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March 4, 1882.
HANS’ QUEST.
BY (ilIu'0R(‘-IANNA LEE.
Hans was zi German peasant lad, the
eldest ol‘ :1 Ii:iker‘s dozen. Once upon 2).
time, when Ilaiis was a little fellow, the
good old father was quite well oil‘ with
regard to this woi-ld‘s goods-tliat ', he
possessed a siiiig little home for his fami-
lytind zilw plenty to eat. lhit the
wars of h . country iinpoverislied him,
as they did nniiiy another honest Dutch-
inzin, leaving him nothing but whitening
hairs and u. brood of hardy young ones
to provide for. Growing children have
such eapaeioiis stomtielis l
Ilappy, indeed, were these hungry lit-
tle ones it’ they could hut have eiioiigli
of the black bread, which t'oi'iiicd their
simple diet, to appease their appetites.
On teiist days, the good mother would
boil it put of potatoes, which vegetable
was grown in the tiny gardeii-pateli just
brick of the little hut. Ah, this wiis ll.
great trezit l
But many and many 21 time these poor
children went to bed liiingry, and then
little II-ans would lie aii ke lllllllilllg,
thinking as he gtizetl out of the wee win-
dew neiir which his striiii pallet lay-out
towards the myste oii Greiit Forest,
thinking ever to hin It
“It is yon dreadful t'oi-est of evil
geniitliat shuts us 011' Ironi the
great world. If I could but
reach the other side, where
lie the rich treasures they
tell of-the gold which is
power, and the wisrlom
which is strength!"
Then he would sad-
ly sigh and lovingly
fold 2!. little greasy,
thunibetl volume
that could ee rt:iiii-
ly n eve r have
reached its pre-
sent dilapidat-
ed state had it
always recei-
ved the allei,
mate care
which little
0
served a st ii-
dent w ho
had rested
at the hut
previous to
ertissiiig the
Great F 0 r-
est in quest
of gold and
wisdoni; in
return for
the service
rendered
the seholiir
giivetliis lit-
tle book.
It was 3
sweet
sel from the tree of knowledge, and
Iltins loiiged for more.
“If Ieoulil hnt gain the other side,
than gold, whieh is pow and -istlniri,
which is SlI‘0ll',:'ill, tliese would (‘l‘l'(lIll1ly i
be mine, for they lie heyoiirl: the gr:iii-
d2l.l‘nS tell it and the sclioliir said it."
This was the SllllSt1Ill(‘l‘ of his ilioiiqht
as he lay awake lll5.:‘llL iittr-r ll hi, when
father, iiiother, l)l‘I)illl‘,l'S and sisters were
all .f)l1Ii<lly sleeping. I
Olteiitiiiies, “'lll"ll the fairy iiioonligzlit
silvered the tops of the t-ill trees, or the
l>eiiutif‘iil sun gilded them with qoltl.
Hans fancied they notltleil kindly to
llln -
“Come, come! venture tlll'0lIL"l! thi-
forest and [hid the fortuiie that lies he- l
it
During the long winter eveiiiiigs,
when the wild steriii-kiiii,; was tllll'l>:lt ,
and tholitlle hut treiiihled and sliooli
heiieatli his tiirioiis trend, and the tiill
trees in the Gre.t Yoresit ll]U:lllt‘tl and
grozuied as he mildly drove over them,
the wonder-eyeil ehildreii, llllfl<llt‘ll to-l
gather round the hliiziiig tiigiits, li>’li‘lH‘4i
to the strange tales told of this iiiysleri-
nus fort-st-tales which, no iiiatti-r how
olten repeated, never 1 ( to inspire
with awe i.ll0.‘l0 e:iger llsteiiizrs.
'I‘o lliiiis those stories liroiiglit no fear.
only joy, for lll‘ noted one pleiisiiig 1’:i<-t-
that he who postsioss-oil eoiiriii.-;e and con-
tiileiit-e Mllillf'li‘lIl, to cross the llirtxst, lllv
wziyri foiiiiil his liii'tuiio; this was iiiviii'i-
$cHGoLDEN DAYS 217$:
ably the reward oi‘ the good zinvl hrave,
but woe siirtly liefe the :itli'eiitiirt-r
who laekt-il tllL‘S0 Virtiies.
" “'h 'i:ill I not t ' ' iiiv l’oi'tiiiie‘."'
He unee si ;;-p ed hiiiiui-ll‘ this
qiiestioii, and the tall l'iii'esl-ti'et-u, in the
t siinli;.v,ht and in the iiiooiili,i;lit, euniinii-
nodded to him: '
.‘oiiie, etiiiie I”
he weetltd and wiiterml the
ardeii-pziteli, the siii5.:iii;:le Vt uponthe
giiiiit trees sweetly ehaiitt-i
yoiid.”
When he hound liigots for the winter-
lift‘, the leafless hoiiglis rezii-liedeiit to
him. lJL’(ili0l'llllf.;‘ hiiii:
“(,‘oine, come; thy fortune lies he-
yontt.“
these tlioiigliis, and at ii
were eoloreitwitlitheses
ii ht, 115' he viipon itile
bundle of striiw, iliiiiking. thiiil;in;.:, :i
shining presence floated in througli the
wee window upon ii silvery iiiooiihe-am,
and cliziiitiiig, in a clear, swriot voice:
it his (ll'(‘i'llllS
ie iiiiagiiiiiiqs.
“1‘IIl'1 sun-: siiixixi: i’ILlESi".Vt'l-J TII ir A'i‘I‘l2 il'U‘.l) to uni oxric in-:
“lie who will only travel over smooth
roatls. (lost-rves iieillier faiiiii nor for-
tune,“ viiiiisiivd, or ineltr-il away in the
fairy iiiooiiliglit. ,
“ It is enoii;;Ii. I shrill try my fortuiie.
I shall cross the great forest," ”1"‘i"
ineiitzillv r >lVO( .
And the next niorning he Slilll to his
lTl()llH"I‘2
“’l‘liere snot (‘llt)llL(ll for us all. As
ii , , row higgnr we eat more. I sliall i
vross the loresl, with thy hlessing, iiio- ll
ther; and when I iiiitl iiiy Iortiiiie I ii'ill
return to share it with the .
' ' , my son, till I speiil( with thy
." rt-plied his iii<iilii'i'.
Aiiil Ilaiis, 1ll0lIf.(ll tiiiger to diiprirt.
was thus foreeil to reiiiziiii ‘ir lie wuiilil
not go without his ])1ll'l‘lllS' eoii.-aeiit and
lllt‘<HillL’,‘. ,
Wlieii the twili;.:lit shiidowsi l)‘.','1Illl
(ll‘(‘])0ll4'tl, and the .’lllL(t'l of (lr(‘1llllSlltH‘-
erml river the .sloe[iiiir.: (‘lIiltlt't!II, llllll!-i. ,
who (‘r)llltl not sleep for llllllliilltl, ow-r-i
ll(‘.‘ll'4i his IIItitlI(‘l'. in his lailivr: l
4
fillllt‘
“ lliiiis woiilil Sl‘t‘li his iiifilllll‘.
“And why iivit?" ‘ ll‘?-
Aiid, froiii his tone, the listiiiiiii: lllll
felt .‘lllrI) he would not oppose tliis<lt'- l
sire.
“lln niiist ilr!s'l(‘l"U.K“‘ill(‘1ir(‘Ilil"UN‘“l-H
lIi‘L:.‘Ill Illl‘ llli)lll4‘l‘, :lIIXiUllN‘l)'.
“ llaiiri is a iII":lVl‘ l:iil.“ llllt‘I"rIliill‘ll tho
fiilher. “ lle liiwils our (‘.llllll<l‘l lllltl siiys
his prtiyers. lliiiii iio ftiiir (‘or him. Hi
is the evil who need four t-i il."
7
“Coiiie, eoiiie; thy t't>i'tuii(: lies lie-
His waking hours were filled with,
'l‘lierol'ore, when the uoliliiii sun wak-
(‘llllIl'(’1lI'illii)ll2'lll.iIll(l]:l1I(illl‘S i'ii,
HHS l'4‘('l‘iYL‘ll with joy his [izirent emi-
si-iit zinil lrli>ssiii;;, and their lie:ii'ly1;otl.
slwwli aiitl, with Hiillll‘, hread and new
(‘lll'tNl'-(‘1llxl’,, Wlilt'll the good lll(il.llt'l’ tied
up for him in it little. tileziii li:iiiilki-r-
u iivl] lll‘ SUI oil upon his joiiriit-y iii
(lli"3l oi" wisiloiii, whieli is streiigtli, and
gold, ii hivh is ]mWt‘l.
Not only Wtllllti he win these treiisiires
' lllll tor lllt)Sl‘ whom he loy-
ones in the liiileliiit he
was iioii li .ii'iiiq lieliiiid hiiii.
l The iiii<lsii'.iiiii4:r iiiooii was lii;.vh up in
the Iieiiveiis ere he re:i<:licil the l‘Il‘D'0 oi’
the i'oi'est.
Not i-iiring to proceed fiiriher till the
niorning, it lookitil so (l1Il‘l( and ilrmiry
heyoiid, he siroti-lied liiiii. ‘ noon the
soil, ;:i'eeii gr
'l‘heii the sziiiie shiiiin;; ]ll‘(‘%l’,ll(’L)lil2lI ap-
[l('llI'(‘tl 1.; him oni lici'oi'e, lliniti-<1 i>:ii'th-
ward upon thes iery iiiooiiliirliti
; " llaiis," fell upon his car like U
i est niusie, “thou art i.;iiotl and lirave. I
i will illtl thee in rilitziiiiiiig the rrire lI'U(l-
ill’ .
, ill:
in tiltiljl-ll ‘ll
exam
sures which lie lioyrinrl this (treat l-‘m--
est. Take this sword, ImifMmiIi‘n,it
shiill guide the WHY: :inil this shield.
l'i‘r!u,<', zit-eept-it shrill ;:iiiiril thee from
all evil. Never part with tlioso gifts till
thou hast izaiiied thy quest ‘
Then the Sllilllll" once floated
away in the pale iiiooiiliglii, and Hans
slept soiiiidly till iiiririiiiig.
When he opened his eyes the sun was
alrmitly iihove the liorimii. aiirl-eoiilrl
he believe his eyes‘?-tliere upon the‘
.r;rriiiiid, right hefore him, laythe previoiis
grit [ir()iiiis(‘(l in his (ll‘L‘:iIlll
1.. iing them, he iiiinierliiiely felt
l‘(‘ll(‘“'(‘ll energy thrilling every I‘I(‘t‘Vl"t
avid lihre. lle felt as it" he t-oiilrl travel l
in the iitiomin,-i i.-irts of the n:irili,ani1
ceiiqiirir the ii-orli . it‘ need lie.
l’:irt:ikiii;: sp:irliii.:lyoi' his little store
and (‘llt‘i‘:<r‘e, he Stlllglli and ‘
l .i xiv-rkliiitz "'ll'l‘:lll) of “‘:IiI’l'.“'li(‘l"I‘
he : tll‘ll(‘ll6‘tl his liirst. and now he was l
N ulv to lH".(ill hi. jtIl1l”lIi‘)' llireiigh the
, or<'<l.
llmwvi-r, l)t‘li)l‘(‘ setting: foot upon the l
(‘lll‘ll:lIlll‘ll L‘l'<lllll4l. llans knoll :iiid sziiil ,
;i priiyiir; IlIl‘ll, lll‘IllIf‘l" izltiiiviiiu to the
right nor to the left. he pliiiigeil into tho
iirvsl.
“'l‘hix' isiiot so had,“ lie tlioii-vht, iisho
stoiiiiivil li;.:litly over the ',
sioppiiii: ever and aiinii to gzeiitly putt
I3<ltiii tho tlowers that Lzrvw hero and
illt‘l‘t‘ within the p:itli‘f--r, li(‘ilIL( ieiider-l
lieartetl, he would not lll'(‘tlll’KNl)' eriisli l
1
i A
t
I i
i. V
I V
.I,,y,v..‘,
l"Ul'LH FLOATED Y.ARTH“‘AI(D i row 1-iii: sii.vi:iir xinox'i.i(:ii'r."
i h:u‘k ihi-y
ow-iizitiiiyilnw--i-i-i lu-iiuiili his tr:-.id.
i-Vltlllvlllllt“. Illl’HlI:ll ilu ‘.:l'I‘.tl ll‘ 1‘
he would i-.iii-Ii zi Lfllllilixt oi ihw i.lu--
,sliy, aiiil. now ziiiil lll4‘ll. .i vi-at xllll-
lN':llil xlrllfJ‘.’li'il ilimiigli (lie ‘you ll
l>r:iIii'lii-s, and it'll l‘.lx(‘1tZ‘llilt'llllllI‘i‘i
tieross his way: lllll :lN ho Jtllilill"-ll‘1lIll]
tlit- tiirirsl llt'l'IlIIH‘ llliiI’t' ilviiw itllll
'. till the glooni ii:i- :i1mn-i 1h:ii oi‘
l llll4llll‘.IlIl,iillIl lit‘ ll<‘:ll'<l >li’:tii:iu
it-rioiis s--iiiidx.
thiiiuril, lll!lil‘YI'l‘. ill‘ liraiily xii-iii.
lliit IIUW. alas, iinrw than thw tuiiili-like
glooni. or the sII':lII‘.’i‘ soiiiuls ili:ii (‘UT
,j;rew ii iltli-r llllli llllllt' lilrl'lllrlt‘ its hi- ml-
"llll!'t‘il.til‘lllt'Ul1!A<)'(‘yI‘Slll2ll ;:l:ii-ml iii
iiiii 1'i‘i-iiieitrvpiet-vol‘ iiiiiltirliriixli he
[i1lSS(‘ll7ll'til‘sI‘ than all lllixl‘. his hith-
.<ioi'e ill’ lll‘t'1lli ziiiil ('lI4‘l’>’l‘ iinistixliaiixli-ill
'l‘ll(‘lllHllllIlivl.>l1ll'VlIlQi'Iilt':llllll! sin-li
ii [IliIl'1‘ was iipivilliiiu. l-iii llziiis (liil iiol
yi.-iii to it's[i:lll‘. i- I,lllt'lit'll(‘il his
]W"‘, in llll‘ in-pv ol ‘..!l‘llllli om oi‘ the
ilt-pilis ol lliI> ll‘l’IllllI‘ it-i-mi.
'l‘hen the uliioiii lll[I’tl. llllil 1-vlhe l:ul‘<
‘grvezu joy ]l(‘7’i'4'Hl‘4l lI4‘.ll' Iiy Min”;
, wild lll!lll‘y. (ll ll . ll!’ lHUliHlllY1l lit.
ilo, tor he will In iiini.-t-ii’: '
"I will not fill? the powliltle li1'f‘R'
who liave toiled the >lllIllllL‘I lung: in l:ii’
up this “iiitur .si.irt-." ‘ ‘
Ligliter and ll‘.:lll(‘[’ il ;Ir’i‘“', and he
o duserii-il, lyiiitz ii liiil<- In-yum], a
‘valley, whither his sword 1:-il. ['pon
t-iiteriiitr the valley. to his uiriiili-riiii-iil.
Criisliiiixz down iiuiii all sides oi the
liiigv iiioiinds or hills Ireiwt-vii ii lll('lI
the valley lay, miiiiv .-ton ' .
lie and iiiixxitm i-I‘ Yllrlilllx
lIl)x'.
-‘lull.
-; .
dl
stwiiiiin: in <-oiiii> froiii the
(‘lIIllI x:
:i' “'I"X'(‘ om-.-mi
All
i lr
) t‘l(.llll‘IllI:li'lx.
ii--must lw lmlil in-‘
tl(‘V!
Who .i.m-iii now
]lI‘tit'I'A .11"
On lmllilll‘; up
pezilis of
tlie liil IilI-
ml iiith liiiii-
l’t‘( lIlV‘ill"'
Iii-iii-.:.s. iihu
ly. l-iii hi
,;...iti Nlilvlil
Ullllll‘
Mr,
strip. In this innnner. after llllll‘l) toil
and Vexiitinii. the end of the vzilli-y was
reiiclierl, and there. to his dvliulil.
Med 3 well of .sp;ii'Lliii: “’:Ill’l'
which grew ll hush oi" siieoi hi-rrii ‘Hill
stiiiie niilri tins lit-rlis, “ liii'li he tied up
in his kt-rt-liit-t‘ for future ii
Seziree V hat when lo!
]i]irII:1i"liillZ him from all , li-s “'l‘I'l‘
siriiiigii lwiiizs “'ll"l4)“'(‘l‘(‘ll up to the
laps‘ of the tallest irewa. 'I‘hi>so giants
uir-lileil huge eliilis. :Illtl as llieydrew
lI(‘!ll‘. ll:iiix hearil lll(‘lll shout. iii voirtis
ofihiiiiilrr:
"'l‘lii1Ii<‘rl-iililiiii swiftly viiiiie ii i-,
' iiiiii‘l.il I lv;i<-1;, we “1il'II IllL‘l‘l
in-uiiiii-iii-i lllt‘1ii‘Illls" illey,
To 1vi'oli‘L'l ilI]IH()l‘l:lls rally."
But the sword lml oiiwziril, riiiil llziiis,
hretilliiiig a prayer, i ‘I ‘ , liilloiiiiil
this trusty leader. 'l‘hii giaiiis riislind
iiimii him with iipliiliul t-liihs. liiit tho
woiiilerfiil sword ii aved tlimii luivl; ll]
gizvreil. 'l‘hii< he pin ‘i
safely tIiroii;:h the t:i:iiilx‘ Valley, only
to eiiler H siiaiiip or ling. ll4‘l'l‘ tho
izluoiii ofiiii-liiighl :i< iii (‘IiY(‘lU]>I‘Ii him.
and the hiss of the xi‘l'lH‘IIi. the iioxioiis
i':i mrs risiiig frtiiii liil‘ iii ‘liy soil. the
llt‘('lb glooiii, aliiiosi Iil‘<lll:!)'k‘tl the lvriixe
lziil: liiii ho dill not turn lviit-k, only ro-
iitmiiii-.i his vtliwts in get mi.
ll;ii‘iiii: re ' ied the iiiiildle --I‘ Illi‘
sw:iiii i, he . ‘ (‘U ii lit':iiili-
Iiil liglit daiieiiig along the way.
-‘A-‘.;. ‘ -....4vuae-t...a:
‘ ..-.:.’<