Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21
The Wood Cutters
Child

poor that often they did not know
what they should get to eat.
One morning the woodcutter, his
heart full Of care, went into the woods
to work AS he chopped the trees,
there stood before him tall and
beautiful woman. She wore crown
Of shining stars upon her head, and
said
II am the guardian angel of every
good child. Thou art poor and needy.
Bring me thy child, and l will take
her with me. l will be her mother,
and she shall be under my care"
The woodcutter, calling his child, gave
her to the angel, who carried her to
the land Of Happiness.
There she ate sweet bread, and
drank pure milk, Her clothes were
gold, and her playmates were beausi-
full children. When she had been
there long time, the Guardian An
gel called her to her side, and said,
my dear child, I have long journey
for thee. Take these keys Of the thir-
teen doors of the land Of Happiness.
Twelve of them thou mayest open,
and behold the glories therein; but
the thirteenth, to which the little key
belongs, thou art forbidden to open.
Beware! II thou dost disobey, harm
will befall thee"
The maiden promised to obey.
When the Guardian Angel was gone,
she began her visits to the mansions
of Happiness. A little girl went with
her, and every day one door was I'M
closed. In each mansion there sat an
angel in bright light. After time
the child and the maiden had seen all
the mansions.
Now the forbidden door was yet
locked. "I will not quite open it, nor
yet will l go in" said the maiden.
'but 1 will only unlock the door, 80
that we may peep through the chink"
mo, no." said the. child; chat will
be a sin. The Guardian Angel has
forbidden it, and evil would soon fall
upon us"
At this the maiden was silent. but
she had no peace. One day, all the
children were away, and she thought,
"Now am alone and can peep in; no
one will know what l do" So she
found the keys. placed the right one
in the lock, md turned it around.
The door sprang open. She saw
three angels sitting on a throne, a
great light shining around them. The
maiden stood little while.
Then putting her finger in the light.
she drew it back, and found it covered
with gold Great alarm seized her.
Shutting the door hastily, she ran
away. But her fear became more
and more, and her heart beat so she
thought 1t would burst. The gold, al
SO, on her finger, would not come off,
although she rubbed it with all her
strength.
Not long afterwards the Guardian
Angel came lack from her journey
Calling the maiden to her, she asked
for the keys of the mansion. AS she
gave them up, the angel looked in her
face, and asked, Hast thou opened
the thirteenth door?" NO." answered
the maiden.
Then the angel laid her hand upon
the maiden's heart, and felt how 1T
was beating So she knew that the
child had opened the door. Then she
asked again, Hast thou opened the
thirteenth door," NO. said the
maiden, for the second time
Then the angel saw that the maid
ems finger had become golden from
touching the light, and she knew that
the child was guilty. She asked her
for the third time. Hast thou opened
the thirteenth door?" "No," said the
maiden again.
Then the Guardian Angel said,
Thou hast not obeyed me. Thou art
no longer worthy to remain among
good children
And the maiden sank down into a
deep sleep. When she awoke she
found herself in the midst of deep
forest. She wished to call out, but
she had lost her voice. Then she
sprang up and tried to run away; but
whersver she turned, thick bushes
held her back, SO that she could not
escape.
In this lonely spot there stood an
old hollow tree. This was her house.
Roots and wild berries were her food.
In the autumn she picked up fallen
leaves and laid them in her hollow
tree When the frost and snow of
winter came she clothed herself in
them During the sunshine she sat
outside the tree, and her long hair fell
down on all sides and covered her.
IKE a 1IlduIle. Illus size lVSu d lOlS
time in misery.
Once, when the trees had become
green again, the king of the country
was hunting in the forest. A bird
flew into the bushes, and he cut a
path through with his sword. When
he at last made his way through, he
saw beautiful maiden sitting under
q tree. She was clothed from head
to foot with her golden locks.
He stood N silence and looked at
her for some time. At last he said,
Child, how came you in this forest?"
But the maiden answered not, for she
had become dumb.
Then the king asked, "Will you go
with me to my castle?" At that she
nodded her head, and the king put
her on his horse and rode away home.
Then he gave her beautiful clothing,
and all else that she needed. Still
she could not speak. Her great beau
ty, however, won upon the kings
heart, SO that after while he mar
ried her.
After time she had a little baby,
Then the Guardian Angel appeared to
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