Wonder-Box Tales | Page 5

never
done when they were poor; she thought it was very strange that she
should be a lady, and yet not be happy. Every morning when the
woodman was sober they invented new plans for making themselves
happy, yet, strange to say, none of them succeeded, and matters grew
worse and worse. At last Kitty thought she should be happy if she had a
coach; so she went to the place where the knapsack was buried, and
began to dig; but the garden was so trodden down that she could not dig
deep enough, and soon got tired of trying. At last she called the servant,
and told her the secret as to where the money was, promising her a gold
piece if she could dig it up. The servant dug with all her strength, and
with a great deal of trouble they got the knapsack up, and Kitty found
that not many gold pieces were left. However, she resolved to have the
coach, so she took them and went to the town, where she bought a
yellow chariot, with a most beautiful coat of arms upon it, and two
cream-colored horses to draw it.
In the meantime the maid ran to the magistrates, and told them she had
discovered something very dreadful, which was, that her mistress had
nothing to do but dig in the ground and that she could make money
come--coined money: "which," said the maid, "is a very terrible thing,
and it proves that she must be a witch."
The mayor and aldermen were very much shocked, for witches were
commonly believed in in those days; and when they heard that Kitty
had dug up money that very morning, and bought a yellow coach with
it, they decided that the matter must be investigated.
When Kitty drove up to her own door, she saw the mayor and aldermen

standing in the kitchen waiting for her. She demanded what they
wanted, and they said they were come in the king's name to search the
house.
Kitty immediately ran up-stairs and took the baby out of his cradle, lest
any of them should steal him, which, of course, seemed a very probable
thing for them to do. Then she went to look for her husband, who,
shocking to relate, was quite tipsy, quarrelling and arguing with the
mayor, and she actually saw him box an alderman's ears.
"The thing is proved," said the indignant mayor; "this woman is
certainly a witch."
Kitty was very much bewildered at this; but how much more when she
saw her husband seize the mayor--yes, the very mayor himself--and
shake him so hard that he actually shook his head off, and it rolled
under the dresser! "If I had not seen this with my own eyes," said Kitty,
"I could not have believed it--even now it does not seem at all real."
All the aldermen wrung their hands.
"Murder! murder!" cried the maid.
"Yes," said the aldermen, "this woman and her husband must
immediately be put to death, and the baby must be taken from them and
made a slave."
In vain Kitty fell on her knees; the proofs of their guilt were so plain
that there was no hope for mercy; and they were just going to be led out
to execution when--why, then she opened her eyes, and saw that she
was lying in bed in her own little chamber where she had lived and
been so happy; her baby beside her in his wicker[3] cradle was crowing
and sucking his fingers.
[Footnote 3: Wicker: made of willow twigs like a basket.]
"So, then, I have never been rich, after all," said Kitty; "and it was all
only a dream! I thought it was very strange at the time that a man's

head should roll off."
And she heaved a deep sigh, and put her hand to her face, which was
wet with the tears she had shed when she thought that she and her
husband were going to be executed.
"I am very glad, then, my husband is not a drunken man; and he does
not beat me; but he goes to work every day, and I am as happy as a
queen."
Just then she heard her husband's good-tempered voice whistling as he
went down the ladder.
"Kitty, Kitty," said he, "come, get up, my little woman; it's later than
usual, and our good visitor will want his breakfast."
"Oh, Will, Will, do come here," answered the wife; and presently her
husband came up again, dressed in his fustian jacket, and looking quite
healthy and good-tempered--not at all like the pale man in the blue coat,
who sat watching the meat while it roasted.
"Oh, Will, I have had such a frightful dream," said Kitty, and she began
to cry; "we