The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1897-07-22
THE BEST JEWEL.

Once upon a time In the beautiful An.
tunois there peasant woman who
wished to be richer than her neighbors
and to give the largest number of sous in
her district to the church on the Fete Dieu
She talked about her wish to her little
child, too young to contradict or under
stand it, but when he drrmmed on the
side of his bread and milk BASIN as a sign
hat it was empty and that he wanted
Eore, she accepted it a 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 sees you, he will rub his eyes
and say: oh, there is beautiful some
thing. Its hair is yellower than the gold
guard. Its skin is smoother than the pearls
I protect. Its eyes are bluer than the sap
phires I save Its lips are redder than my
rubies.' Then 1 will scramble up all that
can of the precious gems, while he stares
SO hard at you, when, prestol 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
gaped at little child
On the day of the great fete the mother
and child were ready for their visit to the
cave, starting just as the sweet bells rang
out their Come to church. Come to
church for the service of the Fete Dieu.'
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 the service of Fete Dieu.''
GOOD day, Marie said an old man to
her, leaning across his gate as she passed.
"What has check as round and red as
your boys ard skin shiny and
smooth?''
Marie was startled. She was thinking
only of the jewels in the cave.
IAN apple" He laughed and held out
one polished like to the baby.
"Thanks, good Pierre. You are always the
one to jest kindly
And she dropped the apple into her
pocket and hastened with the happy ba-
by. Quite breathless, 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
i the serpent lay coiled. Gold and gems lay
scattered ON the floor, and plain wooden
| table stood in the center. The serpent
raised its coiled head and stared at the
child with its emerald eyes as if fascinated.
| Tiptoeing in, the mother put the child on
the table, pressed Pierre's apple into its
tiny hand and began a scramble for as
many jewels were within her reach.
+ The serpent showed no resistance. 1t still
gazed in rapture upon the little child, who
, stretched out tie apple az if inviting it 10
/ 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
e.
| the mouth of the cave and shut her in.
| Forgetting everything but the dreadful
danger of being buried alive in the cave
she pushed Fast the stone and escaped just
| as it bumTed into place, for the Fete Dieu
| service was over.
| Now only she remembered her dear lit
| tie child shut in the cave with the terrible
| SERPENT Uttering Il sharp cry, she flung
the diamonds and rubics 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. eco tell the priest, Marie, - he
| said if he knew all about her trouble.
| ''That l will, " she said, rushing on, but
| when the PRIEST heard her story he shook
his head and looked very grave as if moth
| ing could be done.
The village PEOPLE were all agog.
| 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 ehattering. Come with me, ~
| he said. ave will go to the cave and pick
| up every jewel that tie chiid's mother has
| scattered. -
| The villagers could not but approve this
| plan. They followed him up the hillside to
| the cave, looking under every grass blade
md bod .1- no ifr1l
| jewels, and soon, because their eyes were
| so bright and they were 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 to
| search also, but she looked through too
| many tears to see clearly, and her hands
trembled so violently that had she found
| a diamond she could not have picked it up
For year, till the next Fete Dieu, the
priest kept the treasure Then he gave it
| to the baby's mother, telling her to take il
to the cave and when the stone rolled back
| to go in and return it to the serpent. Very
| early that Fete Dieu day, carrying the ser
| pent's treasure in silk bag, she climbed
toward the hill to the cave. sitting down
| to rest till she heard the bells in the vii
| lage below ring; Come to church. Com.
to church for the service of the Fete Dieu,'
when the stone slowly, slowly rolled from
the cave entrance. Peering in, she saw hen
! little child still sitting on the table ano
playing with his apple The serpent lay
| coiled at the foot of the table. 1t seemed
never to have gone back to its led of GOLD
and gems. Marie went in very softly
| First she put back the handful of dia
nonds, then rubies and lastly the pearls
| Next she turned toward her baby, and
catching it to her breast with glad little
cry. ran out of the cave long before the
Store rolled back to close it or the service
of the Fete Dieu was over.
All, them You have recovered the best
| jewel in the cave, Marie, have your" Pierre
called out as she ran past his gate with
the child in her arms. But Marie did not
pause to MISUNDERSTANDING.