The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1902-03-25

| think on more about the scheme she
had in her head. she would not heed
them, and very soon the little buildm~
was demolished, and I'm it's place there
appeared a huge structure capable of
holding sufficient grain TO supply the
entire village. let atone three women.
each with a small appetite The
widow was too parSimonious 10 hire
men to do the work. SO for many hours
daily. beneath the fierce sun she and
her two daughters labored to complete
this unnecessary task before the rice
was due again
But in spite of their united efforts.
they did not succeed. and one evening.
rs the widow stood fastening the hasp
on To the new door. she fanCied some
thing touched her foot. But she was
TOO absorbed in her task To really no.
tice it, so she went on with her labors.
her mind occupied meanwhile with
beautiful dream OF the golden future
they Were preparing to reap. Sud
denly something tapped against her
toes for the second time, and before
Chum Paw could look down she felt
the same thing again. and then the
taps came with such rapidity that she
was obliged TO thrown down her tools
and see what was the matter Round
her feet and all about the door rolled
ine fat grains of rice, while from the
direction of the fields she could see
more approaching, like regular army
marching upon the little village.
The widow was so disappointed that
x hA
was doing; her daughters were en-
ployed upon another part of the build
ing. so they could not check their
mothers hasty and ill-advised action.
rs with a cry of veXation she raised
her foot and kicked the nearest grain
far away from her.
What nuisance you arew she cried
in her Indignation. How dare you
come before we are ready to receive
youT You should have waited on Your
stalks in the fields until the proper
time had arrived. You have no right
TO bother me now, when you are not
wanted. 1t is too badl Get out of
my sight, do"
When the widow struck at the rice
with her foot, her temper had so mas
tered her that she hit it with sufficient
force TO break in into Il thousand frag-
mcnts. each of which hurried away
| TO tell the Rice Queen about the cruel
! treatment that had been melted out
When this fairy heard their state
! mcnts-which. though they were fmi-
ously angry, they managed to keep per-
| fectly accurate-she was exceedingly
indignant, and, raising her hands three
times above her head, she uttered the
| following middleton:
Never shall the rice, which for ages
past has ripened on it's stalks solely for
the use Of human beings roll up to the
village again or enter their granalieS.
In the days to come let these greedy.
ungratetul people seek us out with
toll and labor. And as they pluck the
grain. which shall henccfurth be small
and difficult for the aged to see, may
they recall, with bitter pain and re-
greet. the time of plenty which they,
through their own wrongdoing. drove
away forever
And thus it is to this day. The pros
perity of the people began to wane;
rarely, even by their most mhagging
efforts, can they succeed i'm storing
enough in their granaries to last them
until the next harvest. and as they
drudge, with bent backs and aching
limbs, do they shake their heads and
cry one to another: Alas, had Widow
Chum Paw only remained satisfied
with what she had, we should not be
working here so hard today. Let us
remember. and make our children re-
member too, that contentment with
little is better that possessing a super
fluffy, and that a greedy nature often
loses that which it hath."-The Culver.