The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-04-16

UP tncTt. i crIcu Win n0rrOr.
" Yes. madame. II was very rash.
Any ordinary boy would have been
dashed To pieces. but Fritz was wiry.
strong and active rs mountain goat.
There are no such boys left nowadays.
One night. while his mother slept. he
stole away, climbed as high as he dared
by moonlight took a wink Of sleep
under shelving rock. and with the
first dawn began to make his way up
ward. testing every foothold. and NOV
ing cautiously. for though he loved al
venture. Fritz was by no means fool |
hardy boy, and had no mind TO lose his |
life II wit and care could keep il safe. |
But the climb was a terrible one. He
had been on precipices before, but never
on such rs this. Only Gods goodness
saved him again and again. A hundred
times he wished himself back. but TO
return was worse than to 60 on. So up
and up he went, and at last. scaling
that sheer brown cliff which you see
there. and throwing himself breathless
on narrow ledge. he found himself
close To the object Of his desires There,
just before him, was the Little White
Door.
1.-THE sight restored his energies at
once. II was a real door-that he saw
at glance, for there was latch and a
keyhoIe and knocker, all carved Of
white stone, and on the door name in
good German characters Die Woike1s.'
/ do not know the name in English"
1T is Clouds told him.
.Ah. yes. die Clouds Fritz could
hardly believe his eyes. as you may
imagine.
Pretty soon he grew bold. and seiz-
ing the knocker he gave . loud rap.
Nobody answered at first. SO he raped
again. louder and louder. until the
sound echoed from the rocks like thun-
der. At last the door opened very
suddenly. and some one drew Fritz in
and shut the door again quickly. All
was dark inside. but he felt cool wrist
touch on his wrist. and . hand he could
not see led him along q rocky passage
into the heart of the cliff
AFTER while glimmering light
appeared. and the passage turned sud-
denly into large hall, which was full
Of people. Fritz thought al first, but
then he saw that they were not people.
but strange rounded shapes in white or
gray. who moved and bounded. and
seemed 10 be playing a game Of some
sort. Ii was like game Of bowls, but
the things they rolled 10 and fro on the
rocky floor were not balls. but shapes
like themselves. only smaller and round
err. and Of all beautiful colors. red and
purple and yellow. The creatures
liked TO roll, IL would seem. for they
skipped and jumped as they went along,
and laughed with sort OF cracking
laughter. which echoed sadly back from
the roof Of the cave. The big shapes
laughed TOO in great booming tones.
Altogether they made great deal OF
noise. Still the damp little hand clasped
Fritz's wrist, and looking down. he saw
that his guide was no other than one Of
those same small shapes which were the
balls Of the game. There was some
thing SO familiar in the pinK-checked
tleecy outline, that in his surprise fritz
forgot TO be afraid, and spoke aloud,
crying. why. Its cloudr
ITO be sure What did you sup.
pose me to be. and why did you come
10 the clouds house if you didn't want
! to see clouds?' replied the ching.
!, =. Didn't you see our name on the
: door? Or perhaps you can't read,
! stupidr demanded large white cloud
l leaving the group Of players and com
ing up to Fritz and his companion.
! Eyes. | can read, and / did So
| the name stammered Fritz. still
n didn't
! ..You did and you didn't; how in
4 telligent you seem TO be- said tn'
! white cloud, with toss and curl; while
/ = big black thundercloud. pitching
Z little yellow ball clear across the cave
4 shouted in sullen tones which echoed
= frightfully from the rocks overhead
What's that boy doing here spelling
! our game? Cumulus. it's your roll
i Turn that little beggar out He has n
business here. interfering with tn
. sports Of his bettersr'
\ Fritz trembled. but his small con
7 ductor faced the black cloud undaunt
I. eddy. n,
3 I: Hold your tonguer he said. Thi
II boy Is my visitor. let him IN. an
il you're not 70 bully him. ! won't per
e init it..
4 dercloud. Pray what can you q
/ about II, Little Pink | shall 81.
\ what I like, and do as ike
/. ..No. you won't. cried all the sma
! clouds together. rearing themselves y
4 from the floor. We fair-weathe
4 clouds are not q bit afraid OF you,
= Won know. We know very well how !
n drive you black ones away. and we WI
4 do II now II you are no; civil lnel
a voices though bright were threatening
q and one little violet bit made das
el straight at the nose Of the thundel
y cloud. who shrank into a corner. muttel
o ing wrathfully.
u ...Don't be M all afraid said Littl
q Pink to Fritz.in patrcnizing tons
n He sha'n't do you any harm. I'M