Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-01-11
l.. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
!: Three Thieves Of
: Pro0rcSSive Degree.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


proGtless anxiety. ~ ..,ot
NO crn do no better than this ! an
unwilling to let day pass WITHOUT
.uere's n chance" said another aad
rs they looked up they saw Oh .ne
Lrow of the hill before them a hian'r'u'
inc IN n donkey and by string 'eau'
inc n sheep with bell attached 10 '''
neck. ,d Tim
first of the robbers. .o
you cannot" said the second n .u
You not perceive the cord ana the pen
~ see them" said the first, but they
present no obstacle to NE. III s'ea'
that Sheep! - .n,u
steal the donkey"
"Whatw said the third. "Steai mans
donkey from under him? You cannot.
.You will soon know better" SAID the
second. ,,
uf you d." said the third. I'll steal
all the clothes the man has upon MIN
or forfeit my pretensions to profession
al excellence"
"Bahw said the other two. "You VIII
attempt what you cannot accomplish
1--WE will see," said the third.
The unsuspecting. man was ploddihg
along without thought Of injury when
the first approached and cut the cora
and bell from the Sleeps neck ana at
tached the bell to the donkey's tall,
where its jingle continued to be heard.
In due time the man looked behind to
observe the condition Of his sheep and,
to his horror. found it was gone. In
dismay and distress he appealed to the
first person he met and asked II he had
seen any one with a sheep
Eyes" replied the person. 81 saw
man clambering down the hillside with
such a prize, but | thought it was his
own"
"Hold my donkey for n moment"
said the man. and as the person did so
he went in the wrong direction in pur.
suit of the robber and his sheep.
Finding, however. that his pursuit
was vain he returned, tired and breath
less to where he had left the donkey.
But, 10, it was not there! Sheep and
donkey both were stolen from him.
Sad and perplexed, he sat down to re-
fleet and to grieve over his losses. but
soon he heard the wailng of some one
in distress.
what is this?" he said. Can any
| one be more miserable than /"
But the cry of anguish became louder
and still louder. He fastened to the
place whence it proceeded and there
beheld man weeping as though there
was no comfort for him.
"What is this, my frend?' said he.
GLOW are you atlicted!'
ALAS" said the man, Tin ruined
forever"
Ruined" said he. How are you
ruined"
II came to this we'll for q draft Of
water he replied. land while drank
l let drop a costly gem, and it lies be-
meath the water"
'Is that all?" said he.
"Ah." exclaimed the other, ut is OF
great worth"
$50 it may be-" said the honest man,
"but have lost my sheep and donkey.
which was unwillingly about to sell
at the next market town that l might
pay off some pressing debts, yet ! do
not bewail my loss.'
"What's that loss" replied the other,
compared to my loss Of a gem worth
thousands Of ducats and without which
it would only cost my life to return to
the king my master, who sent me with
it as gift of royal friend beyond the
seas"
"Why do you not 60 down in the wa.
ter and recover it," asked the man.
"Alas," said the other, II cannot
swim, and should only drownw
"Then will go down for you," said
the good, honest man.
"Will your exclaimed the other. "Do
SO, and here are four golden pieces for
your pains, more than the sum Of all
your losses"
The honest man received the pieces
Of gold and placed them in his pocket
and then took off his clothes and de.
scended into the water. But after a
| long and careful search he came out Of
the well to ask the stranger on which
side the gem had fallen. when. TO- he
was gone! And the poor country man
was without sheep or donkey or cloth.
ing. there ell alone by the brink Of a
deep well, and the robbers We're all far
away with the trophies of their artful
roguery.-Translated From the Italian
For New York Press,