The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1885-03-14
Legend of the Great Dipper.

brightly, one night, that the earth
children thought the Mamma Moon
telling a pretty story, and SO she was
was, and this is the story
"Fhe great dipper, which you, my
dear children, SO love to form, has
deep meaning, which you are not TO
forget as long as the stars shine. |
tell you the story as often as you ask
it, and your askinr makes me quite
as happy as my telling can make
you.
"See the dear baby stars running
to make small dipper like their old
er sisters % said the Lady Moon soft
ly to the great Mars, who leaned over
her chair as she spoke:
I'm another world than ours" cor
tfnued the Lady Moon, "there was a
great trouble No; it was not in the
earth. world, my dear" she said to
tiny star, who always asked ques-
tions. "it was not not in the Heaven
world either, but in another far-away
world where many children lived.
For some good reason, which only
the Father knows, the people and
children, the animals, and every liv-
ing thing were suffering great thirst
no water, nor dew, nor drop OF moist
ure could they find anywhere.
at was very horrible, and the peo-
pie were very near to death.
"a little child OF that world went
out alone in the dry, dark night, car
rying a little tin dipper, and prayed
very earnestly Tor just that little cup
,f oh n
cup, it was brimming with clear, cold
water, which would not spill, though
she ran rapidly, her hand trembling
with her faintness; for she did not
taste the water, having prayed for
another's need. AS she ran she
stumbled and fell; for she was very
weak, and when feeling about, trying
to rise, she touched little dog that
seemed to be dying of its thirst, and
The good child poured a few drops OF
the precious wafer in the palm OF her
hand, and let the dog lap it. He
seemed as much refreshed as if he
had drank from river. The child
could not sec in the dark what hap
pened 10 her cup; but we saw and
sang for Joy; the cup turned to silver
and grew larger, the water not hav-
ing become less, but more, by her
| giving.
"she hurried on TO give the water
{ to one who was quite unable to come
/ TO meet her-none other than her own
dear mamma, who took the water
eagerly, as one in a deadly fever OF
1 thirst, but without putting it to her
Fps, for she heard just then weak
/ moan, which came from her faithful
| servant, who tried TO raise her mis-
tress' head, but found she had not
the strength. Tie mother pressed the
d+.aer into the hands OF the maid and
made her drink, feeling her OWL life
so wasted that one little cup OF water
I esuld not renew it. And neither maid
servant or mother noticed that the
dipper changed from silver to gold,
and grew larger than before. The
4 good servant was about TO give each
member OF the family one spoonful
1 OF the precious water, when
stranger entered, dressed in a cos
| tune unknown IN that country, speak
ing IN strange tongue, but showing
the same signs OF thirst and distress
as themselves. The maid-servant
said: " Sacred are the needs of the
stranger in strange land, and
pressed the dipper to the parched lips
OF the faiuting man.
"Then the great wonder was
wrought, and the golden dipper
flashed forth incrusted with the most
precious diamonds containing foun-
tain OF gushing water which supplied
the thirsting nation as freely and
surely as it quenched the thirst of the
little dog. Then the stranger said:
BLESSED is he that giyeth a cup of
water in my name
"And the possession of q dipper
blazing with diamonds is in that
country sure badge OF royalty; for
no one can buy or receive one as a
gift, nor can fathers bequeath them
to children.
each child is given a tin dipper at
its birth, and only by purely unsel-
fish acts can the diamond one be
wrought.
"some OF the foolish people have
not vet learned its secret, and they
go about seeking to exchange their
tin for silver by doing kind things
Sometimes they accuse the Father OF
All very bitterly, because they grow
old possessing only the tin dipper;
for the secret of the exchange can no
more be told than the beautiful, flash
ing, sparkling diamonds can be pur-
| chased.
Sometimes there are great sur
prises when people give up the hope
of such possession and forget them
selves, for then they often find the
cast-away tin bearing evidence in sill
yer, gold, or even diamonds, that
somehow they have become royal
but by that time they have no vanity
because OF their fortune. Only mod
est, thankful, brave, happy feelings
possess the owners of diamond dip
| pers.
The Lady Moon now lifted white
finger toward the east, which was
growing rosy, and the baby stars all
knelt moment, looking like white
robed nuns at prayers. Then the
morning wind swept aside the great
A 4