Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1914-04-02
OLAF AND THE COLLINS.

| If you will look on the map of Nor
| way or il you are not Old enough If
you will get mother TO point il out.
| about midway of the width of the
country and just where the map begins
to grow narrow toward the north you
| Will find the name l'rolldmJyMl, " me-.
| spelled very hard but which is pro-
nounced very easily, being very much
as il it We're spelled in English Iron
! yam.
Well, just a little way from that
town was where Olaf Anderson lived.
Olaf was an orphan boy who had been
left i'm the care of an uncle. who was
not Very kind to him and who made
him work very hard early in the
morning until late at night
| Much of the time Olaf had to work in
the woods. where he helped the men
cutting down trees and sometimes he
had To swing u heavy axe, for wood
\ cutters We're very scarce and work was
SO hard
| Ore day, while he was cutting tree.
| he heard a voice say, Look out or you
| Will cut my head off" and when he
| looked there was the queerest looking
| little goblin man who had been asleep
| ON the other side of the tree and had
| only awakened when Olaf went around
| to chop on that side. Olaf was II little
| frightened at first, for he had never
seen goblin before. but when he
thought how much larger he was than
the goblin, he decided there was Moth
Ing to be frightened at, and stopping
down, he picked the goblin up an be-
gan to talk to him.
so you We're asleep, We're you?" he
said to the goblin
Yes said the goblin, u was just
returning from trip to the top of the
mountain, and being very tired sat
down to rest a moment and fell asleep.
What time is it?'' and then before Olaf
could answer the goblin looked at the
sun and said lit must be about noon,
and must hurry with the giants
message
Have you been to see the giant?"
asked Olaf
Yes, indeed" said the goblin, the
biggest giant in all this country
How big is he?" asked Olaf. LAS
big as amp"
ooh. yes; much larger than you and
much stronger too, L am sure"
why did you go to see him?"
because he is Il very wicked giant,
ard | want to see If he could not be
made good. We COLLINS have some
times changed bad giants into good
giants and this is one so bad that we
are particularly anxious to change
him
Now perhaps l can help you." said
Olaf. for / know all the command
merits and could teach them to the
giant. and after he had learned them
why, perhaps he would do BETTER
What are the commandments? ?"
asked the goblin for he had never been
to Sunday school and so knew nothing
about them.
Olaf told him all about the command
ment and then recited them all to the
goblin. who listened attentively until
Olaf had finished.
ANY giant who obeyed all of those
would be good giant" said the COB
lin, and | wish he could be taught
Could you go up the mountain and
teach them to him."
Il couldn't dare leave my work, = said
Olaf, for If / did my uncle would be
very angry and would send me to bed
without supper"
"Oh; we will look out for your work"
said the goblin. ''if You will go" And
q. queer whistle, and in Il few minutes
Olaf saw COLLINS coming from every
direction. There We're hundreds of
them. and when they gathered around
the first goblin got UP on Olaf's
shoulders and told the rest that If they
would do Olaf's work he would go up
IN the mountains and teach the giant
to be good.
Everyone of the goblns was willing
to work and they began at once to cut
down the trees. Olaf could not see
that they had any axes, but neverthe-
than he had ever cut them, and pretty
soon he started on his way up the
mountain.
When he got to the top he found the
giant was not giant at all. but very
large man who had built him a hut on
the top of the mountain and who often
went down in the valley and helped
himself without asking to whatever he
could find that he wanted.
Olaf said. "How do you do?' to the
man and then asked him why he lived
so far up the mountains and why he
| did not work and earn his living. The
| man told him that he could find Moth
| ing to do. ana that he had to steal to
| get things to eat.
"Oh, no. said Olaf, you need not do
| that, for II you can chop trees l can
| get you Il chance to earn enough money
| to buy food and clothes and put some
| thing in the bank" The man listened
while Olaf talked to him and told him
| how wicked 1t was to steal, and then
said: II would like very much to
| earn an honest living, and If you will
| find me Il place i will go to work.
Come with me- said Olaf, and they
both started down the mountains.
| When the COLLINS SAW them coming
they did not know what to make of it
and all of them started to run, but
Olaf called them back. 1.-The giant"
tla said lis going to be good. He is
Igeing to work here in the woods and
earn his living and will not steal or