Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-12-08
A FAIRY TOR Y


Count Rufus IL you would find
your fortune see that you despise moth
ing, however small or worthless it may
seem. Great walls are made of little
bricks"
And the count remembered the say
ing, because Nurse Deborah was a
wise woman and never said anything
for naught.
Count Rufus lived In a desolate old
castle on the top of a mountain. All
the mountain was covered with ice and
snow SO that he had hard work in go
ing down to avoid tumble into the
black, deep ravine. A thousand feet
below and at the base Of the mountain
was thick forest, through which he
must pass before he could reach the
road that led to court.
What can't be cured must be en-
dured, however" said the count to him
self as he walked slowly down the
mountain.
On the way down he saw hanging
on bush an old hat that looked as If
1t had been dropped there by some
poor person passing that way. A scrub
by old hat enough 1t looked, but the
count remembered his nurses saying
and, picking it up, put 1t in his pocket.
Hardly had he done SO when an ugly
little old man started out from behind
tree.
Bring back that hat!" screamed the
little man. What are you robbing
honest folks for?"
Honest man." answered the count,
laughing, 'if that hat is yours how
happened it that 1t was hanging on a
tree instead Of your headT And in
spirit of mischief he put the hat on his
own head. "It fits me very WE'LL" said
he. 81 have taken fancy to the hat,
my friend"
"Oh, you make game of me, do your"
cried the little man in rage and be.
gan to run after the count.
That was not much matter, for the
count was an excellent runner, but
presently he found that the little man
instead Of running on two legs, like
himself turned round and round on one
leg and that he could go in that way
two miles to the counts one. More
than that, the count came presently to
the forest, and there it was nearly as
dark as midnight. He stumbled about
and as he did so heard the wood elves
laughing at him.
"A fig for nurse and her advice" he
said in a rage. "What did want with
this old hat? / only wish was out of
the forest"
He had not time to finish the sen.
tence, for the moment he said it he felt
himself lifted up in the air, and, clear
ing the entire forest at one jump, there
he was on the other side, walking along
the road that led to the city.
THAT is very odd," he said to him.
self and rubbed his eyes and nose to
see If he were dreaming.
at would be very comfortable" he
said to himself, "to get ones wishes as
easily as that If l could say now, I
wish my supper would come walking
out of the bush,' and thereon fine
sirloin, with bottle of wine, should
prance out
But before he could get any further
out came a noble sirloin of steak with
knife and fork on silver dish and q
bottle of red wine, marching along Sc
dately, and planted themselves before
him.
This Is wonderful" cried the count,
"but since it costs SO little | wish also
for some salmon, of which l am very
fond, dish of partridges and basket
of fruit"
Instantly the boughs of the tree I'm.
der which he was standing bent down
toward him, and he saw hanging from
them salmon, baskets of fruit and par,
tridges.
Hello, here is wonderful bearing of
fruit" said the count, laughing. "If
the trees do such things in the winter,
what would they not yield in the sum.
mer?"
But all this time it never came into
his stupid pate that the old hat on his
head had anything to do with these
wonders. When he had eaten and
drunk to his satisfaction, he said to
himself, Il wish / knew which of the
two roads at the angle there leads to
the court"
Out whisked u squirrel from among
some stones.
Take that road to the right" said
the squirrel, scampering up the tree.
The count stared after him, with his
mouth so wide open that Master Squir
rel might have jumped down If he
chose.
why, the squirrels talk rather than
1 should not have my wish. l wish
had fine horse and knew how l
looked. l have not seen myself since
left home, and one wishes to be decent
at court
Instantly pranced out horse from
among the trees, saddled and bridled
and ready to mount.
At the same moment he heard some
robins tittering: Did you ever see such
a shocking bad hat? He, he!'
The count pulled off the hat and
threw 1t In the road.
II can wish for fine new one," said