Year: 1868




them? Ono, could not bear to see them.
! And I stayed there with the shepherd, and
helped him watch his fiocks by night.


"And it happened that one day the
/ Queen passed over the mountains with all
her train. And she wanted to find little
blue flower, but none of them knew where
it grew. Now 1 had seen some grow
ing far below, on the face of
steep rock, and l let myself down
there, and picked good handful.
She liked me very much for doing this,
and took me to her own city; and as 1
pleased her well she gave me first money,
next rich presents, and next fine house,
where / made grand parties, and we had
music and dancing, and very gay times


"' But what do you think? The Hand
came back! Or seemed to come back
And wrote that same word! Wrote it on
the green of the grass, wrote it on the
blue of the sky and on the darkness of
the night, wrote it on my forehead, and
looked In the looking glass very often to
see if the word showed there. For
thought people could read it. Even in my
dreams it was just the same. For then
the good Baron himself would seem to
stand before me, and hold out a paper,
with that word written on it; or else my
little girl that died would seem to hold it
out to me, and look so mournful!


"'And something else came. A whis-
pering. A low, whispering voice at my
ear Only one word, but it was that same
word l seemed to hear it everywhere
In the streets heard it, and turned quick
to see who was whispering But no one
was there. In the midst of the music and
dancing, and in the still hours Of the
l ,,,ohf II hoarJ 30 Il
But still | would not take the things and
carry them back to the Baron. l shall
feel better soon, | said. But did not feel
better.


"And now what do you think? Shall
tell you what is in this basket? All those
golden things are here. One night when
could not sleep said to myself, l will
set off by the early morning light,
and l will go to that low, secret
valley, and l will dig up those
golden presents, and return them to
their owner And from the very moment
that said this to myself never saw the
hand nor heard the whispering!


"'And now the castle stands before me.
But cannot, 0, cannot meet the eye of
that old man. Do you know why I have
brought you here, and told you this story?
To ask you to give these into the BarOn's
own hands, and say to him that will re-
main until to morrow night at the "White
Horse" where the officers may find me-


Early in the next morning Valentine
arrived at the castle, and began walking
about the grounds to see what he could
see.


"And the first thing he saw was little
spring of water bubbliDg up, and he drop
ped his basket, and stepped down to take
! drink


"And while he lay there fat on the
grass, sucking in the clear cold water
there came along the stiff looking steward
of the castle, all dressed out in gold lace
and ruffles. He touched the basket with
his silver-pointed cane, and, when he
found it was very heavy, thought he
would just peep to see what there was in
side.


"Just as he was doing this, Valentine
lifted up his head to catch long breath
and saw somebody meddling with his bas
: ket.


"Don't NEEDLE with that, sir = he cried
out.


"'Tndeed shall meddle with that, sir
, the stiff steward said. For he had fount
all those golden things, marked with the
, names of the family. And when Valen
tine began to tell where he got them, anC
what he was going to do with them, h,
; laughed at him, and said, Hush up will


your silly story! Do you think anybody
will believe tbat?' Then he searched him
and took away his bag of gold pieces, ant
> the letter marked Private, and thel
shut him up in cell.


but when the Baron came heme h
!, said, Let me look him in the face ca,
L tell by his face whether he speaks true o


false And wher he had looked him il
Z the face, and heard his story, he believed


every word of it, and gave back the gol,
!. pieces and the square letter.
"Then send to the "White Horse,
and catch the theft cried the stii
; steward.


"But the Baron said, No. That man
- thoughts are the worst punishment he ca
). have
"And when he saw that the lad was
I smart, likely lad, he offered to employ him
but Valentine said he must go to find tn


Great Governor Joriando.'
e "Then a merchant stepped forward
it who had journeyei from far country
passed the Great Governor Joriando wit
g troop of soldiers, and they were march
y ing In haste to the Kings Palace. An


also that the King and his armies wer
q gone to the wars.


u but keep the letter., said the Barol


1t may be of use to you
"' Yes, keep the letter to the Great Jor
q ando, by all means said the merchan
N And he went away.


'r $50 Valentine remained with the Barol


and served him very long time, an
g saved great deal of money.
p "And one day as he was sitting all alon
" in a shady lane, playing on his jews-har]


he looked through the trees and saw a co
W tage where lovely girl sat in the doc
e. way, weeping. And he went to find OF
n. the reason. The name of this girl ws
TO Pauline. She was weeping because I'll
IL goats mad gone astray. For they WEI
nt her uncle's goats, and he would be angr
IN with her for their going astray.


Nov Valentine was always ready
ID do favors; so he ran quickly to find Il
y, goats, and drove them home. And IL
le lovely young girl smiled very sweet
is through her tears.


n, "And not long after he walked throug
ID the shady lane again, and found the low


ly girl sitting in the doorway, weeping f
t. her only brother, who had Joined bar
,g of rovers, and gone rowing away.
ry 4" Do not weep said Valentine. Il
at will soon come back, and will have mar
ed fine tales to tell And then he related
W her many things he had seen in his ow
at travels.


"a "Apd it happened that every day aft
ch this he walked in the shady lane, ar
ne every day he saw the lovely girl, and evel
ht day she smiled upon him and thew talkt