The Hattiesburg news., 1915-10-16
BEDTIMESTORIES
FOR LITTLE
FOLKS
rhg sRIcHT TIN PAIL.

Once upon time there lived an
old man and his wife. They had
worked hard for rich man when
they had been younger. but now that
they were old the rich man did not
want them any longer, and, giving
them a COW that did not give much
milk and small sum of money he
told them to shift for themselves and
not to bother him asking for work
any more.
So the man and his old wife went
to their little house with the COW and
lived on the little money the rich man
had given them. but there came day
when their money was nearly gone.
Take the money and go to town"
said the old wife. "and buy with it our
lastmeal: the poor COW will no longer
give milk and we cannot feed her.
We will turn her loose, that she may
find a better home where she can be
fed"
So the old man started for market,
but on the way he met a tin peddler
who urged him to spend his money
for some OF his wares.
The old man said he could not
spend his money for anything but a
good meal for himself and his old
wife, as it was to be their last.
"Then." said the peddler, "you need
a bright tin pail to put your food in.
What will you put your milk in? You
cannot carry it in your hand"
The old man had not thought of
that, and he had not intended to buy
any milk but somehow he found the
pail in his hand, his money gone and
the peddler gone, too.
Now. what shall I do?" said the
man. Il have a bright tin pail, but
I have nothing to put in it, and what
will my poor wife say and what will
we do for our last meal?
What beautiful bright tin pail!"
said the old wife when the old man
reached home. But where is our last
meal? Surely, you did not forget
that!"
Then the old man told her how he
had not intended to buy the pail, but
that he had found 1t in his hand and
his money gone before he knew what
had happened. am
well, 1t is nice and bright" said
his wife. "Let me have 1t and will
get some berries and we will have
our last meal of those"
When the old wife began to pick the
berries. to her surprise the tin pail
filed with berries at once, SO that she
had enough for herself and her old
husband and some to sell besides.
With the money she got she bought
bread and meat, and instead of eat
Ing their last meal the old man and
his wife ate the first good meal they
had had in many day. The next
morning she saw the COW in the yard.
she had returned in the night.
Perhaps the poor creature had a
good meal somewhere and has re-
turned to be milked," said the old
wife; "go out, good man, and milk
her."
So the old man took the tin pail
and began to milk the COW, and no
sooner had he started than the pail
was full of rich milk.
| When they drank all they wanted
the old man sold the rest and bought
food for the COW, and the old woman
took the tin pail and went for berries
again.
And again the pail filled quickly
with such big berries that people paid
big prices for them and the old cou
pie soon had enough money to live on.
If they wanted anything they took
the pail, and without the least work
the pail filed with whatever they
most needed.
j When the rich man saw the poor
old people he had sent away were
prospering he wondered how it hap
pened and he began to watch them.
| One day he saw the old wife with
the pail picking berries and saw the
pail filling fast; another time he saw
l.
! the old man milking the COW, and at
once the rich milk filled the pail.
| 1T is the pail that has brought all
the luck to the old man and his