Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-08-29

might they got up and watched how
the. cock could Gull the day. One
o'clock notAs r., 2 o'clock the cock
his voice. Atss3 o'clock the cock again
crowed, and 90 ON till 4 in the morn
Ing. When the king had satisfied him
self that the cock had really called the
day he ordered that they should give
Mathew 5000 forms out OF the treas
Try and all hold him In honor. MATHEW
took the money, ate and drank to his
hearts contents Ind. thanking the
king, went homlSS FL.
His brothers received him with Joy,
and for little while all lived In
plenty, but they Sywere not economical.
The money soon took wings. and when
but a little remained, Michael said:
Nov, brothers, I will d wander in
the world and look about me. Per-
haps ] will receive as much for my
tomcat us you did for your things"
Michael put the cat in a bag and
went. A long time he wandered till
he came to country whose language
he did not understand, but before he
reached the chief city he had learned
so much that he. could understand
little what they said to him. Before
he entered the city he also met a gen.
tleman, who asked him what he had
in his bag.
"a tomcat," said Michael, and he
showed him the cat.
THAT Is a strange animal! And of
what use Is he:"
"He catches mice. No matter how
many are in the house, he catches
them all"
ooh, stick that catcher, quick, in
your bag and come to the king! We
have so many mice in the castle that
1t Is wonder they do not run on the
tables. The king would give almost
everything to whoever was lucky
enough to rid the castle of them" :
"For that there will soLn be found
remedy" said Michael. He put the
tomcat back in the bag and followed
the gentleman.
When they came to the king the gen.
tleman said: "Merciful king. this man
has tomcat, a catcher. 1t is an ami
NAL who catches mice, and If your
mercifulness orders he would sell
him"
"If this is true I will buy him with
pleasure"
"Merciful king, only tell me where
you have most mice, and you will see
for yourself how my tomcat will catch
them
They led him to room where the
mice swarmed and ran everywhere
under ones feet. Michael opened his
bag, the tomcat jumped out and made
such havoc among them that not one
escaped.
The king was enchanted and order
ed that they should pay Michael 10000
forms. Michael jumped with happi-
ness that he had so much money and
joyfully went home. Two days after
the king thought: "What will the
catcher eat when there are no more
mice" But no one knew, and Michael
was far away. Then the king ordered
that a rider should be sent on the
feetest horse to ask him.
Michael, in the meanwhile, strobe
joyfully onward through the same
roads that had led him to the city. On
the fourth day he suddenly saw be-
hind him a rider, who called to him to
stop while still far away, so Michael
stopped.
r When the rider came to him he
asked him something, half in German,
half in Bohemian, that Michael did
not understand. To make it easier,
he asked the rider, "Was?' "What?"
Qn Bohemia you is vas, and in Ger
man was Is what When spoken
quickly they both sound exactly alike.
This was the mistake Michael asked
in German was?-What. The rider
understood him to say in Bohemian,
vas-you) On hearing this, the rider
at once turned and rode away in such
haste 1t seemed he was riding on the
wind. Michael thought to himself, the
man is crazy, and in Gods name went
on his way.
All out of breath, covered with dust,
the rider returned, and hardly had he
jumped from the saddle when he ran
to the king.
"Merciful king, sad are the tidings
i bring. When the tomcat has caught
all the mice he will hunt us!'
"Who told you? answered the king
in a fright.
THAT fellow who sold us the tom
cat. overlook him on the way, and
asked him When the catcher has done
catching the mice, what will the ami
NAL eat! and he answered, Your"
The king at once called all his coun-
selors and it was then debated what
they should do with the tomcat After
long debates and discussions they de-
termined to keep the cat in the cham
Der as prisoner and set guard of
two men, 80 that he should not be
able to get out. Immediately the
highest general was ordered to set a
guard Of four strong and courageous
men to guard the chamber Night
and day they stood in the corners and
trembled with fear whenever rust
ling noise was heard in the room. The
second night was quiet, because the
cat had caught all the mice. In the
morning, when not sound was to be
heard in the room, the guard nearest
the window thought what could be the
matter and looked into the room. But.
oh, sorrow! The tomcat sat in the
window, and when he saw the bushy
beard and hair cap he was so aston
ished that he broke through the win
dow, and away he went.
The second man heard noise and
rushed to see what had happened. He
saw the soldier lying on his back,