The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-12-08
THE WISH-RING.

THE WISH-RING.
A young farmer who was very Ill
lucky sat on his pillow moment to res
and just then an old woman crept pa
and cried why do you go on drudq
ing day and night without reward
Walk two days till you come to grea
flr tree that stands all alone In the fol
est and overtops all other trees. If yo
can hew it down, you can make you
fortune"
Not waiting to have the advice repeat
ed, the farmer shonldered his az an,
started on his journey. Sure enough
alter tramping two days, he came to th
mr. tree. which he instantly prex.red t,
cut down. just as the tree swayed, ant
before it fell with a crash, there dropped
out of its branches a nest containins
two eggs. The eggs rolled to the grounl
and broke, and there darted out of ons
a young eagle, and out of the Other
rolled gold ring. The eagle grew
larger, as if by enchantment, and when
1t reached the size of man it spread its
| wings as if to. try their strength; then.
| soaring upward, it cried 'sYou have
rescued me; take as a reward the ring
that lay on the other egg, it is wish.
ring. Turn it on your finger twice, and
whatever your wish is, it shall be full
filled. But remember there is but q
single wish in the ring. No sooner is
| that granted than 1t loses it's 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. circled over the
farmers hea few times, then darted,
like an arrow, toward the east.
The farmer took the ring, placed it
on his finger, aud turned on his way
homeward. Toward evening he reached
town where jeweler sat in his shop
behind counter, on which lay many
costly rings for sale. The farmer showed
his own and asked the merchant its
value.
"It isn't worth a straw" the ieweler
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 VINE 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 it's place, a common one
which he had made to resemble the wish
ring.
The next morning the jeweler was all
1mpatience to have the farmer begone.
He awakened him at cock-crow, and
said: 'You had better go, for you have
still long journey before YOU"
AS soon as the farmer mad departed the
jeweler closed his shop, put up the shut
ters, SD 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: sI wish instantly to
possess million gold pieces"
No sooner said than the great shining
gold pieces came pouring down upon
him in golden torrent over his head,
shoulders and arm. Pitifully he cried
for mercy, and tried to reach and unbar
the door; but 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 ieweler
and his money sank through to the
cellar. The gold still poured down till
the million was complete, and the lew
eler lay dead in the cellar beneath his
treasure.
The noise, however. alarmed the
who came rushing over to see
what the matter was; when they saw the
man dead under his gold, thew ex
claimed:
"Doubly unfortunate he whom bless.
ings kill" Afterward the heirs came
and divided the property.
In the meantime the farmer reached
home in high spirits and showed the
ring to his wife.
"Henceforth we shall never more be
in want, dear wife,, he said. "Our for
tune is made. Only we must be very
careful to consider well just what we
ought to wish"
The farmers wife, of course, proffered
advice. Suppose said she, ''that we
wish for that bit of land that lies be-
tween our two fields"
ssThat is~worth while," her husband
replied. 'tIf we work hard for year
we'll earn money enough to buy it,
DO tuS LWO WO1hOtt VOL AAAI, duQ al
harvest time they had never raised such
q crop before. They had earned money
enough to buy the coveted strip of land
aud still have bit to spare. "See."
said the man, 1--WE have the land and the
wishes as well"
The farmers wife then suggested that
they had better wish for cow and
horse. But the man replied:
"Wife, why waste our wish on such
trifes? The horse and cow we'll get
Sure enough, in a years time the
money for the horse and cow had been
earned. Joyfuily the man rubbed his
hands. "The wish is saved, again this
year, and yet we have what we desire.
How lucky we aref'
But now his wife seriously adiured
him to wish for something at last.
Nov that you have wish to be
granted, you slave and toll and are con-
tent with verything. You might be
king, emperor, or even gentleman
farmer, with chests overfowing with
gold; but you don't know what you
want"
1--WE are young and life is long" he
answered. There is only one wish in
the ring, and that is easily said. Who
knows but some time we NAV soreIy
need this wisb? Are we in want Of
anything. Have we not prospered to
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