Year: 1873

been very pleasant dream, for his
whole face beamed, in his sleep, with
happiness.


When he awoke it was almost evening,
and before him stood shepherd, smok-
ing. He sprang up from the ground
much refreshed stretched himself, and
yawned, saying


"Heavens if it we're only true but,
at all events, it was pleasant to know
how it would all feel p


Then the shepherd came up and asked
him whence he came and whittier he was
going, and whether he ever heard of
the wonderful beech?


Having learnt he was as innocent
about it as a newborn babe, he ex
claimed:


"Wen, you're lucky dog! For any
one could read in your face you were
dreaming something pleasant. 1 was
looking at you for long time, as you
lay there" And he told him the pecu-
liar virtue of the tree. Its sure to
come true" he added, Gas certain as
that this is sheep and that lamb.
Ask the people in the village if it is not
so. Now just tell me what who dreamt. "


cold fellow answered the young
man, grinning, " that's the way, is it,
YOU question strangers in these parts :?
[ mean to keep my beautiful dream to
myself, and you can't be surprised at
that. But for all that nothing will come
of it :" and he really believed what he
was saying, for as he walked toward the
village, he murmured to himself, "Stuf
and nonsense old wives tales
should like to know how tree could
come by such power p


As he came into the village he saw
stuck out from the roof of the third
house long pole with a golden crown
dangling from it. And below, at the
door, stood the landlord of the Grown
Inn He happened just then to be in
good humor, for he had very good
supper, and was feeling, in consequence,
quite happy and genial. So the young
laborer pulled off his cap, and asked for
a nights shelter. The landlord of the
Grown looked at the smart lad, in his
dusty, ragged clothes, from to top to
toe, and then, kindly nodding, said to
him:


"Sit down here in this arbor I dare
say there's bit of bread and cheese and
Jug of beer to spare for We, and truss
of straw in the loft at night"


Whereupon he went into the house,
and sent out his daughter with the bread
and cheese and beer, and she sat down
beside the young man and asked him to
tell her of the foreign lands, and in re-
turn told him all the village gossip, and
how the corn stood, and when the next
dance at the Crown would be.


Suddenly she rose, leaned toward the
stranger, and said:


'' Pray tell me what those three leaves
are, sticking out of your waistcoat ?"


The young man looked down and
found the twig, with the three leaves,
which had fallen upon him while he
slept. It was caught in the flap of his
waistcoat.


1T must have fallen from the great
beech tree just outside the village" he
replied 81 had a nap under it. -


The girl listened attentively, waiting
to hear what he would say next. When
ne had ceased speaking she began to
question him narrowly, till she had as
certained beyond doubt that he had
really fallen asleep under the great beech
tree, and that, moreover, he knew moth
ing of the wonderful power and proper
ties attached to the tree. For he was
sly dog, and pretended to know nothing.


As soon as she had done questioning,
she went and drew him another Jug of
beer, and pressed him to drink, telling
him all the lovely things she had herself
dreamt, and what pity it was they had
never come true.


Just then the shepherd came from the
Ho11 cl,
village.


As he passed the Crown Inn, he saw
the two sitting in the arbor in earnest
converse, and he stood still a moment,
and said:


"Ah, yes, he'll be sure to tell you the
beautiful dream, though I can get moth
ing out of him. And then he drove on
his sheep.


When the girl found, do what she
would, she could not learn anything
about the dream, her curiosity knew no
bounds, and at last she could control
herself no longer, and asked him out
right what he had dreamt while sleeping
under the beech.


Then the young man, who was mis-
chievous rogue, and in very high spirits
about his pleasant dream, with sly
look and wink, said:


"Ah! had most glorious dream,
which must come true j; but l dare not
tell you what it was.'


But she worried and teased him so
that at last he drew his chair toward her,
and told her quite gravely:


{" / dreamt should marry the daugh-
ter of the landlord of the Crown Inn,
and that after a bit I should become
landlord myself p


On hearing this the girl grew as white
as a lily and then as red as rose, and
got up and walked back into the house.
Then after some little time she came
again, and asked if he had really dreamt
it, and was quite in earnest


s'To be sure, to be sure, said he
" she who appeared to me in the dream
was most certainly just like you p


Then the girl went again into the
house, and did not return. She walked
straight to her own room and thoughts
flowed through her brain like water that