The King’s Wish

Southland Times, Issue 23646, 22 October 1938, Page 6 (Supplement)

The King’s Wish

It was at breakfast, and the king Was eating his porridge, and the queen munching her toast when the king had his surprising idea.

I have been thinking that it would be nice if I could learn to fly,” he remarked. “Gracious!” said the queen, biting over the butter. "I shall think it over,” said the king. “I know it can be done, and it would be very convenient.” As far as Queen Amalia was concerned, that ended the affair. But not with King Peramund! Immediately after breakfast he locked himself in his study, and an hour later emerged inky but triumphant with the following written on a Jong piece of paper:

This he told the prime minister to paste to the front door of the palace. Soon the entrance bell rang loudly, and upon the gate being opened, a lady of peculiar appearance presented herself and said that she had come in answer to his majesty’s proclamation. She was gingerly conducted into the presence of King Peramund and entered the throne room just as his majesty, who had risen but a moment before, was struggling •with the top button of his waistcoat. Seeing her come in, he left it undone and carelessly placed one hand across it. The unprepossessing lady bowed stiffly, and said in a voice like the breaking of dried branches, “I have come to teach you to fly.” The king jumped up. exclaiming, /‘Have you really?” Then he sat down and said in a very dignified voice, “We : are interested.” Then he jumped up again and cried, * Come, don’t lose a moment!” The lady pursed her lips and stared at him so long that he shuffled. At last she said, “You agree to pay me anything I ask?” “Anything, anything!” cried Peramund, dancing with excitement. But the. lady still stared at him, and said slowly, “You have seriously considered what you are doing?” “Pooh!” cried the king, “there is nothing to consider. Come, begin at once!” “Very well,” said she, “I warned you. Remember that, when the worst happens.". “But what have you warned me against?” asked the king uneasily. “That,” _ said the lady, ‘.‘you will 1 shortly discover. Are you ready?’* “Er—yes.” said the king nervously. Then he threw his head back and said, as a king should, *XqsF - *

At that, the witch waved her stick over his head and uttered a long word which I had better not try to spell. “Now!” she said, “I shall ask for my reward. I demand that you give your eldest daughter to the dragon that lives in the. bright blue hill!” “But, good gracious!” cried the king, “I can’t possibly do that, because—”

“Ah!” said the witch furiously. “So kings don’t keep bargains! Well, witches do, and I shall keep mine too well for yoUr liking!” With which she gave a shrill whistle, leaped on to her stick, and sailed out of the window. The king was rather startled, but con-

cluded that this was the usual way for such persons to take their leave. Her last words disturbed him somewhat, but she had said he could fly, and that was the main thing. He climbed on to the throne, bent his knees, and jumped, directing himself toward a large tapestry at the other end of the room. To his delight he rose gracefully into the air, and found himself clinging to the top of the tapestry. Releasing his hold, he glided gently down, bounced off the floor, and glided gently up again. Then he pushed away from the wall, and sailed throu. an open window and out over tne palace yard. When he looked down, he gasped and shut his eyes, and flew hurriedly

back to the window ledge. He stood there for a moment to recover, and then ventured forth on a short circular flight When he had gathered sufficient courage, he rose above the roof-tops, his sword dangling behind him and his cloak billowing in the wind. He circled one or two chimney pots, to the ' annoyance of the pigeons, and then he flew off over the town.

Some time later Queen Amalia was peacefully having her morning

cup of chocolate in . bed. The sun was streaming through the open window, and the pigeons were talking softly on the eaves. Suddenly a monstrous black shadow swooped across the window, and in flew King Peramund. The queen screamed and dived under the covers; but, on hearing his reassuring voice, she emerged, and gazed at him in speechless wonder. "Whatever shall I do?” wailed the king, flying in small circles’ above her' bed.

“What do you mean?” cried the queen,, more amazed than ever. "Don’t you see?” moaned his majesty. “I have started to fly, ana I don’t know how to stob!” At this the queen burst into shrieks of laughter, which so upset the king, that he darted out of the window again and flew miserably round and round the highest tower of the palace. Here he was found some time later by the. prime minister and the queen, who by this time fully realised the seriousness of the situation. When he saw them ‘ he. shouted, “What shall I do? Tell me something to do!’’ As he drew near, Queen Amalia cried, “Hold on to the' l weather vane!”

So the king clutched the large golden rooster as he flew by; there was a terrific crash, and off he sailed, hugging it to his bosom. He dropped it into the moat, and flew back. “Whatever am I to do?" he moaned. “I can’t fly round here forever!”

,“I daresay you could, your majesty,” said the prime minister. “It’s stopping you which is so difficult.”

After that the king flew round in silence for a time'. Then Queen Amalia, like the thoughtful person she was, fetched him his coat and muffler and gaiters. It was really very funny to see him putting them on in the air, and when he had done so he looked like a huge bumblebee going round and round the tower. The queen then declared that she would have her bed moved up on to the parapet, and live there with her unhappy husband. But this the king nobly forbade her to do. On her alone rested the fate of the country, he said, and

she must take his place. At this everyone wept That night the moon came up and gasped with surprise at seeing King Peramund floating round the tower of his palace. When it went, down, it had to peek over the tree tops for a last look at him. And soon the sun came up, and blinked at him in amazement. The sun and moon came up and went down many times; but King Peramund stayed up all the time. ■

He snatched food that the queen held out to him, and he slept by flying on his side. At night men-at-arms were posted round the parapet, so that if he came too close in his sleep they could push him gently away again. He had his amusements, for he could always review the army from the air. And he made many aerial tours across his kingdom, when he was always acclaimed loudly by his subjects, who gathered in the fields and cheered and waved handkerchiefs. But at night he always returned to the tower.

The townspeople would bring their lunches in a hamper and sit on the grass beneath the palace walls to watch him flying. Some even slept there at night, when the king could be seen as a large, dark shape, circling round the tower against the stars. ’

All this time everyone was trying to find the witch, but from the start everyone felt that it was hopeless, for witches are noted for turning themselves into owls ar rabbits, or even for vanishing. As a matter of fact, the lady in question had gone off at the invitation of the king of a neighbouring country to turn somebody he didn’t like ■into a hoptoad. But they did catch her when she came back after doing this. And very exciting it was, for she turned herself into all manner of unpleasant things. But the king’s brave soldiers held her fitanly by

her right ear and her left thumb (which is the only way to catch witches), and off they went with her to the king’s palace. They took her up into the tower and showed her the awful plight that King Peramund was in. The king flew down at once, and implored her to disenchant him. But she was very sulky and only said, “Kings dont keep bargains. Witches do.” “But, my good woman!” cried the king, “don’t you see that I couldn’t possibly give you what you asked? You asked that I give my eldest daughter to the dragon, and as it happens I haven’t got a daughter at all. Only you went Off in a huff before I could tell you so!” “Oh!” said the witch. “I see. That makes quite a difference, so now I will disenchant you." King Peramund flew over the parapet—the witch said an unspellable word—and his majesty settled as lightly as a feather upon the stone floor—and stayed there! After that he had to learn to walk all over again. But he could never walk in a straight line; for, you see, he had circled about the tower from right to left, and was so wound up that way / that he never became completely unwound.

y^OST—A white cat by a girl with . pink yose.. —