American Fairy Tales Part 4

He then sat down to figure out ways of spending his wife's money.

The following day he called upon Miss Mydas, who was reading a novel and eating chocolate creams as happily as if she had never been ill in her life.

"Where did you get the magic compound that cured me?" she asked.

"From a learned wizard," said he; and then, thinking it would interest her, he told how he had made the gla.s.s dog for the wizard, and how it barked and kept everybody from bothering him.

"How delightful!" she said. "I've always wanted a gla.s.s dog that could bark."

"But there is only one in the world," he answered, "and it belongs to the wizard."

"You must buy it for me," said the lady.

"The wizard cares nothing for money," replied the gla.s.s-blower.

"Then you must steal it for me," she retorted. "I can never live happily another day unless I have a gla.s.s dog that can bark."

The gla.s.s-blower was much distressed at this, but said he would see what he could do. For a man should always try to please his wife, and Miss Mydas has promised to marry him within a week.

On his way home he purchased a heavy sack, and when he pa.s.sed the wizard's door and the pink gla.s.s dog ran out to bark at him he threw the sack over the dog, tied the opening with a piece of twine, and carried him away to his own room.

The next day he sent the sack by a messenger boy to Miss Mydas, with his compliments, and later in the afternoon he called upon her in person, feeling quite sure he would be received with grat.i.tude for stealing the dog she so greatly desired.

But when he came to the door and the butler opened it, what was his amazement to see the gla.s.s dog rush out and begin barking at him furiously.

"Call off your dog," he shouted, in terror.

"I can't, sir," answered the butler. "My young lady has ordered the gla.s.s dog to bark whenever you call here. You'd better look out, sir," he added, "for if it bites you, you may have gla.s.sophobia!"

This so frightened the poor gla.s.s-blower that he went away hurriedly. But he stopped at a drug store and put his last dime in the telephone box so he could talk to Miss Mydas without being bitten by the dog.

"Give me Pelf 6742!" he called.

"h.e.l.lo! What is it?" said a voice.

"I want to speak with Miss Mydas," said the gla.s.s-blower.

Presently a sweet voice said: "This is Miss Mydas. What is it?"

"Why have you treated me so cruelly and set the gla.s.s dog on me?"

asked the poor fellow.

"Well, to tell the truth," said the lady, "I don't like your looks.

Your cheeks are pale and baggy, your hair is coa.r.s.e and long, your eyes are small and red, your hands are big and rough, and you are bow-legged."

"But I can't help my looks!" pleaded the gla.s.s-blower; "and you really promised to marry me."

"If you were better looking I'd keep my promise," she returned. "But under the circ.u.mstances you are no fit mate for me, and unless you keep away from my mansion I shall set my gla.s.s dog on you!" Then she dropped the 'phone and would have nothing more to say.

The miserable gla.s.s-blower went home with a heart bursting with disappointment and began tying a rope to the bedpost by which to hang himself.

Some one knocked at the door, and, upon opening it, he saw the wizard.

"I've lost my dog," he announced.

"Have you, indeed?" replied the gla.s.s-blower tying a knot in the rope.

"Yes; some one has stolen him."

"That's too bad," declared the gla.s.s-blower, indifferently.

"You must make me another," said the wizard.

"But I cannot; I've thrown away my tools."

"Then what shall I do?" asked the wizard.

"I do not know, unless you offer a reward for the dog."

"But I have no money," said the wizard.

"Offer some of your compounds, then," suggested the gla.s.s-blower, who was making a noose in the rope for his head to go through.

"The only thing I can spare," replied the wizard, thoughtfully, "is a Beauty Powder."

"What!" cried the gla.s.s-blower, throwing down the rope, "have you really such a thing?"

"Yes, indeed. Whoever takes the powder will become the most beautiful person in the world."

"If you will offer that as a reward," said the gla.s.s-blower, eagerly, "I'll try to find the dog for you, for above everything else I long to be beautiful."

"But I warn you the beauty will only be skin deep," said the wizard.

"That's all right," replied the happy gla.s.s-blower; "when I lose my skin I shan't care to remain beautiful."

"Then tell me where to find my dog and you shall have the powder,"

promised the wizard.

So the gla.s.s-blower went out and pretended to search, and by-and-by he returned and said:

"I've discovered the dog. You will find him in the mansion of Miss Mydas."

The wizard went at once to see if this were true, and, sure enough, the gla.s.s dog ran out and began barking at him. Then the wizard spread out his hands and chanted a magic spell which sent the dog fast asleep, when he picked him up and carried him to his own room on the top floor of the tenement house.

Afterward he carried the Beauty Powder to the gla.s.s-blower as a reward, and the fellow immediately swallowed it and became the most beautiful man in the world.

The next time he called upon Miss Mydas there was no dog to bark at him, and when the young lady saw him she fell in love with his beauty at once.

"If only you were a count or a prince," she sighed, "I'd willingly marry you."