Year: 1867

In the early part of the sixteenth century, cher
ries were very rare in Germany There had been
rot, and it was with the utmost difficulty that
any could be preserved. But citizen OF Ham.
burg, named Wolf had in the middle Of town q
walled garden, and in the garden he had gathered
the rarest of cherry trees, and by constant watch
fulness he had kept away the disease from bis fruit
and those in great abundance, bearing the juciest
of cherries. All who wished cherries must 60 ia
him for them, and he sold them at the highest
prices, SO that every season he reaped great har
vest of gold from his cherries. Far and near,
Wolf cherry trees were known, and be grew rich
er and more famous.
One season when his cherry trees were in bios
som, and giving promise of an abundant crop, o
war broke out in the North of Germany, in which
Hamburg was invaded. The city was besieged,
and 50 surrounded by the enemy that no help could
reach it. Slowly they consumed the provisions
that were garnered, the famine was staring them
in the face nor did they dare yield to the enemy,
for in those days there was little mercy shown to
the conquered, and while any hope remained the
people held out, making vain salies into the ene
mys camp, and growing weaker daily, as less and
less food remained to them


| Meanwhile, the enemy grew more fierce with
out. The heat was intense, and had dried up the
brooks and springs in all the countryabout so that
the besiegers were becoming wild with thirst; il
made them more savage, and the Commanding
General would listen to no terms, but swore to de-
stroy the city, and to put all the inhabitants, SOL
diers and old men, women and Children to the
sword.


But would it not be better thus to be killed out
right than to suffer the slow death Of famine 2
Wolf thought of these things as he returned one
day to his garden in the midst Of the city, after
week of fighting with the enemy. In his absence,
the cherries had ripened fast in the hot SUN, and
were now superb fairly bursting with the red juice
and making ones mouth water at the sight


A sudden thought came into his head as he look,
ed at his cherries, and a hope sprang up that he
might yet save bis fellow,townsmen There was
not moment to lose, for twenty-four hours more
of suffering would make the town delirious. He
brought together all the children of the town, to
the number of three hundred, and had them dres-
sed wholly in white. In those days, and in that
country, the funeral professions were thus dres-
sed. He brought them each into his orchard, and
loaded each with branch, heavy with rich, juicy
cherries, and marshalling them, sent them out Of
the city, feeble procession, to the camp Of the
enemy. The dying men and women filled the
streets as the whiterobed children passed through
the gates and out into the country.


The besieging General saw the procession draw
ing near, concealed by the boughs they were carry
ing, and he suspected some stratagem, as if it were
Birham Wood coming to Dunsinane. Then he
was told that they were the children of Hamburg,
who had heard that he and his army we're suffer
ing of thirst and were bringing luscious cherries
to quench it. Thereat he was very angry, for he
was of cruel and violent nature, and said that
they had come to mock him, and he would surely
have them put to death before his eyes, even as he
had sworn he would do to all the people of the
city:


But when the procession came before him, and
he saw the poor children, so thin so pale so worn
out with hunger the roug b man heart was touch
ed; spring of fatherly love that had been long
choked up in him, broke forth he was filled with
pity and tears came into his eyes, and what the
warriors of the town could not do the peaceful
children in white did-they -vanquished the hard
heart. That evening the little cherry bearers re-
turned to the city, and with them went great pro-
cession of carts filled with provisions for the star
wing people; and the very next day treaty Of
peace was signed.


In memory of this event, the people Of Ham
burg still keep every year, festival called the
Feast of Cherries when the children Of the city,
clad in white garments, march through the streets,
holding green boughs, to which the people coming
out of their houses hasten to tie punches OF cher
ries; only now the children are chubby and merry,
and they eat the cherries themselves. es.-Rtuers'de
Magazine for Young Peopttor March.


Ul.I l-... So.