The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-03-01

while was clmbinE the bcanstalks my
hair had grown so long that IL reached
half way down to the earth. tusrcd it
all on, plated IL in skiold strands and
at once began to slide down. IL grew
dark before was quarter way down, so
made loop In the hair, swung myself
into 1t and went to sleep. 1t was very
coy bed, 1 can assure you. l must have
slept for about couple of hours when 1
awoko, but benumbed with cold. Luckily
/ had needle stuck in my coat. / split
1t, lit fire with the chips, warmed myself
and again laid down and fell aslecp. A
spark from the fire fell on my hair rope
and burned IL apart, so that 1t divided in
to two, and l fell down to the earth and
sank into 1t up 10 the chest could not
move, and so was Obliged to 20 home
and fetch spade and dig myself out.
"As was crossing our field, " continued
the boy, with very serious air, 81 found
that the reapers were cutting the corn, but
the heat was so intense that they declared
they could not work any longer. SO /
inst ran as fast as could to the tables
and fetched our marc She is two days
long and as broad as midnight, with beech
trees growing on her back, and under her
shadow the rcapers were able to continue
to cut the corn The reapers now began
to complain that they were thirsty. They
wanted some fresh, cool water to drink
They had been to the river to get some,
but It was all frozen over. So / took off
my head, broke hole in the ice with 10
and carried them water In my hands
Where have you left your headf' cried all
the reapers In dismay. / put my hands
up and found 1t wasn't there. Immedi-
ately ran back to the river, and there
was my head lying just where I had left
it."
The old one began to wriggle and twist
and scream with laughter.
"Stop, stop" he screeched, "or I shall
burstl Oh, my" he groaned, 81 don't
want to laugh any more. t"
but you must hear the end, said the
boy. "A cunning old fox had stealthily
crept to my head and was just beginning
to gnaw my brains. Softly, softly, got
behind him and gave him a tremendous
kick, so that he few high into the air.
Up, up he rose. watched him vanish
into the dim distance and no one has ever
seen him since. Then put on my head
and came straight to this mill to grind my
corn The miller told me / might use his
mill to grind my corn, but, said he,
take heed and do not grind your corn at
nighttime, for the mill is haunted, and If
any man Is so foolhardy as to come here
after the sun has set his body, all battered
and bruised, will be found in the morn
ing
The boy said these words very slowly
and seriously, looking the old one straight
in the face. The old one stopped laugh
ing and began to shuttle and turn and look
very uncomfortable.
"'Oh, don't mind that, millerf said.
Don't you fear for me. You just go to
bed and leave me alone. can take very
good care of myself So the miller went
to bed, and went inside the mill. 1t was
already dark, and had hardly been in
side the place two minutes when the door
suddenly opened and In came table beau
tifully laid and spread over with all sorts
Of good things boiled meats and baked
meats, jellies and creams, wines and cakes,
tarts and sweetmeats of every kind. But
the most remarkable thing was that ev-
erything came by itself, for there was no
one there to carry 1t. Next lot of chairs
appeared, all pushing themselves. But no
people came. Then all of q sudden / saw
q quantity of hands. They took up the
knives and forks and laid food on the
plates, and the food disappeared, but
where could not see Well, / was hun
CRY, too, so also sat down to the table and
ate with those who were eating and en-
joyed myself When had eaten as much
rs could, said the boy, land I suppose
all the others had eaten as much as they
could, too, for all the dishes were quite
empty, suddenly the lights were snuffed
out and was in pitch darkness"
"Ha, hap laughed the old one grimly.
"Now comes my turnp'
mot quite so fast, my friend" said the
boy. "Then, without the least warning
I received a box ON my ears. 3"
"Oh, and a very good thing, too, said
the old one, rubbing his hands together
with sullen satisfaction.
81 struck back good hard blow, can
assure you, In return, calling out who
ever strikes me will get his strikes repaid
with interest Before l had finished
speaking / got second box on the car,
and didn't strike out with all my might
and mainf Thus we continued to fight
the whole night long, and when morning
came saw you lying there all black and
bruised. p
''No morei No morel'' yelled the old
one, and he stuffed his fingers in his ears
and got up as fast as he could and shuflied
of and never was seen again
The boy at once set to work to grind his
corn and then took the -four homo to his
father.
Where have you been SO long a tiInes'
said his father.
"Wait until tomorrow, and then win
tell you, father" answered the boy.
Early the next morning the miller came
and told how his mill was now release
from tho spell of the old one. Then Il
boy told the miller and his father all th;.
had happened, and in his JOY the miller
gave the lad large sum of money, so that
he and his father were able to build a mill
for themselves. G. Hyatt-Woolf in
Madame.
REALLY SMALL POX AT AUGUSTA.
Gardiner, February 2S-Dr. Cakes Of Au-