The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1907-03-29

burner, or carbonerO: hui he was mar
rled and had six very Young children
with great appetites. SO, all he earned
they together ate: not always III peace
and the grace OF God. for the poor man
sometimes found himself at night very
weary and supperless.
One day the carbonero said to him
self When | can double my day s
earnings and have sufficient money
am going to eat an entire hen by my
self alone"
That day so much wished for ar.
rived. The man collected his double
wages, bought a hen and put it to cook
in puchero in the depths OF forest.
Soon a gentleman rode up, dressed
in garments resplendenr With gold and
precious stones.
God keep the carbonero." he said.
Cod be with the caballero," re-
sponded the man
wilt thou give me BIZ OF the hen
thou are cooking"
Diantre' How dds, know Of it,"
i am Fortune and | so all over the
"orld;' take advantage OF this oppor
tunity"
Thou art Fortuneo Well thou shalt
not eat of my hen, for | hate thee.
Thou art unjust: to some thou givest
all. and from others taHest all away
Go, and God be with thee"
The rider spurred his fiery mare and
disappeared
Va 1>nrf N1l
man with Wrinkled face. dressed in
black and mounted ON poor horse
covered with scars
God keep the carbonero." he said
God be with the gentleman" re-
piled the charcoal burner.
Wilt thou give me little of the
hen which thou art cOoking:"
The devil All the world knows
that am cooking hen, and yet |
could swear have told it to no one.
Who art thou"
Il am Death.
Death. art thou? Well. you shall
eat OF my hen. for you are Justice
herself. Dismount and dine with me-"
The old man dismounted, seated
hlmsef on the ground with the car
bonero and ate OF the hen. the two
conVersing amiably together When
they had finished. Death sa6 to the
charcoal burner:
ASK OF me what thou wishest and
1t Will be granted thee for thy good
treatment OF me-
What | need is money"
Ask: for what thou wishest."
Give me my house full of gold
money"
Granted" said Death
With lightness no one would have
suspected in the old man. he mounted
his nag and Disappeared
The charcoal burner went home. the
door was tightly closed his wife and
children being away. He tried to en-
ter. but could not, for the house was
full ofagolden money.
He remained on guard at the door
and when his wife and children re-
turned he gave them money enough to
go buy the richest clothing they could
find for him and themselves. He Or
dered also a palace to be built and
spent much money in coaches and
servants.
One day when the charcoal burner
was leaving his palace. he met the old
man with wrinkled face. who said to
him.
''DOst know me still?"
Perfectly; thou art Death. What
dost thou wish OF me-"
TO notify thee that thy money will
soon give out. and it would be we'll
for thee to take some position"
What position could takeo [ can
neither read nor write and am too old
10 learn"
take that of a DOCTOR.
"A doctor: Poor me. who can
neither read nor write"
Yes, doctor, and will tell thee
how to manage. When thou goest to
see one sick if thou seest me sitting at
the head of the bed give him up for
dead: all the resources of human
knowledge will be in vain. In this
way thou wilt come to thy fortune.
thou canst predict the cure of MANY
whom the most famous physicians will
have given over
The old man disappeared.
So the old charcoal burner Offered
himself to the public as a great doc
tor and soon became universally fa-
nous. When he was called he evan
ined the patient and at once pro-
nounced sentence, He seemed to car.
ry with him health or death
His wealth increased for all the high
dignitaries of the kingdom and the
princes called him in for consultation
One day he was sent for in great
haste to go to the house of great
man who had suffered an attack Of
apoplexy when his family least exnect-
ed it, and the unhappy man was
dying, leaving his wife and sons IN
profound sorrow, greatly increased bv
the fact Of his affairs being in com.
plete disorder.
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