Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-08-28
THE FOUNTAIN ENG.

hli'i his wiz, With tASIT Shall sou
Sampo.
Sampo Lappelill was between anc
s years Of age He had black hair,
brown eyes, a snub nose and u wide
mouth, which last is considered mark
Of beauty i'll curious Lapland Sampo
was IA strong child for his age He de-
! Lighted TO dance down the hills on his
! little snowshoos and drive his own rein
deer III his own little sledge. The snow
whirled about him rs he passed througl,
the deep drifts until nothing conld be
! seen except the tuft Of his black fore
lock.
Il shall never feel comfortable while
he is from home" said the mother
He may meet Hisu's reindeer win the
golden antlers.
Sampo overheard these words, and
wondered what reindeer it could be that
had golden antlers.
1T must be splendid animall"
said he How much l should like to
drive TO Rastekais with itr'
Rastekais is high, dreary noun
tain, and can be seen from Aimio, from
which it is five or six miles distant.
You audaciCus boyp exclaimed the
mother How dare you talk so? Raste.
kais is the home of the trolls, and Hisu
dwells there also. -
WHO is Hisu?" inquired Sampo.
What ears that boy has" thought
the Lapp wife. But l ought not to
have spoken Of such things in his pres
ence. The best thing can do now is to
brighten him well. " Then she said
aloud: Take care Lappelill that you
never go near RGstekais, for there lives
Hisu, the mountain king, who can eat
whClc reindeer at enc mouthful and
swallows little boys like flies "
Upon hearing these words, Sampo
could net help thinking what good fun
it would be to have a peep at such a
wonderful being-from safe distance,
If counsel
Three or four weeks had elapsed since
Christmas and darkness brooded still
over Lapland. There was no morning,
aeon or evening" it was always night
Sampo was feeling dull 1t was 50 long
since he had seen the sun that he had
nearly forgotten what il was like. Yet
he did not desire the return of summer,
FOR the only thing he remembered about
that season was that it was time when
the gnats stung very severely. His one
wish was that it might soon be light
enough for him TO use his snOwshoes.
One day at noon, although it was
dark, Sampo's father said:
\
show you.
Sampo came out Of the hut. His ia
Their pointed toward the south.
DO you know what that is?' asked
he
"A southern light. " replied the boy
No, said his father. lit is the her.
aid of the sun. Tomorrow maybe, or the
day after that, we shall sec the sun
himself. Lock, Sampo, how weirdly the
red light glows on the top Of RastcEa;sr
Sampo perceived that the snow Upol
the gloomy summit, which had been s.
long shrOuded III darkness, was colcred
red. Again the idea flashed into his
mind what a grand sight the terrible
mountain king would be-from a dis.
remainder Of the day and throughout
half the night, when he should have
been asleep.
He thought and thought until a
length be crcpt silently out Of the rein.
deer skins which formed his led ulC
then through tie door hole. The cold |
was intense. Far above him the star, |
were shining, the snow scrunched be
meath his feet. Sampo Lappelill was
brave boy, who did not fear the colo |
He was, moreover, well wrapped up IL |
fur. lie stood gazing at the stars, con !
sidering what 20 do next.
Then he heard "a suggestive sound.
His little reindeer paved the ground |
with his feet
why should l not take driver"
thought S2mpo, ard proceeded 70 put
his thought into action. He harnessed
he reindeer to the sledge and drove
orth into the wilderness Of snow
Il viii drive only a little way to.
ward Rastekais, said Sampo to HIN
elf, and of he went crossing the fro
zen river Jana TO the opposite shore
yhich-although the child was unaware
f this fGct-bel Ongod 70 Norway.
AS Sampo drove he sang a bright lit.
lie song. The wolves were running
'ouEd his siedSe like gray dogs, bit h
lid not mind them. lie knew we'll that
10 wolf could keep pace with his dear
wifi little reindeer. Up hill and down
lale he drove on, with the wind wins
ling in his ears. The moon seemed C
,e racing with him, and the rocks 10 be
backward. 1t was thoroughly
Alas, at "a sudden turning upon IL,
downward slope If a hill the sl-drc
overturned and Sampo was p.tcacd IL.
snowdrift. The reindeer dld not ll
erve this, and in thc belief ih.t i'.
master was sill sitting behind il. :, rar
If. Sampo could not cry Sep &c.,
ause his mouth was SUITE, ,..;i s,i.,,.
He lay there IN the darkness, pa th.
midst If the vast, snowy wilCc......
which was DO human Ea3.ta...,, g.,
niles around
At nrst ne naturally felt s,uc,4l'