The Semi-weekly leader., 1906-04-11
II i,
TheBOyWhO
Got His Wish
A HOMEMADE FAIRY TALE
By S. e. KISE Err

nNCE there was a boy who thought
his parents were very cruel to
him. He had to go to school regular
ly and his mother had an idea that
she loved him best when he was clean.
He would poke the soap down the
drain so that he would not have to be
scrubbed with it. And he would try
to steal away somewhere and hide till
school time so that to prevent him
from being late his mother might let
him go without being washed.
One day when the boy was going
home from school, wishing that he
could think of some way to escape
from his cruel parents so that he
would not have to be washed when he
didn't feel like it, or have to study
when he would rather play, he heard
squeaky little voice in tree, under
which he had paused to reflect.
Looking up, he saw an old man
about the size of a turnip. His face
was wrinkled like a dried apple and
he had little bunch of gray whiskers
that he pulled in funny way while he
talked.
You look unhappy" said the little
old man.
Il am the boy answered.
Are your parents dead, and do the
people with whom you live beat you
and make you sleep ON the f1oor?"
mo, my parents are both alive, and
1 have nice bed with brass posts to
sleep in
do you have to work hard while
all the rest of the boys are out play
ing?"
"N-no, but my mother is cruel to
me. She never let's me stay out of
school when l would rather not go,
and she's always wanting to wash me.
I hate soap and / hate school"
whats your name?" the little old
man asked.
Emory"
Emory what?"
Emory Wheeler"
You ought to be pretty sharp
boy with that name. But no matter.
am always sorry to see boys unhap-
py Now I'll tell you what I'll do.
L IL give you d luChy StOuS. gu IL
out of the head of a whitefish that
was caught while it was trying to
climb blackberry bush. You will see
that it has the letter L on it. This L
is for luck. If you will rub this stone
behind your left ear and make
wish it will come true. But, mind you,
it is only good for one wish, and when
I1a yic1 n
change it till you get another lucky
stone just like this one and wish
again
Emory was very grateful to the lit
tie old man, and as soon as the stone
had been tossed down to him he
rubbed it behind his left ear and said:
81 wish my mother would not make
me wash any more and l wouldn't
have to go to school again.
He had no sooner got the words out
OF his mouth than rough-looking
man jumped out from behind the tree,
put bag over Emory's head and car
ried him away.
The boy was SO frightened that he
tainted and when he came to his
senses again he was in a strange
place that at first seemed very dark.
When his eyes became accustomed to
the gloom he could see that he was
in a cave. The rough-looking man
was sitting Lear him and an old wom-
an with an ugly face was cooking his
supper.
Now go t. work." the man said.
"You will have to earn your living
here. But you need.'t cry or feel
sad. We won't make you wash, and
you'll not have to go to school,
Emory was badly frightened at the
mans gruff tones and the dismal look
of the place.
You will find an ak and some
boards over in that corner" the man
said, pointing toward dark hole.
"Go and chop them up"
Emory worked hard for an hour.
Then they gave him some supper. 1t
was not like the supper he would
have had at home. There was moth
ing but vile broth, and the taste OF
Il made him sick.
That night he lay on a pile of rags,
but he slept very little. Through the
long, miserable hours he sobbed and
thought of his parents, and the home
he had fancied was so terrible He
thought Of his nice bed with brass
posts and Of the good things Jane,