1897. 



THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



353 



still thau be liad seeu it ou liis lirst 

 jouruey. The phautoiu's locks were 

 more disorrlerea; hiscloaij floated iu the 

 air iu larger folds; lightuiugs flashed 

 from his eves. He cried, with a voice 

 which maue the uiountaiu tremble, 

 "What are you about there?" 



The abyssts repeated, "What are you 

 about there?" 



"I seek the yellow balsam," answered 

 the peasaut. "A sick woman has proiu- 

 ised. to pay me well for it." 



The giaut could no longer contain his 

 anger. "Madman, did I not caution 

 you, and you dare return? Now you pos- 

 sess it, save yourself it you can." 



At the same instant flames appeared 

 to fall ou the criminal and to burn his 

 face. The powerful club flew round in 

 the air and dashed a rock near him into 

 shivers. The ground trembled under hi;^ 

 feet. A frightful clap of thunder assist- 

 ed to stun him, and he fell down sense- 

 less. He d;d not come to himself until 

 long afterward. The giant had disap- 

 peared, and the thunder growled less 

 londly, but he still thought he heard 

 the resounding voice of the spirit, and 

 his limbs were as if they had been 

 broken. However, he grasped the bal- 

 sam in his hand. At last, soaked with 

 rain, surrouuded with thick fogs, shoved 

 here and there by malevolent genii, he 

 crawled from rock to rock all the night 

 and all the following day without 

 knowing where he was. At length a 

 collier, having found him half dead 

 with fatigue, carried him into his cabin. 

 There he took some repose and got rid 

 of his fright, after which he hastened 

 to return to Lieguitz. The lady was de- 

 lighted to see him again with the so 

 much desired plant and gave him so 

 la»ge a sum nf money that he forgot the 

 dangers he had run and went joyfully 

 home. Several weeks elapsed. The dame 

 appeared almost cured. Nevertheless, 

 she was not so entirely. 



"If I had a third balsam," said she, 

 "I am well convinced that I should be 

 out of danger." 



She then sent for the peasant, who at 

 first was unwilling to come. Instigated, 

 however, by some evil spirit, he at 

 length yielded to the entreaties of the 

 lady. 



"Here I am, madam," said he on en- 

 tering. "What do you want with me? I 

 hope that you do not require me to go a 



third time tor the balsam. Heaven keep 

 me from doing so. I had a great deal of 

 difficulty to get back safe and sound 

 from my last jouruey. I tremble yet 

 When I think of it." 



The lady then conjured him in the 

 most pressing manner again to brave 

 the dangers which hitherto had caused 

 him but a passing terror. She promised 

 him great riches and offered him a mag- 

 nificeut farm. In short, she so com- 

 pletely dazzled the rash peasant that he 

 swore, although it should cost him his 

 life, to go for the last time to pull a 

 balsam in the enchanted garden. 



"If I come back from it, " thought he 

 to himself, ' 'I shall be rich, aud I may 

 pass the rest of my days in joy and 

 abundance." 



He re-entered his house making these 

 reflections. Nevertheless, he did not 

 again dare to undertake the perilous 

 voyage alone. 



"My dear boy," he said to the eldest 

 of his children, "I must go to the chapel 

 which is at the summit of the mountain. 

 You will accompany me." 



They set off together. The more they 

 advanced the more the defiles became 

 narrow and the mountains barren. 

 When they arrived on the banks of a 

 lake which spread calmly and darkly 

 between two precipitous rocks, the fa- 

 ther fell into a profound reverie. There 

 was something in his unquiet looks so 

 strange that his son involuntarily trem- 

 bled. 



"What is the matter with you, fa- 

 ther?" he asked. 



The father remained silent. They con- 

 tinued to climb the sides of the moun- 

 tain, and when they were near the gar- 

 den the father said: 



"Evil spirits have misled me from 

 my earliest youth, and therefore I have 

 always aspired to the possession of great 

 riches. I have never had the fear of 

 God. I have never had pity for men. I 

 have led a wild and irregular life, not 

 giving myself the trouble to set good 

 examples, which is the duty of a father. 

 I am now called by satan, for I must 

 rob the lord of the mountain of the 

 yellow balsam and the lord of the moun- 

 tain will destroy me." 



The son began to weep. "Father," 

 he exclaimed, "renounce your project. 

 Return to the house. God is merciful." 



Wild, however, with desnair. the 



