Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-12-14
Little Karl's Cuckoo.

Away off in the southwestern part of Ger
many in the Black Forest country, on the|
outskirts of little village, some years agoI
there stood small brown house which was|
almost too small for the many little heads
and arms and feet that belonged there for|
the father of the house was very poor inI
everything save children.
But, although he had scant room for
them under his old brown roof, he had Al
great deal of room for them under his old
brown vest, where beat his great warm
fatherly heart; and so, when the old grand
mother came to him nearly every spring.
and told him that the stork had brought a
little baby the night before, he rejoiced in
the news as much as the children did, and
made the additional member TO their al
ready large family warmly welcome.
The little hands were not too many, how
ever, when they in time grew large and
strong enough TO work and earn the coarse
black bread they found 80 hard to get, and
so sweet and good to eat and it did not
take very large hands to do this, either, fo1
the tiniest fingers are deft in the making o !
the pretty clocks one buys up in the little,
villages among the Black Forest Mountains
Whole families of little children sometimes
aid in the making of the article. One chile
will carve one part Of the structure, another
put together another part, a third and fourth
help arrange some portion of the mechani
ism, while another child will perhaps fash
ion with his own little hands the tiny
cuckoo which is to dwell inside the little
quantity carved house, and come outside
each hour to tell the time.
1t fell one summer day upon little Kar
Meyer to make his first bird for the clocI
| a 10 ha Epia 30 he,
stetter Fair.
He was very proud of the Off ,e, for h
had never had that part of the work as
Anton, his elder brothers, had always mad
the cuckoos; but they were apprenticed Z
the wheelwright in the village now, ant
we're only home at night, and did not wor
on the clocks any more. So Karl, being tn !
next eldest and brightest of the remainin
seven, was chosen to make the little cuckoI
| for the clock which was to be sent to tn |
| Nordstetter Fair
each !" said he to himself, my birt
shall have the prettiest wings and brightes
| eyes and sweetest voice of any Que that eve
cried cuckoo" And, with his whole hear
in his work, he carved and fashioned an
polished the tiny wooden creature.
1t was indeed beautiful, plump littl
cuckoo, when completed. And such pal
| Of eyes as it had, and such a knowing look
Why, Karl almost believed they could Sc
| MIN when they shone upon him. And ah
when the clock was all put together, an
hung up on the wall, and wound and Sc
| agoing, and it was time to strike the hou
now little Karl's heart beat
He watched the tiny door fly open wit
oreathless interest," and when the bir|
popped out and sang, "Cuckoo Cuckoo
| Cuckoo " his face beamed with happiness
| Was there ever such voice in such birS
| before?
AS he listened, and thought how beautiful
it all was, he began to hate the idea OF send
| ing away to Nordstetter his dear little bird
Why could he not keep it always? 1t wa
his very own, and it was cruel to talk
sending it away
His brothers, Otto and Fritz aud Anton
took the clock off in their arms down to tn
village early in the morning, and Karl stoo
| up on the roadside and watched them unit
they were out of sight Then he went hom
md lay down on the bed with his face
| the wall, and would not speak to anyone al
| day. And when his brothers came back
| night with the money which his pretty cloc
had brought, and they all sat down to
| sumptuous supper of lentils and spaetzl
| little Karl would not eat any, it seemed s
like eating his own dear bird that he ha
fashioned with his own hands.
1t was, indeed, many days before he coul
,at anything after that; for he fell very il
aud grew pale and thin and weak.
"What shall we do with the child
asked his mother, when she saw him lyin
white and still upon his little bed, just sta
ing up at the place on the wall where tn
clock had hung.
| He grieves for the loss of his cuckoo,
think" answered the old grandmother, TO
lowing his eye.
is it your cuckoo you are pining TO
Karl?" whispered his mother; and ka0
burst into tears, and answered;
"Jd, dds isl es !"
Then the old grandmother spoke in a 10
voice to the elder brother; and they stoope
down and kissed little Karl, and PROMISE
him that they would see in the village I'd
next day if they could find the little biz
again, for he should not grieve any longd
for it. And when they went in the NOR
ing little Karl got up and followed them
the road, and watched them until they wel
out of sight, and never left off watching III
til they returned again at night.
| Dut Iuey Hdu no clOck III luelr drius al
Karl went back to the house again sore
disappointed. Then the brothers sat dow
beside him and told how they went to tt
man to whom they had sold the clock an
he said he had sold it the first day of tt
fair to a nice old gray-haired gentleman wi
lived far away across the big, blue ocea
He had bought the clock, he said, for b
sick little granddaughter, because it had I'll
prettiest and sweetest cuckoo he had eve
heard in all his life, and it would please
little girl to have just that one.
Then Karl smiled and looked pleased, an
he answered
al am happy now that it is my bird Sd
has got, for it will make her well to hed
him sing the hours" Aud he sat up an
ate some supper and grew well fast fro
that night.
Karl Meyer made great many clocH
after that, but l am sure he never loved
bird again as he did his first cuckoo.
And now, if you are acquainted with ar
little girl whose grandfather brought fro
Germany some years ago little Blad
Forest clock, who knows but it may be tn N
| rary II rlis ,uolroo Ibr;sf,oo psnietsr