Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-10-23
*An old saying for a poorwife.
The Wish-Ring.

CAuna Eichberg in St. Nicholas.l
A young farmer who was very unlucky
eat on his plow moment TO rest, and Just
then an old woman crept past and cried;
"Why co you go on drudging day and night
without reward! Walk two days TIL you
come to great fir tree that stands all alone
IN the forest and overtoIs Al other trees.
If you can hew it down, you will make your
fortune"
Not waiting to have the advice repeated,
the farmer shouldered his AK and started on
his Journey. Sure enough, after tramping
two days, he came to the fir tree, which he
! instantly prepared to cut down. Just as the
tree swayed, and before it fell with q crash,
there dropped OUT Of its branches A nest
containing two eggs. The eggs rolled to the
ground and broke and there darted out Of
one a young eagle and out Of the other
rolled gold ring The eagle grew larger,
as X by euchantment, and when it reached
the size Of 4 can, it spread its wings rs
il TO try their strength. then, soaring
upward, it cried You have rescued me;
take as q reward the ring that lay 10 thu
other egg: Is IS q wiSh-ring. Turn it on
your finger twice, and whatever your wish is,
it shall be fulfilled But remember there is
but single wish ~ the ring. no sooner Is
that granted than it loses its power and is
only an ordinary ring. Therefore, consider
well what you desire, so that you never have
reason to repent your choice" So speaking,
the eagle scared high in TIE air, circled over
the farmers head few times, then darte1.
like an arrow, toward the east.
The farmer took the ring, PLACED 1t Oh his
finger, and turned on his way homeward-
| Toward evening he reached town where a
jeweler sat in his shop behind counter. on
which lay many costly rings for sale, Ths
! farmer showed bis own, and ashe1 tbs tnsr-
| chant its value.
at isn't worth straw to= ieweler 40
swered.
Upon that, the farmer laughed very heart
| lily, and told the unau that it was wish-ring.
and of greater value than ali the TUGS IN the
shop together
| The jeweler was Il wicked, designing uan,
and so he invitad the farmer to remain as his
guest over night. For he explained. ''only
| to shelter man who owas wlsh-rng U.ust
bring luck"
So he treated his guest to vile eud fair
words; and that night. as the farmer lay
sound asleep the wicked man stole the
its place common one which he Ls.d made
to resemble the wish-ring.
The next morning t.. jew-lor vas NIL i'm
patience TO have the farmer begoue. lie
awakened him at cock-crow, and said: ''You
had better go, for you have still Icng lour-
ney before you"
AS soon as the farmer lad departed the
jeweler closed his shop, put up the shutters
so that no one could peep in, bolted the door
behind him, and, standing in the middle of the
room, he turned the ring and cried: Il wish
instantly to possess million gold piecesP
No sooner said than the great, shining gold
pieces came pouring down upon him in a
golden torrent over his head shoulders and
arms Pitifully LIE cried for mercy, and
tried to reach and unbar the door; bnt before
he succeeded he stumbled and fell bleeding to
the ground. As for the golden rain, it never
stopped till the weight of the metal crushed
the floor, and the jeweler and his money sank
through to the cellar. The gold still poured
down till the million was complete, and The
jeweler lay dead III the cellar be,teath hi,
treasure.
The noise, however, alarmed the neighbors,
who came rushing over 70 see what the mat
ter was; when they saw the man dead under
his gold, they exclaimed: 'Doubly unfor-
tunete he whom blessings kill" Afterward
the heirs came and divided the property.
| In the meantime, the farmer reantci home
in high spirits and showed the rllE - bis
wife.
''Henceforth we shall never more be IL
want, dear wife, he said. ''Our fortune
is made. Only we must be careful to con
slider well just what we ought to wish"
The farmers wife, of course, proffered ad
vice. Suppose" said she, that we wish
for that bit of land that lies between our two
feldsr'
''That isn't worth while,n her husband re-
piled. III We work hard for year, well
earn CROUCH money to buy it."
So the two worked very hard. and at har
vest time they had never raised such u cror
before. They had earned money enough t.
buy the coveted strip of land and still have L
bit to spare "See," said the man, ''xe havs
the land and the wish as well.n
The farmers wife then suggested that they
had better wish for 2 cow and horse. But
tie man replied: "Wife, why waste our wish
On such TRIES? The horse and COW we'll get
anyway"
Sure enough, in years time the money fol
the horse and COW had been earned. joy
fully the man rubbed his hands 1.-The wist
is saved again this year, and yet we hav,
what we desire How lucky we areI"
But now his wife seriously adjured him tt
wish for something at last. Snow that yor
: have a wish to be granted, she said, ''youslav'
and toll, and are coAtent with everything
You might be king, emperor, baron, even {
gentleman farmer, with chests Overlooking
with gold; but you don't know what you
want"
} I'VE are young and lifeis long," he ans
wered
There is only one wish in the ring, and
| that is easily said. Who knows but some