FOR THE CHILDREN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14302, 23 February 1910, Page 9

FOR THE CHILDREN.

THE CANDLESTICK QUARREL. In a certain land whore water run; 'down'! hill and geese go barefoot, there once lived 1 a youth named Fritz-and, a maiden inure* Elsa, who had been betrothed almost from, childhood and whose wedding day had been set, when, suddenly, like, lightning from a. clear, sky, a violent quarrel- 51 arose between their two fathers, and the match was broken.! <>ir. The king of that country was a good man, who tried to do right in everything, and who aimed above all to he just. From times long past it had boon the custom in tho kingdom for the sovereign himself to settle all disputes that might be brought, before him, but having heard from a traveller of, the practice known as trial by jury be-' coming common elsewhere, tho king resolved to introduce it into his own dominions. Accordingly ho called together;.*twelve honest burgher.-, and instructed them: thus: " Whoever ij comes hither with a grievance," said he, " you arc to listen carefully to what, he] has to say. and then, through the chief among you. who .-hall be called the foreman, 1 you are to decide upon a proper and -''just* ..verdict, , But one .thing ! t charge you to remember carefully, which is, do not decide hastily." . ' ■ As the. - hour for Jho. daily, hearings drew' 'on there -; entered the ■ audience hall two : farmers of respectable appearance, but. wearing a.= sourV: an aspect as- if. they, had been,. drinking vinegar, while behind walked ; a handsome youth and a comely maiden, he of- sad and 'subdued mien; she drenched." in tears. The youth came forward and said" sorrowfully: ■.■-•'•■ s ■'' .- ; " May it please Your' Majesty, my name - is Fritz, and I was to have, wed this-maiden, : Elea, on the morrow, but our parents, have forbidden the match." _ . _- ■ •'■'.-- " And we are very unhappy. Your : Majesty, for we. love each 'other dearly," added!'->, ! the damsel. ' * **'" "What'ls the 'meaning of this?" demand-' ed the King,: looking severely at the sullen.. and silent elders. ' '' '• . ; ; For a moment he got no response;, then., tho less glum of the twain advanced; and!.', said slowly: : •-, ' , .... . "Sire, my name is Tristram, and I ami : the father of "this maid. I have; refused; my consent' to her marriago with '.; the* : youth ,because Caspar, his .father," ; here, has grossly injured me. . 'Twas scarcely; an., hour ago that ho struck me across the face*. with the butt of. his whip; and you may sea' ■ for yourself whether he ; has a light hand." ; -,' /. " May it . please ■' Your Majesty," began 1 Caspar,," J. admit having struck my neighbour Tristram. Still,. I merely repaid what ;• he. gave me,". Caspar went on, '" .for.'.ha : struck ! me first." ~ - ;

" May; it please Your Majesty," the. fore- : man burst, but, " this is quite! another story. j';' In our opinion the man" Tristram is guilty! of grave misdoing and should he punished' with ' ,■".»,.; ■•' \ ■ .' • < . Not so, fast, not ,so fast,V. my good; friend," '; interposed - the King;' " lot. 'us got ]:;; a little more light, on this matter . before {< pronouncing , judgment. Toll us, 1 ' Tristram, j y. why you inflicted so cruel a hurt upon Oas-i. par.' .',"'-;';'. -'-"/"' > '.'V'" .""''..' v : V-<- " Sire, I did it in ..trying to hinder htni; from making off with my cow," was Tris- i tram's reply. , -.. **•£*&■ -j ~" Oh, '; that .p. is, indeed, another story,*** muttered the foreman, and ho,/ bawled out " May it please Your- Majesty,' we find thol .man- Caspar guilty of theft,'-, and—"' >-. . | 1 .'.'.Not quite yet," .interrupted the Kir*g*;', : "we : must first give VCaspar - a chance Jjtoj explain his act. ; Caspar, why were yon. running, away with"'. Tristram's cow?"- ."**'' i ' "I - as leading away a cow,. I '' admitted" Caspar, "but it was my own; it'had:, been! given 'me by Tristram." '■/...: •■•'-.."• f ■ "It , is true enough," quoth the ; latter,, "that I gave him '. the, cow,. but. it was in] exchange• for- a - golden .candlestick,, that»' heagreed to- send to me ■ before . sunset lasfc ; night—and which he failed of; doing." ~'; t "In that case. Your Majesty," exclaimed" the foreman, 5 "we find— -"■ > , ; /'Wait!" commanded the King. " Can"fe you" v.-ait. till ' you have heard all there is to hear?" 'j " \ ~ .- '"! " We. thought we had hoard: it, all," ; said; the somewhat abashed foreman'.'• . « : : •

"Now, why did "you break your promise) • to- send; the [•* candlestick to ; Tristram ?'-'.. the Kincr demanded of Caspar., : * '>: V-ii" •. "If Your Majesty pleases,"' answered; -f Casoar respectfully, ,- I did , not , break my ;. promise./ I was very busy yesterday,AsoA' that I could not carry.:ifc.fuyself, but I sent'« .it early in the.morning lr* "She parson's clerk,'iv "He didn't giyo it to m»f he never gavtj.," it me at all!" cried Tristram, who evidently-" did riot believe what his neighbour was say - > ing.. " What's more, 1 dare -swear it is in >lyour house now. and has been there alLffli«l time." i, -•'■; A. \ " ".'-';' It is riot !" protested Caspar, his; ruffled '•;■--/' temrer becoming still, more 1 so. '. /■ " Your /Majesty, Your 'Majesty," broke . in the foreman; presently, "the parson's: , clerk is a thief, beyond , neradventure,, and ■■'.•' he should be arrested and punished for his./ villainy at once." ' ' ■ ' ':' ;: * '.'"No." corrected the King;' "he should rather be sent for; and invited to"' explain. Let the parson's clerk be summoned!" v..' ','/'| .'; May.- it please • Your Majesty," he said' on V- his arrival. "Is received the golden candlestick; from Caspar's hands, and was carrying it to Tristram, when, -in : passing ~ through a dense wood' I was set upon by. robbers, ""who beat me ; unmercifully, ' took'- ; away the golden candlestick, and ran off." " "Your gracious Majesty," burst .forth' •;.. the leader of the jury, who new felt sure ■ of his ground, " it is verj" plain to be. seen - that these; rascally robbers* are the guilty r| ones. They should be arrested immediate* A ly. and vanished with the utmost severity."' ;;.- • "I think you may be right for oaico," re-; ! turned, the King drily. : "Let the oon-i stable be directed to take them into cus-vil tody." _ ' . ' ... 1 • "May-it please Your Majesty,," said the - constable, when ho had. heard . the King's ; ; orders, "the robbers whom' you wish me . tof;):' arrest have already .been- taken, and arc.: now securely s locked up" - *• ■t- Where, -then, is the golden candlestick which .they ; had' in their /wrongful posses- ■' sion?" queried the King. :'■ -/ " • t, "Oh,; most gracious and merciful; Sove- :. reign, "/■ answered the constable, "it. -was.■'■"■' very late last night when the robbers werei' : captured, and I took- home' the candlestick ].. which I recognised as Caspar's—and gave itfor safe keeping to/my wife's mother, . who f A is a very prudent, cautious person. -I;' intended to send if to its; proper owner this /- mornintr. but—-but—" * - ' ■ ■. • ''-.'..•;'■ "■ . '"Well," questioned the King, "why didn't you?" *' "'-.- . .-'.:-A

" Your good, gracious Majesty, I don't— " I don't know," confessed the constable, in , ! sorry confusion. " You : : must know,' sire,.; ' that my .wife's mother is the most discreet • -:',' woman in the kingdom, and she pur it • very,* . very carefully away in a secure hiding-place.! Unfortunately she also has a treacherous' memory.;so that this morning she could not recall where that safe and secure spot was."; " So! Well, the candlestick must bo ' found, even if your house-- is puUad apart till not ono stone is left • upon, another/'-' sevavcly .declared, the King. ■■■-'» t • '- ; i .The constable >»as.' about" to depart. in sorer disgrace to demolish his home if need be, ] ."' when his little son came running, into the audience chamber with the news that the missing: candlestick had been 'found:'- '■.■■' ;':"' Then why-did you not bring inhere?'*" asked his' father. ■ " My mother thought best to 'send it back where it belongs, to neighbour Caspar," 'ex-' i plained \ the >boy,; " I myself took it, there-' ' fore, and. gave, it into Caspar's wife's own i j hands."-- ...v ■■•■.'■"■ • " '-•'..,;' .1 '-.'. • "So the golden candlestick is in your house. Caspar, •just", as I said it was," exclaimed Tristram.' •• • -•■ ;. : " Not- so.' .Your Majesty," retorted Cas-, '■<■■ par; "the candlestick is not in my house, for here conies my wife with- it in her* . hand." ". "' " "' Everybody else turned to look. Sura enough, Caspar's wife had entered the hall, bearing the golden candlestick which had. beep the cause of the quarrel. Caspar tool*v.: ! it from her and handed it over to .Tristram', saying, in a much pieasttnter tone than any -. - he had used hitherto: ... ,;'■' .'. || "Neighbour, I have the cow,- you have the candlestick." ..'-•'.. " . , ..."And .consequently thoro is . nothing" tc prevent '■ your two"' children .from having eictl other," added■ the King,'- joining the. hands ■"'...'.; of Fritz and Elsa,. who were, now all smilta ■ at the happy,reconciliation of their parents.;