Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-06-22
The Road Up the
Hill

GeTNd1ue.
II don't want to climb that hill. 1t
is as high as mountain said little
Gervaine.
but the Duke has given his orders
and you must obey" said the knight,
handing the letter with its huge red
seal to Gervaine.
So Gervaine begged basket Of
luncheon of the castle cook and pulled
his cape tightly about his shoulders,
for it was cold day. Then he went
out the castle gate and started in the
direction of the Kings palace, whose
turrets shone so brightly in the sun.
shine at the top of the high, high hill.
Indeed it was high hill. Tall trees
like great giants stood on either side
of the road and in the path were bould-
ers that looked like crouching trolls.
The pebbles We're hard beneath Ger
vaine's feet, and at every step the road
grew sleeper. :.
81 shall never, never reach the top
he complained. "My feet are sore al.
ready and my back aches" But just
then he saw a little striped chipmunk
running along in the path ahead OF
him. The chipmunk had little wild
plum in his paws. and because he was
afraid that Gervaine was the kind OF
little boy who would chase him and
try to hurt him, he made great haste
and dropped his wild plum. 1t rolled
to the side of the road and he went on
without it.
"Wait minute, Master Chipmunk!
Here is your plum. Oh, please do not
run so fast" called Gervaine.
But the faster Gervaine ran and the
more loudly he called, the faster did
the chipmunk run. Over the hard
stones, past brambles and briers and
on and on they went. At last the chip.
hunks little legs were tired and he
crawled into a hole at the foot Of a
tree, looking out at Gervaine with two
wee black eyes.
you wild, shy little thing" laughed
Gervaine. Il couldn't hurt you if
wished, because I am the Kings page
and can hurt no dumb beast. See, here
Is your plum He laid it down safe
distance from the tree and watched as
the chipmunk came cautiously out and
picked it up. Then Gervaine looked
up.
He was one-quarter Of the long way
up the hill!
Just beyond a bend in the road,
where there was fiat place and
herd boy pastured his goats, Gervaine
heard a cry. The flock was gone, but
caught in the bushes was little kid.
1t had lost its way; 1t could not find
its mother.
Gervaine took the frightened little
creature in his arms and covered it
over with his coat, for it was growing
late in the day and the woods wera
chill with frost.
Don't cry" said Gervaine: per
haps your mother is just little way
ahead and waiting for you. l know she
is, for here are the footprints OF the
flock in the ground
1t was as pleasant as the game of
that Gervaine and
the other little pages played in the
castle courtyard, to follow the foot
prints Of the flock Soon Gervaine
overlook them. There at the end
struggled the mother goat, longing for
her little one. Gervaine set down the
happy kid.
Oh, he was now half way up the hill!
The goat herder was little boy of
Gervaine's age.
will you walk way with me?' he
asked. II can show you where the
gentian grows, but we will not pick
it for then 1t would not bloom SO
pretty next year"
So Gervaine walked beside the goat
herder, and they sat down to rest be-
side the beautiful blue gentian, and
Gervaine gave almost all his luncheon
to the little herd boy, who had not
eaten since morning. He had been
picking up fagots for his mothers fire
and the bundle was very heavy.
81 will carry the fagots for you
Gervaine said, singing them across
his back.
He carried them as far as the little
brown hut where the herd boy lived
and had drink Of warm. sweet goats
milk. Then he started on alone.
He was three-quarters of the way
up the hill!
a am afraid of the dark! ! don't
dare go home.'' he heard a voice say.
Gervaine started and listened. 1t
was little girl. her long. brown braids
caught back with gold bands and her
embroidered silk gown torn by the
bushes and draggled in the dirt.
who are you?" asked Gervaine.
81 am Rosamond, who lives at the
top of the HILL" the child sobbed. 81
followed butterfly out of the garden
when no one saw me. It flew up to the
sky and now ! cannot find my way
back"
Come with me-" said Gervaine. TAX
ing her hand and hurrying en-. II am
not afraid. See. the evening star is up,
and there are lights just ahead of us.
Oh, they had reached the top of the
hill,
There was great excitement at the
palace gate. A shout arose as the two.
Gervaine and Rosamond entered.
Here is the little lost Rosamond,
our Princess Rosamond."
The king himself came out and smil-
ed at Gervaine as he read the letter.
"One of my most faithful pages
whom send to you to be your squire
it read
"You brought my little strayed
daughter safely home, Was il a long