CHILDREN'S CORNER.

Evening Post, Volume LXVI, Issue 152, 24 December 1903, Page 12

CHILDREN'S CORNER.

The Dumb Princess, There was once a King who had a largo garden. The walks were utiewn with coloured sand, white marble statues stood in 'the niches of the walls, und foreign flowers of brilliant hues surrounded the level grass plots. In a grotto made of isinglass and bright shells lay a stone monster, half lion, half woman, and men with horns and goats' feet peeped grinning, from out the beech-tree hedge. In the centre of the garden there was a fountain, in the middle of which rose a knot of fish-tuiled sea gods, who rode spouting dolphins, and blew upon conches. All the world considered this garden a wonder, and only one person failed to take any pleasure in it. That was the beautiful young daughter of the king. The shameless heathen god filled her with horror, and therefore she shunned the garden. Then the King, who loved his daughter above everything, * summoned a young gardener, who had traveled in many lands and had-«een divers spiendors, and ordered him to make a now garden in p*ac6 of tho old one. This he would prebunt to the Princess on her birthday. The garaener did h.is utmost, dug and delved, hewed and planted. Sunshine and rain did their part aiso, and when the birthday came the gardener stood at the gate and handed the Princess the key of the garden upon a salver. The Princess, followed by the royal governess and her ladies in waiting, bogan to make a tour of inspection. Winding walks lined with trees stood in the piuco of the walls, blossoming vines climbed over their trunks, and their tendrils hung down from above and swuyed in tho wind. .Then the path led through meadowlands to hills of roses and half covered marble seats, over which leaned, blooming elder branches. The Princess felt her heart thump with delight. She left the gravel path and sprang lightly over" the turf, so that tho ladies could scarcely follow. The goferness walked after her with measured steps, shaking her head the while. A waving rose branch had caught in her powdered hair. She thought the new garden horrible. Then the Princess neared the place which had formerly been occupied by the marble basin. Now a little green fishpond sparkled there. Bulrushes and many-coloured sword lilies grew on its banks, elder and rain-of-gold rippled its surface with their bunches of flowers, and white lilies with great heart-shaped leaves floated on top of the water. "Oh, how lovely I" cried the Princess, and all the ladies echoed it. Then a dreadful thing happened. A fat green frog, who was stalking water nymphs among the reeds, heard the rustle and rattle of silken dresses, made a mighty leap and plumped into th© water so that the drops splashed up. livery ono screamed and the princess fell, deathly pale, to the ground. The governess hastened to' the spot and saw, in alarm, what bad occurred. Luckily musk-apples and smelling-salts were at hand. Th© Princess was soon brought to her senses, but she had lost her speech from fright. The ladies in waiting led her buck to the palace with troubled faces. ' Tho people had dressed their houses with gaxliuids and gay flags in honour of the King's daughter, but when tho noonday bells pealed they removed the decorations, for the rumour cume that tho Princess had suddenly become dumb. And, unhappily, this was no idle gossip. Tho Princess had soon recovered from her fright. She took food and drink, but no -word cam© from her lips. Sh© had lost her speech. The doctors came to her, listened to tho story, put their heads together, and wrote long prescriptions. Ti.o afflicted girl swallowed 'drops, pills, and syrups, but her speech did not reTurn. • Th© whole Court went into mourning. Tho old King— who was usually so mildfoamed with rage. He commanded all tho frogs in tho kingdom to be put to death, and set a price of a farthing on every frog's head. But the gardener he ordered thrown into prison — to what purpose? The Princess remained dumb. ' Days, weeks, and months passed. Doctors came from ull parts of tho world. What one had ordered another denounced, but no one could give tho King's daughter back her speech. Wise women and .clever rustics were summoned also. They practised their mysterious arts, but it availed nothing. Meanwhile the poor gardener was in great distress. He had hoped (pr a rich reward, and he how lay in chains, and saw neither sun nor moon. But in- his home lived his old mother, who was a clever woman, and one of much experience. When she heard whut had befallen her son, she tied up her bundle und set forth to the King's city. Arrived there she found 'her way to the dungeon, and plead* ed bo touchingly with the gaoler 'that he led her to the prisoner. Mother and son remained alone together for half an hour, then the old woman hobbled away. Wheu the gaoler brought the jug of water he found the gardener walking up and down with head erect, whistling a song. The next day he demunded to be taken before the King. He possessed the means of restoring speech to the Princess, he •said. Tho King's daughter had already suffered a great deal that morning. First she had been pricked with red-hot needles by a foreign doctor. After that, on the advice of an old herb-woman, sho was given the heart, head, and tongue of a magpie, hut that had done no more good than the other. Tho Princess now lay, whit© and motionless on her couch, and her eyes were closed from exhaustion. They brought the gardener to her there. His chains rattled, but he walked erect, and was of good courage. "Try your skill," said the King, "and if -you effect tho euro you shall receive the Order of the Green Crocodile, and as much gold us you can carry." The gardener stepped to th© bedside of tho invalid, who raised herself reluctantly, took her little white hand in his, and looked into the weary eyes. "Poor Princess, ' he said at last, "so unhappy, und only twenty-one yoara old 1" Then a bright flush overspread the delicate face of the Princess, her breast rose and fell convulsively, and from her lips burst the words : "No ; not yet nineteen 1" Sho had recovered her speech. But tho King wept tears of joy, and with him tho entire Court.— Rudolf Baumbach, in Short Stories.