The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-08-15
rms pRrrcE OF r g, ::

s s,,S ,,sasnus happened to bear avery oeau-
saS.,s sermon tf,on the duty OF almsgiVlng.
g Give. NV brethren, said the old priest.
.. ave freely. aud God will restore TO you Q Q
bundredtold." a.,t. II J. ..,,;n
These words, which were often repeated
IN, the course Of the sermon, MADE an ea ...a
ordinary impression upon the ola peasa !. :
That same evening he ser on toWaru .ne
priests house, leading bis only: co" W =
long rope, ...,,r j, ,,ocas In
conversation with two strangers WEI VIZ tuo
peasant approached. looked som I1 ,s 81,
fonished at The interruption. ne nss s.,.,
more astonished when he learned tue cause
"My GOOD n,an!'' be exclaimed, /" God
never meant material reward. Give aims
of what. you possess, and your heart VII
grow more tender, generous, and liloerai
That. will be your reward" 1T l,
But II was In vain he spoke.
The obstinate old man would not; De con
WINGED. ), ~, so;d
hundredfoid." ...t.p,
AT length, weary of the argument, the
nriest turned the old peasant and MS COW
into the road, and shut the door Dehlno
The thought OF returning home TO bear
his wife's reproaches and his neighporS
rid,cuIe was BY no means pleasant. Ins
moor peasant trudged along, bemoanlng nli
iil-fuck ut every step he took. y p.,.~},' H.,
The way was long, the roads were :oa Az
it was bitterly cold, the rufs 1E Inc pa ,ll
were full OF ice, and the wind kept ralsint
great clouds of snow that nearly DNna ,s'
old Fritz and bis COW. Presently ne los
his Way. and to lose your Way1 IN sucn We" ,.,a
tber in Iceland means TO lose your ine
Fritz began toweep bitterly. Suddehly "
heard some one calling him. he LOOKED
oronnd and saw d man with huge sack on
his back. -, ~, ,o.tor
"My good fellow!" cried the latter,
sswbat are you doing out here with COW
in this weather" y,
Fritz related what had lately happened
to him. q r. ~, -,
Won what YOU had better do. Make an ex::
Change with me. Give me the cow-you'li
never take her home alive, and live close
by-and Pll give you tbissack. 1t contains
q rare treasure; meat to last you Tor many
u long day TO come-solid flesh and bone"
Fritz hesitated, but finally agreed to the
Strangers proposition. He did not like
parting With his COW, but on the other nan
he exrected her to die OF cold every minute.
And then wouldn't he get scolding from
his wife! :,
"What have you got there9" cried that
1adr as soon rs he entered the hut. " And
where IS the cow" 3.
He told her. 49,
"Goose idiot /" she exclaimed in per
feet fury. "Do you wish 20 ruin us with
your folly? Pm starving, and there's no.
Thing in the house for supper"
"Isn't there?" said Fritz, triumphantly'
"Just you wait and see. This sack con.
tains real good meat-solId flesh and bone.>'
And so saying, he united the sack. :.
Judge of his surprise when out OF 1t
Jumped a little man clad in mouse-colored
garments. ,....,.s ~ ,aa ~ -.
"Good morning, good people," said the
stranger, in a coDdescending, patronlzlns
tone. g I must beg OF you not to think OF
cooking ine, although hope you mean TO
cook something or other pretty sooD, foI
Pm as hungry us hunter"
Fritz fell back on the bench, overwhelmed
with terror, while his wife,. fairly beside
herse with rage, hurled upon him every
abusive epithet she knew. =
"Well, il there is no food in the house
and il nobody has any intention OF provid
ing any, the best thing can do Is 10 SO ou
and see what can procure" - =
And without saying another word tint
little man marched out, leaving Fritz to de
feud himself as best he could against hl!
wife's wrath. ..
At the end OF an hour the stranger enter
ed, bringing with him a magnificent sheep
the head and neck Of which Mrs. Fritz
cooked for supper.
And1his same thing happened for many
days. :, -. = ,....
The Kings herdsmen now began 10 com
plain that In spite OF all their care and vigl
lance the finest animals had disappeared
and were continuing to disappear from thu
grazing.grounds. E. E
"!There must be a thief in our neighbor
hood" they all declared.
Presently it was rumored that stranger
of whose arrival and antecedents nothing
was known, had lately taken up bis abode
In FritZ's cottage.
The King ordered his arrest, aud he a
once confessed he was the thief. f., ..
The King, who bad never heard suct
candor, remained for some minutes too as
tenished to reply. Then with frown tina
BODIED no good TO the poor little man,, h
said coldiy:
sit strikes me from your showing tina
The stranger bowed with an air Of hui
mility. but made no reply.
"Weli,7 said the King, "you know,
suppose, that you deserve to be hanged
But will pardon you on one condition
thatyou succeed before tomorrow evening
in stealing from my berdsmen the black bul
that l prize so highly" ..
The little man was in despair. .'Sire,
he said, "y0u know that what you ask
impossible. How can carry of an ANNA
that Is always so yigilantlY guarded; tina
roams about the fields and the forest be
tween two keepers?"
However, he went out, took long rope
and walked for some time until he came I
IN old oak tree, beneath which the tw
herdsmen passed every morning with I'd
prize bull. sss,,s.-.-..ey.-.-. r.sse.. .'>
There he paused aud suspended himsc
by his rope to one OF the lower branches
but he took care not to make slip-kno
lest he should really hang himself. d
hadn't long to wait before the two herd
men came by leading the blacksbull.
"See,, cried one man to the other, :" the
is some unfortunate wretch VINO has Dee
hanged"
uMost probably the villain who has bee
giving US so much trouble lately" w
the quiet reioinder. Well, he deserv
his fate"
And then they passed on.
No sooner were they out Of sight tina
our friend slipped down from his exalte
position, and, carrying the rope with hin
ran across the grass to another bend in til
j road, along which the heardsmen woul
have to pass. Then he chose another sturd,
looking tree. to a branch of " hich he agai
suspended himself.
The heardsmen were not long In akin