The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-12-24

ored By Christianity. The belief that
horses and cattle talk il human language
with each ether on the night between
the a4th and 25th Of December IS univer-
sal there. Whether the roes and cham
ois enjoy the sane privilege O. are sub
ject 70 the sane penalty seemed % Be an
open question. as feE persons care %
wade through the snow, % eiizb noun
tain, or even 10 take up their abode il
wood, in order to listen 70 their dis
courses. Even with respect 70 domestic
animals. everything has rot hitherto
been rendered a. clear as We shOcld Ike
ito be. For example, 3 village priest vas
kind enough 70 furnish Is with the toi-
loving story, which was written down AZ
once. as much ss possible in his Own
words Itss sin to listen 70 What the
animals say, and L always brinEs ili luck
A farm servant from : distance did not
believe the ssory-s sin which. il may Be-
seared. vas shared both By the present
writer and his informant sui be re-
tsined such half belief as induced him
to hide himself in the stable The tEo
horses which it contained talked % each
other a folio~s: @We shall have hard
work 70 do this day week YES, the
servant i heavv.r and the Eay 70 the
ebarchya-d Is long and steep The nan
took 70 his bed and died. He Was
buried that day week Here We have a
least the Christian idez q q sin that Is
punished-z little too heavily. one = IN
clined 70 think-but what are sc % say
TO the following story, which vas tod n
the Slzv dialect Of CArni0ls By a travel
ing workman. at once tranlased into Ger
man and noted down The story vas
Rad aloud IN rough German, which Eas
translated almost sentence By sentence %
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. Il i evidently a far
older. OF at least more Authentic, version
than the last.
How 70 HE4R TuE ANNALS TALE-
No one can hear the animals talk IN
les he has boots with nine soies and
I fern leaves in them. There was Farm
servant knechtl in the Cal Thai Who
I had a pair Of very strong shoes made,
which were zferWard frequently repair
I ed. 80 that they had the requisite nan
+ Der Of soles. though he did not know IT,
I Re lived in a loft above stah where
{ two oxen were Kept, and between the
I loff and stall there was trap door.
which he often left open One Christ
mas eve ne went % visit giri with
4 whom he was in love in a village aboHfa
raile and q half away. The path ied
Z through a wood. in which there were q
great number Of ferns. He staid too
I long. and hastened back IN such hurry
I that he did not stop % f3sten his boots,
/ the lsces Of which bad become loose. Tt
l. 70 be supposed that this Was the reason
Why some fern leaves got into them A
soon as be bad reached the Ion be heard
= great lameniatiou below, and called
through the traph0le % ask what vas
the matter. As no answer vas given be
put out his lantern. bat remained stand
ing. What are you complaining about
asked a voice below. @Why should
not complain answered = second voice.
when in SIX months am . be slaueht-
ered?" That Is quite true. but I have 8
better reason 70 lament, for ! shall he
slaughtered IN tao days Tor a funeral
feast. and you in SIX months for a mar
rage. which Is better ~Wh0 viii die,
them @Our mistress ~How r. You
know she has cat that always sits be-
side her at meals and eats out Of her plate.
Tomorrow .here viii be q great dinner,
and the cat viii come a. usual. but she
win Be angry and push It roughly away.
Il vii spring 10 the top ofthe stove
there It win stay for a time, but when
the soup Is brought in il viii jump down
upou the table, and from thence over the
tureen and is mistress head. In doing
/ this It viii let hair fall, and that hair
win choke her
Here the conversation ended Next
morning the servant looked gloony
among bis jovial fellows, and his master
asked him what Was the matter. F0r a
long tine he refused 70 reply, butat last
he entreated his master 70 have the ca-
killed Al once Il vas no use telling q
story that nobody would believe, be
said. bat bis whole manner made such
Al impression on the proprietor that be
consented 70 his request The Eife. how
ever. said she Vas fond Of the cat. ir had
bsen long IN the house, and If i Wers
killed fora mere fancy she herself would
70 away. Everything, Of course. happen
Cd exaetlv a. the oxen had fortold- i
SIX months the master married again
said i don't Ike % see that OK J
used to drzx with one that was slaught
Cd Al ny first wife's funeral. Have
killed for dinner~ Oae does not quit
envy the welding guests their beef Ihi
Was not, however. the moral the narratQ
drew from the story. He said -On
can see hOW much more cattle kno'
: than one thinks. If the servant had I'd
happened 70 have fern leaves II his 5ooi
they E0uld have spoken jas- - they d.
ard melody would have kn0Fn alythin
about IL We for our Part can only leav
the story 70 those who are interested !
such matters. IN the hope that u Eiil I'd
= prove IS indizeztible as the beef "a
likely 70 bs.-Lon.l5n lSf,zr.i4g Rsre--
Z A Soldiers Death.