The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-10-03
The Wish-Ring.

A young farmer who was very unucky
sat on his pillow moment to rest and just
then an old woman crept past and crled
"Why do you go on drudging day and
night without reward Walk two days
till you come to great fir-tree that stands
all alone in the forest and overtops all
other trees. If you can hew it down, you
will make your fortune"
Not waiting to have the advice re-
peated, the farmer shouldered his axe and
started on his journey. Sure enough,
after tramping two days, he came to the
fr-tree, which he instantly prepared to
cut dowa. Just as the tree swayed, and
before it fell with crash, there dropped
out of its branches nest containing two
eggs. The eggs rolled to the ground and
broke, and there darted out of one
young eagle and out of the other rolled a
gold ring. The eagle grew larger, as if
by enchantment, and when it reached the
size of man, it spread its wings as if to
try their strength, then, soaring upward,
it cried; "You have rescued me take as
reward the ring that lay in the other
egg; it is wish-ring. Turn it on your
finger twice, and whatever your wish is,
it shall be fulfilled. But remember there
is but single wish in the ring. No sooner
is that granted than it loses its power and
is only an ordinary ring. Therefore, con-
slider we'll what you desire, so that you
may never have reason to repent your
choice" So speaking, the eagle scared
high in the air, circled over the farmers
head few times, then darted, like an
arrow, toward the east.
The farmer took the ring, placed it on
bia
ward. Toward evening, he reached a
town where a jeweler sat in his shop be-
hind counter, on which lay many costly
rings for sale. The farmer showed his
own, and asked the merchant its value.
at isn't worth straw" the jeweler
answered.
Upon that, the farmer laughed very
heartily, and told the man that it was a
wish-ring, and of greater value than all
the rings in the shop together.
The jeweler was wicked, designing
man, and so he invited the farmer to re-
main as his guest over night. "For," he
explained, "only to shelter man who
owns wish-ring must bring luck"
So he treated his guest to wine and fair
words; and that night, as the farmer lay
sound asleep, the wicked man stole the
magic ring from his finger and slipped on,
in its place, common one which he had
made to resemble the wish-ring.
The next morning. the jeweler was all
impotence to have the farmer begone.
He awakened him at cock.crow, and said
"You had better go, for you have still a
long journey before you"
AS soon as the farmer had departed
the ieweler closed his shop, put up the
shutters, so that no one could peep in
bolted the door behind him, and, stand
ing in the middle of the room, he turned
the ring and cried Il wish instantly tc
possess million gold pieces -
No sooner said than the great, shining
gold pieces came pouring down upon hin
in golden torrent over his head, shout
ders, and arms. PItifully he cried fol
mercy, and tried to reach and unbar the
door; but before he succeeded, he stun
bled and fell bleeding to the ground. Al
for the golden rain, it never stopped til
the weight of the metal crushed the floor
and the jeweler and his money sanl
through to the cellar. The gold still
poured down till the million was com
plete, and the jeweler lay dead in tn
cellar beneath his treasure.
The noise, however, alarmed the neigh
bors, who came rushing out to see wha
the matter was. When they saw the mai
dead under his gold, they exclaimed
''Doubly unfortunate he whom blessing
kill" Afterward the heirs came and di
yided the property.
In the meantime the farmer reache,
home in high spirits and showed the RIM
to his wife.
Henceforth we shall never more be il
want, dear wife," he said. "Our forum
Is made. Only we must be very careful +
consider we'll just what we ought to wish.
The farmers wife, of course, proffere
advice. "Suppose," said she, "that W
wish for that bit of land that lies betwee
our two fields ?"
"That isn't worth WHILE" her husban
replied. off we work hard for yea
we'll earn enough money to buy it,"
So the two worked very hard and &
harvest time they had never raised such
crop before. They had earned none
enough TO buy the coveted strip of Ian
and still have bit to spare. "See," sal
the man, "we have the land and the wis
as we'll"
The farmers wife then suggested TIL
they had better wish for cow and
Du' VIZ hinh iCPiiCu' VINO WI
waste our wish on such trifes The hor
and COW we'll get anyway"
Sure enough, in years time the mont
Tor the horse and COW had been earne
Joyfully the man rubbed his hands. TT
wish is saved again this year, and y
we have what we desire. How lucky v
arei"
But now his wife seriously adiured hi
to wish for something at last. "No
that you have wish to be granted" 81
said, "you slave and toll, and are contel
with everything You might be kin
emperor, baron, even a gentleman farme
with chests OVERLOOKING with gold; b
you don't know what you want"
"We are young and life is long,"
answered. "There is only one wish
the ring, and that is easily said. WI
knows but sometime we may sorely me-
this wish ? Are we in want of anything
Have we not prospered, to all peoples
constituent, since we possessed this ring
Be reasonable and patient for a while