The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-25

httie Olu man Slttlng Dy tno lire.
Coldfeet gave good health to the old man,
and got hundred thousand welcomes with q
ea fSmS and EssEs are h SSn
years am in this house alone and not a iiy-
ing soul came in to SEQ me till yourself came
a., II an going to Lonesome Island. II can
VI II Gave no knowledge o, that place hut 4,
YOU are a swift walker you will come to. NOR.
Cider sE be Mn seii yo@ ali 3Gat you need and and
Next morning early Collect went away after
or pa ,ai'i isayng good health behind him
more swiftly. and ut nightfall gavo greeting
to the. third old man.
ola man. am Lying alone in this house
twcnty one hundred years. and not living
SOU! walked the way in that time. You are tho
ilrst man soc here. Is 1t to stay with me you
1T is not" said Collect. FOR must be
house til t 90 t" Lonesome sn isi"n% and have
no knowledge Of where that place is.
lie and how you aro to GO II YOU 40 there. Tho
road lies straight IRON my door to tho yea.
s6De unless ME s thS Queen hrousht him. tut YOU
may 20 IL the strength and tho courage arc IN
YOU. iwill give You this staff; 1t may heln !,
in the water and you'l have II boat tnnt will
take you without sail or oar straight 10 he
Island; When You ,1YG shore nn nf n md
be again what 1t now is. Tho Queens castle
goes whirimg around always. 1t has only ono
the stan YOU can 10 with ono spring TO me
roof. 20 in at tho door. and to tho queen 5
The iluorn sleeps but ono day in each year.
and she will lie sleeping tomorrow: The
sword Of li.ht will bc hanging ut the head OF
her led. tho loaf and the bottle OF water on
loaf and the bottle and away with you. Tor the
tourney must be made In ny . nnI yIn ma1t
~ viii do it or die in tho doing" said Cold
II you make that tourney YOU will do what
no man has done yet, said the old man. Be
fore 1 came TO live in this house chamnions
Lonesome Island. hut not II man of them had
the strength and tho swiitnrss to 20 ns for rs
the sca.horH' an Nat Is wv Imi nf u f. o ,e
not crum!lcd yet yuu'll see them Tomorrow.
The country Is n"rn AMI safe IN tn, dnysi ns
but when night falls tho Queen OF Lonesome
Island sends her wild Lcasts to destroy every
man they can find until dayhreak. You must
lHnv" the place very soon after midday. and be
on this side ui those hills te!oFe hishttali or
perish"
breakfast. and started at InyDrc1k. Away ho
wcut swiftly over hills, dnle,. and level places.
through land wllorr thn w'n,s never blows %s
Tuicilv tho ,lay before. even, llvr,imcs more
duich Iy tha, day. for the tan Increased tho
speed q. whatever man lad 1t.
. Co!dfrc cam" to the sra threw me sian
into The water. and Il Ioat was before him.
Away h. went II the cat; mmI nSiot" mon
lsilu,i. H. found ey"r,l Thing. there as the "Id
man had tot: MIN. seiIt. ~ sWnid Of light
wcnl toward III" door. but there he halted.
turned back. stopped white. 1t was near hv
was then 10 forgetting himself. lut he -prang
+ Mia rstt.S
am! away with him.
|: ,Co!t!"et strove to moyo swiftly when
i"cc ,i over Hills, dale. and lat places where
til. wind never flows and tho cock never
crows. never s,oarcu or iinIted. When tho
h rs. and remembering that death was be-
hini alG not tar from him. he used his last
strength and was over the hi,it"ps at night;
with wild beats.
Oh" sun the old man, but you arc the
hero. AMI was In dread that you'd close your
life on the Journey. and by my hand You had
~ Ind not. indeed" answered Coldteet
\. Tho two spent 4 pleasant evening together.
H." ola man ard Went on. spent night with
after that ill he reached the castle OF the bag;
,hn was, outside before. him with the steel
uails on her fingers and toes.
lontt" asked she.
ravs ssd ColtFe eta her, he they are"
If was bound to bring the three things"
give them here" screamed tho hac. rails
inc her nails TO rush at him.
With that Coll!ect drew the sword Of light
in the way that It's not known in what part Of
the world it fell or did it fan in any place. He
burned her toay then scattered the ashes.
Il will go to my mother first Of ALL" thought
he. and he travelled til evening. When lis
stones never stopped till they knoeked Wool
or the spinning, wheels OF old hays in tho
Eastern world. Ia tho cvenin. he came to II
=, will Eivey9u lodgings and welcome" said
the man of the house. but have no food Tor
have enough for both of U.S." said Cold
feet. and for twenty more if they were in it,"
and he put tnelo on tho table.
their I'LL and left the Loaf as large AZ il was be.
fore supper The woman ofthc house made
Loaf Loaf in tn; night liz ths one ,hsy had eaten
MS bread and le't her own in tho p!ar. of it.
from tho day before it was because 10
house and asked would they give him u
rive will. indeed" said the woman. but wo
have no water to cook tho supper for you; tho
water Is fur away entirely. and no one to 80
have water here In plenty" said Collect,
putting his bottle on the table.
The woman took the bottle. poured water
from it. filled one pot and then another. filled
every vessel In tho Kitchen. and not drop less
in the bottle. What wonder. when no man or
woman ever born could drain the bottle in
lifetime.
Said the woman to her husband That night:
II we had the bottle. We needn't 10 killing
ourselves running Tor water"
I'VE need not" said the man.
what did the woman do in tho night, when
Col!lfeet was asleep. but take n bottle fiji it
with water from ono OF the pots. and put that
false bottle in place of tho true one. Away
went Coldfeot next morning. without knowl-
edge OF the harm done. and that day he travel
led in the way that when he fell in running no
had not time to rise, but rolled ON till the
speed that was under him brought him TO
his feet again. At sunset he was In sight OF a
house. and at dusk hn was in it.
. Coldieet found welcome III the house with
lit is great darkness wo aro in." said the
man to- Coldfeet; we have neither oil nor
PUSHES"
II can give you light" said Coldicet, and he
unsheathed the sword from Lonesome Island;
II was clear Inside the house as on II hilltop in
sunlight.
When the roople had gone to bed Codfeet
put the sword into its sheath and all was dark
'Oh." said the woman to her husband that
night II we had the sword we'd have light in
he house always. You have an old sword
above on the loft Rise out OF the bed now and
put 1t In the PLACE Of that bright one"