The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-10-19

clous grapes. ana thCn broke open
their satiuy skins. When 10! instead
of the fruit which she expected to find
inside, there fell to the ground little
trickling shower Of coarse, brown clay.
Bcttlnn then tried The foreflnger, with
which she touched some of the nearest
berries. These she pressed open, and
behold! grapcful of rich, red wine
flowed out immediately.
So ;hcn II was true. the fairy had
really given her this queer little Gift.
Eut how was IL 10 help her TO make
Borpo pay the peasants better wages?
Bcitinn shook her head sadly. she
could not understand.
Late that night, while she was sleep
Ing softly In her little hut. she heard
her name called II was the sweet
voice Of tho Fairy Grapctta. and Bet
tina awokc to find her standing at the
foot of her he'd. clad IN her silken. robes
of purple, with the moonlight falling
upon her wonderful silver hair.
"Gct IN. get M" she cried. "W'hy
arc you not making use of your power?
You muSt 90 forth into the vineyard
at once, and tomorrow the wicked
Borgo will repent of his evil ways"
Ectiina arose aud dressed. and fol-
lowed the Fairy Grapctta out into the
moonlight. until she came to the vine
yard. where the glistcning purple
grapes and their green leaves covored
The vines in thick profusIon.
"Now." said the fairy. touch every
grape with your little finger. and then
I will leave you 10 think out for YOUR
self how the rest must be accom-
plishcd."
Again she vanished. and Bettina did
aS she was bid. As she touched grape
after grape with her small finger. all
at once she saw what the fairy meant
h"r tn do, aud she ran home In the
moonlight, laughing happily 10 her.
self.
The nest day there was great trou-
bic in the vineyard. for the peasants
had told Borgo that his grapes were
tl!cd Win Garth. The wicked old
man Siul7Acd aud ravcd aud stamped
his feet. ,e
81 nm hcwitchcd" he cried. "I am
bcTitchcd" and at last. when his rage
had exhausted Itself. he began 10 weep.
iiut nobody was very sorry for him. for
he had never been sorry for anybody
else
- last Bctliua stepped to him aud
said:
"Oh, master, it was who bewitched
y0ur grapes, and il is punishment
because you would not pay us enough
money for food. Only say that you re-
pcnt and all will he well. I promise
You that your grapes shall all be fllcd
with richest wine"
when Borso heard this he screamed
Mt Hctilna with all his might.
"Go away. You owl childi Go away,
Go away, or | will have you burned for
n witch" But Bcttina did not move,
only looked at him quietly and said:
'Oh, no. / am not afraid OF you,
Borco, for | am the only one who
knows how TO ill your grapes with
wine
Boyco turned TO his peasants.
Burst opcn tho grapes" he cried,
angrly. Burst them open, say.
There must he only u few which are
filed With clay, the rest are all right,
| know, ard pay you enough wages.
Say, do not pay YOU enough wages"
lie shouted at the peasants loudly,
hut they were no longer afraid OF him,
FOR as they burst the grapes open,
cluster after cluster sent forth a
shower of brown earth, and the ripe,
juicy fruit was gone.
Seeing that his words made no i'm
preston on the peasants. and that his
grapes were indeed worthless, Borgo
fell once more to crying.
"oh! what shall | dog' he walled.
What shall | do? I will be a poor
man, / will be ruined.'
BettiEa began to feel very sorry for
her master, even though he had been
SO cruel. She went over TO him and
put one little hand tlmidly on his shoul-
der.
Don't cry, MASTER" she said. for
have l not told you that l will re-
store your grapes il only you will
promise to pay your people fairly for
| their hard labor? Seer' she said, and
touched with her foreiinger several
grapes that lay on the ground before
him. One of the peasants standing
by sprang forward and crushed the
fruit under his foot, and there, ar
once, thin stream of red wine flowed
out. Borgc raised his head quickly at
sight OF the wine.
oh" he said to Bettina, "I win
promise anything that you say; only
ill my grapes once more, that may
not lose all my fortune
Bettina promised that it should be
so, and Borgo promised to increase
the wages of the poor peasants, which
he did, and ever afterwards Bettiua
was called the Grape Girl! For many
years she prospered with the other
peasants, and lived to be an old, Old
woman. and it was said that she pos
sessed the power to change the grapes
at will all her life long. One thing
Is ppptaip ol1 Roroa hoIiavad 20 and