The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-01-16
THE wISB-RNG.

forest and ov6rlOps All o.hei
If Won can hew it down, you Will
make your fortune"
Not waiting to have the advice re-
nea,ed the farmer shouldered his ak
and started on his journey: sure
enough. after tramping two days ne
came TO the fr-tree, which he lH-
stantly prepared to cut down. just
as the tree swayed, and before 1t fell
with a crash, there dropped out OF
lis 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 a
man it spread its wings as II to try
their strength, then, soaring upward
it cried
You have rescued me take as
reward the ring that lay in the other
GOO il is a wish-ring. Turn 1t on
your finger twice, and whatever your
wish is, it shall be fulfilled But
remember, there is but a single wish
in the ring. No sooner Is that
granted than it loses its power ano
Is only an ordinary ring. Therefore
consider well what you desire, so
that you may never have reason to
raorat vour choice"
So speaking the eagle scared high
in the air, circled over the farmer 8
head a few times, then darted:
like an arrow, toward the east.
The farmer took the ring, placed
iton his finger, and turned on his
way homeward. Toward evening,
he reached town where a Jeweier
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.
at isn't worth a straw, the Jew
eler answered.
Upon that the farmer laughed very
heartily, and told the man that 1t
was a wish ring, and of greater value
than all the rings in the shop to-
gether.
The ieweler was a wicked, design
ing man, and SO he invited the farm
er TO remain as his guest over night.
For" he explained, only to shell
ter a man who owns a wlsh-rlng
must bring luck"
So be 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, a
common one which he had made te
resemble the wish-ring.
The next morning the jeweler was
all impatience to have the tarmel
begone. He awakened him at cock
crow. and said:
You had better go, for you
have still a long journey before
ycu."
As soon as the farmer had depart
ed the jeweler closed his shop, put
up the shutters SO that no one could
peep in, bolted the door behind hin
and, standing in the middle of th.
room, he turned the ring ano
cried:
Il wish instantly to possess
million gold pieces !"
No sooner said than the great
shining gold pieces came pouring
down upon him in q golden torren
over his head, shoulders and arms
Pitifully he cried for mercy, and trieC
TO reach and unbar the door; bu
before he succeeded he stumbled anC
fell bleeding to the ground. As 70
the golden rain, it never stopped tll
the weight of the metal crushed tn
floor, and the jeweler and his none.
sank through to the cellar. Tn
gold still poured down till the mil
lion was complete and the lewele
Law dead in the cellar beneath hi
treasure.
The noise, however alarmed tn
neighbors, who came rushing over t
see what the matter was when the
saw the man dead under his gel
they exclaimed:
Doubly unfortunate is he whor
blessings kill"
Afterward, the heirs came and d
vidsd the property.
In the meaLtime, the farmt
reached home in high spirits an
showed the ring to his wife.
Henceforth We shall never NOR
be in want, dear WIFE" he said. o.
fortune is made. Only we must |
very careful to consider well jui
what we ought to wish"
The farmers wife, of course, pro
fered advice
Suppose, said she, "that "
wish for that bit Of land that Ii,
between eur two fields?"
That isR't worth while" h,
husband replied. five work han
for year, we'll earn enough mons
TO buy it."
So the two worked very hard, al
at harvest time they had never raj
ed such a crop before. They ha
earned money enough to buy Il
coveted strip Of land and still have
bit to spare.
See" said the man, "y
have the land and the wish as well
The farmers wife then suggest,
that they had better wish for &C
and a horse But the farmer !
piled:
Wife, why waste our wish ,
such triaes? The horse and &C
well get anyway"
Sure enough, in a years time {
money for the horse and COW b.
been earned. Joyfully the man III
bed his hands.
The wish is saved again this ye
and vet We have just what We {
sire. How lucky we areln
But now his wife seriously q
jured him to wish for something
last.
Now that you have a wish to
granted" she said, You slave a
toll, and are content with evel
thing. You might be King, Eml
ror, baron, even a gentleman farm
with chests overhowing with gol
but you don't knew what you
WANT