THE TWIN PRINCES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 30 September 1933, Page 9

THE TWIN PRINCES

Once upon a time there were twin princes. Ray was handsome, Roy was not. Ray thought of wonderful things, and Roy was always busy .about something. The people loved Ray, but nobody thought much of Roy. To see Ray sitting on a marble seat in the palace garden with his golden cloak flung back was a picturesque sight, and everybody passed by on tip-toes because they knew he was thinking of something beautiful and must not be disturbed. Roy Avas disturbed every other minute. Roy had to look at the walls that fell down, and the roof that fell in, and all sorts of common things like that. The • strange thing about the twin princes was that nobody knew which was the elder, so the King decreed that this should be settled by a lovely princess whom he invited to the castle. Whichever prince the princess chose for a husband should be considered the elder, and reign, after the King. Ray and Roy trembled, for they both wanted to marry the princess. Ray said beautiful things to her; Roy mended her necklace.

Then, suddenly, the wells dried up, and there was no water. The people flocked in a panic to the castle, and while Ray spoke burning words to them and told them to be patient Roy had a look at the wells and said they were under a spell. When the poor princess had no water to wash in, and none to drink, Roy sent her a small jug of milk, but Ray lay down on the marble seat with his golden cloak over his head, and the people looked at him miserably.

Roy vanished, but when they were all at the last gasp he reappeared, and said he had dug a spring out of the ground and so broken the spell on the wells.

“That settles it!” cried the princess. “You shall be my husband, Roy. Fine thoughts don’t break spells, but work does.”

The people agreed with her, and said Roy was a. wonderful prince, and Ray was obliged to kiss his brother’s hand. You see it is no good to dream of wonderful things and never do anything.