Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-09-25
A Wonderful Penny :
Maggie Watts School
Composition

Dear Juniors:
l am an old Junior ana thought I
would write school composition about
a wonderful penny
A new gold guinea and copper
penny from fresh mint. lay side by side
on the counter of bank. The proud
gold guinea said to the copper penny:
Get out Of my way; you arc made OK
brown copper only and am shining
gold. Nobody will care as much for you.
But when go into tho world every
body will want me-"
So one day an old miser came into
the bank and the gold guinea was paid
out to him. He put it in little bag and
hid it away. He carried 1t homo and
put it into a chest in the cellar. He
was afriad it was not safe there, 10 he
took it out and buried it in the earth.
After a while the banker saw little
boy help a poor woman who had fallen
down. He opened the door and calling
| the boy. gave him the new penny,
which he carried home. He told his lit
tie sister how he had got it. She was
so we'll pleased with it that he gave 1t
to her. She ran out into the garden TO
show it to her mamma.
An old lame beggar came along and
she gave 1t to him and told how she
got it. He walked on down to the bak-
er's shop and was going to buy roll,
when an old man came up with pill
grim's staff in his hand. The pilgrim
was selling pictures Of the city of Je-
| rusalem in order to get money to ran
som his brother who had been taken
| prisoner by the Turks. The lame beg
gar gave him the bright penny and told
him the story the little girl had told
him. The baker saw the kind act of
| the beggar and gave him moro rolls
than the coin would have bought. The
| pilgrim set out for Constantinople and
as soon as he arrived at that city he
went to the Turkish governor and Of
fered him all the money he had gather
ed for his brothers freedom The gov:
ernor wanted more money and would
not let his brother go. The pilgrim
| said "This is all that have except one
{ copper penny and he told the story
about it. The governor asked to see the
| coin that had done so many good &C
tions. II will keep it," he said, land
wear It next to my heart" Then he
gave the pilgrim all the rest Of his
money and let his brother 60. Soon
afterward the Turkish governor took
part in the war. An arrow struck him
on the breast but glanced off without
hurting him. It had be- n turned aside
bv the coin. He owed his life to the
penny.
When the war was over the governor
went to his master, the emperor. They
talked together The governor told how
the penny had saved him from death
He showed the coin and told the
strange story. The governor noting his
masters interest gave him the penny
The emperor fastened it with a gold
| chain to the hilt Of his favorite sword
|! One day shortly after 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
it had become green in color. Some
one had mixed poison with the drink
The ~Anny had warned the emperor
and his life was saved.
Then the emperor had the penny put
in his crown among the diamonds and
other Jewels which adorned 1t.
To the great ruler the penny seemed
the brightest gem of all. for when he
looked at 1t he was reminded Of the
good deeds it had done. SO you see 1t
was not the gold guinea but, the cop
per penny that was set at last in q
royal crown.
Maggie Watts,
Ottumwa, Ia, r. No. 7.