, 1890-05-09
LOVING A STONE.
A German Legend of How = Serpent
Brought a Diamond to n King.


Brought = Diamond to a King.
When the German Kaiser Karl lived
al azrich, according to an old legend, he
dwest in a house called 1.-THE Hole" in
front Of which he caused a pillar to be
erected with a bell on the top of it, to
the end that whoever demanded justice
should rave the means of announcing
himself. One day as he sat at dinner in
his house he heard the bell ring, and sent
out his servants to bring the claimant
before him. But they could find nc one.
A second and a third time the bell rang,
but still no human being was to be seen.
At length the kaiser himself went forth,
and he found a large serpent, which had
twined itself round the shaft OF the pillar
and was then in the very act Of pulling
the bell rope.
''This is Gods will, said the monarch.
LET the brute be brough before me. l
may deny justice to none OF Gods Great
ures, man or beast
The serpent was accordingly ushered
into the imperial presence, and the kaiser
spoke to it as he would 10 one Of his own
kind, gravely asking what it required.
The serpent made a most courteous rev
erence and signaled in its own dumb
way for him to follow. He did so, &C
companied by his court, n the reature
led them to the shores of the lake where
it had its nest. Arrived there the kaiser
soon saw the cause OF the serpent's seek
ing him, for its nest, which was full OF
eggs, was occupied by a hideus o Of
monstrous proportions.
LET the toad be flung into the FIRE"
said the monarch, "and let the serpent
have the possession Of the nest restored
to it."
Three days after, as the kaiser again
sat at dinner, he was surprised at the APP
pearance Of the serpent, which this time
glided into the hall unannounced.
What does this meAng' thought the
kaiser.
The reptile approached the table, and
raising itself on its tail dropped from its
mouth int An empty plate which stood
beside the monarch a precious diamond.
1t then silently disappeared. This dia-
mond the KAISER caused to be set in a
costly ring, which he presented to his
wife, the much beloved Fastrada.
Now, this stone had the virtue of at
traction. and who So received it from
another, so long as he or she wore it, re-
ceived also the intense hove of that indi-
vidual. 1t was thus with Fastrada. For
no sooner did she place the ring ON her
finger than the attachment Of the kaiser.
great before, no longer knew any bounds
In fact, his ove was more like madness
than any sane passion. But though the
talisman had full power over love. it had
no power over death, and the mighty
monarch was sem into despair over the
sudden demise Of his wife.
He was inconsolable. He would not
listen to the voice OF friendship, but sor,
rowed in silence over the dead body of
his once beautiful bride. He would not
allow her to be buried. At length Tur.
pin, archbishop Of Rheims, being made
aware of the cause of the kaiser's in
consolable grief, contrived to engage his
attention while he removed the magic
ring.
Immediately that the talisman was re-
moved the spell was broken. The es-
TEEN, however, that he had held for
Fastrada was now transferred to the
possessor of the ring, Archbishop Tur-
pin.
The pious ecclesiastic was so perse,
cuted by the emperor's affection hat he
finally cast the talisman into n distant
lake which surrounded one OF the mon
arch's castles.
An immediate transference Of the roy
al liking took place, and the monarc
thenceforth and forever after during hi
lifetime loved this castle and lake as 4
man might love his wife. So much did
he become attached to it that he direct
ed that he should be buried there, and
there, accordingly, his remains rest until
this day.-Jeweler's Weekly.