Part 8 (2/2)
”Any girl would!” they said.
It was a big wedding, as I told you before, and the only guest present who was not a king or a queen or a royal personage of some sort was the poor girl who saw the rooster with wooden shoes in the first place. The Queen, of course, had wanted only royalty but the Princess declared that the poor girl was her dear friend and would have to be invited. So the Queen, when she saw that the Princess was set on having her own way, had the poor girl come to the palace before the wedding and decked her out in rich clothes until people were sure that she was some strange princess whom the bride had met on her travels.
”My dear,” whispered the Princess as they sat down beside each other at the wedding feast, ”how beautiful you look!”
”But I'm not as beautiful as you!” the girl said.
The Princess laughed.
”Of course not! No one can be as beautiful as I am because I have the secret of beauty!”
”Dear Princess,” the poor girl begged, ”won't you tell me the secret of beauty?”
The Princess leaned over and whispered something in the poor girl's ear.
It was only one word:
”Happiness!”
[Ill.u.s.tration]
THE LITTLE LAME FOX
[Ill.u.s.tration]
_The Story of the Youngest Brother Who Found the Magic Grape-Vine and Married the Golden Maiden_
THE LITTLE LAME FOX
There was once a wealthy farmer who had three sons. The oldest was a selfish overbearing fellow. The second was a weak chap who always did everything his brother suggested. The youngest whose name was Janko was not as bright and clever as his brothers but he was honest and, moreover, he had a good heart and in this world a good heart, you know, is more likely to bring its owner happiness than wicked brains.
”That b.o.o.by!” the oldest brother would say whenever he saw Janko. And the second would snicker and repeat the ugly word, ”b.o.o.by!”
The father was proud of his three sons and happy to see them grow up strong and healthy.
”They're good boys,” he'd say to himself, ”and I'm a fortunate father.”
Now there was one very curious thing about this farmer that n.o.body understood. One of his eyes was always laughing and the other was always weeping.
”What's the matter with your father's eyes?” people used to ask the sons.
The sons didn't know any more than any one else. One day they were in the garden discussing the matter among themselves.
”Why don't we just go and ask him?” Janko suggested.
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