The herald., 1896-11-02
d
: An OLD Legend REVISED
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When California was forced from the
yoke of Mexico, and entered into the
sisterhood of states which comprise our
glorious union its sunny sky still smiled
above its flower decked hills and val
leys and the mystic charm of Spanish
romance continued to linger about its
storied present. l therefore take it for
granted that most of my readers have
read or heard the legend of the magic
violin, various revisiors of which car
ried down by tradition from old Spain
have been told and retold among our
Spanish American citizens, and so have
often found their way into print; and
will presuppose that all who peruse the
rendition of it 1 hereby offer with an in
teresting modern application will fully
comprehend the justness of the new
moral l have drawn from it.
There once lived with a rapacious
old Plutocrat, whose predominant char
acteristics are the same in all climes and
ages a poor half -wtted servant, light of
heart and head who was known by the
name of Honest Voter After serving
his master faithfully for many years he
was presented with purse of gold as
full payment for his wages long over
due 1t is true that his recompense
should have been much greater. but the
cunning OlQ DlulOCIdllC lIiChHtCl u
ed to the weakness of mind of his delud-
ed tool to cover the deceit. Nor was he
wrong in this surrnise, for Honest Voter
never knew that he was cheated. and
started out to visit q fair in neighbor-
ing village to spend his money, singing
merrily as he went.
on his way he was obliged to pass
through a great wood, known as the
forest of Financial Buncombe, and as ne
wandered beside the precipce of Ma
tional Bankruptcy he suddenly heard
a hoarse, rasping voice exclaim;
Hello, friend! What makes you so
happy"
Honest Voter turned in amazement,
and saw hobbling along behind him as II
trying to catch up with him the tlnlest
and most comical dwarf he had ever
seen. He was naturally a good deal
startled by so strange an apparltion I;
but he was a brave enough 1elloW'
though careless and feeble minded, so
he stopped and when the dwarf had
come close to him observed him coolly.
He then noticed that the gnome, for
such he judged him to be, had his hands
confined in handouts, and that ms
ankles were also bound with heavy ret-
ters. But not thinking it polite to re-
mark these things, he simply answered:
why should / not be gay? l nave a
purse full of gold and nothing IN this
world is closed to this magic key.
THAT may be so,' responded the
dwarf. scornfully, but it don't strike
me that YOU have enough of it to do you
much good. You will readily perceive,
n Won stop to think, that you have not
received anything like the sum due
you" 49,,
This made Honest Voter hang his
head and look sheepish, for he remem-
bered that he had often been told tnis
very thing by his fellow-servants, VINO,
wiser than he, had exacted from MS
avaricious master much better pay Tor
their services.
"Howeyer," continued the dwarf, you
may keep what you have. am the
gnome of the mountains, and nave al
the wealth / require, but | would ike
to make a bargain with you. You see
these gives upon my wrists ana ahkies'
placed there by the spell of a cruel en-.
chanter. If you will strike them OH
for me T will grant you whatever you
desire, providing you will express your
wants in three wishes, which Will GER
| tainly make you richer than you are,
with only few paltry gold pieces
With this Honest Voter held up his
| head and answered: =,
Your offer Is fair enough, and l VIII
| do what YOU ask" So he hunted ur
| some heavy stones of the kind callet
| ballots, and resting the dwarf hands
on a big rock called the poll, soon sue
| ceeded in knocking off the fetters IRON
| his wrists and freeing his hands. Those
upon he dwarf's ankles were however
| so big and heavy that, although Honest
| Voter was possessed of extraordinary
! strength developed by long years OF hard
| labor, he was unable to break them
| and after exerting his utmost efforts
| to do so, was obliged to desist.
| Never mind" exclaimed the dwarf
| at last you have done me great SER
vice as it is so / will grant your wishes
| and when you get to town you can pro-
cure the instrument known as free coin
| age and return and break the remain
| ing fetters of my limbs"
| 'All right" said Honest Voter "Give
| me first bow and arrow that will bring
| down whatever 1 shoot at; second, VIC.
| lin that will make all who hear it dance
| and, third, grant me that no one car
refuse me what 1 ask for"
THAT is easy" said the dwarf, ant
| in a moment he handed Honest Vote
| the bow and arrow and the violin
"As to your third wish,' he continued
| "you will soon have proof that l have
granted it," and with that he vanished
So Honest Voter went happily on hi!
| way.
| He had not Travelled far when he saw
| an old man, whom he recognized as ar
associate of his master called Maunfac
| turer, standing looking up at tai
| tree in which a mocking bird was sweet
| ly singing.
| "How exquisitely that bird sings
remarked Honest Voter.
Yes said the old man, 'he is sing
| ing the tariff song which always delights
my ears. What wouloj not give to pos
| sess him."
Nothing is easier" answered Honest
| Voter, and he aimed an arrow at the
bird, which straightway dropped at the
| old mans feet. But Manufacturer was
an avaricious old scamp. so as soon as
| he had picked up the tiuttering bird and
hidden it in his bosom, he started tc
run away as fast as his feet could carry
him.
Hold on there" cried Honest Voter,
"you have not given me the reward
you promised me-" But the old man
only eXerted himself to the utmost and
ran the faster
Honest Voter was, however, deter
mined not to allow him to escape; SC
quick as thought he placed his fiddle
under his chin and began to play. He
had barely started the first chord wher
the old man began to dance. Faster
and faster he scraped away, and faster
and faster flew Manufacturers legs
making the dust fly in sitting clouds as
he skinned and jlImpad and scamnereC