The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-09

>.<fI< rixfng Ike @ huge nfnepfn
- everlasting snow fields that
lizards towards the mighty Jipi-
- = bxsone days, when wolves herd
s.<ss and eagles and doves built
- ode by side, stood a stately
4. teruing with busy life. A per-
4, Ind Of hzmmerins filled the air
skooxxnds Of hurryinx footsteps
.rsx<r Oh the move. At night
- nat shone nigh up In the prin-
s.~w whence issued a strange,
..nx ever keeping time to the
= : mighty spinning wheel
:. fhey passed would cast shy
llr-1en. dances upwards. murmuring
esssa tones, "An, there she IT. spin
-,rr. For she who sat up there
~,awhty sorceresz. to whom the
"a ceboIds had 10 bring gold
- howels of the earth that she
- the golden threads for the
~ which decks the head OF every
~ss~n sfrl on her wedding morn.
- urecious metal was brought up
- out be<ide her. and woe TO the
L. ~hcr4 measure ran short He was
1870 damned between the bark
-. a. A giant tree or hung UP In
1000 rs his beard. where he
:. tsrh and shrek. but all In vain
= ,.nnuzn was deaf TO his cries. This
d .~rluhment had earned her the
-. n Rnhs Coaja. or ..mother-bark."
- was hard as dried crust ana
- me Al ancient oak.
~ sIene knew how to spin the flne
ehseads. preparing and carefully
~ an by for thousands OF years to
- coaja did not live alone I'm
-. she had a beautiful daughter
q fibs. fair and white as the dag
a - which covered the submits OF
.~fafss. Her skin was soft as
- - brown eyes were dark and
- and her long. siiken hair giisterl-
~ ~ gold threads SPUN by her
- - always kept busy up In tha
A -. = Daba Cozia did not wish any
-. = ~Sw we'd her She had plenty OF
- 1ee31a girl To do. winding the gold
= ssrsSH nd storing them away I'm the
sss~a1vsbd cellars for all future genera
ams
81 IL ceaseIess labor became very
~ snd irksome 10 Alba. more especi-
= = ~ mother. while spinning would
~ and Groom all kinds of evil incan-
- and charms. so that each bride
from the time that the golden
= Of the veil touched her brow, and
n1eved sadly at all the mishaps SO
1ssly predessined.
= during her mothers absence she
4 The big wheel. and as she spun her
1tfa dwelt lovingly on her work.
wiehing good luck and happiness 10
t1nre wearer, at which, when Bahia
- IA us.d ftsx
Beating her daughter merciiessly,
Nbd: Never shall you wed until you
ne threads you spun yourself.'
fplh there words she seized the skein
nns IL among the rest. mixing them
Defher.
ID the old woman rejeiced. Now she
e certainly keep her daughter at
for IL had been foreteld at her
fhst Alba should be very unhappy
- young: but how could this be
sxhe had so effectuaiiy prevented the
RIden threads from ever resting on
xvwe The only being on this earth
te old witch cared for Was this
n child OF hers. but. though she
Ne her with beautiful garments and
MIR rare and costly gems, she could
Ne - color TO her cheeks or laughter In
\ au. The one thing the girl longed
y Ms fFeedom. and this was denied her.
Nov ka6iy would she have wandered
kneaik ~ shadow of the trees that
kssfed ~ foot of the mountain. Up at
ezsfk nothing grew save the short
~ grass on which the sheep fed,
the winter was always twice as
= the summer. When the wind
II and stormed round the castle as
{nk 10 pull II 10 pieces Alba's heart
- and heavy, and she would sit be-
&@e glowing hearth watching the
1nE flames and showers OF sparks
~ Few up the chimney.
2Aher times she would listen TO her
MS weird songs the humming of the
~ Wheel mlngiing with the howiing OF
exsrm. and wonder why so much grief
asifrness should be spun into the
*s golden threads. Why should not
fople be glad and happy out IN the
Hrifal sunshine. where everything
ri 20 bright and gay, But she never
N any solution OF the problem.
seen down In the cellars she would
= take the great rolls OF gold. which
- oil 80 exactly alike. and play with
- II imagining they were real peo-
whom she would tell her own story.
= they in their turn would relate all
had happened 20 them since they
worm the golden bridal web. As,
seser. she knew nothing Of the world,
stories were all quite impossible.
ANher she asked one day. while rest
Mr chin on her hand. "are all human
81 exactly like You and me. or have
Inherent figures and other thoughts
y sdeas.''
ssy DO you ask about other people?
are all bad and wicked. and would
xgeu' 49,
ssi mother. the other day a wonderful
sAs came up the mountain with rider
= feir back. far. FAR more beautiful
any OF our gnomcs. He had coal
nais no beard. and wore a crimson
MAS this not a human belngs
e'a woman locked up startled. III
asd ever dare 10 come here again
- sfeak his neck. and those down IN
~ AiEy shall never see him more"
Il. - mother, mother, do no. do SO! He
grand. so beautifnli".
you think OF him once again I will
sea Up m tho deepest cellar and make
sath out gold day and night. As IL
Il. save done nothing lately but sit
~ .skins foolish questions. Have you
w everything your heart can wish 9'
Nre,sA mother. i should like TO have just
- such beautiful animal TO ride on.
Il !, nave only sheep. and one cannot
- - ,eoslsh child! What next would
|. a. Ant Don't yea sec that Il would be
nsk cf your life TO ride Up theref
ssS = slippery. the precipiees deep
49, ,.ssfons: one false step and you
al. ~ crushed az the ncttem."
-. sssadered why it should b. dan
- s,es horses when sheep walked along
sv. bat 10 this also she received
:. -. Tor she was sfarid ta question
~,'Ahsr again. The little gnouies az
- % Der more ugly than ever. and
a. WA hardly bear the sight OF the
Sas Thought only Of the beautiful
- ahd The handsome youth who was
aas he II he ever appeared near
ie Rgala. Why did her ,nether
a.. kia him. But 10 this nlso she
s" no answer. however much she
s~sAs about a..
49, GAYS later the beautiful youth
s~,.R ,ae mountain sgain. He Was
- $50 nad cat she lived in the great