Year: 1873




wiped his brow, when an cd witch crept
up to him and said: ''Why do you toll so
hard, and all for nothingi Walk straight
before you for two days, and you will
come to large fir tree, which stands
alone, towering over all the other trees of
the forest. If you can but fell it your for
tune is made"


The farmer did not wait to be told
twice, but, taking his axe on his shoulder,
started on his way. After walking two
days, he came to the fir tree, and imme-
diately set to work to fell it. Soon it
toppled and crashed to the earth, when
from the top branches dropped nest
containing two eggs. The eggs rolled on
the ground and broke; as they broke,
forth came young eaglet from one, and
small golden ring from the othera The
eaglet grew visibly, till it reached half
the height of man, shook its wings, as
if to try them, raised itself from the
ground, and then cried You have re-
leased me /! As token of my gratitude,
take the ring the other egg contained-it
is q wishing ring. Turn it on your fin
ger, speak your wish aloud, and it will be
Immediately granted. But the ring has
only one wish; when that is accom-
plished, twill lose all power, and become
no more than any other ring. Therefore,
reflect well on what you wish for, so
that you may not have to repent after
ward"


Having so spoken, the eagle rose high
into the air, swept, for some time, il
wide circles over the farmers head, and
then, like an arrow from the bow, shot
swiftly toward the east. The farmer
took the ring, put it on his finger, and
started homeward. Toward evening he
reached town. At the door of his shop
a goldsmith stood, who had many valua-
BILE rings for sale. The farmer showed
him his ring, and asked him what was
about the value of it.


ssMere trumpery," answered the gold
smith. The farmer laughed heartily, tell
ing the man it was wishing ring, and of
more value than all the rings in the shop
put together. Now the goldsmith was
q false, designing man, SO he invited the
farmer to stay all night at his house, say
Jag: ut must bring one good luck to
entertain man who is the possessor of
such a precious jewel, so pray remain
with me-" He accordingly entertained
him well with plenty of wine and civil
words, but when he went to sleep at night
he drew his ring stealthily from his finger
and put on it instead common ring quite
like it in appearance. The next morning
the goldsmith could hardly wait with
any degree of patience till the former had
taken his departure. He awoke him in
the early dawn, saying: ''You have far to
go, you had better start early" AS soon
as the farmer was safe on his journey,
the goldsmith went into his room, and,
having shut the shutters that no one
might see, he bolted himself in, and
standing in the middle of the room, and
turning the ring on his finger, exclaimed: I:


81 wish to have hundred thousand
silver crowns Immediately"


Hardly were the words spoken, when
bright five shilling pieces began to rain
down from the ceiling; shining silver
crowns poured down so fast and hard
that at last they began to beat him un-
mercifully about the head and shoulders
and arms. Calling piteously for help, he
tried to rush to he door, but before he
could reach it and unbolt it, he fell bleed
ing to the ground. Still the rain of silver
crowns did not cease, and soon, under
the weight of it, the flooring gave way,
and the unfortunate goldsmith and his
money fell down into deep cellar. And
still it rained on, till the hundred thou
sand silver crowns were completed, and
then the goldsmith lay dead in the cellar,
with the mass of money upon him. At
tracted at last by the noise, the neighbors
rushed to the spot, and, on finding the
goldsmith dead under his money, ex-
claimed, "It is really a great mistake,
when blessings rain down like cudgels. !"
Then the heirs came and divided the
spoil.


Meantime the farmer went happily
home, and showed the ring to his wife


I'VE shall now never want for any,
thing, dear wife," he said; ''our fortune
is made. But we must consider well
what we must wish fol-"


The wife had bright ideas at hand.


Let US wish ourselves some more lane, F"
said she, "we have so little. There is
just nice strip which stretches into our
field. Let US wish for that"


THAT would never be worth while" :"
replied the husband; 1--WE have only to
work well for year.. and have a moder-
ate share of good luck, and we can buy it
for ourselves


And the man and his wife worked hard
for whole year. and the harvest had
never been SO plentiful as that autumn,
80 they were not only able to buy the strip
OF land, but had money to spare.


You see, said the husband, .'the land
is ours, and the wish too"


Then the good woman thought it would
be capital thing to wish themselves a
and horse.


WIFE," answered the husbsnd, again
cllnklng the surplus money in his pocket,
for such trumpery thing. We can get
the COW and the horse without that"


And, sure enough, in another wears
time the horse and the cow had been well
earned. So the man rubbed his hands
cheerfully, and said:


Another year has passed, and still the
wish is ours, and yet we have all we want
what good luck we havel'


The wife, however, began to be very
impatient, and tried seriously to induce
her husband to wish for something.
You are not like your own SELF" she
said, Grossly; formerly you were always
grumbling and complaining, and wishing
for all sorts of things; and now, when
you might have whatever you want,
! you toll and work like slave, are pleas
ed with everything, and let your best
years slip by. You might be King, En-.
peror, Duke, great rich farmer with
LOADS OF money, but no-you can't make
up your mind what to choose"


Pray do cease continually worrvin o
and teasing me, cried the farmer: eve
are both OF US young, and life is long,
The ring contains but one wish, and that
must not be squandered. Who knows
what may happen to US, when we might
really need the ring? Do we want foI
anything now? Since the ring has beer
ours, havs we not so risen in the world
that all men marvel at us? So do be sen
sIble, and amuse yourself, if you like, b1
thinking what we shall wish for"


And SO the matter was allowed to res
for the present. It really seemed as /
the ring brought blessings on the house
tor barns and granaries grew fuller ant