The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-09-29
ALL ABOUT roADs.

of light, and declared that his Char lester, or attendant demons, took that form when they persecuted Ormuzd, says the St. Jdmes Gazette. Among the Tyrolese it is a type of envy, whence the proverb, "Envious as a toad" In the middle ages, among artists and in many church legends, it appears as greed or avarice; there is even to this day, in some mysterious place on the right bank of the Rhine, between Laufenberg and Binzgan, a pile of coals, on which sits toad. That is to say, coals they seem to the world. But the pile is all pure gold, and the toad is devil who guards it :; and he who knows how can pronounce 8 spell which shall ban the grim guardian. And there is a story told by Menzel C"Christliche Symbolik," volume l, page 530), that long ago there lived in Cologne a wicked miser, who, when old, repented and wished to leave his money to the poor. But when he opened his great iron chest he found that every coin in it had turned to horrible toad with sharp teeth. This story being told to his confessor, the priest saw in it the divine retribution, and told him that God would have none of his money nay, that it would go hard with him to save his soul. And he, being will ing to do anything to be free from sin, was locked up in the chest with the toads; and To the next day when it was opened the creatures had eaten him up. Only his clean picked bones remained.
 But in the Tyrol it is believed that the toads are themselves poor sinners, undergoing penance as Heetschen or Hoppinen-as they are locally called for deeds done in human form. Therefore they are regarded with pity and sympathy by all good Christians. And it is we'll known that in the church of St. Michael, in Schwatz, on the evening before the great festivals, but when no one is present, the immense toad comes crawling before the altar, where it kneels and prays weeping bitterly. The general belief is that toads are, for the most part, people who made VOWS to go on pilgrimages, and died with the vows unfnlfilled. So the poor creatures go hopping astray, be- wildered and perplexed, striving to find their way to shrines which have perchance long since ceased to exist. Once there was toad who took seven years to go from Lelfers to Weissenstein; and when the creature reached the church it suddenly changed to 8 resplendent white dove, which, flying up to heaven, vanished before the eyes of large company there assembled, who bore witness to the miracle. And one day, as & wag- oner was going from Innsbruck to Seefeld, as he paused by the wayside toad came hopping up and seemed to be desirous of getting into the wagon, which he, being benevolent man, helped it to do. and gave it place on the seat beside him. There it sat like any other respectable passen- ger until they came to the side path which leads to the church of Seefeld, when, wonderful to relate, the toad suddenly turned to a maiden of an. gelic beauty clad in white, who, thanking the wagoner for his kind ness to her when she was but a poor reptile, told him she had once been a young lady who had vowed pill grimage to the church of Seefeld. But as needless maidens often do, she had put it off from time to time till she died. But now, by his help, her soul was saved. And, saying this, she, too, winged her way "to the joyous realm where the pure dwellers are."
 In common with the frog, the toad is an emblem of productiveness, and ranks among creatures which are types oferotic passion. have in my possession necklace of rudely made silver toads of Arab workmanship, in- tended to be worn by women who wish to become mothers. Therefore, the creature, in the old world as we'll as in the new, appears as a being earnestly seeking the companionship of men. Thus it happened to youth of Aramsach, near Kattenberg, that, being one day in lonely place by lake there looked up at him from the water being somewhat like a maid, but more like hideous toad, with whom he entered into conversation, which became at last friendly and agreeable, for the strange creature talked exceedingly well. Then she, thinking he might be hungry, asked him if he would fain have anything in particular to eat. He mentioned in jest kind of cakes; whereupen, div ing into the lake, she brought some up, which he ate. So he met her many times; and whenever he wished for anything, no matter what, she got 1t for him from the waters; the end of 1t all being that, despite her appall- ing ugliness, the youth fell in love with her and offered marriage, to