The Penn's Grove record., 1884-03-08
THE wISH-RING.

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Not waiting to have the advice re-
Reated, the farmer %shouldered his axe
and started on his journey. Sure
enough, after tramping two days he
came to the f%r-tree, which he instantly
prepared to cut down. Just as the tree
swayed and before it fell there dropped
out of its branches a nest containing
two eggs. The eggs rolled to the ground
and broke, and there darted out of II
a Young eagle and out of the other
rolled a gold ring. The eagle grew
larger, as if by enchantment, and when
it had reached the size of a man it
spread out its wings as if to try their
strength, then, soaring upward it
cried
'sY0u have rescued me take as a re-
ward that ring that lay in the other egg;
it is wish ring. Turn it on your fin
ger 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 and is only an ordinary ring.
Therefore consider well what you de-
sire, 50 that you may never have reason
to regret your choice"
So speaking the eagle SCARED high IN
the air, circled over the famer's head a
few times, then darted like an arrow
toward the east.
The farmer took the ring placed 1t on
his finger, and turned on his way home
ward. Toward evening, he reached Il
town where a jeweler sat in his shop
behind a counter, on which lay many
costly rings for sale. The farmer
showed his own, and asked the mer-
chant its value.
1T isn't worth a straw" the jeweler
answered.
Upon that the farmer laughed very
heartily, and told the mai that it was a
wish ring, and of greater value than all
the rings in the shop together.
The jeweler was a wicked, designing
man, and so he invited the farmerto re-
main as his guest over night. For"
he explained, "only to shelter a man
who owns a wish ring must bring
luck"
So he treated his guest to wine and
fair words; and that night, as the farm
er 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 to resemble the
wish-Ting-
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 long journey before you"
AssOOn as the farmer had departed
the jeweler closed his shop, put up Tie
shutters SO that no one could peep in,
bolted the door behind him and stand
ing in the middle of the room, he turn
ed the ring and cried
81 wish instantly to possess a million
gold pieces -
No sooner said than the great shining
gold pieces came pouring down upon
linn in Il golden torrent over his head,
shoulders and arms. Pitifully he cried
for mercy, an" tried to reach and unbal
the door but before he succeeded he
stumbled and fell bleeding to the ground.
AS for the golden rain, ii never stopped
till the weight of the metal crushed
the floor, and the jeweler and his mo.
ney sank through to the cellar. The
gold still poured down till the million
was complete and the jeweler lay dead
in the cellar beneath his treasure.
The noise, however alarmed the
neighhors, who came rushing over to
see what the matter was when
they saw the man dead under his gold
they exclaimed (:
"Doubly unfortunate is he whom
blessings kill"
Afterward, the heirs came and divid-
ed the property.
In the meantime, the farmer reached
home in high spirits and showed the
ring to his wife.
"I~Iencetorth 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 proifer-
ed advice:
"Suppose, " said she, that w wish
for that bit of land that lies between
our two fields 2"
THAT isn't worth while" her hus-
band replied. "If we work hard for a
year, Wen earn enough money to buy
it.
So the two worked very hard, and at
harvest time they had never raised
such a crop before. They had earned
money enough TO buy the coveted strip
of land and still have a bit to spare.
"See," said the man, 1--WE have the
land and the wish IS WE'LL
The farmers wife then suggested
that they had better wish for a cow,
and a horse. But the farmer replied 4;
"Why waste Il wish on such trifesf
The horse and COW Wen get anyway"
Sure enough, in a years time the
money for the horse and COW had been
earned. Joyfully the man rubbed his
hands.
"The wish is saved again this year
and yet We have inst what we desire.
How lucky We are ~