The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-08-10
WEBSTER HANS, TIE FAITHFUL JACKDAW
(By David Cory.)

Once upon a time there lived on the edge Of a pine forest in Bohemia. a. poor peasant and his nine children. E Little enough they had to share with Meister Hans, as they called their
 tame jackdaw, for they lived on black
 beans and black rye bread. but often
 when their father went to Prague tc sell turpentine he had gathered in
 the pine forest. they had a hard tirae to find enough to eat.
 ! The children, whose mother was dead, were very lonely when their
 father was away. and sq every even ing, after eating their scanty supper, by the light of the pine cones. they went to sbeds to. keep warm, when zitka, the eldest girl. told them long stories, which she had learned from her grandmother.
 But all these pretty tales of Zitka did not keep her eight brothers and
 sisters warm. These were sorrowfuI times for the brave little eldest girl: with her father far away and her lit- tles brothers and sisters hungry and cold.
 The Jackdavv Comes to the Rescue. One night when zitka had told | more wonderful tales than ever. and had fairly talked the other eight to sleep, she was still awake herself. l Nothing stirred on the side of the hut where the children lay sleeping on some straw covered with sheepskins, but Meistera Hans, who perched for the night on the arm of the grand mothers empty chair, rustled his b1ue-b1ack wings now and then, But as Zitlxa lay thinking and hungry, her looks turned restIessly toward the uneasy bird; and presently the crea- tures eyes began to shine through I the darkness brighter and brighter i Zitka lifted herself on her elbow and rubbed her eyes. r es, it was real 1 ly so! Meister Hans nodded gravely 1 to her, and, hopping down to the floor. turned his eyes toward the girl, nodded again, croaked circumspeetly l and walked toward. the door. Again
 turning, he repeated the nod and cfoak, as if inviting Zitka to follow l him. She gathered her rags more closely about her and stepped across the thfeshold, at which Meiser Hans gave a very satisfied croak and hopped
 along. The moon saone brightly on the bare brown fields si1xered with
 white frost. and in the still, cold air the distant forest stood like a black cloud just dropped upon the earth.
 At las they found themselves at the foot of a high, round h1ll Out of one side of this-great mound ran a pure, bubbling spring, and over its waters hung an old oak tree.
 The Little Old Woman of the Hill. Right at the foot of this tree was an upright gray stone. Meister Hans pausel, and, looking hard at Zitka, l deliberately picked up an acorn, and, hopping to the side of the little gray 1 ely basin, dropped his mouthful into l the fountain, and returned to the flat stone, where Zitka, stood wondering l much what was to follow.
 Presently the jackdaw approached l the stone and knocked upon it three i times. No sound replied, but the rock l opened in the middle and there stood l a little old woman as withered as a I spring apple and as bright as a butter l fly, dressed in a scarlet bodice covered l with spangIes, and a black petticoat 1 worked in square characters with all l the coIors of the rainbow. She made a | low bow to the bird and zitka, and in
 a shrin, eager voice invited them to
 come in.
 A draught of warm air and a de-
 licious smell of food made zitka for
 get her fear. Opening a, low door in
 the side of the cavern the old woman
 beckoned her companions to follow.
 In a still larger vault were a hundred
 little creatures, smaller than she, busy
 running to and fro with long ladies
 with which they stirred kettles o1
 smoking broth; others made crisr salads and sliced fresh vegetables
 while some tugged and strained al
 turning a huge spit before a great fire ! at the end of the cavern, on whicf were roasting delicious ducks ant geese
 A Feast For the Children at Home AS Meister Hans. hopped gravel, past all this. the little old woman paused and said to zitka: '.chtld | thou hast always been so good ant sweet and helpful to thy little broth