Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-11-15
Copper Penny, Not Golden
Guinea in EmperOr's Crown

Dear Juniors:
I will write of the wonderful penny,
A new guinea and copper penny
fresh from the mint lay side by side
one day on the counter of the bank
! Said the proud gold piece to the
| penny:
Get out Of my way; you are made
of brown copper only, but am shin
ing gold. Nobody will care much for
J you but when go out into the world,
everybody will want me. shall pass
into the hands of lords and ladies'. +
| shall do great deeds; and, at last per-
haps the gold Of which am made will
be useG to form the crown of some
| emperor"
Just then an old 1niser came into the
bank and the gold piece was paid out
to him. The penny looked up and said
| to the gold piece:
Good by; may you always be
happy" Before the guinea could reply
the miser had thrust it into q little bag
| and had hidden it away in his pocket.
He carried the bag home and put it in
his money chest in the cellar, but no
was afraid that his money would not be
| safe there, so he buried 1t In the earth.
Soon afterward he died, and no one
knew where his money was hidden, $50
the gold piece was lost, and to this
day has never been seen.
After the miser had left the bank,
the man who had charge Of it saw
poor boy helping an old woman who
had fallen down In the street. He went
to the door and calling the boy gave
him the penny. The boy carried it
home and told his little sister why it
much pleased with it's new, bright look
that he gave it to her. The little girl
ran into the garden to show the penny
to her mother. Just then an old lame
beggar asked for help.
The little girl gave 1t to him and told
where it had come from and why it
was given to her brother. The beggar
went on until he reached the bakers
shop. He was just going to buy a roll
with the penny when an old man came
up with a pilgrims staff in his hand.
The pilgrim was selling pictures of the
city of Jerusalem in order to get
money to ransom his brother who had
been taken prisoner by the Turks. The
aged beggar was moved by the story
of the pilgrim, He gave him the new
penny and told him it's story as he
heard it from the little girl.
The baker saw the kind act of the
lame beggar and as a reward he gave
him more bread than he could have
bought for the coin. The pilgrim set out
for Constantinople and as soon as he
arrived at that city he went at once
to the Turkish governor and offered
him all his money he had gathered for
his brothers freedom. The governor
however, wanted more money and
would not let the brother go. The pill
grim said This is all have, but one
copper penny, and then he told. the
ed to see the humble + coin that had
done so many good actions. Il will keep
it, he said land wear it next to my
heart and perhaps blessing will come
with it, Then he gave back to the pill
grim all the rest of his money and let
the brother go free.
Soon afterward the Turkish govern
or took part in a great battle. An ar
row struck him on the breast, but
glanced off without hurting him. 1t had
been turned aside by the coin there,
fore he owed his life to the penny.
When the war was over the governor
went to his master, the emperor AS
they talked together the governor told
how the penny. saved him from death.
He showed the coin and told it's strange
story. AS the emperor listened he ex-
claimed again and again Wonderful"
wonderfully"
The governor noting his masters in
crest gave him the penny and the
emperor fastened it with a goldens
chain to the lNlt of his favorite sword.
One day shortly afterward the monarch
was about to drink. cup of coffee
when the empress asked to see his
sword. AS he held it up the penny
dropped into the cup.
When he took the coin out he saw
that the copper had become green in
color. Some one mixed poison with the
drink, but the change in color of the
penny warned the emperor and saved
his life. Then het emperor had the
penny put in his crown amid the dia
mOnds and other Jewels which adorned
1t. To the great ruler the penny seem.
ed the brightest gem of all for when he
looked at it he was reminded Of the
good deeds it done. So you see it wa.
not the golden guinea, but the copper
penny that was set at last in roya
crown. III
Dorothy Schoor,
SOL Sheridan Ave-, Ottumwa, Ia.