someone to a country across the mountains to get the rope. But that would
take quite a while; and what should they do, while they were waiting?

"One man thought of a plan. He ran to his vineyard and came back with a
grapevine. Then he tied the vine to the rope.

"'There!' he said, 'the smallest child will be able to reach it now, and
ring the bell'; for the vine, with its leaves and little tendrils, trailed
on the ground.

"The judges were pleased. 'Yes,' they said, 'that will do very well,
until we can get a new rope from the country beyond the mountains.'

"Near the village of Atri, higher up on the hillside, there lived an old
soldier. When he was a young man, he had traveled in far-distant countries,
and had fought in many wars. And he was so brave that his king had made
him a knight.

"He had had one true and faithful friend all through those hard and
dangerous years. It was his horse. Many a time the brave steed had saved
his master's life.

"But now that the knight was an old man, he no longer wished to do brave
deeds. He cared now for only one thing: gold, _gold_, GOLD. He was a miser.

"One day, as he passed his barn, he looked in and saw his faithful horse
standing in his stall. The poor creature looked almost starved.

"'Why should I keep that lazy beast any longer?' said the miser to
himself. 'His food costs more money than he is worth. I know what I will