Part 19 (1/2)

If you could have seen how pretty she looked standing there, about the height of a grass-blade, wringing out her long wet hair Every bit of lad to be quit of that tear Then she raised her two arms above her in one delicious stretch, and if you had been the size of aThen she grew a little, and grew and grew, till she was about the height of a bluebell, and as slender to see

She stood looking at the splash on the -sill that had been her prison so long, and then with three steps of her bare feet, she reached the jessa herself to the ground

Away she sped over the dew-drenchedbrook, and with all her longing in her outstretched hands, she kneeled down by the crooked s a all the comfry and the loosestrife, and the yellow irises and the reeds

Then she slid into the wide, cool stream

From ”THE CHILDREN AND THE PICTURES”

PAMELA TENNANT (LADY GLENCONNER)

THE BLUE ROSE

There lived once upon a tihter was remarkable for her perfect beauty Her feet were the sht as brown onyxes, and when you heard her laugh it was like the listening to a tinkling stream or to the chihter was as wise as she was beautiful, and she chanted the verse of the great poets better than anyone in the land The Eotten a son; he was, therefore, quite happy with regard to the succession to the throne, but he wished before he died to see his daughter wedded to someone who should be worthy of her

Many suitors presented themselves to the palace as soon as it became know that the Emperor desired a son-in-law, but when they reached the palace they were met by the Lord Chamberlain, who told them that the Eht back the blue rose should hter The suitors were much puzzled by this order What was the blue rose and where was it to be found? In all, a hundred and fifty at once put away frohter, since they considered the condition i to find the blue rose One of them-- his name was Ti-Fun-Ti--he was a est shop in the town and said to the shopkeeper, ”I want a blue rose, the best you have”

The shopkeeper, with ies, explained that he did not stock blue roses He had red roses in profusion, white, pink and yellow roses, but no blue roses There had hitherto been no demand for the article

”Well,” said Ti-Fun-Ti, ”you et one for me I do not mind how much money it costs, but I must have a blue rose”

The shopkeeper said he would do his best, but he feared it would be an expensive article and difficult to procure Another of the suitors, whose naotten, was a warrior, and extre with him a hundred archers and a thousand horse of the Five Rivers, who in the world and the possessor of the rarest treasures, and de hiive it up

The King of the Five Rivers, who disliked soldiers, and had a horror of noise, physical violence, and every kind of fuss (his bodyguard was armed solely with fans and sunshades), rose fro when the de a shtway appeared, ”Fetch me the blue rose”

The servant retired and returned presently bearing on a silken cushi+on a large sapphire which was carved so as to imitate a full-blown rose with all its petals

”This,” said the king of the Five Rivers, ”is the blue rose You are welco brief, soldier-like thanks, he went straight back to the E the blue rose He was ushered into the presence of the Emperor, who as soon as he heard the warrior's story and saw the blue rose which had been brought sent for his daughter and said to her: ”This intrepid warrior has brought you what he claims to be the blue rose Has he accomplished the quest?”

The Princess took the precious object in her hands, and after exa it for a moment, said: ”This is not a rose at all It is a sapphire; I have no need of precious stones” And the warrior went away in disco of the warrior's failure, was all the ht the shopkeeper and said to hiot me the blue rose?” I trust you have; because, if not, I shall most assuredly be the istrate, and I adoive me three days and I will procure you the rose without fail” The ranted him the three days and went away Now the shopkeeper was at his wit's end as to what to do, for he kneell there was no such thing as a blue rose For two days he did nothing buthis hands, and on the third day he went to his wife and said, ”Wife, we are ruined”

But his wife, as a sensible wo as a blue rose wedye which well change a white rose into a blue one”

So the shopkeeper went to the cheave hi him to pick a white rose and to dip its stalk into the liquid and the rose would turn blue The shopkeeper did as he was told; the rose turned into a beautiful blue and the shopkeeper took it to thethat he had found the blue rose

He was ushered into the presence of the Ehter and said to her: ”This wealthy ht you what he claims to be the blue rose Has he accomplished the quest?”

The Princess took the flower in her hands and after exa it for a moment said: ”This is a white rose, its stalk has been dipped in a poisonous dye and it has turned blue Were a butterfly to settle upon it it would die of the potent fume Take it back I have no need of a dyed rose” And she returned it to the antly expressed thanks

The other ninety-eight suitors all sought in various ways for the blue rose So it; soers, and one did not hesitate to invoke the help of the dwarfs that live underground; but all of them, whether they traveled in far countries or took counsel izards and de in lonely places, failed to find the blue rose

At last they all abandoned the quest except the Lord Chief Justice, as the most skillful lawyer and states over the matter for several months he sent for the most famous artist in the country and said to him: ”Make me a china cup