The Russellville Democrat., 1881-12-01

and hastened to evertake -
 again. It must have been E
 very wonderful that you saw bluff said Peter and Paul. Oh, if ~s.s-. much, 1t was only pick we heard,
 piled Esben.
 "Then they went quite a distance to. gether again, until they came to abrook. They were all thirsty from travelling, so they bent themselves over the brook for drink. I really wonder where this water comes from2' said Esben, the lad in the ashes. I really wonder if you are in your right mind? said Peter and Paul. If you are not already crazy. you will soon make yourself so by wonder ing, Where the brook comes from Have you never seen the water bubble out of ihe ground in a spr:ng2' Yes, but l would like to see where it comes from, anyhow said Esben, Of he went up along the brook in spite of his brothers, who tried to call him back and iaughed.at him. As he proceeded upward, the brook gradually grew smaller, and when he had gone quite a distance he found walnut; out of that trickled the water of the brook. Good dayt said Esben again. You here all aloneg I an,' said the walnut; I have been lying here many years, waiting for yap,' Very well, here l am,' said Els ben. Hetook a little moss and stopped the hole, so the water couldn't run out, putit into his knapsack, and ran down to his brothers again. Now I suppose you have seen where the water eonies from; it was very wonderful, wasn't it?' said Peter and Paul 'Oh, it was only hole it trickled from said Esben; and then the other two laughed, and made fun of him, but Esben. didn't care. I wanted to see it, anyhow said he.
 After a long time they arrived at the kings palace; but when everybody in the kingdom had heard that they might win the princess and half the Kingdom if they could chop down inc big oak and dig well'for the king, there had come so many to try their luck that the oak had grown twice as thick and large as it was in the beginning for you remember two new chips would grow out for every one that was cut away. For this reason the king had fixed the punishment, that all who tried and didn't succeed in fell, ing the oak should be set out on an isl and and have both their ears cut of. But the two brothers were not to be discour aged by this. They thought they could get the oak down; and Peter, who was the oldest, was to try first. But he had no better luck than all the others who had been chopping at the oak, Two new chips grew in place of every one he cut off, and the kings men took him, cut his ears of and put him on the island. Now Paul wanted to try, but he fared exactly the same way. When he had cut a few blows, and they saw that the oak was growing, the kings men took him also and put him on the island, and off him they cut the ears still closer, for they thought he might have learned to be careful from his brother. Then Els. ben, the lad in the ashes, wanted to try. If you really want to look like marked sheep, we can cut yonf ears off immedi- ately,' said the king. He was angry with him on account of bis brothers. l would like to trys first, anyhow" said Esben, and the king couidn'tiefuse him. He took the axe out of his knapsack and F.put the handle on again. "Chop your self r said Esben to the axe It went to chopping and made the chips fly, and the oak soon had to come down. When thiswas done, Esbentook the pick sand put the handle on it. Dig yourself SHItl TSbtu. illt ttlsk W6lb tO IidtklHp and digging. and made the dirt and stones fly in all directions; and of course the King soon got 9. we'll. When Esben had got it IS deep and large as he want ed it, he took his Nalnat and laid it in one corner; then he took the moss out of it. sLet thes water trickle outp said Esben; and the water came pouring out ofthe hole, and so the wellsoop became full to the brim.
 "As Esben had now cut down the oak which shaded the kings windows, and had dug a we'll that never-lacked water, he got the princess,and half the king dom, according to the kings promise; but lucky were Peter and Paul that they had lost toeir ears. for otherwise they would constantly have had to hear everybody say that Esben, the lad in the ashes, had not been wondering so foolishly after all. This is the end of the story"
 The children wanted grandma to tell another one, but she said it was too late tonight She promised them, however to tell more another time.
 R. B. ANDERSON.