The National tribune., 1880-11-01
Bishop Hatto.

Bishop Hatto
The story goes that there lived in Germany in
handsome SPACIOUS palace a selfish fat old Bishop His
table always spread with choicest danties and he
drank abundance of wine of the very best he slept
long and soundly and looked comfortable and happy
and fat that the people whispered to each other How
grand it must be to be a Bishop -
One summer, in the neighborhood where the Bishop
lived, the rain down in such torrents, and continued
SO long, that the grain was utterly ruined, and when
autumn arrived there none to be gathered What
shall do, said the poor fathers and mothers, when
the long winter comes, and have no food to give our
children ?'
Winter arrived, bringing the cold winds and the
and the frost The little begged for bread and the
poor mothers compelled to say the bread was all
gone
creatures :. Surely he will help us. He has far
food than he needs and it useless our starving here
when he has plenty
numbers of the poor people fong to his gates and he
thought himself: So they my corn; but they
shall have it and the they find out their mis-
take the better So he sent them away The next day
others Still the Bishop refused but still the people
persevered in calling out for food at the gates.
AT last, weared with their cries. but still unmoved by
their pitiable condition. the Bishop announced that on
day his large barn should be open for to
enter who chose, and that when the place full,
much food should be given them would last all the
winter
hunger the and children, well the men, both
old and young, crowded up to the bar door.
The Bishop watched them with smile on his deceitful
the securely and actually set fire to the barn and
burned TO the ground AS he listened to the cries of
agony he said to himself How much better it will be
for the the country when all these rats as he called the
poor sufferers killed, because while they living
they only consumed the corn
Having done this, he went TO his palace and sat down
to dainty supper chuckling to himself to think how
cleverly he had disposed of the 6 rats =
The morning, however, his face different
expression when his eyes fell upon the spot where the
night before had hung likeness of himself There
the frame but the picture gone-it had been eaten
At this the wicked Bishop was frightened He thought
the poor dying people he had spoken OF rats the day
before and he turned cold and trembled AS he stood
shiyering, from the farm up in terror exclam
ing that the rats had eaten all the that had been
stored in the granares.
Scarcely had the man finished speaking when another
messenger arrived pale with fear and bringing tidngs
more terrible still He said 10 900 coming fast
the palace and told the Bishop to fly for has lte add
ing prayer that his might be forgiven for the
crime he had committed the night before.
THE rats shall not find me- said Bishop Hatto, for
that was his name will go and shut myself up in my
strong tower the Rhine. No rats reach there
the walls high and the stream around is SO strong the
rats would soon be washed away II they attempted 10
cross the water
So off he started crossed the Rhine and shut himself
up in his tower. He fastened every window securely,
locked and barred the DOORS and gave serct inuncons
that should be allowed TO leave the tower or enter
it. Hoping that all danger was over he lay down. closed
his eyes and tried TO sleep. But 1T all IN vain he
shook with Then, all at once shrill scream start
led him. On opening his eyes saw the cat on his pillow
She too was terrified and her eyes glared for she knew
the rats close upon them
Up jumped the Bishop and from his barred window he
the black cloud of rats swiftly approaching. They
had crossed the swift current and marching in such
direct ue toward his hiding place that they might have
been taken for well marshaled army. Not by dozens
Scores but by thousands and thousands the creatures
were seen Never before had there been such sight
Down his knees the Bishop fell,
faster and faster his beads did he tell,
As louder and louder, dIawing near
The gnawing their teeth he could hear,
windows and at the door,
through the walls heter skelter they
sS
all q the Bishop they
They whetted their teeth against the stones
pick the Bishops bones,
gnawed the flesh from limb
they do judgm mt on him.
Such the horrible fate of Bishop Hatto and whether
be perfectly not it is striking illustration of
the folly well as the cruelty of seliishness.