Year: 1875

A young farmer, whose farming
did not prosper particular well, was
sitting resting on his plow for a mo-
ment, as he wiped his brow, when an
old witch crept up to him an said:


"Why do you toll so hard and for
nothing? Walk straight before you
for two days, and you will come to a
large fir tree, which stands alone,
towering above all the other trees in
the forest. If you can but fell it,
Your fortune is made"


The farmer did not wait to be told
twice, but taking his AK on his shout
der, started on his way. After walk
ing two days, he came to the fir tree,
and Immediately set to work to fell
it. Soon it toppled and fell to the
earth, when from the top branches
dropped a nest containing two eggs.
The eggs rolled on the ground and
broke; as they broke, forth came a
young eaglet from one, and a small
golden ring from the other. The
eaglet grew visibly, till it reached
half the height of a man, shook its
wings, as if to try them, raised itself
from the ground, and then cried:


"You have released me. AS a to
ken of my gratitude, take the ring
the other egg contains; it is a wish
ing-ring. Turn it on your finger,
speak your wish aloud, and it will
Immediately be granted. But the
ring has only one wish; when that
is accomplished, it will lose all power
and become no more than any other
ring. Therefore reflect well on what
you wish for, so that you may moi
have cause to repent afterward."


Having so spoken, the eagle rose
high into the air, swept for some
time in wide circles oyer the farmer S
head, and then, like an arrow, shot
swiftly toward the east. The farmer
took the ring, put it on his finger
and started homeward. Toward even
ing he reached the town. At the
door of his shop goldsmith stood
who had many valuable rings fol
sale. The farmer showed him his
ring, and asked him what was about
the value of it,


"Mere trumpery," answered the
goldsmith.


The farmer laughed heartily, tell
ing him it was wishing ring, and O
more value than all the rings in his
shop put together. Now the gold
smith was Il false, designing man, 81
he invited the farmer to stop al
night at his house, saying:


at must bring me good luck to en-
tertain a man who is the possessOr o
such a precious jewel, so pray remain
with me"


He accordingly entertained hin
we'll with plenty of wise and civi
words, but when he went to bed a
night he drew the ring stealthil,
from his finger, and put on it instea'
a common ring quite like it in ap
pearance. He woke him in the earl,
dawn, saying:


a.You have so far to go you hat
better start early"


As soon as the farmer was well o.
his journey, the goldsmith went int
his room, and having shut the shut
ters that no one might see, he bolt
ed himself in, and standing in tn
middle of the room, and turning tn
ring on his finger, exclaimed:


II wish to have a hundred thou
sand silver crowns immediately!
Hardly were the words spoke
when bright five shilling pieces be
gan to rain down from the ceiling
shining silver crowns poured down s
fast and hard that at last they bega
to beat him numerically about tn
head and shoulders and arms. Cal
ing piteously for help, he tried t


rush to the door, but before he coul


reach it and unbolt it he fell bleed
ing to the ground. Still the rain
silver crowns did not cease, and 500
under the weight of it, the floorin
gave way, and the unfortunate gold


smith and his money fell down int


deep cellar. And still it rained o


till the hundred thousand silvt
!. crowns were completed, and then I'll


goldsmith lay dead in his cellar, wit
: the mass of money upon him. A
tracted at last by the noise, til
) neighbors rushed to the spot, and Q


finding the goldsmith dead under h


money, exclaimed:


"It really is q great misfCrtur