Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-05-15
The Magic Ring
(Translated from the Germany
BY Julia s. Visher.

minute stronger. NOW IL cdHeu oo.'
Take the ring for your thanks FOR set,
ting me free; but remember that it will
give you one wish and no more. So
be careful what you WISH
The eagle then spread Its wings and
flew toward tho sun.
The peasant started for home with
joyful heart He must tell his wife OF
their good fortune and decide what to
WISH Now their hard times were surely
over.
The forest in which he had cut the
tree was far from home, so that night
overlook him in strange village. He
saw goldsmith's shop with case OF
rings in the window. and thought he
would ask the worth Of his.
Only a trifle," said the goldsmith.
II have much finer rings here" but the
peasant foolishly boasted that his ring
was worth more than them all, for his
was magic ring.
The goldsmith told the peasant that
he ought not to go to the inn with so
valuable ring but would do much bet
ter To spend the night with him. He
furnished the best of supplies and fine
red wine. all of which the peasant
thought was very kind.
But the goldsmith was rogue. When
the peasant slept, he took off the magic
ring and put on a common ring so
much like it that the difference could
not be noticed.
In the morning he woke the peasant
early. telling him as he had yet long
walk before him it would be well to
start early. To this the peasant agreed
for he was eager to reach home with
his treasure.
When the goldsmith had seen the
/ traveller out of sight, he told his serv
ants that he must not be interrupted in
some work he had to do, and went to
his room and locked himself in. Then
he stood in the middle of the room,
turned the ring three times around on
his finger, and called. Il wish for one
hundred thousand dollars"
He had scarcely spoken the words
when it began to rain dollars, hard
silver coins that struck him on the head
and shoulders and arms
He began to scream. hurried to I'M
lock the door Before he could do this
he tumbled, bruised and sore, upon the
floor
1t still rained hard silver dollars.
never stopping until one hundred
fthousand had fallen. Before that num-
money was SO great that the floor
broke through into deep cellar, where
the servants Of the rogue later found
him under the heaps Of money.
So his heirs came from afar and d.
I vided the money, and that was the end
Of the wish on the stolen magic ring
|, Meanwhile the peasant and his wife
were talking over what they should
wish. She agreed that they must be
very careful, but finally suggested
wishing for piece Of land which join
ed their own.
+ 1--WE have too little land. but that
w doc. a nil wit 0>o
us enough
Very true" said her husband. "but
why should we not work hard and save
this year and buy that piece? Then we
should still have our wish left"
This they did, and had piece Of
gold left over when it was paid for
Then the woman thought that with so
much land COW and horse would be
all they needed.
why not wish for COW and a
horse?"
them as we did the land, and save our
wish for something we cannot earn for
ourselves"
They often talked of what they
should wish. but the horse and the COW
were soon theirs by reason of their
working and saving. This pleased the
peasant greatly, but his wife said at
last
| Il don't know what to make of you.
| You used to be disconnected and COM
plain. Now, when you can have what
ever you wish, everything is all right
| as it is, you think. You might be king
or an emperor, you might have a
| trunkful Of money; but you have moth
ing because you cannot make up your
| mind"
He answered her quite sternly:
Stop your everlasting urging and teas
ing. We are both young and life is
long. One wish only is in the ring and
that is soon done. Who knows when a
time will come when we really need
the wish? Since we have had the ring
have we not prospered as we'll as any
one could wish? Be sensible"
There the matter ended. True, now
and then the ring was spoken of, but as
each year the granaries and barns
were better filled they were both con-
tended to wait little longer.
After long profession of years the
poor peasant had become a we'll to do
farmer, directin~ men who worked for
him
AS he sat before his house door, COM
Portable and happy, in the evening hour
the people who passed all said Good
evening" to him, as to one worthy of
respect.
If the wife ever reminded her hus
band of the wish still remaining in the
ring, he would say. 1T is good to keep
the best to the last; what more do we
need?"
Thirty, forty years went by. The
farmer and his wife had heads as white
as snow, for they We're old
Then in the same night God gave to
them great kindness, for they died to-
gether
Children and grandchildren stood
beside the collins, weeping.
One Of them wished to draw the ring
from the old mans finger to keep it as
momento, but the eldest son said
Let father take his ring with him
into the grave. He has worn it for a
lifetime, and it seems natural that he
should wear it STILL 1t is no doubt a
keepsake. Mother often looked at it,
and conclude that she gave it to faith
er when they were young"
SO that which should have been
wishing ring and was not was buried
will &c aOin ri 1 vat +, Il