St. Nicholas Magazine for Boys and Girls, Vol. 5, September 1878, No. 11 | Page 5

good fortune in possessing so useful a
servant, when the ranger of the forest came along. The latter, who was
a great lord, was much surprised when he saw the trees lying there.
"How is this?" asked the ranger, whose name was Woodmount. "At this
time yesterday these trees were standing. How did you contrive to fell
them so soon?"
"I had assistance, my lord," replied Ranier; but he said nothing about
the magic ax.
Lord Woodmount hereupon entered into conversation with Ranier, and
finding him to be intelligent and prompt in his replies, was much
pleased with him. At last he said:
"We have had much difficulty in getting ready the timber for the king's
new palace, in consequence of the scarcity of wood-cutters, and the
slowness with which they work. There are over twenty thousand trees
yet to be cut and hewn, and for every tree fully finished the king allows
a noble of fifty groats, although he allows but a groat for the felling
alone. It is necessary that they should be all ready within a month,
though I fear that is impossible. As you seem to be able to get a number
of laborers together, I will allot you a thousand trees, if you choose,
should you undertake to have them all ready to be hauled away for the
builders' use, within a month's time."

"My lord," answered Ranier, "I will undertake to have the whole
twenty thousand ready before the time set."
"Do you know what you say?" inquired the ranger, astonished at the
bold proposal.
"Perfectly, my lord," was the reply. "Let me undertake the work on
condition that you will cause the forest to be guarded, and no one to
enter save they have my written permission. Before the end of the
month the trees will be ready."
[Illustration: FELLING THE TREES.]
"Well," said Lord Woodmount, "it is a risk for me to run; but from
what you have done already, it is possible you may obtain enough
woodmen to complete your task. Yet, beware! If you succeed, I will not
only give you twenty thousand nobles of gold, but also appoint you--if
you can write, as you have told me--the deputy-ranger here; and for
every day less than a month in which you finish your contract I will add
a hundred nobles; but, if you fail, I will have you hanged on a tree.
When will you begin?"
"To-morrow morning," replied Ranier.
The next morning, before daylight, Ranier took his way to the forest,
leaving all his money save three groats with his mother, and, after
telling her that he might not return for a day or so, passed the guard that
he found already set, and plunged into the wood. When he came to a
place where the trees were thickest and loftiest, he whispered to himself
what he had to do, and said to the ax: "Ax! ax! chop! chop! and work
for my profit." The ax at once went to work with great earnestness, and
by night-fall over ten thousand trees were felled, hewn, and thrown into
piles. Then Ranier, who had not ceased before to watch the work, ate
some of the provisions which he had brought with him, and throwing
himself under a great tree, whose spreading boughs shaded him from
the moonlight, drew his scanty mantle around him, and slept soundly
till sunrise.

The next morning Ranier arose, and looked with delight at the work
already done; then, speaking again to the ax, it began chopping away as
before.
Now, it chanced that morning that the chief ranger had started to see
how the work was being done, and, on reaching the forest, asked the
guards if many wood-cutters had entered. They all replied that only one
had made his appearance, but he must be working vigorously, since all
that morning, and the whole day before, the wood had resounded with
the blows of axes. The Lord Woodmount thereupon rode on in great
anger, for he thought that Ranier had mocked him. But presently he
came to great piles of hewn timber which astonished him much; and
then he heard the axes' sound, which astonished him more, for it
seemed as though twenty wood-choppers were engaged at once, so
great was the din. When he came to where the ax was at work, he
thought he saw--and this was through the magic power of the
fairy--thousands of wood-cutters, all arrayed in green hose and red
jerkins, some felling the trees, some hewing them into square timber,
and others arranging the hewn logs into piles of a hundred each, while
Ranier stood looking on. He was so angry at the guards for having
misinformed him, that he at once rode back and rated them soundly on
their supposed untruth.