THE GREAT WHITE STOVE.
Karl had no mother and his father was very poor.
The only beautiful thing in their little house was a white stove. It was very large, and it had wonderful colored pictures all over it.
Karl and his brothers and sisters loved it dearly. In the summer they covered it with flowers.
In the winter the children sat around the stove, while Karl drew them pictures and told them stories.
One cold winter night the father came home very late. He could not find work, and the children had not enough to eat.
By and by the little ones went to bed.
Then the father told Karl and his sister that he had sold the great white stove.
“Oh, no, Father!” cried Karl. “You will not send our dear stove away.”
“I must,” said his father. “It is a wonderful stove. There is a man who will give me a greatdeal of gold for it. I must have gold to buy bread for my little ones.”
“Wait awhile,” said Karl. “I will help. I am sure there is work I can do.”
Karl’s father shook his head and went away. He thought such a very little boy could not help him.
All that night Karl lay on the floor beside his dear white stove.
In the morning the man came and carried the stove away in a wagon. Karl was so unhappy that he could do nothing but cry and cry.
“I love it so,” he said. “Better than anything on earth.”
Then he said, “I will go with it.”
He ran quickly after the wagon and climbed into it.
By and by when no one was looking, he hid inside the great white stove. It was very dark, but it was warm, and soon he was fast asleep.
When Karl opened his eyes, he wondered where he could be. He lay quite still and listened.
He traveled a long, long time. At last the stovewas set down on a soft rug. Then some one said, “What a wonderful stove!”
The door was opened, and Karl jumped out. He fell on his knees before a man who had a very kind face.
“Oh,” cried he, “please do not send me away! Let me stay here with my dear white stove.”
“Poor child!” said the man, as he laid his hand on Karl’s hand. “Why did you hide in the stove? Tell me for I can help you. I am the king.”
Karl was glad to tell the king all about the great white stove. He told him how much they all loved it. He said that they had to send it away because they had no bread to eat.
“Do let me stay with it,” he said again. “I will cut wood for it and feed it. The stove loves to have me feed it, for I have done it so long.”
“But what else do you wish to do?” said the king.
“I should like to paint pictures, beautiful pictures, like those on the stove,” said the little boy.
So the king told Karl that he could stay in the castle with the great white stove.
Karl became a great artist and painted beautiful pictures. Then the king gave him the stove.
Karl sent it back to the little house where his father still lived. He often went there to see his father and the great white stove.
He was thankful that he had traveled so far inside of the stove that winter day.
Louise de la Ramée’s“The Nurnberg Stove” (Adapted).