Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1914-06-04
The Tinker's Willow.

bench by the door, went over to learn
who it was.
He found little old man, with thick,
bushy eyebrows and bright blue eyes.
His clothes were made all of leather,
which creaked and ratified when he mov-
ed. BY his side was partly open pack,
in which grandfather could see curious
tools and sheets of shiny tin. BY that
he knew that the man was the travelling
tinker, who came once or twice year
to mend leakY pans and pals, and OF
whom he had heard his mother speak.
The old man was eating his luncheon
slice or two OF bread, bit OF cold meat,
and cold potato; and because il seemed
so poor luncheon, grandfather went back
to the house and brought two big apples
from the cellar. The old man thanked
him and ate the apples. Then he got up,
brushed the bread crumbs from his leather
breeches, and taking a little tin dipper
from his pack, went down to the brook
for drink of water. When he had had
his fill, he came back to the bench and
sat down.
"Now, my boy" he said, 1--WE will
make tree 10 grow here by the brook.
There ought 10 be one, for shade"
"Make a treep' cried grandfather.
elbow can we make a tree2 thought
only God made trees"
"True," said old man. "OnlY God
makes trees, but sometimes we can help
Him."
With that, he took from The bench at
his side astick that he had cut somewhere
by the road, and had been using for a
cane. 1t was slender and straight, and
grandfather noticed that the bark was
smooth and of a beautiful light green.
"Of this" said the old man, "we will
make a tree in which the birds OF the air
shall build their nests, and under which
the beasts OF the field shall find shelter.
and rest in the heat OF the day. But first
there shall be music, to please the spirits
OF the springtime. Take this stick down
to the brook, and wet il all over"
SO my grandfather took the stick and
did as the old man told him. When he
came back to the bench, the tinker had
large horn-handed knife open in his hand.
With the blade, which seemed very sharp,
he made single cut throogh the bark OF
the stick, about foot from one end, and
by holding the knife still, and Spinning
the stick slowly toward him in his fingers,
he carried the Cut all the way round.
Then, near the end, he cut deep notch,
and four or tive smaller notches in line
father down; and after that he laid the
stick across his knee, and turning it all
the while, began TO pound it gently with
the handle OF the knife.
When he had pounded long time, he
laid down the knife. and taking the stick
in both hands, gave ii little twist. AT
that, grandfather heard something pop,
and saw the bark slip from the end OF
the stick above the knife cut all whole
except for the notches, smooth, green
tube.
OF the part of the stick from which he
had slipped the bark, the old man cut
away more than half, and across the up
per end he made smooth, slanting cut.
Then he bade grandfather wet the stick
again, and when he had done it, he Slip
ped the bark back TO its place, and put
the end OF the stick in his mouth and be-
gan 10 blow; and out Of the holes that
he had cut, and which he stopped, one
after another with his fingers, came what
grandfather said was the sweetest music
he had ever heard-music like the voice
of a bird singing long way oft, or like
that Of tiny bell.
AS the old man played, he seemed to
forget all about my grandfather; but by
and by he laid down the whistle, and
smiled and said, "Come. Now we will
make the tree" And together the old
man and the boy walked down TO the
brook, and crossed over on some step
ping stones, to place where the ground
was soft and black and wet; and there,
while The boy held the stick straight, the
old man pushed it far down into the mud
until If stood firm and true, with the
whistle al the upper end OF it. And the
old man took off his hat, and bowing to
the stick, seemed TO my grandfather TO
make speech TO it.
Little brother" he said, "we leave
you here, where you will never be hun
cry or thirsty. You have made your mu
sic for us today, but when you have
grown tall and strong, One Who is great
er than shall play upon you with the
breath OF His mighty winds; and when
this little boy is older than am now, -
and here he put his hand on my grand
fathers head,-''hiS children's children
shall hear your music and be glad"
In little while after that, the old man
put on his pack and went away but my
grandfather could not forget him. and al
most every day he looked at the stick by
the brook. The whistle at the top be-
gan TO wither and dry up. and the loose
bark cracked open and fell away, until it
seemed as if the whole stick must be
dead; but one day my grandfather saw
that tiny bud had appeared below where
the whistle had been; and the bud be-
came little sprout, and the sprout a
shoot, and other shoots followed, until
the stick was indeed a little tree.
Through all the years that came after.
if grew taller and stronger, until "The
Tinker's Willow" was known as the
greatest tree in all the countryside, and
the birds did. indeed, build their nests
among the branches, and the cattle lay in