Fillmore

“ Besides"—and Margery knew just as though she were there the kind of look her father was giving Gladys—"as a favor to me!" [66]
Gladys was completely taken in.
"I'll be glad to do anything I can for you, Mr. Blair," she said politely. Then she added gratuitously: "Everybody ought to be kind to each other."
"That's it, exactly. As Gladys says, the big boys and girls should always be kind and gentle to the smaller ones. Now Henry was right, when he found his little sister doing something wrong, to bring her home. But next time he's going to be more gentle about it, aren't you, Henry?" ”

“ At once the King’s Son hurried away to the smithy and had the smith forge him a strong iron chain and a heavy sharp scythe. Then when night fell he hid in the shadow of the boat and waited. Pilka snuggled up beside him. Midnight came and to the sweet chiming as of silver bells Ilona slowly rose from the waves. As she came she began singing:
“Peely, peely, Pilka, pide——”
Instantly the King’s Son threw the strong iron chain about her and drew her to him. ”

“ George lay back and laughed with something of his old abandon. "If that don't beat all! So they scared you, Rosie?"
"And chickens, Jarge! Why, chickens are the noisiest things! If they are not squabbling with each other, they're talking to themselves! And ducks—ducks are even worse! Jarge, do you know, I call a street like this quiet compared to the country!" ”

“ You know yourself nothing ever passes us on the road. As for the sweetest, did you ever taste honey any sweeter than ours? And I'm sure there's nothing richer than our chest of golden ducats that we've been laying by these forty years."
The farmer was delighted.
"You're right, wife, you're right! That heifer remains ours!"
The shepherd when he got home was downcast and [169] sad. He had a daughter, a clever girl named Manka, who met him at the door of his cottage and asked:
"What is it, father? What did the burgomaster say?" ”

“ We have an apple-tree here that used to bear apples of youth. If any one ate one of those apples, no matter how aged he was, he’d become young again. But, alas, for twenty years now our tree has borne no fruit. If you promise to ask Grandfather Knowitall if there is any help for us, I will reward you handsomely.”
Plavachek gave the king his promise and the king bid him godspeed.
Plavachek traveled on until he reached another great [Pg 32] city that was half in ruins. Not far from the city a man was burying his father, and tears as big as peas were rolling down his cheek. ”

“ George sighed heavily. "I suppose you're right, Rosie, but that don't seem to make any difference. I don't know why I want her, but I do. I want her so bad I lay awake nights and I ain't never laid awake before in my life. No use talking, Rosie, it's Ellen or no one for me."
"But, Jarge dear, why can't you be sensible? You're sensible in other things."
"See here, Rosie, you don't know what you're talking about!" George spoke sharply but not unkindly. "A fellow don't fall in love with a girl because he wants to or because he ought to or because she'd make him a good wife. ”

“ Log leaped to the ground but before he was able to make the sign of the cross over more than one of the beds, his comrades and their brides had fallen headlong on the other two.
And that was the end of poor Three Bottles and Six Bottles and their two lovely brides. There was no way [Pg 96] now of saving them from Suyettar. She had them in her power and nothing would induce her to give them up.
As Log and his bride sadly mounted their horse and rode on they heard an evil voice chanting out in triumph:
“I’ll fall upon them with a thud, he-he! ”

“ Ah, they know the stuff that's in Ellen! As I says to her last night——"
"Tell me the rest some other time," Rosie begged. "You know Jarge is waiting."
"To be sure he is," Mrs. O'Brien agreed. "He's in his room. Give him a call as you go by."
In answer to her summons George appeared at once, collarless and in shirtsleeves with the drowsiness of an interrupted nap in his eyes. He beamed on Rosie affectionately.
"I thought you'd be coming."
"It was awful good of you waiting for me, Jarge."
"Good—nuthin'! Guess I know who can cook in this house!"
Conscious worth need not be offensive. ”

“ Willie Jones spluttered with rage, and while he was spluttering Janet murmured tersely:
"Now's our time! When I count three, we'll go for him. I'll go for his arms; Rosie, you grab his legs and feet; and [62] Margery can make for his pocket. Now! One—two—three!"
Willie Jones put up a gallant fight, but what, pray, are two stout arms against six just as stout? What, say, avails two strong legs that are pressed, hugged, jammed together by a human snake who has twisted herself about them, and is sitting on their helpless feet? ”

“ Mothers and wives bustled about to get folding chairs and campstools, but the young folk, scorning so soon to sit down, promenaded arm in arm. Tucking Rosie's hand under his elbow, George joined the ranks of the promenaders, and Janet and Tom Sullivan followed his lead at a respectful distance. ”

“ George, don't you see, you're a farmer and you ought to pick out the kind of girl that likes farm life and that knows how to work. George, Ellen just loves the city where she can go to the theatre and dances and things and she never would like the country. ”

“ And, George, I love your mother, too, and she told me that she loved me. Will you tell her that I hope she's well and that I'll never forget how kind she was to me and Geraldine last summer. And I hope your father's well, too.
Terry says to say Hello to you. And he says, how's farming? Jackie's getting awful big and he's real smart in school. He always gets a hundred in problems.
Ma and dad are well and I told you all about Janet. So that's all now.
With love,
Yours truly,
Rosie O'Brien. ”

“ The youth laid hold on the tree and with one mighty pull uprooted it.
“Now, my son, you are strong enough,” the mother said. “Now you are worthy of your name Vitazko. Forget not the mother who has suckled you for thrice seven years but, now that you are grown, take care of her.”
“I will, my mother,” Vitazko promised. “Only tell me what you want me to do.”
“First,” the mother said, “go out into the world and find me a splendid dwelling where I may live in peace and plenty.”
Taking in his hand the uprooted beech-tree as a club and armed only with it, Vitazko set forth. ”

“ All she wanted to do was to dance on forever.
At sundown the maiden paused and the music stopped. Then Betushka, clasping her hands to her head, where the unspun flax was twined, burst into tears. The beautiful maiden took the flax from her head, wound it round the stem of a slender birch, grasped the spindle, and began to spin. The spindle hummed along the ground and filled in no time. Before the sun sank behind the woods all the flax was spun, even that which was left over from the day before. The maiden handed Betushka the full spindle and said:
“Remember my words:
Reel and grumble not! ”

“ I dreamt of a boatman on the black sea. For twenty years he has been ferrying that boat and no one has offered to relieve him. When will he be relieved?”
“Ah, but that boatman is the son of a stupid mother! Why doesn’t he thrust the oar into the hand of some one else and jump ashore himself? Then the other man would have to be ferryman in his place. But now let me be quiet. I must get up early tomorrow morning and go and dry the tears which the king’s daughter sheds every night for her husband, the charcoal-burner’s son, whom the king has sent to get three of my golden hairs.” ”

“ O'Brien nodded approvingly. "Ah, now, ain't Jack the good b'y to promise sister Rosie never to go in swimmin' again!"
Ellen chuckled. "At least until his back's well!"
Rosie flew at her sister like an angry little clucking hen. "Ellen O'Brien, you just mind your own business! Come on, Jackie, we're through. We're going out in front by ourselves, aren't we?" ”

“ When the brothers grew to manhood the old father died leaving directions that they divide his wealth between them, share and share alike.
"Nonsense!" the older brother said. "That fool would only squander his inheritance! To every poor beggar that comes along he'd give an alms until soon my poor father's savings would be all gone! No! I'll give him three golden ducats and a horse and tell him to get out and if he makes a fuss I won't give him that much!" ”

“ I guess I do enough in this house without taking care of Geraldine: I wash all the dishes, and that old Ellen O'Brien hardly ever even wipes them; and I do the outside scrubbing; and I go to the grocery for you six times a day; and I help with the cooking, too; and I always carry up Jarge's supper to the cars; and I take care of Jackie. Besides all that, I got my paper route. I guess that's enough for any one person."
Mrs. O'Brien conceded this readily enough. "Of course it is, Rosie dear, and I'm not sayin' it ain't. You're a great worker, and a fine little manager, too. ”

“ It was bad enough that the twins should hang upon her words, but worse, far worse, that even Henry, that model of discretion, should be so completely taken in as to look upon Gladys with an interest which bordered [16] dangerously near to admiration. Secure in the esteem of Katherine and Alice, and conscious of her sway over Henry, Gladys saw no reason to conciliate the youngest member of the family. "Margery's too little for our crowd," she would say, and, while Margery fumed and fought, would calmly reiterate the statement until it came to be accepted as fact. Gladys never fought. ”

“ The nobleman promised to be most careful of the bird and, dismounting, he handed his bridle to the [195] laborer. That one mounted the nobleman's horse and galloped off.
It is needless to say the nobleman never saw either man or horse again. He waited and waited. At last when he could wait no longer he decided that he would have to take the bird home with him and let the laborer follow. So he lifted the edge of the hat very carefully, slipped in his hand, and clutched—the dry clod of earth! ”

“ Terence looked over to Rosie with a sudden chuckle. "Say, Rosie, wouldn't it be fun if Jarge happened in? Let's drop him a line. Gee! Maybe he wouldn't do a thing to that St. Louis guy!"
"Ma!" Ellen admonished, sharply.
"Terry lad," Mrs. O'Brien began, obediently, "I'm surprised at you talkin' this way about the young gentleman that's coming to see your poor sister Ellen on Saturday night."
Terence pushed away his plate and began writing an imaginary postcard with a spoon. "Dear Jarge," he read slowly; "Won't you please come [318] in on Saturday night? ”

“ Osmo begged, “and I’ll reward you! I swear I will!”
He begged and begged until at last he prevailed upon the Farmer to open the net and let him out.
“Now then,” the Farmer said as soon as the Bear was freed, “how are you going to reward me?”
Osmo put a heavy paw on the Farmer’s shoulder.
“This is how I’m going to reward you,” he said: “I’m going to eat you up!”
“What!” the Farmer exclaimed, “is that your idea of a reward for kindness?”
“Exactly!” Osmo declared. “In this world that is the reward kindness always gets! Ask any one!”
“I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it!” the Farmer cried. ”

“ O'Brien demurred: "'Tain't quite fair to the poor girl to say she lost her job. What Ellen done was this: she resigned her position."
George glanced at Rosie and she, to make sure he understood, wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "I'll tell you about it sometime," she remarked carelessly.
"She's off shopping this morning," Mrs. O'Brien continued. "I told her not to go back to them offices for a couple of days. She needs a little rest and once she gets a good steady job goodness knows when she'll ever again have a moment to herself. So I'm wanting her to get her shopping done while she can." ”

“ They went into the cottage and spoke to the old woman. She was far from pleased with this arrangement, for she had worked out a very different plan in her mind. But what could she do? A rich young bridegroom always has his own way. So she hid her disappointment with a false smile and gave them her blessing.
Then the young man said to her: “Get your things together, mother, and follow Dobrunka, for I don’t want her to be lonely while I’m gone. When you get to the city, go to the palace and ask for Dobromil. The people there will tell you where to go.” ”

“ Plavachek took the letter and started out with it at once. He had to go through a deep forest where he missed the path and lost his way. He struggled on through underbrush and thicket until it began to grow dark. Then he met an old woman who said to him:
[Pg 28] “Where are you going, Plavachek?”
“I’m carrying this letter to the king’s palace and I’ve lost my way. Can you put me on the right road, mother?”
“You can’t get there today,” the old woman said. “It’s dark now. Spend the night with me. You won’t be with a stranger, for I’m your old godmother.” ”

“ A mist rose before the king’s eyes and he went deathly pale, for he knew at once that Plavachek was the child that he had ordered drowned.
Soon he recovered himself and jumping from his horse he said: “I need a messenger to send to my palace and I have no one with me. Could this youth go for me?”
“Your majesty has but to command,” the fisherman said, “and Plavachek will go.”
The king sat down and wrote a letter to the queen. This is what he said:
“Have the young man who delivers this letter run through with a sword at once. He is a dangerous enemy. ”