The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-04-21
THE BEST JEWEL.

Once upon n time In the beautiful Au-
tunois there was u peasant woman who
wished to I've richer than her neighbors
and TO give the largest number of sous in
her district to the church on the Fctc DiCu.
She talked about her wish to her little
child too young to contradict or under
stand it, but when he drummed on the
side Of his bread and milk basin, as sign
that it was empty and that he wanted
more, she accepted it as sign that he
agreed with her and would do anything in
his baby power to help her get the extra
sous.
His mother kissed him. "You shall go
with me, mon petit" she cried "When
the serpent secs you, he will rub his eyes
and say Oh, there is n beautiful some
thing Its hair is ycllower than the gold l
guard. Its skin is smoothCrthan the pearls
l protect Its eyes are bluer than the sap
phrcs save. It's lips are rcdder than my
rubios. Then l will scramble up allSy hat
l can of the precious gems, while he starcs
so hard at you, when, presto! we shall be
coming home, too rich to walk, and the old
serpent beating himself with his own tail
because his treasure was stolen while he
gapcd at little child"
| On the day of the great fcte the mother
and child were ready for their visit to the
cave, starting just us the sweet bells rang
out their Come to church. Come to
church for the service of the Fete Dicu."
The baby laughed, and the mother whis-
pered in response, for no one must know
her splendid secret. "Just wait, sweet
bells, we shall soon be there, to the service
of Fete Dieu, with something white and
something blue, something red and yellow,
too, for thc service of Fctc Dieu."
Good day, Marie said an old man to
her. leaning across his gate as she passed.
"What has a cheek as round and red as
your boys and a skin as shiny and
smooth?'
Marie WAC startled She was thinking
only of the jewels in the cave.
IAN apple" He laughed and held out
one polished like wax to the baby.
Thanks good Pierre You are always the
one to jest kindly"
And she dropped the apple irto her
pocket and fastened on with the happy ba-
by. Quite brcathless, she reached the hill
at length, to find the stone rolled back
from the opening of the cave, showing in
side the heap of precious stones on which
the serpent lay coilod. Gold and gems lay
scattered on the floor, and plain wooden
table stood in the center. The serpent
child with its emerald eyes as if fascinated
Tiptoeing in, the mother put the child on
the table, pressed Pierres apple into it's
tiny hand and began scramble for as
many Jewels as were within her reach
The serpent showed no resistance 1t still
gaZed in rapture upon the little child, who
stretched out the apple as if inviting it to
come nearer.
Slowly uncoiling, the serpent crawled
toward the table, leaving unprotected its
bed Of gold and gems. Marie, watching,
made three quick thrusts of her hand into
the precious heap. A handful Of diamonds
she thrust into her pocket, a handful of
rubies into her dress, and the third of
pearls she was about to hide in her apron
when she saw the stone rolling to close to
the mouth of the cave and shut her in.
Forgetting everything but the dreadful
danger of being buried alive in the cave,
she pushed past the stone and escaped just
as it bumped into place, for the Fete Dieu
service was over.
Now only she remembered Der dear lit
tie child shut in the cave with the terrible
serpent. Uttering sharp cry, she flung
the diamonds and rubcs and pearls on the
grass like hailstones, and wringing her
hands ran down the hill to the village be.
low.
Pierre was still at the gate when she
went past $50 tell the priest, Marie, he
said, as if he knew all about her trouble.
"That l will" she said, rushing on, but
when the priest heard her story he shook
mis- head and looked very grave, as if moth,
ing could be done.
The village people were all agog. A
thing so serious as this had never happen
ed among them before, and it showed well
that one should be contented to let other
peoples caves and jewels alone.
Suddenly the priest made them sign
to stop their chattering. "COme with me, y
he said. "We will go to the cave and pick
up every jewel that the childs mother has
scattered"
The villagers could not but approve this
plan. They followed him up the hillside tC
the cave, looking under every grass blade
and flower bed for the beautiful scattered
jewels, and soon, because their eyes were
so bright and they We're so in earnest they
picked up every scattered gem and bit Of
gold, which they put in the priests hand
Poor Marie, weeping bitterly, tried tc
search also, but she looked through toe
many tears to see clearly, and her hands
trembled so violently that had she fount
a diamond she could not have picked it up
For year, till the next Fete Dieu, thu
priest kept the treasure. Then he gave il
to the baby's mother telling her to take il
to the cave and when the stone rolled bacl
to go in and return it to the serpent. Very
early that Fete Dieu day, carrying the ser
pent's treasure in IA silk bag, she climbed
toward the hill to the cave, sitting dowr
to rest till she heard the bells in the vii
lage below ring; Come to church. Come
to church FOR the service of the Fctc Dieu, y
when the stone slowly, slowly rolled from
the cave entrance. Peering in, she saw hel
little child still sitting on the table ant
playing with his apple, The serpent lay
coiled at the foot of the table. 1t seemot
never to have gone back to its bed of golt
and gems. Marie went in very softly
First she put back the handful of dia
monds, then rubies and lastly the pearls
Next she turned toward her baby, ant
catching it to her breast with glad little
cry ran ont of the cnyp long before thi