The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-06-14

Y. winter, too, Is pretty fair;
81 paste ) ANA man lt so a,sowbal Ska'e'
| say, the Winters great!
Foo afn fhensS na as - p gse good time
But all this stun bout beautiful spring
Grand Rapids Press, 4
..The Talking Tree.''
Once there was Il certain King whose
greatest delight it was to collect what
| ever was wonderful aud rare. 5. Now ii
happened one day that Il stranger came
to the palace, and the King was showing
him his curiosities.
Your majesty" said the stranger, bow
ing politely, possesses the greatest collec-
ton of wonders l have ever seen, but
there is one thing you do not possess"
And what is that?' asked the King,
| eagerly. s*s.. '.sz.s .'s .@3 8
1T is u talking tree" answered the
stranger. ZIP
And is there such a thing as Il talking
tree? Strange have never heard Of it
before. And where does this talking
tree grow? Tell me quickly and / viii
dispatch my servant at once and fetch it,
1t will add greatly to my collection
1T grows. said the stranger, lin the
Wrecken valley, which is on the other
side of those lofty mountains sT !
The King Immediately ordered one OF
his most trnsty servants to mount his fly
ing horse and go in search Of the talking
tree. But in a few days the servant re-
turned. saying he had searched the valley
through and through, but could find no
talking tree - ~ ISL ssz~.*, u :
The King, thinking the stranger was
making sport of him, had him arrested
and thrown into prison. There you will
lie," he said, till you tell me where this
talking tree grows" -
Il am sorry: your majesty. but can't
you send again? Perhaps smother of
sent again; but, as before, the servant re-
turned. saying: There is no such thing
as il talking tree to be found" ., :
Then the King was very angry, and
issued 4 command that the stranger was
to be beheaded in three days unless he
told where the talking tree really was
But the stranger only said, as before,
that he had seen such Il tree, and that it
grew in the valley beyond the mountains
ne had designated. So, as he was able
to obtain no other reply, the King grew
uneasy. On the morning of the third
day, having still had no further answer,
he arose and went to the prison in homes
OF satisfying his mind whether there
really, was such a thing as Il talking tree,
or whether he was merely being tested
with. For" he said to himself, IF there
is such thing, by killing the stranger /
finding it, - ,7..~~~
s. :. Il am sorry, your majesty said the
stranger. Il would tell you, but I have
forgotten the precise spot where the tree
grows. Only it is somewhere in Wrecken
valley between the two high mountains.
Have you yourself seen it? Have you
heard it talk with your own ears?" asked
the King. - =" ~ ~
Yes" answered the stranger. II have
seen it with my own eyes and heard it
with my own ears"
And what did it say?''
ing is to de- =
That is true" said the King, who
thought he would try again, and he sent
third servant, who returned as did the
others, not being able to find the slightest
indications of a talking tree.
The King became more anxious than
ever now to possess the talking tree.
He could neither cat nor sleep, and he
feared to kill the stranger lest he should
lose all chance of finding this wonder.
f. At last he called a meeting of his cour-
tiers and made know his intention.
THE talking tree I must have, and
since no one seems able to find it will
go myself. Until I find this tree shall
not call myself a king" sss- -::fs.E5@:.t.
And off he went on bis flying horse
across the mountains. After. many days
he came to Wrecken valley. Now it
happened when the King descended and
him with his spur, and the animal inn
mediately began to rise, and, before the
Kings eyes, sailed across the mountains
Now the King was sore put and he knew
not what to do. How should he ever be
able to return? But being tired and
sleepy he threw himself down on the
grass and in a few minutes was sound
asleep.
How long he slept he did not know,
but when he awoke the moon was shin
ing full in his face and he could hear u
low mournful humming. At first he
could not make out the words, but at
last they became ineligible.
10 live without any one coming is to
die" Was he awake, or was he dream
ing? He listened again:
ITO live without any one coming is to
No, he had not dreamed, and he asked
Immediately, who are you?"
. Nobody answered, but the words he
the speaking tree.
"Who are you?" he again asked.
! Still nobody answered and dead silence
ensued.
In the morning when the day broke he
discovered that he had been sleeping UNI
der 4 beautiful tree with outspreading
branches. =.
'"This must be it," he said, and to be
certain he plucked leaf off.
"Ah, why do you hurt me?"
"Who are you? What are you? If
you are a Christian soul answer me in
Gods name"
II am the daughter of a Spanish king"
said the tree.
"And how is it 1 find you here?" asked
the king. Ill.,
"One day when 1 was out walking in
the forest l saw a crystal brook and
thought would like to battle. But alas,
as soon as T. touched the water I found
myself transformed into this tree"
What can l do to rescue you:" ask. d
the King. >. -.,..-=< ...r.. - 49,. :.
''You must understand magic and swear
to marry me. - s u "a 49, S, 3D. #
II swear viii marry you Immediately.
But where and how am to learn magic?
will know the secret if have to 60 to
the end OF the earth in quest of it. But
why did you not answer me last night ~
e"rhe soreeress was here. Hush, keep
quiet: She. is coming. If she should find
you here she would do the same to you
,
turned into tree. Her husband is a
wicked giant. They are very fond Of my
leaves because they have flavor Of hui
man fesh.'' s.
The King hid behind large rock and
saw the sorceress coming, riding on a
broomstick Z " 5S$44$ S "
Whom did you speak tor she asked.
- talked with the wind" answered the
tree. r. :. :s%. =. = . | :, !. s. : : $50 :.
II sec footprints here" said the sor,
ccrcss. .s 49, = s.ss5,s ;*c<s' Il. ii $3I=
'They must be your own said the
tree. Ri : H. 81 5, ss5 4 &:
Are they?'' And she, grabbing her
Ratchet, began measuring the track with
her foot, and the King crept away and
concealed himself in a safer place. To
ward evening he climbed into the top Of a
thick fir tree, for he was afraid of wild
animals which he heard screaming in the
distance. He had scarcely reached the top
| by q hundred hounds. On mo hnxulinr hr