by David Cory
THE MAGIC AXE
Ned meets the King and proposes to cut down the big Oak Tree.
THE MAGIC AXE
PRESENTLY the Gnome turned to Ned and said:
"I must leave you for a time. But with the Fairy Queen's magic ring uponyour finger, you will be safe from harm. Self reliance is what all boysshould practise. Therefore, travel for a few days alone. At the end ofthat time I will join you." And with these words the Gnome disappeared.
For a moment Ned felt a wild desire to call him back. But with a shrugof his shoulder, he put away the thought and bravely set out in searchof further adventure.
He had gone but a short distance when he came to a Magic Axe, choppingaway all by itself at one of the tallest trees.
"Good morning, Mistress Axe," he said. "Doesn't it tire you to bechopping away all alone there at that old tree?"
"Not at all, my son. Put me in your knapsack and I will make youfamous."
Picking up the axe, Ned placed it in his knapsack and set off once more.After a while, he came to a place where the road was hollowed out of amass of solid rock, and here, in the distance, he heard a sharp noiselike that of iron striking against stone.
"Some giant must be breaking rocks away up there," he said to himself,and climbed up the mountain. When he reached the top of the high rock,he found a Magic Pickaxe, all alone by itself, digging away at the hardstone as if it were soft clay.
Every time that wonderful pickaxe struck a blow it went more than a footinto the rock.
"Good morning, Mistress Pickaxe," said Ned. "Doesn't it tire you to bedigging alone here, hollowing away at that old rock?"
"Not at all, my little man. Put me in your knapsack and I will make youfamous."
Ned picked up the pickaxe and placing it in his knapsack, again went on.
After a while he came to a brook which he followed up the hillside.
The farther he went the smaller it grew until finally, it ended in alittle nutshell, from which this tiny stream began its journey down themountain.
"Good morning, Miss Spring," said Ned. "Doesn't it tire you to begushing away all alone by yourself in your little corner?"
"Indeed it does, my little man. Put me in your knapsack and I will makeyou famous."
Ned picked up the little nutshell and plugging it up with moss, placedit carefully in his knapsack with the Magic Axe and the Magic Pickaxe.
After some little time he came to a king's palace. Now, although it wasa magnificent palace, everyone living there was perfectly miserable, forone morning, without the least warning, an immense oak had sprung up,with leaves and branches so thick that they shut out the sun from allthe windows, making the castle as dark as night.
Of course in those days there was no gas and electricity, and althoughthe king had commanded that candles be made as high as barber poles,they spluttered and often went out when the wind blew.
All the woodcutters in the kingdom had tried to cut down this tree, butits bark was so tough that it turned the edge of every axe, and forevery branch that was lopped off, two instantly grew in its place. Atlast the king had offered three bags of gold to anyone who would rid himof his troublesome oaktree.
Now this was not the only trouble that beset the poor king. For,although the surrounding country was rich in springs and brooks, theroyal gardens were dry as the desert of Sahara. And although the kinghad also promised three bags of gold to anyone who would dig a well, noone had yet been able to dig deeper than a foot, as the palace was builton a rock of solid granite.
Each day the king grew more angry, but of course that did no good. Atlast calling the poet laureate of his kingdom, he asked him what shouldbe done.
Running his fingers through his long curly hair, the poet thought awhile. Then summoning the Royal Carpenter, ordered him to make animmense placard, on which, when finished, this wise poet printed:
"To him who cuts my oaktree down I'll give three bags of gold But he who fails shall lose his life And lie beneath the mold."
"But what good will that exquisite poem do?" asked the king,sarcastically.
"It will keep your Royal Highness from being irritated by this endlesssound of chop, chop, chop," replied the poet. "I verily believe everyman in your kingdom has had a hack at the tree. Now, he who reads thissign, will first make sure his axe is a good one. And my poetic earswill be spared much of this frightful noise which is far worse than asteel rivetter at work on a ninety story building in New York City."Which shows that this poet had an eye that could see into the future,for at that time, as far as I know, Columbus hadn't even asked the Queenof Spain to pawn her diamond rings!
"Very well," replied the king, "have the sign nailed on this dreadfultree and we will see what happens."
As soon as Ned arrived at the castle he bowed politely to the king, whohappened to be standing nearby with all his courtiers.
"Ha, ha," laughed the king, as Ned read the sign. "Do you, too, wish tolose your ears?" At which all the courtiers laughed heartily, the firsttime in many months that anybody in that castle had laughed, or evensmiled, for that matter.
"I can but try," answered Ned bravely, and opening his knapsack, tookout his Magic Axe. Standing it up, with the handle leaning against theenchanted tree, he stepped back a few feet and shouted: "Chop, chop,chop!"
At once the axe began to chop, now right, now left, and up and down, andin an incredibly short time that immense tree was cut to bits. It tookonly a quarter of an hour, and yet there was such a monstrous heap ofwood that the whole court needed nothing else to burn for a whole year.
But when Ned asked the king for the three bags of gold, that stingy oldmonarch said, "Before I give you the reward, you must perform anothertask."
"What is it?" asked Ned.
"You must dig me a well so that I may have plenty of water," answeredthe king.