The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-22

Therefore few ever hesitated to
make the compact prescribed by her !;
which was that, in return for teaching
him how to get the gold, she was
to have the right to lay her hand on
his LETT breast once a year.
There was no pain when she did
that; neither burn nor sting nor any
other sensation. But, though the VIC
tim did not know it, his heart became
coal black and quite useless except
merely for beating, the moment the
Golden Witch laid her hand on it.
The Golden Witch had not been in
the land of the good, stout old King
many days before She had started
trouble to burning at all four corners.
And before long she had enchanted
the three Princes.
They were tall and gentle and kind;
but when they met the Golden Witch
and saw her beautiful face, they fol-
lowed her eagerly to the top of a
mountain and looked where she
pointed. There, amid fame and
smoke, the doors of the treasure
houses gaped wide, exposing all their
boards.
They yielded to her temptations,
and she told them how they could
defy the guarding flames. Then she
laid her small white hand upon their
breasts.
At once their hearts turned black.
Their brows began to furl Over the
three faces that had been open and
happy, came black frowns. And they
wandered away, down the peaceful
valleys and out into the wide, roaring
world, where there were tall chimneys
and spouting smokes by day and
whirling furnace fires by night.
The happy kingdom became sad
and dim. Men no longer met with
simple jests and merry smiles. The
old King and the Queen went forth
no more hand in hand; for in the town
there was distrust and envy; the poor
hated the rich and the rich feared the
poor. So the two sat day after day
IN their highest tower, looking eagerly
over the land, praying that their sons
might return.
Knights and squires went forth
again and again to search for them;
but the Golden Witch met some and
blackened their hearts. And others
died. And those that reached the
three brothers were enslaved by them
and set to work in the mines of gold
and silver.
AT last the old King became blind
from gazing so long into the setting
sun; and the cid Queen began to pine
away from weeping so long So their
only daughter resolved to set forth to
beg her brothers to return, that their
parents might see them once more.
She rode day and night; and on
the next morning, when She led her
horse to drink, the little pool cried
out to her beseechingly, ooh, do not
let your horse drink me up, little sis
ter, for l have been set to guard the
trout and | would keep my trust"
The little Princess forthwith led her
horse away and plodded for mile till
she reached deeper part of the
stream, where the horse could drink.
The stream said: Little sister, for
that you have been good to the little
pool, call on me when you are in
need"
Late that afternoon she rode by
wood and reached river. The river
was lamenting and sobbing, "Alas, l
shall run dry! l shall run dry! They
have left my hoodgates open and I
must run dry!" So the Princess ran
down and strained against the big
timbers till they yielded and the
gates closed.
Thank you, little sister," cried the
river. Call on me if you need help"
"Ah," sighed the Princess, would
that. you could bear me to my broth
ers."
"Awakenl Awaken Oh brothers of
the hills" cried the river at once, its
voice changing with each word, till
the last word was the roar of water
fall
Immediately there was thunder
far away and swollen waters came
tumbling from the country of the
hills. High on their tossing shoulders
they bore big trees that they had
torn from the banks. These, with
their branches interlocked, made a
safe raft, and before she knew it, the
Princess was floating swiftly with the
shouting waters.
They carried her down and down
till the open ocean beckoned. And on
its rim sat white city, tall and
splendid. The raft sped to a great
basin and stopped and the Princess
stepped out.
Before her. climbing up and up, as
if into the clouds, was a flight of
marble steps leading to a wonderful