King Robert of Sicily

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 134, 8 June 1935, Page 20

King Robert of Sicily

ONCE iipon a time-i.th* island of Sieilylliad a king named Robot, who was a» proud as he was rich. One of hi« brothers was Pope in Rome ■ and another was Emperor of all Germany. ]-~, r\ ■- - As for himself, Robert had: such fine clothes imdisuch an army of squires following him that he would have been Just as proud even if he had had no brothers at all. - ■ ''■"' . One evening—it was the Eve of St John—he sat in a great church while the priests were chanting the Magnificat They* sang in Eatiri aid Kingy-v Robert did not know Latin. So when one sentence came over and over again he,turnedto:a learned priest near by and said: # -: > , , " ■':■. .:-,.., "What do those words mean that come over and over again?" . ; ;■. •. ", The priest answered:'' The y.-mean. 'He hath put down the mighty from their seat and^hath exalted the humble and meek,' or, in sWlj)lßJner words, •^har h taken h their power away^frombad great men and set^g The king was angty when he heard this, though he did not believe it, so he_toughed^cornfully. ■ , ■ .■ . _ _ b ;, lS*a?^ln«mg'^:hSl b^^ settled himself to sle^p/thurch or no chtirch. * 1 When he woke again the singing had stopped. He looked round, then: :^ he started up. The church was empty. The great place was hlnck dark except where^the candles, set before saints made wan pools of light >> The king was half afraid. He was anxious to get out, but when he stumbled to the great'dbor he found it locked.^ This made him^..anaw.•■■■Bi^d■'■:;^ heVshoutedto belet but but only the echoes wandering in the roof amwered him. They seemed to make fun of him. / ■•"■■~':''":';--- :- :r At this he grew mad and shouted so loudly that the old sexton heard surpr^o recognise their master, for by that time he wasmuddy « well But he' did riot stop for tijein or for anything else; Wi&c^veven wai*. ing to make himself clean he rushed straight into the banqueting hall. 'There he saw what did niake him stop, and suddenly, v • . It was not that the great hall was blazing with light,.and that his lords arid ladies were feasting as if his being away did not matter at all, though thatwould have been bad enough, but on hi. own throne another king was , What was stranger stm was that this king was. WeiWnriKing Robert's Wri"Sei>iSwn t and>tog?^^^UM^n^^t^Ute ' was Just Uke*Khjg Robert's, except tfcat whereas l&*; Robert's, iace, was proud and cfuel this kind's face was like what King Robert's might have been.

i Storiei toith morals ore sometimes like lectures on good beAaviauri hoys and girls are seldom eager to read them. Here is a rather beautiful story about King Robert of Sicily which has been retold by Rodney Bennett. It tells of the foolishness of a king who thought his earthly power was greater than any other, and of how he learned that humbleness brings happiness, while pride shuts it out. But read for yourselves.

It w^Vtlw f^ Robert's place you will learn a» the tale goes on. Ima^ne the anger o< the loi^ when this ragged fellow bu^ th sharp swords was ,■ mad I*i^ i^ But the new king said: "No, you are not. You are my Fool, my Jester. In future .you shaUi we« cap*n^ ,;> King Robert fought and struggled but* they pushed him out of the chamber and the guards shouted, "Long live the kingl" until they were tired of mocking, and then fi^thin* but into the stables, where he was so to^ ..■:V./that'he\-alept':ih'tte1jitri^:;if;''^v".17::::;::; '■'■ ■■■?■■'' :■.•::•■.'•.■■ '.- •■•.■'.:•. ■, ":<'■--:::. ■,■/■; f ■' •;••:: wi,^ hi ;^ O W in"th« all ;^i^^^l^S^i^^S&S&^£aS:£ of &;hmm\bfi^W;aS&meay was happier and richer than ever it had been before. Buthe soon gave up saying that he was the king. He ~ «»e ,iW-^:J^ilw^:^;;r2*-y-f^w.t*mjl»; J^?=W^:-^ *^«V^"«&^^-«>«-.l» would^ay to^himselfc fWeit till my broajersithe^Pope a^dtteltoperorsMme. Theywulknow/' >;. Thf^i d "c *?»* «^ after thrwlong ye^and j then they &« .«»* J°» ow W"-^ nearly broke his heart that he found ithttder d■«■^:■ toJ*/P'^^■••^:^^i^:^ '■■ . ■ ■•■-■ - _. ~ . S^-'^^^^tiS^Sffi^SJET^^^TS^-*^'^- a ■>"rMHI»;"»*-.'*l1w'ar ■WP^^^^S^^^iS^^.*^.- w. ««- i™-ii«. « l^ . - >Lj^ fS^/^*—^ came^drifting through the open windo^T^« H th?^»^. wh«,,f %i, •-»,♦ V »v I "I hear,_ hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meek,'" and he looked down at the «i * i, „«,«! ♦». ♦ J-J^^i^-^^^Z&^S/Zi^^ a sound of rushing wtags. Suddenly the room was fUled with Ught more fS^u^X^^^Z^^J^^r^^ palaeedressed as he used to be, and standing before an empty throne, When his lords found him he was not sitting, proudly upon it as he would once have been, but kneeling upon its lowest step praying once more.