Tales of Wonder Every Child Should Know | Page 4

last," said Youngling, as he took the Axe, pulled it
off its haft, and stuffed both head and haft into his wallet.
So when he climbed down again to his brothers, they began to jeer and
laugh at him.
"And now, what funny thing was it you saw up yonder on the hillside?"
they said.
"Oh, it was only an axe we heard," said Youngling.
When they had gone a bit farther, they came under a steep spur of rock,
and up above they heard something digging and shovelling.
"I wonder, now," said Youngling, "what it is digging and shovelling up
yonder at the top of the rock?"

"Ah, you're always so clever with your wonderings," said Peter and
Paul again; "as if you'd never heard a woodpecker hacking and pecking
at a hollow tree."
"Well, well," said Youngling, "I think it would be a piece of fun just to
see what it really is."
And so off he set to climb the rock, while the others laughed and made
game of him. But he didn't care a bit for that; up he clambered, and
when he got near the top, what do you think he saw? Why, a spade that
stood there digging and delving.
"Good day," said Youngling. "So you stand here all alone, and dig and
delve?"
"Yes, that's what I do," said the Spade, "and that's what I've done this
many a long day, waiting for you, my lad."
"Well, here I am," said Youngling again, as he took the Spade and
knocked off its handle, and put it into his wallet; and then he climbed
down again to his brothers.
"Well, what was it, so strange and rare," said Peter and Paul, "that you
saw up there at the top of the rock?"
"Oh," said Youngling, "nothing more than a spade; that was what we
heard."
So they went on again a good bit, till they came to a brook. They were
thirsty all three, after their long walk, and so they lay down beside the
brook to have a drink.
"I have a great fancy to see where this brook comes from," said
Youngling.
So up alongside the brook he went, in spite of all that his brothers
shouted after him. Nothing could stop him. On he went. And as he went
up and up, the brook grew smaller and smaller, and at last, a little way

farther on, what do you think he saw? Why, a great walnut, and out of
that the water trickled.
"Good day," said Youngling again. "So you lie here and trickle, and run
down all alone?"
"Yes, I do," said the Walnut "and here have I trickled and run this many
a long day, waiting for you, my lad."
"Well, here I am," said Youngling, as he took a lump of moss and
plugged up the hole, so that the water mightn't run out. Then he put the
Walnut into his wallet, and ran down to his brothers.
"Well, now," said Peter and Paul, "have you found out where the water
comes from? A rare sight it must have been!"
"Oh, after all, it was only a hole it ran out of," said Youngling, and the
others laughed and made game of him again, but Youngling didn't mind
that a bit.
So when they had gone a little farther, they came to the King's palace;
but as every man in the kingdom had heard that he might win the
Princess and half the realm, if he could only fell the big oak and dig the
King's well, so many had come to try their luck that the oak was now
twice as stout and big as it had been at first, for you will remember that
two chips grew for every one they hewed out with their axes.
So the King had now laid it down as a punishment that if anyone tried
and couldn't fell the oak, he should be put on a barren island, and both
his ears were to be clipped off. But the two brothers didn't let
themselves be frightened by this threat; they were quite sure they could
fell the oak, and Peter, as he was the eldest, was to try his hand first;
but it went with him as with all the rest who had hewn at the oak: for
every chip he cut two grew in its place. So the King's men seized him,
and clipped off both his ears, and put him out on the island.
Now Paul was to try his luck, but he fared just the same! When he had
hewn two or three strokes, they began to see the oak grow, and so the

King's men seized him, too, and clipped his ears, and put him out on
the island;