Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-12-18
MANS HEOKLEAANNs LUCK.

HAMS HEChLEMANN'S LUCK.
[From Harper 4 Bros. '"Pepper and salt.rJ
Hans Hecklemann had no luck at ALL Now
and then we hear folks say that they have no
luck, but they only mean that their luck is
bad and that they are ashamed of it. Every
body but Hans Hecklemann had luck of
some kind, either good or bad, and, what is
more, everybody carries their luck about with
them; some carry it in their pocket-books,
some carry il in their hats, some carry it on
their finger-tips, and some carry it under their
tongues-these are lawyers. Mine is at this
moment sitting astride Of my pen, though /
can no more see it than though it was thin
air; whether it is good or bad depends en-
tirely as to how you look upon it.
But Hans Hecklemann had no luck at all.
How he lost it nobody knows, but il is GER
tain that it was clean gone from him.
He was as poor as charity, and yet his luck
was not bad, for poor as he was, he always
had enough for his wife and his family and
himself to eat. They all of them worked
from dawn to nightfall, and yet his luck was
not good, for he never laid one penny on top
of the other, as the saying is He had food
enough to eat, and clothes enough to wear, so
his luck was not Indifferent. Now, as it was
neither good bad nor Indifferent, you see that
1t could have been no luck at ALL
Hans Hecklemann's wife was named Cath
crime. One evening when Hans came into
the cottage with just enough money to buy
them all bread and not a cracked farthing to
spare Catherine spoke to him of this matter
Hans, said she, ''you have no luck at
all.
'No,n said Hans, 81 have not" which
was the truth, as have already told You
"What are you going to do about it ~ said
Catherine
Nothing at all, " said Hans.
Doing nothing puts no cabbage into the
pot, said Catherine
at takes none out, - said Hans
''See, Hans, said Catherine ego to the
old wise woman in the wood and talk to her
about it; who knows but that she can tell
you how and where You lost your luck ~
'-f | should find my luck il might be bad
and not good, " said Hans.
at is worth having a look at, " said Cath
crime; ''you can leave it where you find it if
does not please you"
"No, said Hans; when a man finds his
luck he has to take it, whether he likes it or
mo-.
So Hans talked, but he had made up his
mind TO do as Catherine said, to 90 and see
Vic bll NlSt NOLldl Ill lllt WOOL. lie ATEueu
with her, but he only argued with her to let
her know how little was her knowledge and
how great was his. After he had clearly
shown how poor her advice was he took it.
Many other men are like Hans Hecklemann.
So, early the next morning, Hans logged
along to the old wise womans cottage, while
the day was sweet and fresh. The hedgerows
were covered all over with white blossoms, as
though it was with 50 much snow the cuckoo
was singing among the budding branches, and
the little flowers were looking up everywhere
with their bright faces. ''Surey," said
Hans, ''if find my luck on this day it must
be good and not i'll. "
So he came to the little red cottage at the
edge of the wood wherein lived the wise
woman who knew many things and one.
Hans scraped his feet on the stones until they
were clean, and then he knocked at the door.
She was as strange an old woman as one
could hope TO see in a lifetime Her nose
bent down TO meet her chin, and her chin
bent up TO meet her nose her face was gray
with great age and her hair was as white as
snow She wore long red cloak over her
shoulders, and great black cat sat on the
back of her chair
"What do you want, Son Hans" said
she
81 want to find my luck, mother" said
Hans.
"Where did you lose it, son Hansl" said
she
''That do not know, mother, said Hans,
Then the old wise woman said "Hum-m-
m!n in a very thoughtful voice, and Hans
said nothing at all.
After while she spoke again. "Have you
enough to eat Z" said she
ooh, yes !" said Hans.
"Have you enough to drink 2" said she.
"Plenty of water, enough of milk, but no
beer" said Hans.
"Have you enough clothes to cover you 2"
said she.
"Oh, yes !" said Hans
care you warm enough in winter :" said
she.
ooh, yes !" said Hans.
"Then you had better leave well enough
alone, said she, ''for luck can give you
nothing more"
''But it might put money into my pocket, y
said Hans.
"And it might take away the good things
that you already have, said she.
Gan the same, / should like TO find ii
again, said Hans; eff could only lay my
hands on it | might make good out of it,
even if it is bad"
81 doubt that, " said the old wise woman.
Nevertheless, she saw that Hans was set in
his own way, and that he only talked stiffness
into his stubbOrnness So she arose from her
chair with much groaning, for her joints were
stiffened with age, and, limping to closet in
the WALL she brought book thence. Then
she ran her finger down one page and up an
other, until she had found that which she
sought When she had found it she spoke:
''Son Hans, you lost your luck three years
ago when you were coming from the fair at
Kneitlingen. You sat down on the over
turned cross that lies where three roads meet,
and it fell out of your pocket along with a
silver shilling. Now Hans, your luck was
evil, therefore it stuck to the good sign, as
all evil things of that kind must, like a fly to
butter Also, tell you this When an evil
manikin such as this touches the sign of the
good cross, he becomes visible to the eyes of
everybody who chooses to look upon him.
Therefore go TO the stone cross and you will
find your luck running this way and that, but
never able to get away from 1t. So saying,
the old woman shut her book again. Then
she arose from her chair and went once more
to the closet in the wall, This time she took
from il a little sack woven of black goats
hair. ''When you have found your luck
again, put it into this little bag, said she
''Once in il no evil imp will be able to get out
again so long as you keep the strings tied.
And now goOd-by !"