The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1909-03-03
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X The FAlRY'S y
4 Silver Bell 4
N(FrOm the Scandinavian
BY JEAN S. REMY.

So "Nf
Far up in the frozen north, in the
land of the midnight sun, there is a
wonderful race of fairy folk, known
as the underground people, or the lit
tie people of the hills.
Oh, but they play queer antics and
marry pranks, these wee brown folk,
clad in dusky suits, Just the color of
the earth in which they live, wearing
on their feet tiny glass slippers, and
furry caps of brown finished with a
silver bell adorning each elfln head
These caps are possessed of magic
power, which makes the wearer quite
invisible to mortal eyes. So, though
one often hears on moonlight night
soft whispering and low rustic
while walking through a lonely for
est or over a moonlit meadow land
strewn with flowers-yes, though one
often sees by daylight the grass
pressed down by the tread of dancing
feet the night before-one never sees
the elves themselves, unless he be
lucky enough to find either one of
the little caps or its silver bell, lost
by some careless dancer.
Now shepherd lad of Norway had
heard so much of these little folk of
the hills that on one st. Johns Eve
he made up his mind to wait for the
fairy folk all night on the top of a
very high hill, which was their favor
ite dancing place. who knows"
thought he, 81 may be lucky enough
to find one of their magic caps"
. AS soon as the night fell, on this
magic night of all the year, the shep-
herd stole away to the top of the hill,
and lying down in the very deepest
shadow he could find waited in 81
lence for the fairy folk. Exactly at
midnight the Ginning of silver bells
and gay mingling of chatter and
laughter sounded over the lonely hill
top, then rustic through the grass,
and then a whizzing and a buzzing
that showed very plainly that the lit
tie folk were whirling round and
round in the dance, tumbling and
sporting in the moonlight, playing all
sorts of merry pranks and tricks.
The shepherd could not see any of
this merrymaking, you know; he
could only hear the mirth and merri-
ment; but all Of sudden something
cool and slippery touched his hand,
and one Of the little folks set up a
great cry-"Oh, my bell, my bell!
I've lost my little silver bell!" You
may be sure the shepherd lost no
time in slipping that bell in his pock-
ct, for of course that was what had
touched his hand as it had rolled
from the cap of its tiny owner. Now
he could see the little folk running
hither and thither in the most dis
tracted manner. One little fellow
was in great distress. He peered in
the hearts of the wild roses, he
poked his wee finger into the blue
bells cup, and searched every blade
of grass. All in vain, however. He
could not find his silver bell.
The shepherd in the meantime
knowing what prize he had found
was running down the hill as fast as
he could, and never once did he
pause till he was safe in his own cot.
tage.
He tried the magic power of the
bell the very next morning, when he
led his sheep out to pasture, and
found that all he had to DO to guide
his sheep was to wish the way they
should go, and then ring the silver
bell. At once the sheep would meek
ly turn in the direction he wished
my! but this saves me a lot oil
trouble and work." said he. II will
have to be given something pretty
good before give up this treasure.
Now the poor little elf who hat
lost his bell was having a pretty hard
time, for not one wink of sleep could
he get until he found it. Then, too
by laws of his race, he could MOI
come to the upper world in the day
time in his true form. So he scurriet
over the hills and through the val
leys of Norway in every form of an
imal; he few through the air, dis
guised as a bird; he crawled on thu
ground as a little green snake; h,
wiggled in the earth as a wee littl,
= worm; and, in the shape of a man
he even made his way into churches
), houses and barns, searching every
where for his lost bell.
So passed many a weary day, ant
the little elf had grown quite thiI
and Ill, and his eyes fairly poppe,
out of his head with weariness. Blu
ohe day it happened that in the form
of a bird he was flying low over
meadow where a flock of sheep wa
grazing. Some of the sheep ha,
bells on their necks. which rang Will