Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-02-07
THE BEAUTIFUL SIREN.

3 Once upon time there was In til,
D woods of the isle of Avail, in the par
: ish of st. Cast, a maker of wooder
shoes, who, with his wife and two
children, lived in a poor little muC
, hut which he had built himself by tn,
seashore, just at the end of the val
ley. There are those who say that
the ruins of it may be seen; but that
is hardly creditable, for it is long
time since then, and usually the cab
| ms of makers of wooden shoes do not
last very long.
They were not very rich, for they
had only their work to live on; and
} you know makers of wooden shoes
rarely buy small farms. The hus-
band dug out the wooden shoes, his
wife helped him as well as she could
and the little boy and girl, who were
not large enough to work on the
wood, went every day to fish by the
shore.
One day, when the little boy was
fishing among the rocks, he heard
suddenly sweet musical song; and
locking in the direction from whence
1T seemed to come, he saw the siren
who was singing as she swan among
the waves, and around her the sea
was SO brilliant that it dazzled Won
Ito look at it.
lie ran very quickly to the cabin
where his father was working.
All, papa" said he, edo come and
see! There is q fish in the BAY of
Portau-Moulin more beautiful than
any have seen. 1t sings, and it
shines like gold!"
Like fire, papa" added the girl,
who had seen it also.
The shoemaker and his wife FASTENED
to, follow their children; but when
they reached the shore the siren had
disappeared. They saw no siren on
the sea and heard no singing.
1T was nothing,,,' said the mother;
1.-THE children dreamed it ALL"
But he was not SO incredulous as
ms wife: The next morning he told
his children to go back to the edoe
ofthe water and watch attentively
to see if the beautiful singing fish
would show itselfagain.
The little boy went out, but as
soon as he had gone a few steps from
the cabin he ran back, crying out:
"Ah, papa, the beautiful fish has
returned again: you can hear it sing
from here"
When they went outside they heard
a delicious music in the distance: and
they hastened to go to the sea shore,
where they saw the siren, who sang
as she played about on the waves.
and leaped sometimes more than
three feet above the water.
ut is not an ordinary fish," said
the shoemaker, sit looks like a hui
man being"
"Ah, said his wife, 1--WE must get
the lines; perhaps we can catch it. /
should like very much to see it close
by"
they all went to work to get the
lines ready, and then when the sea
was high they set them, but in vain;
They put the choicest bait on the
hook; the singing fish did not come
to take it, although they saw it
every day
The shoemaker thought often of
the wonderful fish, and devised MANY
means to get it. One day he was
walking on the shore, he saw the
siren, who, Graded by the waves and
fast asleep, was floating at a short
distance from the shore He went
into the water without making any
noise, and slipped a large basket
that he had, under her, and carried
her off in ito the land without walk
ing her. She was about the size of a
child of eight years. She had golden
hair, and her white and polished
body resembled that OF woman,
but instead of feet she had fins, and
her body ended with q tail of a fish.
"Ahp's said the shoemaker as he
looked at her, "my little ones did not
lie. 1t is really the most curious
thing that was ever seen. 1t is half
woman and half fish,"
lie made these reflections on.his
way back to his cabin; and he had
reached it when the siren awoke and
said to him:
"Ah, shoemaker you surprised me
while was asleep | beg you to take
he back to the water, now that Won
nave seen me close, and | will protect
1ou and all your family as long as
you live 4
INC" answered he, 81 will, not put
you back into the sea. | have :
watched for you for a long time, and
10 have my wife and children. am
solng to take you to the house so :
hat they can see you; but when you
lave sung song, if my wife wishes, I
will carry you back to the place
rom which took YOU" q
He called his wife. who was named .
)lerie, and he cried TO her: !
s''Olerie, comes here and see, and !
ring the children. have the singer
n my basket. II
The good woman ran, full of ioy, I
by the little boy and girl, g
nd began to examine the siren. I
"She asks to be taken back to the Q
'ater" said the husband. "She will c
ing you a song first. Do you agree ?
0 that?" t
No, she said; ut is too Seautifui t.
fish. ! have never seen one like II. IL
We must eat it," h