Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-18
Who taught mankind on that first Christmas
CHRISTINA LEGENDS.
Illustrated London News

Illustrated London Newsl
Scattered round the Christmas season, ws
find in our own and other countries q host q;
amusing old-folk tales, most Of which, apart
from their own intrinsic merits, are valuable
as faithfully embodying the superstitious be-
hefs Of our forefathers in connection with
the Yule- tide festival 1t would seem that,
in days gone by, these fireside legends were
extensively circulated at Christmas-tide, the
varied incidents they contained acting as SO
many warnings to those who night, mad
vertently or otherwise, be induced to disre-
gard the traiitionary notions of the season.
As the greater part Of these tales are novel
probably TO most readers, it may not be in
opportune to give some illustrations of them.
Thus Norwegian folk tales often allude to
the merry doings of the Mise" at Christ
mas ume-a class of fairies about
the size of small children, and who
were, we are reminded, far more
numerous in the good old times than nova
days Like Shakespeare's Puck, they are
fond of pranks, and unless the master Of the
house pam ers them, they are spiteful and
vindictive, and hence it is not surprising
that their good will is deemed worth So
curing.
On Christmas Eve, therefore, offerings of
sweet porIidge, cakes, beer, and other deli
cacies are provided specially for thsln; but
care must be taken that this act is performed
with every mark of respect, otherwise they
Will quickly show their displeasurs. Thus,
II is reiared how, one Christmas Eve, when a
girl in a mccking spirit brought these little
beings their customary offerings, she was SO
severely handled by them, that on the fol-
lowing Christmas morning she was found
dead in the barn.
With tiles of this kind told among the
-peassntry, and received by them with the
utmost faith, We can well i'm
agine how ready they naturally
these mysterious elves who, in a thousand
and one ways, could befriend those who &C
knowieiged their superior power.
Among Norwegian folk-tales Of the sea rs-
lating to Christmas, we are told how a GER
. tain sailor, accoriing to custom, was desr-
Gus of pres seuting on Christmas Day a cake
TO the spirit of the waaers; but when he came
to the shore, loi-much to his disappoint-
ment-the waters were frozen over. Reluct-
ant to leave his offering upon the ice, he
tried to make hole; but, in spite of all his
labors, he could not make it large enough for
the cake to go through. When perplexed as
TO what he should do, be was agreebly sur
prised by the appearance of little, tiny
hand, as white as snow, which, stretching
through the hole he had made, seized the
cake and instantly disappeared with it In
this legend originates it is said, the compli-
ment paid to Norwegian lady, your hand
is like water sprite's"
The Morse peasant, in his popular tales
has curious solution for the oft-asked ques-
tion. why is the sea salt!" 1t appears. that
once upon a time, long, long ago, there were
two brothers, one rich and the other poor
Now it happened on Christmas Eve that the
poor one had not so much as a crumb of
bread to eat so he went to his bro her for
help, who gave him a whole fitch of bacon,
at the same time bidding him go to a certain
evil Magician. On arriving at the magician's
house. he was surrounded by q host of per-
sons anxious to buy his fitch. "Well," said
he, by rights my old dame and ought to
have this bacon for our Christmas dinner;
but since you have all set your hearts on it. 1
suppose you must have it; but if ! sell it all
j must have in return that quern behind the
door yonder" At irst the old magician
laughed outright at this proposal. but the
'poor brother" stuck to it, and so at last the
magician parted with his quern.
On reaching home the clio X struck l2, as his
wife met him at the door wondering what
had kept hin out so lorg. Oh" said he,
you shall quickly see the cause Of my de
lay;" after which words he put the Quern on
the table, bidding it grind everything neces-
sary for the Christmas fare. Ths wife, as
may be imagined, stood thunderst-ick,
watching the quern grind out dainties
enough TO LAST till Twelfth Day. When, how
ever the rich brother saw, on Christmas
Day, all that was on ehe table, he was very
euyiOus and said, whence have you got ali
this wealth.
For some time the poor brother refused to
tell: but in the course Of the days rejoicing
he incautiously gave out the history of the
magic quern, which his brother ultimately
bou III: for $500 Before long, however, he
founi that it kept on grinding, apI 50
alarmed was he that he resold it to his
brother for the same money that pur-
chased IL
As before, it soon brought renewed pros
perity TO the poor brother, which enabled
him 10 buy a golden house, the fame whereof
spread far and wide, and attracted strangers
from all parts So one day a stranger cam
and shouted ~Fresh fish" Judges, lawyen
merchants, all shouted, Fresh fish, One oe
them came UP TO me and said: How are
your Pretty well, l said. "Why did you
MT come soonerF he queried. Then ad-
dressing an imaginary person, be said:
"Jiln. come take the gentleman's baggage
and take him to room So See that be don't
want for anything" i was astoniShed, but
no Jim came.
Where shall we sleepl was the question in
Libby. Put your heads against the wall.
The place was crowded all around We laid
our heads against the door; wanted to &c
TO sleep-l was weary with a march of l0C
miles-suddenly some one ruared, Right
wheel" and every fellow hurried over on his
left side. asked what that was for. My
next neighbor said, "When your bones ge,
sore and you want to turn you give the com
mani and all wheel over together" had
seen military movements in perpendicular
but never in horizontal before. Morning
came We were counted 1t made one fee
funny. 1t was done to see that we were al
there. There was sutler there, named Starks
He was favorita. Wien his right eve
looked at you you could not tell where his
left eye was ranging. Stsrks looked at me
and said sometimes we are here, sometime,
We are not found out to escape was q
dream by night, a conspiracy by day. One
night some Of the men escaped through 6
tunnel, sixty feet long. More would have
escaped, only fat man got jainmed in L
Vas the rrsndsst ssnanais of the campai2p