THE GOLDEN HAIR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2237, 14 January 1897, Page 51

THE GOLDEN HAIR.

By E. P. Larken, in the Pall Mall Magazine.

I. On the Road. Klaus had lived all his life with his Godfather Grieabach. His parents bad died when he was a child, and his Godfather Griesbach had brought him up and had taught him his trade, which was that of a wood-oarver. Now, Godfather Griesbach j was a very clever carver — so clever, in fact, that people for miles round used to send to him if tbey had any work to be done. The shop itself was full of nutcrackers and walking sticks and pipe bowls and tbe most beautiful toys imaginable carved in all manner of shapes — some pretty, ! come ugly, some queer, but all of them very delightful. Oao day Godfather Griesbach oftlled Klaus to him and said : " Now, Klaus, it Is time for you to go out into the world and to turn your talents to account. You can carve very nicely — not so well as I can, perhaps, but still better than most paople. I will give you three pieces of silver to start you, this walking stick with a carved head, and a little advice-. The advice j Bhall come first. It is this. Keep to your word, and never refuse your help where it is naedod. You are to go into the city which lies 10 miles from herd. On the first milestone yon oome to you will find a man sit- { t.^g dressed in green. Whatever he may say i fo you you are simply to answer ' Yep,' and i go on. On the second milestone you will i iind a man sitting dreased in red. Whatever j be says to you you are simply to answer j ' No, 1 and go on your way. Oa the third milestone a man will be sitting dressed in brown. To him you must answer nothing, whatever ha may say to you, but simply hand him your stick in silence and go on. Here are the three pieces of silver, here is ib.p stick ; and now be off with you." Klaus looked at the stick with admiration. Wonderful as his godfather's works always wore, he bad. never seen anything to tqaal this. It was the figure of a man with the legs elongated and twined together so rb to form a walking stick. But its chief beauty lay in the hair and beard, which were oo lifelike tbat Klaus had to touch and press them with his fingers to make quite sure that they were really delicate, carved work. The faco bore a grotesque resemblance to his Godfather Griesbacb, Godfather Griesbach was evidently pleased at KUub's admiration of his handiwork, but all be said was : " Well, my boy, when you can do a piece of work as well aa that you will «oon ma&e your fortune. Now don't forget what I've said to you. Good-bye, and God bless you I " Klaus took an affoctionate and respectful farewell of bis godfather, \o whom he was deeply attached, and sst forth on bis travels. Sure enough, on the first milestone ai which he arrived there was perched a man in green. " Where are you going ? What do you seek 1 " cried the Man in Green. " Would you win tho Pri&cess Coralie 7 " " Yes," replied Klauu, mindful of hl» godfather's advice. "Well," said the Man in Green, " that's a straight answer to a straight question. Now I'll tell you something that may be of use to you. The Princes Coralie has one golden hair in her head — all the others are dark brown." Oa Klaus trudged till he reached the second milestone, on which was seated, as j his godfather had foretold, a man in red. 1 " Where are you firoing, aud what do you i seek ? " asked the Mm in Itod. "Do you not fear the Bald-hearted Giant ? " Klaus wanted to ask who thu Bald-headed Giant might be ; bur, romembering his godfather's advice, ho replied sturdily : " No." " Well," said the Man in Red, •• that's a straight answer to a straight question. Now I'll tell you something that may be of use to you. The Bald-headed Giant has a.goldenhaired wife." On walked Klaus at a good round paoe, and as he approached the third milestone he saw the figure oil a man in brown seated on it. Then it struck him tbat he would have to give up bis precious stick to this stranger, and the thought was not an agreeable one. No ; K'aus felt that he could not part with this gift of bis godfather. He would never see a stick like it &gain. So, grasping the ht'aa firmly in his hand, he s^ode P aßt fc °c Man in Brown, heedless of the inquiries flung to him. " Where are you going ? What do you seek 1 Do you know the news of the town 1 " However, Klaus had not left the milestone six paces behind him before the hand which held the stick began to burn and tingle to an unbearable degree. It seemed as if, from the stick's head, thousands of red-hot needles were being pressed into the palm of his hand. Kiaus tried in vain to free himself from this instrument of torture : it clung to him as if it were part of his body. In the agony of desperation ho turned back to the Man in Brown, who was watching his contortions from his perch on the milestone with a sardonic grin, and thrust the stick towards him. Quietly the Man in Brown stretched out his hand, took the stick, and remarked : " Thank you kindly. Now I will tell you Eomethiog which may ba of use to you. The first inn to which you will come is the Stork* Nest. Go in ther3 aud ask them to give yon board and lodging in return for your -.services in carving for them a eign to placa over their door." Klaus set out on hi« way again, wringing and blowing on his hand, which still tingled for some minutes. Some miles still lay between him and this wonderful city, and Klaus felt that if he was to be there before nightfall he must put bis best leg forward. He was delayed aaain. however, before he

: had proceeded very far by a sight which I went to his heart. A poor woman with fonr ) children grouped round her was standing ! outside a vrayaide oabin weeping bitterly. \ The few Bticks of furniture which the cabin : contained were removed from if, and it was - evident that the little party would bo left , without shelter to face the fast approaching night. By a few hasty inquiries Klans gathered the information that the family were being turned out of their home because they could not pay their rent. The amount of rent due was three pieces of silver. Thi?, as will be remembered, waa exactly the sum which Godfather Griesbaoh had given Klaus. For a moment be debated whether he should pait witb this money to save the family from being turned out of bouse and borne. He soon. came to a decision. Not only did his godfather's charge " Never refuse help where it; is needed " come into his mind, but Klaus's own heart was much too kind a one to allow him to hesitate long. He called therefore to the m«n who were engaged in emptying the house, paid them their money, and sent them away. Then Klaus set to work with a will to put the furniture back, and, declining the grateful widow's entiea- ' ties that be would pass the night in the • cottage, he set bis face once more for tbe town. Here he arrived at nightfall, and found the placa in a great state of excitement. What tbe cause of ths excitement was will be gathered as we proceed. The first inn at i which he arrived waf, as the Man in Brown had told him it would be, an inn called the j Stork's Nest. It was just light enough for ] Klaus to see over the door the sign, carved | in wood, of a pair of old storks feeding a j nestful of young ones, and to recognise fur- j tber that the carving was very badly done. | Klaus knooked loudly and called for the landlord. When he came Klaus explained that he was in want of food and a night's { lodging. The landlord eyed him suspi- ! ciously, and asked him whether he wag prej pared to pay for these things. Klaus told i him that he had not a penny in the world, and was told to go about his business ; but, j just as the landlord was going to slam the door in bis face, Klaus bethought him of tbe words of the Man in Brown. " I'm a wood-oarver by trade," cried Klaus, " and, if you will give me board and lodging for the night, I will carve you a sign whioh will be ever so much handsomer than the one you have up now." The landlord hesitated. His present sign had long been an eyesore to him, bur, being a very grasping person, he was not disposed to part with the large sum which a better piece of carving would cost him. There waß a chance of getting the work done cheaply it Klaus was really the workman be pretended to be. He paused, therefore, to make inquiries, and when be heard that Klaus had learnt bis business under Godfather Griesbacb, whose reputation had reaohed the town, the landlord relented a little, 'and, opening the door, grumblingly told Klaus that ho might that night have some kitchen stuff to eat and some atravr in the loft for a bed, if be would promise to put all hie abilities on the morrow to carving a really beautiful »ign for the Stork's Nest. To this Klaus readily assented, glad enough to secure food and rest and shelter for the night. And after a meagre supper he went to sleep on his hard bed, with rats and mice as companions, and did not wake up till bis landlord called him ronghly in the morning. (To be continued.)