The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-25

to see II her spell had worked success
fully. On beholding Hans rise on all tours
and look about him In a dazed sort of
way she came before him and said Il
am the Witch OF Follies. and hearing
your wish TO be 4 squirrel I have grant
ed IT.
Then It was that Hans realized fully
the extent OF his folly. A squirrel
was he?-doomed to 60 on four feet all
his day. q little animal deprived OF the
power OF speech. one that must live In
the forest and hunt for his food In the
dead leaves and dirt The thought mad
dened him. and being unable to reproach
the old witch In words he made a leap
for her face and biz and stratched her
numerically. She frantically tore him
OF and throwing him against the hard
ground she screeched out in tone of rage
For this ungrateful and violent act you
shall remain a squirrel all your life for
there are just two ways by which my
spell can be broken: my death puts
an end to my power and returns
TO their original forms the victims
Of my charm; but there is but one
way for me to dic-which Is through
the administering OF n certain poison ex-
tracfed from n secret vine which grows
beneath the ground am in no danger
OF death. The other means is through
the workings of the Queen OF the Air
Fairies. who was never known to come TO
this wood. Therefore. content yourself
rs best you can by being Il squirrel
Then waving her snakeskin the old
witch went her way again.
Hans sat down under the tree and give
himself up in grief There beside him
lay his sehoolhooks and his dear little
luncheon basket filed with the dainty
biscuits. cake and cold fowl that he had
seen his dear mother FIX for his monday
meal to be eaten at the schOolhouse in
the village And ms II to bring his sor-
rowful condition to him more forcibly
the happy shouts of his schooI-fellows
came up the mountain side and filed his
ears Then he heard the bell ring that
called the merry children their books.
Oh. how he wished and wished that he
might be a boy again and go to the school
which now appeared to him In such a
happy light After ALL 1t was pleasant
to learn the many things the good master
took such pains TO tell him.
And through the long. long dry he
roamed about the mountain side. having
many fights with other squirrels. who
seemed to resent the coming Of a stranger
In their midst. And when at last late
In the afternoon. he returned to the big
oak tree 10 find a morsel Of cake and fowl
IN his basket. for he was very hungry
nnd tired. to his great dismay he found
that other squirrels had dared to tear
the lid from the basket and had eaten
all the luncheon his mother had put IN
1t So he sat down to think over some
plan for his future Feeling cold-for
the evening wind growing chlll-he
conceived the fden- OF getting into the
basket for shelter. Once there another
idea came. Why not stay hidden In the
basket till his father, who he knew would
soon come to see what detained his Hans
after school, should come and dnd him7
Tc be sure. he could not tell his dear
father and mother TINT the little gray
squirrel was their beloved son Hans but
he could have the satisfaction Of being In
his own dear home In the form of 4
pet.
the mountain top Hans heard the sound
of footsteps coming down the path lead