THE WONDERFUL TRAVELER.

I.

Preparation.

I am now going to tell you of a wonderful traveler that had the power of giving to each one whatever he wished. I will tell you how night overtook him on a journey and how he was refused a place to sleep by a proud man who lived in a mansion, but was made welcome and given a bed and food by a kind, generous man who lived in a little hut near the mansion. You will hear of three wishes granted and what each one wished for.

Do you remember anyone overtaken by darkness while on a journey in our stories? Yes. Star Dollar Girl. The Girl in “Mother Frost.” The Cock and the Hen. The Street Musicians. Tell how each one passed the night. Where have you seen a traveler? Our story happened long ago, before there were railroads and before there were many inns. Explain opposite.

Narration.

THE TRAVELER.

A long time ago there was a wonderful traveler passing through a country. He was tired, footsore, and hungry. It happened that night overtook him when he was a long way from an inn. He did not know what he should do.

Finally, as he trudged along, he came to two houses standing opposite each other. One was large and beautiful, the other was small and ugly. The large house belonged to a proud, selfish man; the other to a modest, generous man.

The traveler thought, “Now, I would not be a burden to the man who lives in the large house because he has so much room. I will knock at his door.” As he knocked the owner raised a window, looked out, and asked of the stranger what he wanted. The poor traveler answered, “I ask only a place to sleep over night.” The proud man looked the stranger over from head to foot. And because his clothes were poor and soiled with dust, and because he did not look like one who had money to pay for his lodging, the owner shook his head and said, “I cannot take you in, for my house is full. If I received into my house everyone that came along, I should soon have to go begging myself. Seek elsewhere for your night’s lodging.” At that he closed the window with a bang, and left the poor traveler standing without in the darkness.

The weary traveler then went to the cottage and knocked gently at the door. Scarcely had he knocked when the generous man unlocked his door and cheerfully called out, “Come in, stranger, and pass the night with me. It is now quite dark. You can go on your journey in the morning.”

This welcome pleased the traveler and he went in. The good man’s wife took him by the hand. “We have not much,” she said, “but what we have you are welcome to.” She then put some potatoes on the fire to bake. While they were cooking she milked the goats so that there might be a little milk for the evening meal.

Suggestions.

1. Tell of the two houses that the wonderful traveler came to on his journey. To whom did the houses belong? Why did the traveler knock at the door of the mansion? Who answered the knock? What was said? Why did the proud man refuse the traveler a night’s lodging? Tell the words he used. Where, then, did the traveler turn? How was he received at the cottage? Tell what was said. What did the wife say and do?

Reproduction.

2. What animal furnishes us milk?

Where are cows kept? Who brings us milk?

3. Do you like it that the traveler was refused a night’s lodging at the mansion? What should the owner have said to him? Was the proud man kind? Was he friendly? Do we always welcome strangers? Would we take strangers into our homes?

4. What can you say of the poor man and his wife? What shall we say of them? Were they generous, kind, hospitable? (They gave the stranger welcome and the best they had.)

5. Why did the proud man look at the traveler’s clothes? Who else refused to keep lodgers over night because he thought at first they could not pay? (Landlord in “The Cock and The Hen.”)

II.

Preparation.

We shall now learn how the stranger passed the night and of three wishes he granted to the good old man and his wife. What do you suppose the good people asked for?

Narration.

THE KIND MAN GRANTS WISHES.

When the table was spread, they all sat down and ate. The plain food tasted good to them because they were all happy. After they had eaten, and bedtime had come, the good woman said to her husband, “Let us make for ourselves a bed of straw on the floor and give our bed to the traveler so that he may rest well. He has been traveling the whole day and must be very weary.” “With all my heart,” said her husband; “I will offer our bed to him.” Then he went to the stranger and said to him, “We want you to sleep in our bed to-night. You are tired and you can rest better there.”

At first the stranger would not take the bed from the old people. But they would not take no for an answer, so finally he consented and lay down for the night in the comfortable bed. The two old people made a bed of straw on the floor. Early the next morning they were up. They cooked their guest a breakfast of the best they had.

As the sun shone through the window the traveler arose, ate his simple meal with the good man and his wife, and was about to depart. As he stood in the door, ready to go, he turned to them and said. “Because you are so good and hospitable, you may make three wishes and I will fulfill them.”

The old people were surprised and at first did not know what to say. Then they wished as the first wish that they might always be contented. For the second, that they might always have health and their daily bread. For their third wish they did not know what to wish. But the wonderful traveler looked at their poor little house and said, “Would you not like to have a new house as your last wish?” “Oh, yes!” they cried. “A new house would please us best of anything.” The wonderful traveler then gave them their wish and changed their old house into a new, large and beautiful one. When he had done this, he bade them good-bye and departed.

Suggestions.

1. Why did the food taste good? What offer did the good man and wife make the traveler? Where did they sleep? What did the wonderful traveler offer to the good people? What was their first wish? Their second? Their third? Reproduction.

2. Tell in what ways the good man and wife were kind, generous, and hospitable. What pleases you in the treatment of the traveler? Do you like the three wishes? What might they have wished for? What is it to be contented? Do you know any who are never contented? Who was not contented in “Mother Frost”? In “The Wolf and the Fox”? In “Cinderella”?

III.

Preparation.

Let us hear now how surprised the man who lived in the mansion was the next morning when he saw the fine new house across the way, and how he found out about the three wishes. Also how he overtook the wonderful traveler and obtained the promise of three wishes for himself.

Narration.

THE PROUD MAN OVERTAKES THE TRAVELER.

When the proud man arose and looked out of his window, imagine his surprise to see a beautiful new house, with red-tiled roof and bright windows, where the ugly little hut had stood the night before. He called his wife and said, “Just see there! How could it have happened? Yesterday evening the ugly little hut stood there. Now there is a beautiful new house. Run over there quickly and learn how it happened.”

The wife ran over to the new house and inquired of the good people how it came there. The generous man told her of the wonderful traveler who had sought a night’s lodging and who, at his departure the next morning, had granted them three wishes—contentedness, health and daily bread, and a fine new, red-tiled house.

When the proud man’s wife heard this, she hastened back and told her husband all that had happened. The man said. “What a fool I am! Had I only known! That man knocked at our door last night, but I sent him away.” “Then,” said his wife, “hurry, get on your horse! You can overtake him and maybe he will grant you three wishes.”

So the proud man jumped on his horse and rode after the traveler. He soon overtook him and said, “I hope you will forgive me for not letting you in last night. I went to find the door key and when I returned with it you had gone. When you come this way again, you must stop with me.” “Yes,” said the traveler, “when I come this way again I will stop at your house.”

Then the proud man asked, “May I not also have three wishes fulfilled like my neighbor?” “Yes,” said the traveler, “you may; but it would be better for you not to wish for anything.” The proud man replied, “I would certainly seek out something that would make me happy if I only knew that it would be given me.” “Very well,” said the traveler, “go home and your three wishes shall be fulfilled.”

Suggestions.

1. What did the inhospitable man see over the way the next morning? Describe the house. What did he do? Tell what he said to his wife. What did she do? Tell what the good people told her. Tell what the proud man said when his wife told him how it happened. What did his wife tell him to do? Tell what the proud man said when he had overtaken the traveler. What did he ask for? Was his request granted? Repeat what was said.

2. What are tiles? Where are they placed on a house? What are they for? Tell the names of the different parts of a house. (Foundation, cellar or basement, first story, etc.) Name as many different kinds of buildings as you can. (Schoolhouses, churches, store buildings, etc.) Tell of large buildings you have seen and what they were used for.

3. Did the good man and woman tell the truth about how they came to have a new house? Did the proud man tell the truth about going for the key? Why did he try to deceive the wonderful traveler? Was he truly sorry that he had been selfish? Whose conduct pleases you? Was the traveler grateful to the poor people? Why do you think he granted the same favor to the unkind man? What did he say when he told the man he might have three wishes granted?

4. Who deceived in “The Seven Little Goats”? In “Red Riding Hood”? In “Death of the Cock”? In “Mother Frost”? How were they all punished?

Reproduction.

IV.

Preparation.

We will next learn how the proud man had his wishes granted. What do you suppose he will wish for? Let us see.

Narration.

THE PROUD MAN’S WISHES.

Now that the proud man had obtained what he wanted, he started home very happy and began to think what he would wish for. As he rode along he let the bridle reins hang loose on the horse’s neck. All at once his horse began to jump and rear upon his hind feet. His master patted him on the neck and said, “Be still, there.” But the horse jumped and reared all the more. At last the master became very angry and said, “I wish you would break your neck.” No sooner had he spoken the words than his horse fell backward, broke his neck, and died. Thus was the first wish of the proud man fulfilled.

But the proud man was very careful not to lose anything, so he took the saddle from the dead horse, threw it on his back, and started home on foot.

“Now,” he thought, “I have two wishes left.” In this way he comforted himself. His road lay through deep sand. It was noon. The sun shone hot and the saddle made his back sore. This made him sigh. He was so warm and uncomfortable. He had not yet made up his mind what to wish. He turned many things over in his mind. “I will manage it,” he thought, “so that there will be nothing more in all the world to wish.”

Many times he thought, “Now I have found it.” But presently it would seem that his wish was too small. Then he began to think of his wife sitting at home in the cool house enjoying herself. This made him out of humor and, without thinking, he said, “I wish that she sat there at home on my saddle, and could not get free from it, instead of its being here on my back!” No sooner said than he felt the saddle disappear and knew that his second wish had been granted.

Then he began to be afraid and he ran toward home as fast as he could. He wanted to get home and sit down in a quiet room and think what he would ask for in his third wish. He wanted to wish something as large as he could. But, as he came to his house and opened the door, there sat his wife on the saddle. She was very red in the face, and very angry, and she shrieked at the top of her voice.

“Be contented,” said her husband. “I am going to wish you all the riches in the world. Just be quiet.” But she answered, “What good would all the riches in the world do me if I have to sit on this saddle always? You have wished me on it and now you must wish me off.” The proud man must now, whether willing or not, use his third wish to get his wife free from the saddle. So he said, “I wish you may get off the saddle.”

When his wife stood again upon her feet she began to scold her foolish husband. “You are very silly and stupid,” she exclaimed; “I could have managed it much better.” Thus the proud man had nothing for his pains but anger, scolding, and a dead horse. His neighbors, however, lived contented and quiet, but happy, till the end of their days.

Suggestions.

1. Tell how the proud man started home. What did the horse do? Tell about the man’s first wish. Tell about the saddle. What put him out of humor? How did he think he would manage his remaining wishes? Tell about his second wish. Why did he hasten home? What did he find there? Tell about his third wish. What did his wife say to him when she regained her liberty? What had he for his pains? How did his neighbors live?

Reproduction.

2. Where have you seen a horse with saddle and bridle on? What is the saddle used for? The reins? How is the saddle fastened on? Do you know the names of some parts of the horse’s harness? I will tell you some. Here is a picture of a horse with harness on. [Show picture.] Tell how horses are used. Which is more useful, a horse or a donkey? In what story did we learn of a donkey? Which do we like better? Do men ride donkeys, too? Tell how we should care for our horses.

3. Was the traveler right when he told the proud man it would be better if he did not wish at all? Why did he fare so badly in his wishes? Why didn’t he wish better things?

Was he as wise as his neighbor?

Was he as happy?