Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1890-12-25


always brings i'll luck. A farm servant
from distance did not believe the story
"a sin which, it may be feared, was
shared both by the present writer and
his informant. Still he retained such a
half belief as induced him to hide him
self in the stable. The two horses which
it contained talked to each other as fol-
lows: 1--WE shall have hard work to do
this day week" "Yes, the servant is
heavy" 'And the way to the church
yard is long and steep The man took
to his bed and died. He was buried that
day week. Here we have at least the
Christian idea Of a sin that is punished
Ia little too heavily, one is inclined to
think-but what are we t1 say to the
following story, which was told in the
Slav dialect Of Carniola by travelling
workman, at once translated into Ger
man and noted down. The story was
read aloud in rough GJrman, which was
translated almost sentence by sentence
to the narrator, who firmly believed in
the truth Of the tale, and corrected by
him in one or two small points, which
were directly altered 1t is evidently
far older, OF at least more authentic, YER
sion than the last:
HOW TO HEAR TILE ANIMALS TALK
No one can hear the animals talk un-
less he has boots with nine soles and
fern leaves in them. There was farm
servant Q1necht) in the Gail Thai who
had pair Of very strong shoes made,
ia1, uf+ 41r-
paired, SO that they had the requisite
number of soles, though he did not
know it. He lived in loft above astall
where two oxen were kept, and between
the loft and stall there was trap door,
which he often left open. One Christ
mas eve he went to visit girl with
whom he was in love in village about
a mile and half away. The path led
through wood, in which there were
great number Of ferns. He staid too
long, and hastened back in sach hurry
that he did not stop to fasten his boots,
the laces Of which had become loose. 1t
is to be supposed that this was the rea-
son why some fern leaves got into them
As soon as he had reached the loft he
heard great lamentation below, and
called through the traphole to ask what
was the matter. AS no answer was
given he put ont his lantern, but re-
manned standing. "What are you COM
planning about" asked voice below.
"Why should | not complain, . answered
a second voice, s'when in six months /
am to be slaughtered?" "That is quite
true, but have a better reason to
lament, for shall be slaughtered in two
days for funeral feast. and you in six
months for marriage, which is better"
"Who will die, them" ''Our mistress"
''How?" 'You know she has cat that
always sits beside her at meals and eats
out of her plate. Tomorrow there win
be great dinner, and the cat will come
as usual, but she will be angry and push
it roughly away. 1t will spring to the
top Of the stove; there it will stay for a
time, but when the soup is brought in it
will jump down upon the table, and
from thence over the tureen and its mis-
tress' head. In doing this it will let a
hair fall. and that hair will choke her"
Here the conversation ended. Next
morning the servant looked gloomy
among his jovial fellows, and his mas
ter asked him what was the matter.
For long time he refused to reply, but
at last he entreated his master to have
the cat killed at once. 1t was no use
telling a story that nobody would be-
heve, he said, but his whole manner
made such an impression on the propri-
etor that he consented to his request
The wife, however, said she was fond
of the cat; it had been long in the house,
and if it were killed for mere fancy
she herself would go away. Everything,
of course, happened exactly as the oxen
had foretold. In six months the master
married again, and said: 81 don't like
to see that OK; it used to draw with one
that was slaughtered at my first wife's
funeral. Have it killed for dinner
One does not quite envy the wedding
guests their beef. This was not, how
ever, the moral the narrator drew from
the story. He said: zone can see how
much more cattle know than one thinks;
if the servant had not happened 10 have
fern leaves in his boots they would have
spoken just as they did, and nobody
would have known anything about it,"
We for our part can only leave the story
to those who are interested in such mat
tiers, in the hope that it will not prove
as indigestible as the beef was likely to
be.-London Saturday Review.