The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1885-12-03
A Jspa.e.. rairy Tale

/ A poor stonecutter lived well contsnisd
With his lot although bis work was hard
and bis earnings small. He hroke stones
from the side of high mountain. made
them into doorsills and grave stones, and
then sold them. The saying went that
where he worked there lived q mighty
spirit Of the mountains. Who sometimes
appeared 10 men aud helped them TO pros
per; turned to his hard work with . sish,
Were only rich. need not plague my
sell so. and could like others sleep bnt
the stonecutter had ~ 20. seen nothing Of
this spirit, and always shook his head
when he heard him talked about. 0ne
day, a. he delivered stone At the house
OF rich man aud saw how finely the rich
live and what good time they have. he
reposed ON bed with silk curtains and
golden tsssels, Thereupon avoicc soun-
ded through the air which said "Thy
wish is fulfilled; thou shalt be rich
mani" and when be reached home the
spirit Of tho mountain had changed his
hut into q stately mansion. He entered
and made himself At ease. But one day,
when the sun was 80 hot be dare not ven.
ture out, he saw gorgeous procession
pass by. In the midst Of group Of bril-
liant knights costly litter was bourne by
liyeried servants, and in the litter sat =
prince, over whose head was held chan
geable gold umbrella. that the rays OF the
sun might not strike him, Discontented,
the former stonocutter looked after the
procession, and, as 1t disappeared from
sight, be cried out. "Oh, would we're u
princel then ] could be carried thus aud
have a golden umbrella to protect me
from the rays Of the sun" As he uttered
the words there sounded again the voice
OF the spirit Of the mountain: "Thy wish
is accomplished; thou shalt be princel''
and now he was prince. Many riders
preceded bis litter, and as many followed
him; he had honor splendOr and richness
abundantly; in fart all he desired, and Of
course, the golden umbrella with which
to protect himself Nevertheless, be was
not contented, he continually looked
about and sought wherewith he could
make his condition still pleasanter; and
he saw how the mighty sun burned around
him, and in his rays the grass dried up,
and even his own face. in spite OF the gol
den umbrella, turned from the heat OF the
sun deeper brown; his life pleased him
no longer, and angrily hc cried: "rhs
sun is mightier than I, | would like to be
the SUM-" Again spoke the spirit OF the
mountain; 'thy wish is given thee; thou
shalt be tho sun +" 50 he was the sun,
and scorched the grass Of the earth and
the skin Of the princes But. as be saw
the clouds place themselves protectingly
between him aud the earth, he acknow-
lodged the cionds ~ mightier. aud was
now with the spirits help changed to
clouds He received the beams Of the
sun, aud let the earth grow green and
bloom, and then to show his power still
more, be sent the rain down for days and
weeks. Streams and rivers swelled, dams
and dykes broke and all the fields we're
devasted. Only the rock stood tranquil
aud looked scoflingly at The powerless
floods, all this confusion troubled him not,
and OF not even little bit OF his hard stone
could the raging element rob him. The
cloud cried, 'What the rock is stronger
than II No one shall be mightier than 1,
and therefore / should wish to be the
rock" The spirit fulfilled his wish. Be-
come rock, grown strong and fast together
to the earth, he needed not to trouble
himself about the clustering Of the ele-
ments. However. one day he heard o
remarkable sound at his feet. and as be
sought for the cause, be saw an insignih-.
cant stonecntier, who drove iron wedges
in his stone and loosened great pieces
which fell laundering to the earth. A.
be saw this he cried exssperated. 80 q
little hnman beiug is migbtier than ]. the
strong rock? That shall not be; then will
I rather be a man The voice Of the
great spirit resounded anew--tbere he was.
the stonecutter Of the old time. by the
sweat OF the brow he earned his scanty
bread, but he was Herewith content. and
never desired another position in lie than
that which bad been bis from earlies.
yontll; and, as he fostered no more pre-
sumptnous wishes. and demanded moth
ing further from fortune, he also never
heard again the voice Of the great spirit Of
the mountain.