L. Frank Baum by American Fairy Tales Page B

came for water, she was surprised to see the
beetle again lying upon its back and struggling helplessly to turn.
Once more the woman stopped and set him upon his feet; and then, as
she stooped over the tiny creature, she heard a small voice say:
    "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much for saving me!"
    Half frightened at hearing a beetle speak in her own language, the
woman started back and exclaimed:
    "La sakes! Surely you can't talk like humans!" Then, recovering from
her alarm, she again bent over the beetle, who answered her:
    "Why shouldn't I talk, if I have anything to say?
    "'Cause you're a bug," replied the woman.
    "That is true; and you saved my life—saved me from my enemies, the
sparrows. And this is the second time you have come to my
assistance, so I owe you a debt of gratitude. Bugs value their lives
as much as human beings, and I am a more important creature than
you, in your ignorance, may suppose. But, tell me, why do you come
each day to the brook?"
    "For water," she answered, staring stupidly down at the talking
beetle.
    "Isn't it hard work?" the creature inquired.
    "Yes; but there's no water on the hill," said she.
    "Then dig a well and put a pump in it," replied the beetle.
    She shook her head.
    "My man tried it once; but there was no water," she said, sadly.
    "Try it again," commanded the beetle; "and in return for your
kindness to me I will make this promise: if you do not get water
from the well you will get that which is more precious to you. I
must go now. Do not forget. Dig a well."
    And then, without pausing to say good-by, it ran swiftly away and
was lost among the stones.
    The woman returned to the house much perplexed by what the beetle
had said, and when her husband came in from his work she told him
the whole story.
    The poor man thought deeply for a time, and then declared:
    "Wife, there may be truth in what the bug told you. There must be
magic in the world yet, if a beetle can speak; and if there is such
a thing as magic we may get water from the well. The pump I bought
to use in the well which proved to be dry is now lying in the barn,
and the only expense in following the talking bug's advice will be
the labor of digging the hole. Labor I am used to; so I will dig the
well."
    Next day he set about it, and dug so far down in the ground that he
could hardly reach the top to climb out again; but not a drop of
water was found.
    "Perhaps you did not dig deep enough," his wife said, when he told
her of his failure.
    So the following day he made a long ladder, which he put into the
hole; and then he dug, and dug, and dug, until the top of the ladder
barely reached the top of the hole. But still there was no water.
    When the woman next went to the brook with her pail she saw the
beetle sitting upon a stone beside her path. So she stopped and
said:
    "My husband has dug the well; but there is no water."
    "Did he put the pump in the well?" asked the beetle.
    "No," she answered.
    "Then do as I commanded; put in the pump, and if you do not get
water I promise you something still more precious."
    Saying which, the beetle swiftly slid from the stone and
disappeared. The woman went back to the house and told her husband
what the bug had said.
    "Well," replied the simple fellow, "there can be no harm in trying."
    So he got the pump from the barn and placed it in the well, and then
he took hold of the handle and began to pump, while his wife stood
by to watch what would happen.
    No water came, but after a few moments a gold piece dropped from the
spout of the pump, and then another, and another, until several
handfuls of gold lay in a little heap upon the ground.
    The man stopped pumping then and ran to help his wife gather the
gold pieces into her apron; but their hands trembled so greatly
through excitement and joy that they could scarcely pick up the
sparkling coins.
    At last she gathered them close to her bosom and together they ran
to the house, where they emptied the precious gold upon the table
and