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 Snce upon a time there lived an old 
 couple who had seen better days. Formerly 
 they had been well to do, but misfortune 
 caine upon them, through no fault of their 
 own, and in their old age they had become 
 so poor that they were only just able to 
 earn their daily bread. 
 
 One joy however remained to them. This 
 
 t 
 
was their only child, a good and gentle 
 
 i 
 
 j maiden, of such wonderful beauty, that, in 
 all that land she had no equal. 
 
 At length the father fell sick and died, 
 Tmd the mother and her daughter had to 
 work harder than ever. Soon the mother 
 felt her strength failing her, and great was 
 her sorrow at the thought of leaving her 
 child alone in the world. 
 
 of the maiden 
 ^ dazzling 
 
 came 
 
 cause 
 
 and anxiety to the dying mother 
 
 thought 
 
less as her child, it would be likely to 
 prove a misfortune instead of a blessing:. 
 
 Feeling her end to be very near, the 
 mother called the maiden to her bedside, 
 and, with many words of love and warning, 
 entreated her to continue pure, and good, 
 and true, as she had ever been. She told 
 her that her beauty was a perilous gift 
 
 which might become her ruin, and com- 
 manded her to hide it, as much as possible, 
 from the sight of all men. 
 
 That she xniirht do this "hoftar 
 
 a lacquered 
 
 wooden bowk which she warned 
 
Cf ■PWP'W' 
 
 her on no account to take off. The bowl 
 overshadowed the maiden s face, so that it 
 was impossible to tell how much beauty was 
 hidden beneath it 
 
After her mother's death, the poor child 
 was indeed forlorn; bat she had a brave 
 
 heart, and at once 
 
set about 
 
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the wooden bowl, which indeed appeared a 
 funny head-dress, she soon began to 
 talked about, and was known in all 
 the country round as the Maid with the 
 Bowl on her Head. 
 
 Proud and bad people scorned and laughed 
 at her, and the 
 idle young 
 
of* or in getting more than a 
 the beautiful face beneath. 
 
 The poor girl bore all this rude usage 
 patiently, was always diligent at her work, 
 and when evening came, crept quietly to her 
 lonely home. Now, one day, when she was at 
 work in the harvest field of a rich farmer, 
 who owned most of the land in that 
 the master himself drew near, 
 struck by the gentle and modest 
 the young girl and by her quicknesi 
 diligence nt her work. - 
 
 Having watched her all that day 
 so much pleased with her, that he 
 
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in work until the end of 
 harvest. After that, winter 
 
 now come on 
 
 took her into his ow T n house 
 to wait upon his wife, who 
 had long been sick, 
 and seldom left 
 
? Now the poor orphan 
 had a happy home once 
 for both the farmer 
 ; ffM and his wife were very kind 
 iW to her. As they had no daughter 
 V of their own, she became more like the 
 child of the house than a hired servant. 
 L.nd indeed, no child could have made a 
 ;entler or more tender nurse to a sick 
 nnther. than did this little maid to her 
 
 more 
 
 to come 
 
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 quid home of bis childhood. Bo t week 
 after week passed, and, to the surprise of 
 his friends, he showed no desire to return 
 to the more stirring life of the town. 
 
 The truth is, that no sooner had he set 
 eyes j Maid with the Bowl on her Head, 
 than be 'Was hi led with curiosity to know 
 alt about her. He asked who and what she 
 was. and why she was always seen with 
 such a curious ' : d J- mS and unbecoming 
 
.urn* ** 
 
 He was touched by her sad story, but 
 could not help laughing at her old fancy of 
 wearing the bowl on her head. But, as he 
 Baw clay by day, her goodness and gentle 
 he laughed no more. And, one 
 
 manners, 
 day, having managed 
 
 bowl, he j£yy| ; : y ■. • y y ':yr 
 
 enough of her beauty to make him 
 
 fall deeply m love with her, 
 

 From that moment lie vowed that none 
 other than the Maid with the Bowl should 
 be his wife, 
 however, 
 hear of 
 
 His relations, 
 would not 
 
 ;'w; ~ No. doubt 
 w=as all very well in her wav;'’ 
 
said, f\ ) g but after all, 
 
 she was only a 
 servant, and no fit 
 
 mate for the son of 
 
 the house. 
 
 They had always said she was being made 
 too much of, and would one day or another 
 turn against her benefactors. Now their 
 words were coming true, and besides, why 
 did she persist in wearing that rediculous 
 thing on her head ? Doubtless to get a re- 
 putation for beauty, which most likely she 
 did not possess. Indeed, they -wetfe almost 
 certain that she was quite plain looking.’' 
 
 The two old maiden aunts of the young 
 man were especially bitter, and never lost 
 an opportunity of repeating the hard and 
 
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unkind things which were Raid about the 
 poor orphan. Her mistress even, who had 
 been so good to her, now seemed to ram 
 against her, and she had no friend ' left 
 except her master, who would really Mve 
 been pleased to welcome her as his daughter, 
 but did not dare to say as much. The 
 young man however, remained firm to his 
 purpose. As for all the stories which they 
 brought him, he gave his aunts to under- 
 stand that he considered them little better 
 than a pack of illnatured inventions. 
 
 At last, seeing him so steadfast in his 
 determination, and that their opposition only 
 made him the more obstinate, they 
 
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 fain to give in, though with a bad grace. 
 
 A difficulty now arose whore it was Feast 
 to have been expected. The poor little 
 
 were 
 
Maid with the Bowl on her Head upset all 
 their calculations, by gratefully but thinly 
 refusing the hand of her master’s son, and 
 m persuasion on \m part could induce her 
 to change ter mind. 
 
 Great was the astonishment and anger of 
 the relations. That they should he made 
 fools of in this war was beyond all bearing. 
 What did the ungrateful young minx expect, 
 that her Master’s son wasn’t good enough for 
 her? Little did they know her true and 
 She loved him dearly, but she 
 
 loyal heart 
 
 would not bring discord and strife into the 
 home which had sheltered her in her poverty ; 
 for she had marked the cold looks of her 
 mistress, and very well understood what they 
 meant. Rather than bring trouble into that 
 kmw home she would leave it at once, and 
 
for ever. She told no one, and shed many 
 bitter tears in secret, yet she remained true 
 to her purpose. 
 
 Ihen, that night when she had cried 
 herself to sleep, her mother appeared to her 
 in a dream, and told her that she might, 
 without scruple, yield to the prayers of her 
 lover, and to the wishes of her own heart. 
 &he woke op foil of joy, and, when the young 
 man once more entreated her, she answered 
 yes, with all her heart. “We fold yon so / 7 
 said the mother and the aunts, but the young 
 man was too happy to mind them. So the 
 wedding day was fixed, and the 
 
 preparations { ^ j 
 
 were made for 
 
unpleasant remarks were doubtless to be 
 heard about the beggar maid and her wooden 
 bowl, but the young man took no notice of 
 them, and only congratulated himself upon 
 his good fortune Now, when the wedding 
 day had at last come, and all the company 
 were assembled, and ready to assist at the 
 ceremony, it seemed high time that the bowl 
 should be removed from the head of the 
 bride. She tried to take it off, but found, to 
 her dismay, that it stuck fast, nor could her 
 utmost efforts even succeed in moving it: 
 and, when some of the relations persisted in 
 trying to pull off the bowl, it uttered loud 
 cries and groans as of pain. 
 
 The bridegroom comforted and consoled 
 the maiden, and insisted that they should 
 go on with the ceremony without more ado. 
 
And now came the moment when the wine 
 cups w r ere brought in, and the bride and 
 bridegroom must drink together the § three 
 times three’', in token that they were now 
 become man and wife. Hardly had the bride 
 put her lips to the Salce cup, when the 
 wooden bowl burst 
 with a loud H 
 
 noise, 
 

 fell in a thousand pieces upon the floor. 
 And, with the bowl, fell a shower of precious 
 stones, pearls, and diamonds, rubies and 
 emeralds, which had been hidden beneath 
 it, besides gold and silver in abundance, 
 which now became the marriage portion 
 of the maiden. 
 
 But, what astonished the wedding guests 
 more even than this vast treasure, was the 
 wonderful beauty of the bride, made full) 
 known for the first time to her husband 
 
 and to all the world. 
 
 there such a merry wedding, 
 
 Never was 
 such a proud and happy : bridegroom, 
 
 such a lovely bride. 
 
 AU. ffiSKTS RESERVED,