,
81. 20 that there was already pile nearly as
. high.as the cottage. :.,
r s.eSae what thing it is. to have chill
i. dren,Ss Mills would say as he looked at it.
r, II warrant me many man in Brunden