Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1894-03-21

enough to gather up large number
of the chickens that still roasted about
their old home. He brought them up
to the mountains and great was The
surprise of all the peasants as they saw
the queer birds.
But few weeks aftcrward they
were still more aStonishcd and de-
lighted, for young brood of chicks
was shown to them by the kind count
cSs. o, how the village children
laughed and clappcd their hands at
the sight of the little, downy, bright
eyed creatures, who were so strong and
spry and who followed the old hen
about to pick up their food on the very
day they came out of their shells
Such a contrast to the blind, bald,
ugly little flcdglings that they saw in
the nests in the hedges.
Now the countess saved up her eggs
until she had enough for a feast, when
she invited all the housewives TO come
to taste the new food, and learn how
to prepare it. At the close of the feast
she gave each family II number of
fowls to take home and use for her
family.
w hen Easter came she was anxious
to do something for the children, and
it occurred to her that as the egg was
the sign of new life it would be a nice
thing to have an egg festival for the
childrens Easter treat. SO she took
MOSES and roots, and with them
colored some of the eggs-saying that
the earth laid aside her mantle of snow
in the spring, and God himself made
the fruit and berries not only good
to eat, but pleasant to look upon
On Easter Sunday. after the villag-
ers had met for their simple service
she called all the little ones. and after
talking pleasantly to them for while,
she led them into a grove near bv.
There she told them to play about, and
pretend they were little brides, and
make themselves some cute little nests.
Then she called them to her house. or
cottage, and gave them little feast of
the pest she could prepare. 1t was
only some nice millI-soup, with cooked
eggs, and egg cakes
When they had finished their feast
they heard great whistling. and COO
ing, and squealIing in the grove where
they had left their nests What could
be the matter? The children ran bacl,
to see, and 10! in every nest there were
five beautiful colorcd eggs and on one
of these little rhyme was painted
Imagine the surprise and DELIGHT of
these simple children. They talked
among themselves and wondered vhera
they came from.
What "a strange hen it must bc to
lay eggs of SO many colors"' said one
"Oh, do not think that hens Law
such hard eggs, said another. But a
third one said:
Il am sure it was that dear little
hare l saw jumping out from behind
the bushes where 1 made nv nest"
This idea seemed to please the little
ones and they all shouted together:
Yes. yes-the little hare laid the
colored eggs" And they kept on re-
peating it until they began to be-
lieve it,
Not long afterward, as the countess
sat talking TO the children, who was
IT that the little daughter saw coming
up the mountain? 1t was the dear
father, the husband whom thew eli
thought must be dead. And rs he came
to them on this Easter day it was an
other reason why the countess loved
the day and wished to have it ALWAYS
celebrated.
SO when she went back with her
husband and children to rebuild their
old home she left sum of money to
be expended in giving the children an
Easter egg-feast every year. She also
started the fashion of the "egg-feast''
in her own duchy, and so it grew, and
by degrees the custom spread all over
the land, and the eggs also at length
became a sort of symbol of restoration
to happiness and redemption from sin
The custom has spread to our own
country, but think none but German
children believe that the eggs are laid
by the timid little hare
f. A. MATTHEWS.