Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-09-28
AT THE FETE DEIU.


nois there was peasant woman who
wished to be richer than her neighbors
and to give the largest number Of souls in
her district to the church on the Fete Dieu.
She talked about her wish to her little
child, too young to contradict or under
stand it, but when he drummed on the
side Of his bread and milk basin, as a sign
that it was empty and that he wanted
more, she accepted 1t as a sign that he
agreed with her and would do anything in
his baby power to help her get the extra
sous.
His mother kissed him. "You shall go
with me, mon petit she cried. When
the serpent sees you, he will rub his eyes
and say: oh, there is a beautiful some
thing. Its hair is Follower than the gold
guard. Its skin is smoother than the
pearls 1 protect. Its eyes are bluer than
the sapphires save. Its lips are redder
than my rubies. Then will scramble up
all that can of the precious gems, while
he stares SO hard at you, when, prestol we
shall be coming home too rich to walk,
and the old serpent beating himself with
his own tail because his treasure was stolen
while he gaped at u little child.
On the day of the great fete the mother
and child were ready for their visit to the
cave, starting just as the sweet bells rang
out their Come to church. Come to
church for the service of the Fete Dieu."
The baby laughed, and the mother whis-
| pered In response, for no one must know
her splendid secret. Just wait, sweet
bells, we shall soon be there, to the service
Of Fete Dieu, with something white and
something blue, something red and yellow,
too, for the service of Fete Dieu."
GOOD day, Marie" said an old man to
her, leaning across his gate as she passed.
What has check as round and red as
your boys and a skin as shiny and
smooth"
Marie was startled. She was thinking
only Of the jewels in the cave.
IAN apple" He laughed and held out
one polished like wax to the baby.
"Thanks, good Pierre; you are always the
one to jest kindly"
And she dropped the apple into her
pocket and FASTENED on with the happy
baby. Quite breathless, she reached the
hill at length, to find the stone rolled
back from the opening of the cave, show
ing inside the heap Of precious stones on
which the serpent lay coiled. Gold and
gems lay scattered on the floor, and plain
wooden table stood in the center. The ser
pent raised its coiled head and stared at
the child with its emerald eyes as If fasci-
mated. Tiptoeing in, The mother put the
child on the table, pressed Plerre's apple
into its tiny hand and began a scramble
for as many jewels as were within her
reach. The serpent showed no resistance.
1t still gazed in rapture upon the little
child, who stretched out the apple as If in
viting it to come nearer.
Slowly uncoiling tho serpent crawled
toward the table, leaving unprotected its
bed Of gold and gems. Marie, watching,
made three quick thrusts of her hand into
the precious heap. A handful Of diamonds
she thrust into her pocket, handful Of
rubies into her dress, and the third Of
pearls she was about to hide In her apron
when she saw the stone rolling to close to
the mouth of the cave and shut her in.
Forgetting everything but tho dreadful
danger of being buried alive In the cave,
she pushed past the stone and escaped
Just as 1t bumped into place, for the Fete
Dieu service as over.
Now only she remembered her dear lit
tie child shut in the cave with the terrible
serpent. Uttering sharp cry, she flung
the diamonds and rubies and pearls on
the grass like hailstones, and wringing her
hands ran down the hill to the village be-
low
Pierre was still at the gate when she
went past. go tell the priest Marie, 1"
he said, as If he knew all about her trou-
BILE.
THAT I WILL" she said, rushing on,
but when the priest heard her story he
shook his head and looked very grave, as
If nothing could be done.
The village people were all agog. A
thing SO serious as this had never happen
ed among them before, and 1t showed well
that one should be contented to let other
peoples caves and jewels alone
Suddenly the priest made them a sign
to stop their chattering Como with
me, he said. "We will go to the cave and
| pick up every jewel that the ohild's moth
er has scattered"
The villagers could not but approve this
plan. They followed him up the hillside
to the cave, looking under every grass
blade and flower bed for the beautiful scat
tered Jewels and soon, because their eyes
were SO bright and they were SO in ear
nest they picked up every scattered gem
and bit of gold, which they put In tho
priests hand Poor Marie weeping Bit
terly, tried to search also, but she looked
through too many tears to see clearly, and
her hands trembled so violently that had
she found diamond she could not have
picked it up.
For year, till the next Fete Dieu, the
priest kept the treasure. Then he gave it 20
the baby's mother, telling her to take it
to the cave and when the stone rolled back
to go in and return it to the serpent. Very
early that Fete Dieu day, carrying the Scr
pent's treasure in q silk bag, she climbed
toward the hill to the cave, sitting down
to rest till she heard the bells In the vii
lage below ring Come to church. Come
to church for the service of the Fete Dieu, I"
when the stone slowly, slowly rolled from
the cave entrance. Peering In, she saw her
little child still sitting on the table and
playing with his apple. The serpent lay
coiled at the foot Of the table 1t seemed
never to have gone back to its bed of gold
and gems. Marie went in very softly.
First she put back the handful Of dia-
monds, then rubies and lastly the pearls.
Next she turned toward her baby, and
catching it to her breast with glad little
cry, ran out Of the cave long before the
stone rolled back to close it or the service
of the Fete Dieu was over
"Ah, thenl You have recovered the
best jewel in the cave, Marie, have you"
| pierra callad ont nc she ran mast hia oata