Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-11-22

horse as be says, but that il ali the truth
there Is in his tale When he had taken
bis meat he asked me whether had silver
70 give TO him In place Of gold coin. sAy.'
quotal !. and laid ont on my fleshing block
handful Of silver coins, which. when hf
sew. he caught up with his hand, and q
was making off when clutched him BY
the wrist and hailed him before thee. cur
doomsman. To this will make oath and
say that he, the miller, il a rogue and 4
rascal, while am m upright man and the
| rlghtful owner cf the silver,
And when the dOomsman asked It Of
Them, each Of the twain, the nesher and
the miller. stuck to his tale, nor altered II
Jot. Then quoth the doomsman, Leave
ye the silver with me and come again on
the morrow" And they went their own
ways
Then came forward the king and the
peggar, and the king said:
~ was riding toward this town, and
wnen came to the bridge Of Staines saw
TINS man seated BY the roadside, and when
ne asked me to lift him on my horse I,
seeing that he was old and feeble. said "
with good heart and carried him into this
town Of yours, in the which he was no
sooner come than he claimed my horse to
my own face. saying that It was his and
not mine This on the word Of one who
tries to be q righteous man Is the truth, oh,
d0omsman.u
And the beggar:
u was riding toward the town on this
my horse when met this young man,
VINO, saying he was nigh dead from hard
going, asked me to help him on his way.
With good heart did 50, putting him
before me on the horse; but when we were
come into the High street he roQuishIy
claimed OF me my horse, and when would
not give It up he had me hailed before thee.
This on the word Of an old and righteous
man is the truth, oh, doomsmanr,
Said Cedric, leave the horse here with
me and come again on the morrow
so the king and the beggar went their
own ways, and on the morrow were in the
church yard, as were the others also, to
hear the doom that Cedric would give.
The scrivener and the hedger were called,
Take thy wife, scrivener,u said Cedric,
"and let the ears be cut from on the
hedger"
so the hedger lost his ears and the scriv-
ener gained his wife, and yet some said
their lots were equal.
Then were called the fesher and the
miller.
Take thy silver, Miller said Cedric.
land let TIE right hand be cut from of the
flesher."
So the miller got his silver and tha
fesher lost his hand
Then the king and the beggar wer,
called.
Come with me-" said Cedric to the king.
and he took him to stable hard BY where
were score Of horses. "Pick out thine
own horse, 2 said Cedric; and the king did so
Then Cedric sent for the beggar and said
to him: Pick out thine own horse from
among score Of horses:, and the beggar,
whose eyes were keen and whose arts were
nimble, picked out the kings horse
Now" said Cedric, "come both of Won
to the doomsman's seat" and when they
were gathered there once more Cedric said
to the king:
take thy horse and let the old man be
hanged"
And the king marveIed at the wisdom OF
the doomsman, and said to him:
Now I know that all / have heard in
truth. Thou art as full of wisdom as is an
egg of meat. Know then that l am King
Alfred" and when Cedric had bowed his
knee before him the king said:
Tell me, L pray thee, how thou Ravese
such rightful doom, for dare swear that
thou dealt Us righteously with the scriya-
ner and the miller as with me-"
"All three were but small matters. oh.
king" said Cedric, "but this was the
manner in which settled them. Thou
sawest how that kept all night the three
things anent which there was pickering.
Il did," said the king.
well" said Cedric, Sin the morning
turned hastily to the woman and said.
Smooth me down a skin, for need to
write, and she took skin and rubbed it
after the fashion of a scrivener's helper,
and then knew that she belonged to the
scrivener and not to the hedger, for how
would hedger's wife know aught of writ
ing or of making ready skins wherein to
writer"
lis WELL" said the king.
1.-THE silver" said Cedric, 81 put in a Dot
of water and left it over night. In the
morning there foated on the top of the
water fine white dust. Then 1 knew it
belonged to the miller. whose hands and
clothes were covered with ground wheat,
and not to the flesher, whose hands were
greasy with his meats. Had it been his.
waters top"
=" lis very well" said the king. "And
my horses"
"Truly therein I had pains to find the
truth. For though of course thou knewest
thy beast among the score, and doubtless
wouldst have known him amid an hun
dred, yet when called the beggar in so
did he, too, and was puzzled
Then didst thou but guess the TRUTH"
said the king.
May" replied Cedric. ITO guess is not
true wisdom. saw that while the beggar
knew the horse, yet did the horse not know
him. Yet thee it knew, and whinnied
when thou earnest anigh to it; and SO I
gave thee and hanged the beggar''
The king pondered awhile, and then
spoke.
Truly, Cedric" quoth he, thou art
better fit to be king and I to be doomsman.
And yet | know not; for while make a
passing good king l fear me should make
Il passing bad doomsman. Horace Town
send in Independent.