The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-17
THE WISHING HAT.


great-great- grandfather had been very
grand person indeed, with Q string Of titles
to his name Of Rufus as long as your arm.
But this greatgreat. grandfather and the
grandfather and the grandfather Of
our young count, whose name was Rufus
also, had all been such very great men that
they never thought Of looking after the lit.
tie things, and SO, by little and little, all
their money had slipped away from all
these great people, and though our young
count had all the titles left safe enough,
he was obliged to go out into the world Ia
seek his fortune as II he had been the son
Of the butcher, the baker or the oandlestick
maker.
When he was going, his old nurse said
to him:
Count Rrfus, II you would find your
fortune, see that you despise nothing,
however small or worthless 1t may seem.
Great walls are made of little bricks"
And the count remembered the saying,
because Nurse Deborah was q wise woman
and never said anything for naught.
Count Rufus lived In desolats old cas-
tie on the top of mountain. All the
mountain was covered with ice and snow,
60 that he had hard work In going down
to avoid q tumble Into the bluok, deep
ravine, thousandifeet below, and at the
base of the mountain was thick forest,
through which he must pass before he
could reach the road that led to court.
What can't be cured must be endured,
however," said the count to himself as he
walked slowly down the mountain.
On the way down he saw hanging on a
bush an old hat that looked as II 1t bad
been dropped there by some poor person
passing that way-a sorubby old hat
enough 1t looked. But the count renem-
bered his nurses saying, and picking 1t
up put 1t in his pocket. Hardly had he
done SO when an ugly little old man start
cd out from behind a tree.
Bring back that hatP' screamed the
little man. What are you robbing honest
folks forf"
Honest man." answered the count,
laughing, "if that hat is yours how hap
pened 1t that 1t was hanging on tree ill.,
stead of your headf" And In spirit Of
mischief he put the hat Oh his own head
ut fits me very well, !" said he. II have
taken fancy to the hat, my friend.'
"Oh, you mako game Of me, do your"
cried the little man In rage and began to
run after the count.
That was not much matter, for the count
was an excellent runner, but presently he
found that the little man, instead of rum
ming on two legs, like himself, turned
round and round on one leg, and that he
could go in that way two miles to the
counts one. More than that, the count
came presently to the forest, and there 1t
was nearly MS dark as midnight. He STUN
bled about, and as he did SO heard the
wood elves laughing at him.
"a fig for nurse and her adviceI' he
said in rage. "What did l want with
this old hatp only wish was out Of the
forest"
He had not time to finish the sentence,
for the moment he said it he felt himself
lifted up In the air, and, clearing the en-
tire forest at one jump, there he was on
the other side, walking along the road that
led to the city.
"That Is very odd," he said to himEelf
and rubbed his eyes and nose to sec II he
were dreaming.
at would be very comforta ble," he said
to himself, ito get ones wishes as easily
as that. If I could say now, I wish my
supper would come walking out of the
bush,' and thereon a fine sirloin, with a
bottle Of wine, should prance OUT
But, before he could get any further, out
came noble sirloin of steak, with knife
and fork, on silver dish, and bottle of
rcd wine, marching along sedately, and
planted themselves before him.
urbio 10 wopdarft,l ~ cripd tho cnupt
"but since 1t costs so little I wish also for
some salmon, of which I am very fond, a
dish of partridge and a basket Of fruit. "
Instantly the boughs Of the treo under
which he was standing bent down toward
him, and he saw hanging from them salm-
on, baskets of fruit and partridges
Hello, here Is wonderful bearing of
fruitl' said the count, laughing. "If the
trees do such things in Che winter, what
would they not yield in the summer"
But all this time it never came into his
stupid pate that the old hat on his head
had anything to do with these wonders
When he had eaten and drunk to his salts
faction, he said to himself, II wish knew
which of the two roads at the angle there
leads to the court.
Out whisked squirrel from among
some stones,
"Take that road to the right" said the
squirrel, scampering up the tree.
The count stared after him, with his
mouth so wide open that Master Squirrel
might have jumped down IL he chose.
why, the squirrels talk, rather than I
should not have my wish. wish had
fino horse and knew how looked l have
not seen myself since I left home, and one
wishes to be decent at court"
Instantly pranced out horse from
among tho trees, saddled and bridled and
ready to mount.
At the same moment he heard some
robins tittering: "Did you ever see such a
shocking bad hat9 He, he!'
The count pulled of the hat and threw
1t in the road.
II can wish for fine new one, " said he.
But, no, you can't, you blockhead; no,
you cantW cried the little man on one
leg, jumping out and dancing around him.
"That was the wishing hat, and you have
thrown 1t nwayr'
"Ob, dear! Why did not my nurse tell
me?" lamented this BOBBY of count
But shall know better the next timel"
And 80 perhaps he might. But the next
time never came. People do not pick up
wishing hats twice in lifetime Now
York News.