Year: 1873

oOolu anu lOuSlnS, anu get some
thing beside for the journey homer
The landlord had no objection to


make to this proposal, as he had just


had his morning draught, and was II


the best of humor.


Somehow the beer-tapping pro.


gressed but slowly. Then came bot


ting the wine, and when the cask


was empty and the bottles full, then


the girl thought she could help in


the field work, and when that was


done there were so many things tc


be done in the garden that no one


ever thought of before. So week


after week slipped by and every


night she dreamt of him. In the ev-


enings she sat with him in the arbo1


by the house, and when he told heI


how roughly strangers had treated


him, and what hardships he had


gone through, it was really Y very sin


gular, but gnat or hair was sure
to get into her eyes, so that she was
obliged to wipe them with the corner
of her apron.


And so it came to pass that at the


end OF the year the young man was


still in the house. And the floors
were still secured, and white sand
and fir twigs strewn in all the rooms,
and the whole village had holiday.
1t was the wedding day of the young
journey man to the innkeeper s
daughter; and everybody reioiced at
it except just the few who skulked
because they were jealous or pre-
tended to be so. =


Not long after, the landlord of the
Crown Inn was decidedly once more
in a happy frame of mind. He had
been eating and drinking to his
hearts content, and sat in his arm
chair with his snugbox on his knee.
Long he slept; and at last when
they tried to wake him, they found
he was dead


So the young journeyman became
really landlord of the Crown Inn, as
he said he would in joke. And, in
deed, all that he had dreamt under
the beech tree came true, for soon he
had two lovely children, one of
whom he probably took sometimes
on his knees, and fed with a spoon,
and possibly blew upon the food
when it was too hot. Perhaps, too,
the other bay ran about the room
with the carrot; but the person who
told me this tale, did not happen to
mention the fact, and forgot to ask
him about it. But it must have hap
pened so, because whatever one
dreamt under the beech tree always
did come Crue, to the very letter.


One day about five years later, the
young landlord, for such he now was,
had come in, and was sitting in the
tap-roOm, when his wife ran in and
said to him


''Only fancy! yesterday at noon
one of our mowers fell asleep under
the Dreaming Beech, without know
ing it, and what do you think he
1reamt! Why, that he was i'm
mensely rich! and only think who
it was-Caspar, old Caspar, who is
half witted, and everybody pities and
keeps only for charity. What on
earth will he do with all his money!"


"Wife," laughed the husband,
'how can you believe such rubbish?
You, sensible woman! just re-
1ect for one moment. How is it
possible q tree can foretell the future
let it be ever such an old and
beautiful tree?"


The wife gazed at her husband
With wondering eyes, shook her
head, and said slowly:


Husband, don't speak so wicked
y! You ought not to joke on such
'ubjectsr'


81 am not joking, my y.-dear," re-
)iled the husband.


For time the woman was silent,
IS if she had not rightly understood
him. Then she said:


'Why pretend what you do not
mean? Surely, you, of all others,
lave most reason to be grateful to
he tree. Hasn't all you dreamt
lnder it come truep


"God knows" replied the husband |
When she had finished speaking
God knows l am grateful, grateful
o Him and to you. Yes, it was
. beautiful dream, and 1 remember
like yesterday; but everything is
thousand times better than I
Ireamt it, and you love, a thousand
lines prettier and dearer than the
'oung woman who appeared in my
Iream. But as regards the tree, my
larling, this is ny opinion: If a man
owes dancing, he will soon find the
music to dance to, and echo repeats
he words that are spoken to her. I
lad been so many years wretched
md miserable amongst strangers, it
vas no wonder if once in a way 1
lreamt pleasant dream.


"But still it was strange that you
ihould dream that you were to mar
y me-"


81 never dreamt that All | saw
vas a young woman, with two
bnt she was not half so
pretty as you are, or the children
.Ither."


"Fiem cried the wife; "do you
mean to deny me or the tree? Didn't
you tell me the first day we net? 1t
vas in the evening, out there in the
.rbor Didn't you tell me you had
lreamt you were to marry me and
become the landlord of the Crown
Inn"


Then the man remembered the
oke he had played his wife, and
said:


"It can't be helped, dear wife. /
lid not really dream of you, and if
said so, it was only q joke. | re-
you were so very inqaisi-
live, and 1 wanted to tease you"


Upon this, his wife burst into a
food of tears and left the room.
when he followed her, she was stand