The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-05-07

H. ID known GroSShuteltenS WHICH Was Oh
IEM lake. The lake is small that have
forgotten its name, and you will not ind
the village on any map of the country
which is still called Germany,-unless it is on the
back, where I didn't look.
The people in this village greatly annoyed
by a robber baron who dwelt on a mountain near
BY and who was in the habit of levying tribute on
them because he didn't like to work. The last
time that he told them they must pay what he
called their annual Dues they refused to do so. The
baron was greatly surprised-as people are usually
surprised when others refuse do things that they
have been in the habit Of doing whether they ought
to or not-and he resolved to punish the villagers.
At first he thought of descending on them with
Us band and burning their houses; but this would
have required effort, so he changed his mind and
called before him two magicians whom he kept to
do things by magic, which he found more easy than
doing them by hand
One of these magicians a good man who
stayed with the robber only because he afraid
TO 60 away The other was a bad who stayed
for no particular
81 am resolved" said the baron, "to kill all the
people in Grosshufelten, because they will not do
what I decree"
That seems very natural" said the bad magician.
"I now wish to learn the easiest way of doing it,"
continued the robber.
That, also, seems very natural" said the good
magician.
The bad magician suggested a number of methods,
none of which the baron liked, and he finally told
him that he could take halfhoIiday, and he would
consult with the good magician, who worked for
less money, anyhow.
"If you are bound to do this thing, the best way
will be do it quickly and painlessly," began the
good magician.
"You mean the best way for them," said the rob
ber
"Yes, and for you," answered the magician; "for
then they will have no chance to conceal their
treasures and you get many of them you
wish"
who will carry the treasures back1" the baron
asked anxiousy.
you might make the bad magician do that"
The good magician then proposed plan. Lead
ing from the mountain to the lake was a passage
which subterranean. (That is rather long
word, but it rather long passage) He sug
gested that through this tunnel he send some
poisonous gas he had invented, which he usually
used for killing potato-bugs. This gas would come
up through the lake. be blown into the village, and
overcome the people. The good magician did not
like this idea, but he knew it more humane than
anything the bad magician would suggest, and
thought he might get chance to the villagers
before it carried out, that they could escape
The robber baron delighted with the scheme
and, telling the magician to execute it soon as
he could, he proceeded to take his afternoon nap
sleeping that kind of sleep which comes to the un-
just
AS soon as the good magician sure that the
baron was sound asleep, he started the gas down
the passage, and then hurried to the villagers
This happened Wednesday, the day on which
ahe people of Grosshufeten made soap, and when
he arrived he found number of them on the shore
of the lake, washing out their soap-ketles. Jut as
the magician started to them of their danger,
the gas began to rise. The water was rather soapy
and when the vapor rose it formed an enormous
bubble that covered half of the lake.
The villagers were greatly astonished, and looked
at the bubble with their mouths open and their
minds closed The magician, who made his living
by thinking began to consider the matter. In the
FIRST place, he knew that if the robber baron found
that he had warned the people he would be very
angry, and there was telling what he would do
there was no telling what he would do when he was
Mt angry. In the next place, the wind might blow
the gas away from the village when the bubble
burst. At all events the magician would have time
to think, and he might devise some plan for saving
the villagers without making the baron angry
While he was considering these things, a youth
named Hans Spratzleberger-an -a-few-other-sy
bles ran to the shore with his bow and arrow
What are you going to do with that| asked the
magician.
"Pm going to shoot that big bubble out there
and see it burst" said Hans
DO you know what viii happen if you do that?"
inquired the m9gican "This town will disappear
from the map"
Hans. who did Mt know that the town was MT on
che map was much nnresscd The villagers many