Show 1 l 1 T THE MERMAIDS MERMAID'S GIFT Part GIFT Part II When Jarl rose above the waves and stepped to the shore It was late at night The moon shone on the water and In its light he could see the tho boat rocking on the beach With a flying leap cap he gained the boat and was WIUS soon speeding on his way ay home When he reached the cottage he found his father in great grief and Ole full tull of ot false stories about Jarl Jan The I lad listened at the window and heard Ole say that the younger son had runaway run runaway runaway away to fish early In the day and not returned Jarl threw open the door and stepped into the room It It is false the story that Ole told you OU father said Jarl Jan He lie sent me away to do the work you set for him I did It and on my way back visited the home of ot a mermaid who gave me these pearls and as he said this Jarl Jar poured out on the table his gallon of or shimmering gems I The father was so delighted he forgot forgot forgot for for- got to punish Ole and Ole was so charmed that he did not beat Jarl Jar for telling on him But in the morning Ole made the lad give a full tull account of his adventures Well Voll said Ole when Jarl had finIshed finished finished fin fin- his story I mean to have a a. hand in this myself So at noon he got in the boat and rowing to the rock on which the mermaid mermaid mermaid mer mer- maid had sat hid behind a big boul boul- der In a short time up came the mermaid and begun to comb her Ion long hair Ole slipped up behind her and when she laid her comb down grabbed It and ran a short distance down the beach The mermaid on discovering her loss set up again her mournful song and Ole came running with the comb How glad I am to get it again exclaimed exclaimed exclaimed ex ex- claimed the mermaid That is the second time I 1 have lost It this week But I will reward you as I 1 did theother the theother theother other boy Shut your eyes hold my hand and take three deep breaths Ole did as he was told and in a few minutes was in the kings king's cavern Just where Jarl had been a few hours be be- be fore Again the mermaid told the tho story of het her lost comb and again the king ordered that the finder be I rewarded Take him daughter to the lake of pearls and let him gather what he can canin canin canin in five minutes But do not remain t longer said the king kinA For or if it you I Wit do do jb the q Ogre re of the he Sea do you i n We own vm the lake together and d deach each of us has a right to gather what we can in five lve minutes but If It you re remain remain remain re- re main longer your greed will be sadly paid for Now Ole was so greedy he decided to disobey the kings king's orders I will have a n. chance of ot a lifetime to get all the pearls I 1 want said he to himself as he walked along tho the bottom bottom bottom bot bot- tom of the sea toward the lake I have a big bag under my coat and one on my back bacle and I am going to fill both I 1 am not afraid of any Ogre I mean to get all the pearls In sight As soon as he reached the spot the boy boy began began cramming pearls into his pockets and bags He lie filled up both bags and even his hat and began to put them In his shoes when the mermaid mermaid mer mr maid begged him to come away at once for or the tho five minutes were almost past No No Indeed laughed Ole I am having a a. picnic I expect to take home more pearls than the k king ng ever owned I 1 will have fine houses horses and lots lotsof lotsof lotsof of servants Hasten away pleaded the mermaid mer mer- maid I can see the shadow of the Ogro Ogre already He lie Heis is swimming this way ay Let him swim sneered Ole I 1 have a a. knife let knife let him come on on Just then a a. dark shadow shot overhead overhead over over- I head and down through the water hurled a narrow swordfish with a a. huge head Ole thrust his Ms knife at th the Ogre but it did no harm and the boy was thrust through the shoulder by bythe bythe bythe the Ogres Ogre's sword Then the big fish swam upward and threw Ole on the shore Here he lay very still but Just as the sun rose the Ogre came rushing by again and spouted some somo water on the lads lad's form It grew stiff an and dark and Instead of ot there being any boy there was seen lying on the beach a long ja Jagged red rock that resembled a human form torm There seemed to be a a. hand holding two bags and a kind of face but It was only stone So Ole never came back The father and Jarl grieved for the lost boy spent much time In the search but at last gave it up They built a anice anice anice nice home and led happy useful lives still fishing as of old And sometimes they would row to the mermaids mermaid's rock and sit on the new strange stone that had appeared there never dreaming that it was In reality the greedy selfish Ole who was thus condemned to spend the rest of ot t time as an ugly Jagged rock putting Into the sea Copyright 1916 by the McClure McClun Newspaper Syndicate New NewYork NewYork NewYork 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