Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-12-29

eyes shine in the moonlight and heard
the death rattle. A fox or a polecat
must have broken into the coop. Fear
lent me strength. forced myself
through the bars of my prison and es-
capped. | was saved. My wings bore
me to this valley; and now | shall try
TO prolong my life as a wild goose,
until winter comes, when | shall, per
haps. find a modest position us snow
goose.
Alheid sighed deeply, and then was
silent.
my fate" said the ass, lis similar
TO yours. Miss Alheid. Look at the
black which decorates my
shoulder; hat will tell you all. am
of the race Of the sacred ass Of Jerusa.
lem. and Baldwin is my name. My
pedigree goes back TO Noah's ark.
Balaam's ass and the ass with whose
iawbone Samson slew two thousand
Philistlnes are my ancestors. The one
of my ancestors who died like n phil,
osopher between two bundles OF hay, !
will only mention incidentally; nor
will | dwell on the worthiest Of my
high aspiring forefathers, who founded
the collateral branch of mules. My
parents were convent people, and bore
pious moukson their errands of charity.
NV older brothers and sisters became
lay brethren; but the fathers sold me
TO the convent miller, and |, a sacred
ass, saw myself compelled by rough
men TO carry contemplate meal sacks.
For a long time | suffered in silent
submission. But n night, when the
cruelty of a rough miller's boy drove
me to desperation, | burst my letters
and came tothis peaceful forest valley,
where | found you by the cool well,
most charming Alhcid. Here | think
| shall remain for the present and lead
the contemplative life OF a wild ass"
So the ass and the goose both re.
manned in the meadow valley. They
dwelt apart from each other, as il be
came them, but they saw each other
and talked together daily, and at last
one could no longer live without the
other. They were happy and sad at
the same time; happy, because they
loved and found love in return; sad,
because they saw they could never be,
long To one another.
'Ohl why was | born a goose!' be.
walled Alheid; and Baldwin. the ass,
sighed, III | were a bird!' and he
knew, too. what kind of a bird he
would be.
Thus weeks passed by. The ass grew
perceptibly thin, although there was
no lack ofnourishing food in the mea.
dow valley; and the goose lost the red
color from her bill. and her eyes be
came dull.
Now. there lived in the forest, in n
hollow stone, an owl, who was the
most clever female anywhere about,
and the beasts often went 10 her for
advice. The ass told her his distress,
and when the owl had heard his
story, she said: That | cannot help
But wait till midsummer. Then the
wise Wish Lady comes 10 the well in
the meadow valley TO bathe. Coniide
to her your trouble. Perhaps she will
help you, and change your form; she
is a most powerful magician"
Then the ass welt away half on
soled. One midsummer eve, when
Alheid, the goose, had sought her rest
ing place, he concealed himself near
the spring TO wait for the wonderful
Wish Lady.
She did not keep him waiting long.
She came flying along in her dress of
swans feathers, threw aside the downy
garment, and bathed her white limbs
in the cool spring. The ass waited
with an ass patience until she came
out of the water; and when she had
sat down on a stone and was combing
her hair, then Baldwin stepped up to
her, beat his fore hoof three times as a
greeting, and begged the Wish Lady,
most piteously, to change him at once
10 a gander.
The enchantress shook her head
THAT is a strange wish" she thought,
''but / can fulfill il, and | will"
And she whispered in the ear of the
ass, who listened attentively: Early
to-morrow morning, at sunrise, pick
seven gooseberry blossoms and eat
them silently, then plunge your head
in the well, and you will be changed
to fine gander. And now you go
your way and leave me alone
The ass thanked her heartily and
went away. He never closed his eyes
all night, and as soon as the mountain
tops began TO grow red he was up on
his feet and away TO look for the seven
goosebcrry blossoms. Then he hurried
10 the spring and plunged his head in,
and when he drew il out again, 10 his
delight, he saw in the mirror Of the
water the picture of a handsome-a
most magnificent gander with a
beautifully curved neck.
As fast as he could go he hurried 10
the thicket where the goose had taken
up her abode.
"Alhcid, my beloved Alheid!' he
cried, where art thouf'
Here, my dearest" sounded from
the thicket, and a pretty little she ass
came dancing out OF the bushes.
The lovers looked at each other,
dumb with amazement.
"Oh, what an ass | aml' sighed the
gander.
"Oh, what a goose | am!' groaned
the ass.
Then a hot torrent Of tears poured
from their eyes; and in the midst of
her weeping Allied told how she had
followed the advice Of the owl, and
sought the Wish Lady, who had
granted her request, and changed her