Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-10-17
THE WHISPER DELL
81 ,lsrs zuonus.


Rhine. Hearing in their inn a
Lorch Of the wonders OF the
Whisper Dell, they resolved 70
visit and explore its mysteries.
For an hour they struggled
bravsly, when they reached o
ruggei, huge and scraped rock.
II locked IiEu caimmense castle,
had towers gs, but astions. and
highhbove yevery nighN Gothic
windbws. .je Pure alfs
Tie yQsfth hsssss IS Z. sg 9 X .Bla, on this
sigE1 With ak.y yoishmcnt e4 awe,
whsh they were startled Shh .
sohnd.
They looked up, and lol from
sne OF the pointed windows peep
I'D three OF the most beautiful fe-
male faces they had ever beheld.
"Let us 60 up to them at once :
exclaimed all together.
They entered by . single mar
row door; traversed quickly a
long lsssags till one Of them
stumbled against q door, which
Immediately few open at his
touch. A blaze Of light gushed
through the aperture, and a sin
gle glance showed a magnificent
room illuminated by thousands Of
tapsrs.
The three maidens whom the
three youths had seen in the
window from without now stood
in the center OF this noble apart
meut.
WELCOME WELCOME | welcomed
exclaimed the lnaidens altogether;
and now reached forth their little
white hands in the most kindly
way to their visitors.
A narrow door opened in .
niche OF the hall, and q venerable
old man came forth. he ap-
preached the youths and thus
addressed them:
"You are welcome here to WOO
my daughters. I am no mer-
chant--no huxter-no higgler.
A thousand pounds weight Of
gold shall be the dowry of each /;
and you can have it at once If you
wfsh to marry them. Let each
Of you take her be likes best
The three youths advanced to-
ward the three msidens. The
old man. laughed. and said to
them:
II will guide you to your
brides.
He then took them in turn, and
ed them each TO one Of the
uai<sns.
"Ton must now give me proof
q your love for my lasses." said
tie cd man.
1--WE are ready and wiling to
do anything to prove il, exclaim-
I'd the youths. sfWhat shall il
be 2"
Last night my girls lost their
hrss pet birds--the one . star
ing, the other & raven, and the
third magpie. resumed the old
man.
"You may recognize them by
these marks and tokens" !" pro-
ceeded the gray beard; the STAR
] ling repeats . riddle; the raven
sings . little song, and the mag :
pie tells . story about her grand
mother immediately they are ac-
costed by any one. Ask them to
do so. Go, my brave bride
grooms." concluded the old man
Ego and bring back with you the
three dear little favorites. They
are quite tame, and will allow
themselves to be easily taken"
Forth went the impetuous boys,
and after about n quarter OF IN
hour spent in the woods, discov-
cred the objects OF their search,
The three lost birds sat side by
side on the limb Of al uprooted
oak.
"Starlingl starling" said one
of them to that bird, repeat your
riddle, oh!repeat yonr riddle"
Tho starting tapped its wings
dew on his shoulder, and spak,
as follows:
/" Sag what In thy face NAV be
That you may but In mirror soef
"Ravenl ravenp said the sec
oud Of the youths, "sing US ,b,
song; oh! sing US thy songl"
The raven croaked aud shool
his glossy sides. and then, in
lhoarse tone of voice with mucl
of the manner Of his tribe). san,
these verses to an indescribabl
kind OF tune:
In Utopia once did journey
Ga an ass, tat parsons three,
Three roast birds, whers'sr you'd turr. u
To their very teeth did Zee,
fst not . ono could they snAp Of them all
q Rated this the parsons roundly,
Turned they soon 10 fatherland,
In Utopia sworc they roundly.
Nothing C n men understand;
FOR, tsoth, II they did, their roast birds they
have small,
OF their mouths big enough for what 10 the
might fall.
When the raven had conclud
ed, he tapped his wings, also
then flew over to the secon
youth, and perched on the crow
of his head.
"Magpiel magpiel" said th
third, "tell US the story abor
your grandmother; ohl tell U
that story"
THE magpie crouched on b,
breast, and began:
my grandmother was a ma,
pie, and she laid eggs, and fro
them she Matched other mag pie
and IL she is net dead she liv,