The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-02-27

food, for he was extremely hungry.
But he had not long to wait. From thu
house of the old woman came a maid
en-, who placed O. basket with food and
drink by the side of the exhausted
woOdcutter.
AS Heinz raised his eyes he saw
wonderfully beautiful face framed in
golden hair, through which cleaned
the last rays of the setting sun. The
maiden was the daughter of the old
woman in the woods. She looked with
gentle glance at the young fellow and
remained standing awhile before him,
but as he said nothing she went away.
Heinz ate and drank, then gathered
together pine boughs and wood moss
for resting place, lay down and slept
a dreamless sleep. But when he awoke
in the morning so also was his sorrow
awakened.
Then he seized the wood ak and
hewed the trunks with such mighty
strokes that the forest resOunded afar
with them. At evening, when the beau
:iful maiden brought him food, Heinz
did not appear to be as melancholy as
on the previous day and, feeling that
he should say something to her, re.
marked:
''It is beautiful day."
Thereupon the maiden answered.:
"Yes. very beautiful" and nodding
assent turned homeward.
So passed seven days, one after the
other, and on the seventh day the last
tree was felled. The woman in the
woods came. praised the industrious
Heinz and said:
"Now comes the second task"
Heinz must now remove the roots of
| the trees, that the earth might be culti-
waited and seed and fruit sown. For
| this he required seven weeks. But ev-
| cry evening after his we'll finished
| days work the daughter of the wom-
an in the woods brought him food and
| sat beside him on the tree trunk and
| listened while Heinz told of the world
outside, and when he had finished she
held out white hand to him and said:
"Good night, dear Heinz"
Then she went home, but Heinz
| sought his couch and fell asleep at
once.
When seven weeks had thus passed,
the woman in the woods came, examin-
ed the work, praised the Industrious
workman and said:
"Now comes the third task 1t Is
that you build house with seven
rooms for me from out the felled wood,
and when thou hast also finished it
then shalt thou receive a cup of the
water of forgetfulnesss and canst 60
whittier thou wilt"
| So Heinz became builder and with
ak and saw erected a stately house.
The work certainly progressed slowly,
for Heinz worked without assistance,
but this he did not dislike, for he loved
the green forest, and he would have
liked best to remain always near the
old woman in the woods. He certainly
still remembered at times his former
sorrow, but it was like one who, hav-
ing had bad dream. rejoices in the
morning that he is awake. Each even
ing the daughter Of the old woman
came to him, and they now sang to-
gether hunting songs and now songs
of separation, parting and meeting.
So passed seven months. The house
wds finished from threshold to gable.
On the gable Heinz had fastened a
young pine tree, and the maiden had
bound garlands Of pine twigs and red
mountain berries and decorated the
walls.
The old woman in the woods came on
her crutches, with the cat on her shoul-
der, to inspect the finished work. She
appeared very solemn and carried in
her hand cup carved from wood
wherein was the water Of forgetfui.
ness.
""Thou hast finished the three tasks
which l imposed upon thee," said she
"and now comes thy reward. Take
this cup, and when thou shalt have
emptied it to the last drop then is the
past obliterated from thy memory"
The huntsman hesitatingly stretched
forth his hand toward the cup.
'Drink," said the old woman, "and
forget ALL"
'AllP
'Yes, everything; thy former sorrow
me and''-
"And me also," said the beautiful
maiden and placed her hand over hel
eyes that she might repress her rising
tears.
Then the young fellow seized the cuI
and threw it with powerful hand to the
earth, so that the drink rained in many
glittering drops upon the grass, an(
cried
Mother, l remain with thee"
And before he knew what happened
to him the maiden lay upon his breas
and sobbed for very happiness. Ant
though the trees went a-blowing ant
the yellow cornfelds round about nod
ded in the wind, the birds sang in tht
branches and the white cat of the ole
woman went purring in circle roun(
about the happy pair.
Now, I could without great troubl,
transform the old woman in the wood
J into a beautiful fairy, her daughte
into princess and the new bull
house into a glittering kings castle
but we will remain faithful to the trutl
and let everything be as it was.
But after all, something wonderful
did happen. Where the drops of tn
water of forgetfulness had fallen on tn,
J earth there sprang up from the grount
: a dear little flower with heavenly blu
, eyes. The flower now has spread owe
all the land, and who knows not it
name for him is this story not written
ten.-Translated From the German
For Short Stories.
Modern Methods.
, Irate Tenant-It's colder than all ge