The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Legend of the Bleeding-heart
    
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.

Title: The Legend of the Bleeding-heart

Author: Annie F. Johnston

Release date: February 22, 2006 [eBook #17825]
                Most recently updated: December 13, 2020

Language: English

Credits: E-text prepared by David Garcia, Sjaani, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net/) from page images generously made available by Kentuckiana Digital Library (http://kdl.kyvl.org/)


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LEGEND OF THE BLEEDING-HEART ***


E-text prepared by David Garcia, Sjaani, and the Project Gutenberg Online
Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net/) from page images
generously made available by Kentuckiana Digital Library
(http://kdl.kyvl.org/)



Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
      file which includes the original illustrations.
      See 17825-h.htm or 17825-h.zip:
      (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/7/8/2/17825/17825-h/17825-h.htm)
      or
      (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/7/8/2/17825/17825-h.zip)
      
      Images of the original pages are available through the Electronic
      Text Collection of Kentuckiana Digital Library. See
      http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;xc=1&idno=B92-277-32008329&view=toc





THE LEGEND OF THE BLEEDING-HEART

by

ANNIE FELLOWS JOHNSTON

Author of "The Little Colonel Series," "Big
Brother," "Joel: A Boy of Galilee,"
"Keeping Tryst," etc.







[Illustration: Olga, holding it in the hollow of
her hands, offered him the water.]




Boston
L. C. Page & Company
1907
Copyright, 1900
By L. C. Page & Company
(Incorporated)
Copyright, 1907
By L. C. Page & Company
(Incorporated)
All rights reserved
First Impression, July, 1907
Colonial Press
Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co.
Boston, U. S. A.




IN MEMORY
OF THE ONES THAT GREW
SO LONG AGO,
IN OLD "Aunt Nancy's" GARDEN.




The Legend of the Bleeding-heart




In days of old, when all things in the Wood had speech, there lived
within its depths a lone Flax-spinner. She was a bent old creature, and
ill to look upon, but all the tongues of all the forest leaves were ever
kept a-wagging with the story of her kindly deeds. And even to this day
they sometimes whisper low among themselves (because they fain would
hold in mind so sweet a tale) the story of her kindness to the little
orphan, Olga.

'Twas no slight task the old Flax-spinner took upon herself, the day she
brought the helpless child to share the shelter of her thatch. The Oak
outside her door held up his arms in solemn protest.

"Thou dost but waste thyself," he said. "Thy benefits will be forgot,
thy labours unrequited. For Youth is ever but another title for
Ingratitude."

"Nay, friend," the old Flax-spinner said. "My little Olga will not be
ungrateful and forgetful."

All hedged about with loving care, the orphan grew to gracious
maidenhood, and felt no lack of father, mother, brother or sister. In
every way the old Flax-spinner took their places. But many were the
sacrifices that she made to keep her fed and warmly clad, and every time
she went without herself that Olga might receive a greater share,
Wiseacre Oak looked down and frowned and shook his head.

Then would the old dame hasten to her inner room, and there she pricked
herself with her spindle, until a great red drop of her heart's blood
fell into her trembling hand. With witchery of words she blew upon it,
and rolled it in her palm, and muttering, turned and turned and turned
it. And as the spell was laid upon it, it shrivelled into a tiny round
ball like a seed, and she strung it on a thread where were many others
like it, saying, "By this she will remember. She will not be ungrateful
and forgetful."

So years went by, and Olga grew in goodness and in beauty, and helped
the old Flax-spinner in her tasks as blithely and as willingly as if
she were indeed her daughter. Every morning she brought water from the
spring, gathered the wild fruits of the woods, and spread the linen on
the grass to bleach. At such times would the bent old foster-mother hold
herself erect, and call up to the Oak, "Dost see? Thou'rt wrong! Youth
is _not_ another title for Ingratitude."

"Thou hast not lived as long as I," would be the only answer.

One day as Olga was wandering by the spring, searching for watercresses,
the young Prince of the castle rode by on his prancing charger. A
snow-white plume waved in his hat, and a shining silver bugle hung from
his shoulder, for he had been following the chase.

He was thirsty and tired, and asked for a drink, but there was no cup
with which to dip the water from the spring. But Olga caught the drops
as they bubbled out from the spring, holding them in the hollow of her
beautiful white hands, and reaching up to where he sat, offered him the
sparkling water. So gracefully was it done, that the Prince was charmed
by her modest manner as well as her lovely face, and baring his head
when he had slaked his thirst, he touched the white hands with his lips.

Before he rode away he asked her name and where she lived. The next day
a courier in scarlet and gold stopped at the door of the cottage and
invited Olga to the castle. Princesses and royal ladies from all over
the realm were to be entertained there, seven days and seven nights.
Every night a grand ball was to be given, and Olga was summoned to each
of the balls. It was because of her pleasing manner and her great
beauty that she had been bidden.

The old Flax-spinner courtesied low to the courier and promised that
Olga should be at the castle without fail.

"But, good dame," cried Olga, when the courier had gone, "prithee tell
me why thou didst make such a promise, knowing full well this gown of
tow is all I own. Wouldst have me stand before the Prince in beggar's
garb? Better to bide at home for aye than be put to shame before such
guests."

"Have done, my child!" the old dame said. "Thou shalt wear a court robe
of the finest. Years have I toiled to have it ready, but that is naught.
I loved thee as my own."

Then once more the old Flax-spinner went into her inner room, and
pricked herself with her spindle till another great red drop of her
heart's blood fell into her trembling hand. With witchery of words she
blew upon it, and rolled it in her palm, and muttering, turned and
turned and turned it. And as the spell was laid upon it, it shrivelled
into a tiny round ball like a seed, and she strung it on to a thread,
where were many others like it. Seventy times seven was the number of
beads on this strange rosary.

When the night of the first ball rolled around, Olga combed her long
golden hair and twined it with a wreath of snowy water-lilies, and then
she stood before the old dame in her dress of tow. To her wonderment
and grief she saw there was no silken robe in waiting, only a string of
beads to clasp around her white throat. Each bead in the necklace was
like a little shrivelled seed, and Olga's eyes filled with tears of
disappointment.

"Obey me and all will be well," said the old woman.

"When thou reachest the castle gate clasp one bead in thy fingers and
say:

     "'For love's sweet sake, in my hour of need,
     Blossom and deck me, little seed.'

Straightway right royally shalt thou be clad. But remember carefully the
charm. Only to the magic words, 'For love's sweet sake' will the
necklace give up its treasures. If thou shouldst forget, then thou must
be doomed always to wear thy gown of tow."

So Olga sped on her moon-lighted way through the forest until she came
to the castle gate. There she paused, and grasping a bead of the strange
necklace between her fingers, repeated the old dame's charm:

     "For love's sweet sake, in my hour of need,
     Blossom and deck me, little seed."

Immediately the bead burst with a little puff as if a seed pod had
snapped asunder. A faint perfume surrounded her, rare and subtle as if
it had been blown across from some flower of Eden. Olga looked down and
found herself enveloped in a robe of such delicate texture, that it
seemed soft as a rose-leaf and as airy as pink clouds that sometimes
float across the sunset. The water-lilies in her hair had become a
coronal of opals.

When she entered the great ball-room, the Prince of the castle started
up from his throne in amazement. Never before had he seen such a vision
of loveliness. "Surely," said he, "some rose of Paradise hath found a
soul and drifted earthward to blossom here." And all that night he had
eyes for none but her.

The next night Olga started again to the castle in her dress of tow, and
at the gate she grasped the second bead in her fingers, repeating the
charm. This time the pale yellow of the daffodils seemed to have woven
itself into a cloth of gold for her adorning. It was like a shimmer of
moon-beams, and her hair held the diamond flashings of a hundred tiny
stars.

That night the Prince paid her so many compliments and singled her out
so often to bestow his favours, that Olga's head was turned. She tossed
it proudly, and quite scorned the thought of the humble cottage which
had given her shelter so long. The next day when she had returned to
her gown of tow and was no longer a haughty court lady, but only Olga,
the Flax-spinner's maiden, she repined at her lot. Frowning, she carried
the water from the spring. Frowning, she gathered the cresses and
plucked the woodland fruit. And then she sat all day by the spring,
refusing to spread the linen on the grass to bleach.

She was discontented with the old life of toil, and pouted crossly
because duties called her when she wanted to do nothing but sit idly
dreaming of the gay court scenes in which she had taken a bright brief
part. The old Flax-spinner's fingers trembled as she spun, when she saw
the frowns, for she had given of her heart's blood to buy happiness for
this maiden she loved, and well she knew there can be no happiness where
frowns abide. She felt that her years of sacrifice had been in vain, but
when the Oak wagged his head she called back waveringly, "My little Olga
will not be ungrateful and forgetful!"

That night outside the castle gate, Olga paused. She had forgotten the
charm. The day's discontent had darkened her memory as storm-clouds
darken the sky. But she grasped her necklace imperiously.

"Deck me at once!" she cried in a haughty tone. "Clothe me more
beautifully than mortal maid was ever clad before, so that I may find
favour in the Prince's sight and become the bride of the castle! I would
that I were done for ever with the spindle and the distaff!"

But the moon went under a cloud and the wind began to moan around the
turrets. The black night hawks in the forest flapped their wings
warningly, and the black bats flitted low around her head.

"Obey me at once!" she cried angrily, stamping her foot and jerking at
the necklace. But the string broke, and the beads went rolling away in
the darkness in every direction and were lost--all but one, which she
held clasped in her hand.

Then Olga wept at the castle gate; wept outside in the night and the
darkness, in her peasant's garb of tow. But after awhile through her
sobbing, stole the answering sob of the night wind.

"Hush-sh!" it seemed to say. "Sh-sh! Never a heart can come to harm, if
the lips but speak the old dame's charm."

The voice of the night wind sounded so much like the voice of the old
Flax-spinner, that Olga was startled and looked around wonderingly. Then
suddenly she seemed to see the thatched cottage and the bent form of the
lonely old woman at the wheel. All the years in which the good dame had
befriended her seemed to rise up in a row, and out of each one called a
thousand kindnesses as with one voice: "How canst thou forget us, Olga?
We were done for love's sweet sake, and that alone!"

Then was Olga sorry and ashamed that she had been so proud and
forgetful, and she wept again. The tears seemed to clear her vision, for
now she saw plainly that through no power of her own could she wrest
strange favours from fortune. Only the power of the old charm could make
them hers. She remembered it then, and holding fast the one bead in her
hand, she repeated humbly:

     "For love's sweet sake, in my hour of need,
     Blossom and deck me, little seed."

Lo, as the words left her lips, the moon shone out from behind the
clouds above the dark forest. There was a fragrance of lilies all
about, and a gossamer gown floated around her, whiter than the whiteness
of the fairest lily. It was fine like the finest lace the frost-elves
weave, and softer than the softest ermine of the snow. On her long
golden hair gleamed a coronet of pearls.

So beautiful, so dazzling was she as she entered the castle door, that
the Prince came down to meet her, and kneeling, kissed her hand and
claimed her as his bride. Then came the bishop in his mitre, and led her
to the throne, and before them all the Flax-spinner's maiden was married
to the Prince, and made the Princess Olga.

Then until the seven days and seven nights were done, the revels lasted
in the castle. And in the merriment the old Flax-spinner was again
forgotten. Her kindness of the past, her loneliness in the present had
no part in the thoughts of the Princess Olga.

All night the old Oak, tapping on the thatch, called down, "Thou'rt
forgotten! Thou'rt forgotten!"

But the beads that had rolled away in the darkness, buried themselves in
the earth, and took root, and sprang up, as the old woman knew they
would do. There at the castle gate they bloomed, a strange, strange
flower, for on every stem hung a row of little bleeding hearts.

One day the Princess Olga, seeing them from her window, went down to
them in wonderment.

"What do you here?" she cried, for in her forest life she'd learned all
speech of bird and beast and plant.

"We bloom for love's sweet sake," they answered. "We have sprung from
the old Flax-spinner's gift--the necklace thou didst break and scatter.
From her heart's best blood she gave it, and her heart still bleeds to
think she is forgotten."

Then they began to tell the story of the old dame's sacrifices, all the
seventy times seven that she had made for the sake of the maiden, and
Olga grieved as she listened, that she could have been so ungrateful.
Then she brought the Prince to hear the story of the strange, strange
flowers, and when he had heard, together they went to the lowly cottage
and fetched the old Flax-spinner to the castle, there to live out all
her days in ease and contentment.

"See now," she whispered to the Oak at parting, but sturdily he held his
ground, persisting, "Thou _wouldst_ have been forgotten, save for that
miracle of bloom."

_And still the flower we call BLEEDING-HEART blooms on by cottage walls
and castle gardens, to waken all the world to grateful memories. And
ever it doth bring to mind the lonely hearts that bleed because they are
forgotten, and all they sacrificed for love's sweet sake, to give us
happiness._





*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LEGEND OF THE BLEEDING-HEART ***


    

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will
be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may
do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
license, especially commercial redistribution.


START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™
electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person
or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the
Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when
you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work
on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the
phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

    This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
    other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
    whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
    of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
    at www.gutenberg.org. If you
    are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws
    of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
  
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg™ License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format
other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain
Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
provided that:

    • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
        the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method
        you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
        to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has
        agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
        Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
        within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
        legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
        payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
        Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
        Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
        Literary Archive Foundation.”
    
    • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
        you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
        does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™
        License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
        copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
        all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™
        works.
    
    • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
        any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
        electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
        receipt of the work.
    
    • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
        distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.
    

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right
of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™

Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West,
Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website
and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread
public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state
visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.