The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1883-10-05
1Ai5crl laucnus.
The WiSIl-Ring.

A young farmer who was very unlucky
sat ON his plOw u moment TO rest, and Just
then an old woman crept past and cried
"Why do you go on drudging day and night
without reward? Walk two days till you
come TO II great iir-trcc that stands all alone
in the forest and ovcrtops NIL other trees. If
you can hcw ii down, you will make your
fortune"
Not waiting to have the advice repeated,
the farmer shouldcrcd his axe and started on
his Journey. Sure enough, after tramping
two days, he came TO- the tir-trec, which he
instantly prepared To cut down. just as the
tree swnycd, and before il fell with crash,
there dropped out of its branches a nest CON
tanning two eggs. The eggs rolled to the
ground and broke, and there darted out of
one Il young eagle and out of the other rolled
gold ring. The eagle grew larger, as if by
cnchantmcnt, and when it reached the size of
II man, it spread its wings rs if to try their
strength, then, soaring upward, il cried ::
you have rescued me; take as II reward the
ring that lay in the other egg, it is II wish.
ring. Turn it ON your finger twice, and
whatever your wish is, it shall be fulfilled.
But remember there is but Il single wish in
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 may never have reason to repent
your choice" So speaking, the eagle scared
high in the air crcled over the farmers head
Il few times, then dartcd, like an arrow to-
ward the east
The farmer took the ring, placed it on his
finger, and turned ON his way homeward,
Toward evening, he reached Il town where a
iewclcr sat i'll his shop behind counter, on
which lay many costly rings for sale. The
farmer showed his own, and asked the mCr-
chant its value.
at is MT worth straw" the jewclcr an,
swcrcd Va
Upon that, the farmer laughed very hearli-
ly, and told the man that it was wish-rlng,
and of greater value than all the rings in the
shop together.
The icwcler was II wicked, designing man
and so he invited the farmer to remain rs hlS
guest over night. For" he explained
"only to shelter Il man who owns a wish.ring
must bring luck"
So he treated his guest to wine and fail
words; and that night, rs the farmer lay
sound asleep, the wicked man stole the magic
ring from his finger and slipped on, in its
place, Il common one which he had made &c
resemble the wish-ring.
The next morning, the jewcler was all i'm
Iluiltlltt w lltNt bllC IN
awakened him at cock. crow, and said: "You
had better CO. for you have still a long jour
ney before you"
As soon as the farmer had departed tho
jcwclcr closed his shop, put up the shutters
so that no one could peep in, boltcd the door
behind him, and, standing in the middle o
the room, he turned the ring and cried 81
wish instantly to possess n million golC
piecesl"
No sooner said than the great, shining
gold pieces came pouring down upon him il
golden torrent over his head, shoulders an(
arms. Pitifully he cried for mercy, and triet
| to reach and unbar the door; but before hi
| succeeded, he stumbled and fell bleeding tt
the ground. AS for the golden rain, it never
stopped till the weight of the metal crushet
| the floor and the jewcler and his money sank
| through to the cellar. The gold still poureC
down till the million was complete, and the
| eweer lay dead in the cellar beneath hi
| treasure.
The noise, however alarmed the neighbors
who came rushing over To see what the mat
| ter was; when they saw the man dead under
| his gold, they exclaimed: "Doubly unfOrtu
| nate he whom blessings kill Afterward
the heirs came and divided the property.
In the meantime, the farmer reached HON,
In nlgn SplTllS ANA ShoWcu INC ring 10 M
wife.
"Henceforth we shall never more be il
want, dear wife," he said. "Our fortune il
made. Only we must be very careful to con
slider well just what we ought to wish"
The farmers wife, of course, protfered nd
vice. Suppose" said she, that we wish TO
that bit of land that lies between our two
ields?"
THAT isn't worth whilc," her husband re
piled. "If we work hard for year, wei
earn enough money to buy it"
So the two worked very hard, and at har
vest time they had never raised such II crol
before. They had earned money enough Il
buy the coveted strip of land and still have
bit to spare. See" said the man, eve hay
the land and the wish as well"
The farmers wife then suggested that the
lad better wish for COW and horse. Blu
the man replied "Wifc why waste GU
wish on such lries? The horse and COY
Wen get anyway"
Sure enough, in IA years time the none
for the horse and cow had been earned. Joy
fully the man rubbed his hands.
1.-THE wish is saved again tins year, and "
we have what we desire How lucky W
are -
But now his wife seriously adiured him I
wish for something at last. Nov that yo
) have wish to be granted" she said, "yo
slave and toll, and are content with ever,
thing. You might be king, emperor, baro
| an rantlnmap furmnr with ahauto own