OUR LITTLE POLKS, By Dot.

Otago Witness, Issue 2252, 29 April 1897, Page 51

OUR LITTLE POLKS, By Dot.

WHEN THE PRINCESS SPOKE.

Once upon a time there lived a king who had an immense garden. Its paths were strewn with gaily-coloured sand ; in the niches of its yew-tree hedge stood white marble statues; and strange flowers cf burning colours surrounded the grassplots. But in the middle of the garden was a pond, in the centre of which was a group of fish-tailed sea-gods, who, Bitting upon spouting dolphins, were blowing their shell trumpets. All the world admired this garden. There was one person whom it did not please. This was the king's young and most beautiful daughter. Those shameless heathen gods frightened her, and she always avoided the garden. Therefore the king, who loved his daughter above all the world, sent for a young gardener who had travelled through many lands and had seen many splendid things, and commanded him to make a new garden in place of the old one. He wished to make a present of it to the princess on her birthday. The gardener did his best. He dug and chopped,, and he planted. Sunshine and rain did their part also, and when the birthday came the gardener stood at the entrance gate and held a salver, on which he offered to the princess the golden keys to the garden. Followed by courtiers and ladieß-in-waiting, the princess then made a tour of the garden. The heart of the king's daughter leaped within her for joy. She forsook the gravel walk and sprang lightly over the lawn, so. that her Court ladies had difficulty in keeping up with her. But with measured tread and a frequent shake of the head the Court duenna followed the frolicsome young people. A nodding roße twig bad stuck in her powdered hair as she passed. She thought the new ; gardener hideous. j Now the princess was nearing the spot where the marble basin had formerly had a place." To-day there lay a tiny, smiling ' green lake. "Ob, how charming!" exclaimed the princess, and the ladies repeated the word j after her. j Then a dreadful thing happened. A fat green frog, which was sitting in the reeds looking out for water insects, being disturbed , by the rustle of the silken garments, made a ' great jump and plunged into the water so violently that the drops spurted up. I Everyone screamed, and the princess sank down, all pale, upon the ground. Now | the Court duenna hastened her steps, and ( was shocked to see what had happened. Luckily, mutk and smelling salts were easily found. Tha fainting girl Boon oame ro herself, but fright had taken away her pawer of speech. With disturbed faces, and shaking with anxiety, tho ladieEic- waiting carried her back to the palace. In honour of the princess the townspeople , had "decked their houses with evergreens and j g.iy llsg?, but when the midday hour obimed rhs?y removed all s'goe of decoration, for Dame Rumour announced that tha king's daughteV had suddenly become dumb. Aud, unhappily, this was no empty hearsay. . • • I The princess had long recovered from her j fright. She could eat and drink, bub no word ' passed her lipß. She had lost the power of speech. i Physicians came to her side. They caused i all the circumstances to be told them, put their heada together, and wrote long pre- ; scriplione. The~patient swallowed obediently , drops, pills, and powders, but the power of speech did not return. The whole Court was draped in mourning, but the old king, who was usually so mild and kind, foamed with rage. He ordered all the frogs ia his kingdom to be killed, and set a price on the head of every frog, and ho threw the gardener into prison. Of what use wan it all ? The princess remained dumb; Days, weeks, and months pasted by. Physicians collected there from all corners of the globe. What one ordered the other always condemned, but not one of them could give back to the king's daughter her power of speech. Wise women and clever shepherds were also sent for. Even Master Hammerleio, the executioner, was commanded to come. They 'plied their strange and secret remedies, bub none of them could help her. In the meantime the poor gardener was in a sorry plight. He had hoped for a rich re- • ward, and now he was lying in chains and could behold neither sun nor moon. Bat his eld mother w&b still living in the homestead, and she was a clever woman of much experience. When she heard what had happened to her eon she tied up her bundle and wandered off to the king's town. When she arrived there she betook herself to the prison and implored the turnkey with such movicg words that he at last had compassion upon her and led her into the prison. The mother and son remained alone together for half an hour. Then the old woman hobbled off. But when the keeper brought his jug of water to the young man he was walking about tils cell, with his head high, whistling a tune. Next day he demanded to be taken before the king. He claimed that he possessed the remedy which would restore the power of. speech to the princess. The princess had been obliged that same day to undergo a great deal. First she had been pricked with red-hot needles by a foreign doctor. At this she had groaned and sobbed, but not a word had the spoken. 'After that ehe bad beenjgiven, by the advice of an old herb doctor, the heart, brain, and tongue of a magpie, and this was aleo quite useless. Now the princess was lying, pale and langnid, on a couch, so exhausted that she bad closed her eyes. They brought the gardener to her side. His chains were clanking, but he walked erect and teemed urgood spirits. "Try your arts," said the kiDg, " and if you can cure her you shall receive the order . of the Green Crocodile, and as much gold as you can carry." . The gardener went to the invalid's couch, made her sit up— which she did willingly— took ber little white hand in his and eaz3d into her tired eyea,

" Poor little princess," he then said. "So unhappy, and only 30 years old." Then "a slight blush covered the princess's countenance, her eyes sparkled, her bosom ' rose and fell painfully, and from ber lips came the words t "Not yet 19!" The power of speech had returned Jo her. But the king wept tears of joy, in which the whole Court joined him.