Show THE WOODCHOPPERS WOODCHOPPER'S S 'S WISH Once upon a time a woodchopper lived in the center of the great forest with his wife and two children The home was neat the wife a happy woman who made the place cheery and andE andset andset E set et a good table for her family while both children were industrious and obedient Yet Jans the father was as Discontented One morning he stood on tiro tilO very top of the mountain chopping awa away at ata ata a a. big oak Below he could see the castle Cc of a great lord the w wade de e fields with waving crops and herds of cattle the villages s busy with active life How happy the lord rust Oust be he grumbled Jans as he rested a moment on his ax When Jans turned to swing his ax again at the tree he was surprised to find standing by it a thin old man dressed in gray with a long beard I reaching to his knees Woodman sighed the old man you are about t to chop down the home homeI in which I have lived for 2000 years If you will spare this tree I will grant I any wish you may make Only the condition must be that you first carefully carefully carefully care care- fully investigate the wish I agree at once c cried Jans in de delight delight delight de- de light and I wish I could live a life Just lust like that of the great lord of the castle at the foot of this mountain Well replied the little gray man I r will grant the wish if you will first firstI I go goo with me to examine into what you desire With that the man touched Jans and he seemed to be as light as air and floating away hand in hand with the gray elf through the tops of the trees Presently he felt himself sinking through the roof of the castle and they stood in the bedroom of the lord I Yet no one seemed to see them Servants Servants Servants Ser Ser- stood about with discontented faces On the handsome bed lay the great lord his white face drawn with pain and his anxious eyes wandering about the room Oh what would I give to be strong to be able to walk up the mountain to sleep well a night through to eat a breakfast such as the woodchopper In Inthe inthe the he forest enjoys sighed the lord All this magnificence only makes my sad life the harder to bear Out of the room Jans and the little gray man slipped They walked into the kitchen and the stables and over the fields and saw that the servants were happier in their health and work than the rich man mat in his golden couch Then rhen Jans and the little man seemed to float away toward the cotI cottage cottage cot cot- I tage in the woods The woodchopper could see the smiling face of his wife I I bending over the soup pot the little girl Irl feeding feeding- the chickens chicken the big big- bigboy boy jg i y f JA W Y r IL Ne t-K t chopping at the sticks sUcks for the file fire all all were well and happy In another moment the couple stood again at the foot of the big tree Do you still sUll want your first wish carried out Jans Jans' asked the gray elf Jans hung his head in embarrassment embarrass embarrass- ment I have no desire he stammered stammered stammered stam stam- to change places with the great lord lord lord-I I see I have the happier lot But there is one little wish I would like if it is not against th tho th rules It It is against the rules of the Elves association to grant two wishes laughed the elf elt but as I know j you ou In Intend intend intend in- in tend to spare my tree anyway I this time will make an exception and let you have another wish My little daughter has always wanted a white hen with a big black topknot on her head said Jans And AndI I believe that would be Just what I had best wish for for It it would please her so much Before Jans had ceased speaking he heard a clucking and there on the ground before him was a lovely snow snowwhite snowwhite snowwhite white hen with a fluffy black topknot and she was not alone Around her feet raced about a dozen tiny beautiful little chickens Just like their mother I r think you will find your greatest happiness at home remarked the gray elf as he gently put the hen and chickens chick chick- ens in a bag And this gift to your daughter will bring all good luck The beautiful chickens delighted the whole family gamily The chicks grew up and laid eggs that sold for a big sum so that the child grew most prosperous with her poultry and the whole family lived happily in their cozy home Jans Jane has been cured of his grumbling and was ever afterward a kind and considerate considerate considerate con con- father Copyright 1916 by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate New York City |