The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-10-28
LESSON LEARNED.
BY ALEXANDER eopIN.

Copyright, 1904, by w. r. Hearst.)
once upon time there lived on the
big steppes of Russia a hunter who had
two dogs which he loved more than
anything in the world.
One day he went hunting with them
across the steppes for many, many
miles, but did not bag as much as a
single hare or even wild dove. To-
ward evening he saw faraway what
looked like campfire, and when he
went closer he saw that it was an old
stump all a1ire. and in the center was
a snake, which cried to him:
"Oh, little father help me out Of
this and I will make you happy for life.
l will teach you to know every Ian
Suage spoken on earth, and even to
understand what the animals say"
Il should willingly help you" replied
the hunter, but l do not know how"
That I shall tell you. Put your
ramrod across the fire and then l can
crawl out on it,
The hunter did as he was taught and
the snake made it's escape.
Il thank you very much, little father,
and from now on you will under stand
the language of every living being, but
you must not tell anybody that you
understand it or you will drop dead i'm
mediately."
The hunter went on his way, but he
was far away from home and it soon
became SO dark that he decided to
camp out overnight under clump Of
trees. He lit a campfire and laid down
to sleep. And then he heard how his
two dogs began to talk to each other
L tell you, little brother" said the
one. I think you had better stay here
and keep watch over our master and
il Will run home and keep thieves away
from the house."
At sunrise the dog returned from the
hunters home and said to his comrade
|
Good morning. brother. I hope you
had quiet night
II have slept fine" said the other,
and how did your night pass?"
Il "Miserably! When 1 came home the
mistress began to scold me that I dared
threw an old crust at me. 1 just looked
lat it. but never touched it, but then she
got mad and gave me a terrible thrash
ing with the broOms tick, so that she
NEARLY broke my ribs. And in the
might whein I had just fallen asleep,
Iihleves came around and l went after
them and chased them away and got
good bite out of one fellows leg"
The hunter was listening and prom
psed himself that he would give his
wife good sound scolding for the way
she had treated his faithful dog,
re returned home and greeted her:
Good morning, little mother" And
she answered in her most pleasant
roice:
Good morning, little father"
Did the dog come home last night p"
YES"
And did you feed him."
ooh, yes. I gave him plenty of
bread and milk"
Now that is not true. You lust
threw an old crust at him and after
ward you beat him because he would
not touch it."
The wife confessed everything and
bee"n to ask her husband how he
knew.
mot to tell"
'Ah, do tell me- Saschinka, I am
dying to know, my little dove"
NO. l never can tell you"
on. you must tell, love of my heart"
But If tell you, 1 must die"
| oh. never mind, only tell me-"
| The hunter did not know what to do,
but as he did know that he would
never nave an hours peace if he did
not tell her, he said:
wei, then, give me at least clean
lshirt, that | may prepare to die"
| He put on the clean shirt and kne]t
down to pray before the ikon in the
corner of the room. Just then the
lchickens came running past the open
window, and he saw how the rooster
Ichastised one hen after the other, all
the while talking to them. II will
show you how to behave. I am not
isuch fool as our master, who cannot
|even manage one wife. I have thirty
Iof you and you all know who is the
master"
When the hunter heard this he
Jumped up and gave his wife such a
laying out that she never again tried
ito make his life sour by her inouis-
| 'itlVeneSs.