For the Children.

Gisborne Times, 17 October 1908, Page 4 (Supplement)

For the Children.

the Princess and king GRISLYBEARD.

A grea i king had a daughter who/JjSwas very beautiful, but so proud and-.. JB|F conceited that none _of the ,vho came to ask her in marn-ige were |f good enough for her, and she only laughed at them. , .. Once upon a time the king held a or.reat feast, and invited all her suitors; and they sat ma ing to their rank. Then- the .pn"zc% came in and passed by them all, but she had something spiteful to jay co every one. The first was too fat, the next was too tall, the next was too short,' the fourth was tpo pa>e, the fifth was too red, and tne sixtn was not straight enough.. But she laughed more than all at.a good king who was.there. - . , . “Look ltt him, said she; Jus beard- an old mop. He-shall be cdfeSjfX+nslybeard.” _ So the king mt the tockjiame of Orislybeard. 3 But the old king was very angry when ho saw how his daughter behaved, and he vowed that she should -marry the first beggar that came to the door. - . Two days after there earn© by a travelling 'musician, who began to ling under the -window and beg alms; and when the king heard him lie -:aid r “Let him come in. - ’ So thev brought in a dirty-lookmg fellow; and when he had sung the king said. “You have sung so well.thut -I will give you my daughter for your wife.' The princess begged and prayed; but the king said, “I have promised to give you to the first beggar, andjL will keep iny word.” So she was married to the musician. Then the beggar took her with him ; and they soon came to a great-wood. “Whose is this wood?” said she. “It belongs to King Grislybeard,” answered he. “If you had taken him,, alf would have been yours.” “Ah, how unlucky I am!” sighed she. “I wish I had' married him.” Next day they came to some fiue meadows. ~ . u ’ “Whose are these beautiful green, meadows?” said she. ' “Thev belong to King Grislybeard; if you had taken hint, they would have been yours.” “Ah, how unlucky I am!” said she. “I wish I had married King Grislybeard 1” Then they came to a great city. - “Whose is this noble city?” 6aid she

belongs to King Grisiybeard; if you bad taken him. it would bare been yours.- , “All, bow miserable I am!” sighed she. -'.“'Why did I not marry King Grisiybeard?” “That is 110 business of mine/* said the niusician. “Why should yo'u wish -for another husband? Am 1 hot good enough for you?” At last - they came to a small cottage. “What a paltry place!” said she. “To whom does that little dirty-hole belong?” The musician answered, “That is our house, where we <ire to lire. Now make the fire, and put on'water and cook my supper, for I ani rery tired.” But the princess knew nothing of making fires and cooking, and the beggar was forced to help her. f When they had eaten a rery scanty meal they went- to bed; but the musician called'her. up rery early in tli© morning to clean the house. Thus they bred for two days; and when they had eaten up all there was in the" cottage the man said, “Wife, we can’t go on thus, spending money and earning nothing. You must learn to weave baskets.’"- ‘Their Jie went out and cut willows, and brought them home," and she began to weave; but it made her fingers very sore. -

“See now,” said the musician, If you are good for nothing, you* can do no work —what a bad bargain I -have got! However, I'll try and set up" a. trade in'pots and pans, and you shall stand .in the market ami .sell them.’’ -

“Alas!” sighed she, “when I stand iii the market,, and any of my father’s court pass by aiid mo there, how they, will laugh at me!” _ But the beggar did not care for that, and said she must work, if she did not wish, to die of He bought a lot of ware, and sho sat down with" it in the corner of the market; but a drunken soldier soon came byj and rode his horse against her stall and broke all her goods into a thousand pieces. Then she began to weep, and knew not what to do. So she ran home and,, told her husband. - > ' . “ “Who would.-have . “thought you would have been" so silly,” said he, “as to put .uii earthen stall in the corner of the market, where everybody passes? But let us have, no more crying; I-see you are not fit for this sort, of work, so I have been, to the king'6 palace, and asked if they did not want a kitehemmiid, and they promised to take you.” Thus the princess became a kitchen-maid, and helped' the cook to do all the dirty work.

She hud not been there long before she heard that the king’s eldest son was going* to be married. Then she thought of her own sad fate, uud bitterly grieved for the pride and folly which had brought , her eo low. All on « sudden, as she whs going out, in came the king’s son in golden clothes, and sho saw that it was King Grislybeard. Sho sprang to the door to run away, but on the steps King Grislybeard overtook heir" and said': ,

“Fear me not!. I am the musician who has ilived with yoit in tlie'Tiut. -I brought you there because I loved you. I au,J'tVlcifS® > soldier who upset your kL Q i.lt^ | kiyv,liaYC done all tins only to euro "pride.. Now aIL is over ;you (furnt wisdom, your faults are gonoN-and it is time for our marriage feast!” • " Then the chamberlains came and brought, her the most beautiful robes; and Qier . father and his whole court were there already, and congratulated her on her marriage. Jov was* in °Y ei 'y lace. The feast was grand, and all were merry. ; '