The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-02-07
The WISHING Hat.


great great grandfather had been a very
grand person indeed, with a string of
titles to his name of Rufus as long as
your arm. But this great-great- grand
father, and the grandfather of our young
Count, whose name was Rufus, also, had
all been such very great men, that they
never thought of looking after the little
things; and SO, by little and little all their
money had slipped away from all these
great people; and though our young
Count had all the titles left safe enough,
he was obliged to go out into the world
to seek his fortune, as if he had been
the son of the butcher, the baker, or the
candlestick-maker.
When he was going his old nurse said
to him:
"Count Rufus, if you would find your
fortune, see that you despise nothing,
however small or worthless it may seem.
Great walls are made of little bricks"
And the Count remembered the saying,
because Nurse Deboah was a wise wOm-
an, and never said anything for naught
Count Rufus lived in a desolate old
castle on top of mountain. All the
mountain was covered with ice and
snow, so that he had hard work, in GO
ing down, to avoid tumbling into the
black, deep ravine, 1000 feet below and
at the base OF the mountain was thick
forest through which he must pass be-
fore he could reach the road that led to
the court.
What can't be cured must be endur-
ed, however," said the Count to himself,
as he walked slowly on down the noun
tain.
On the way down he saw hanging on
bush an old hat, that looked as if it
had been dropped there by some poor
person passing that way; scrubby old
hat enough it looked, but the Count re-
membered his nurses saying, and, pick
ing it up, put it in his pocket. Hardly
had he done so when an ugly, little old
man started out from behind tree.
Bring back that hatr' screamed the
little man. What are you robbing hon.
est folks for 81
Honest man." answered the Count,
laughing, eff that hat is yours, how hap
pened 10 that it was hanging on astree
instead of your own head 81 And in a
spirit of mischief he put the hat on his
own head. 1T fits me very we'll" said
he; II have taken fancy to the hat, my
friend"
"Ohi you make game of me do you 3"
cried The little man in rage, and began
to run after the Count.
That was not much matter, for the
Count was an excellent runner; but pres
emily he found that the little man, in
stead OF running on two legs like himself,
turned round and round on one leg, and
that he could go, in that way, two miles
to the Counts one. More than that, the
| Count came presently to the forest, and
there it was nearly as dark as midnight.
he stumbled about, and as he did so,
heard the wood-elves laughing at him.
"a fig for nurse and her advice o.. he
said, in rage. e;'What did want with
this old hat? I only wish was out of
the forest"
He had not time to finish the sentence
for the moment he said it, he felt himself
lifted up in the air, and, clearing the en-
tire forest at one jump, there he was on
the other side, walking along the road
that led to the city.
THAT is very odd" he said to himself
and rubbed his eyes and nose, to see ii
he were dreaming.
at would be very comfortable" he
said to himself, ITO get all ones wishes
as easily as that. If could say now, i
wish my supper would come walking
out of the BUSH and thereon fine sir
loin, with bottle of wine should prance
out"
But before he could get any further
out came noble sIrlOin of steak, with
knife and fork, on a silver dish, and q
OOttAC vi ACN
lily, and planted themselves before him.
This is wonderful" cried the count
"but, since it costs SO little, wish also
for some salmon, of which I am very
fond, dish of partridge and basket Of
fruit"
Instantly the long boughs of the tree
under which he was standing bent down
towards him, and he saw hanging from
them salmon, baskets of fruit and part
ridges.
Halo! here is wonderful bearing o.
fruit" said the count, laughing. IF the
trees do such things in the winter, what
would they not yield in the summer"
; But all the time il never came into his
stupid pate that the old hat on his head
had anything to do with these wonders
When he had eaten and drank to his sat
isfactiOn, he said to himself, ~ wish
knew which of the two roads at the angl,
there leads to court"
i Out whisked squirrel from among
some stones.
take the road to the right" said the
Z squirrel, scampering up the tree.
The count stared after him, with his
mouth so wide open that Master SPUR
rel might have jumped down, ifhe chose
well, the squirrels talk, rather than
should not have my wish. / wish haC
a fine horse, and knew how / looked !
have not seen myself since left home
and one wishes TO be decent at COURT
Instantly pranced out a horse from
among the trees, saddled and bridled, anG
ready TO mount.
\ At the same moment he heard some
robbins tIttering, did you ever see such
a shocking bad hat ?-he! he"
The count pulled off the hat and threw
it in the road.
II can wish for fine new one" said
he.
"But no, you can't, you blockhead-no
you can't?" cried the little man on one
leg, jumping out and dancing around
him. THAT was the Wishing Hat, anG
you have thrown it awayP
"Oh, dear! What did my nurse tel
me 90 lamented this BOBBY of a count
But shall know better next time.''
And SO, perhaps, he might; but thu
next time never came. People do no
: pick up wishing hats twice in a lifetime