Part 21 (1/2)

”What children are these?” he asked in a voice which shook.

”I never saw them before,” replied the head gardener. ”I think they are some of the orphan children which the great mercy and clemency of your royal majesty have caused to be rescued from the plague.”

”Who are your parents, my children?” asked one of the courtiers.

”We are the children of the good miller and his wife,” they replied.

”Our kind foster parents are now dead with the plague.”

”Where did this miller and his wife find you?” asked the king eagerly.

Then the two children told the story of how the miller had found them in a basket in the river. They knew it well, for it was their favorite story of all the ones which the miller's wife had told them.

The courtiers looked at each other in amazement. Every one had noticed the bright stars s.h.i.+ning on the children's brows.

”I believe you are the two dear babes lost from this palace!” cried the king as he took them in his arms.

”Who put them in that basket?” asked the king's counsellors.

”If I knew you may be sure that fitting punishment would be visited upon them!” cried the king.

The beautiful green-and-gold parrot had escaped from the children's arms and had flown back to a tree near the gates of the royal gardens.

Suddenly he was heard to speak.

”Go find the king's sisters-in-law,” were the words he said.

The king's sisters-in-law were quickly brought into the garden. A look at their guilty faces convinced every one that they were the ones who had placed the royal babes in the basket and had thrown them into the river.

”You shall now receive the punishment which you have so richly deserved!” cried the king as he frowned upon them sternly.

”Where is the good queen?” some one asked.

The queen had been sleeping in her own apartments and had not heard the noise in the garden. When the courtiers brought her there and she saw the two handsome boys with the bright stars s.h.i.+ning on their foreheads, she fainted with the joy of it.

JOSe THE BEAST SLAYER

_The Story of a Boy Who Grew Up in the Forest_

There was once a king who had a little daughter. He went to the Wise Man of the Forest to learn how best to bring her up, and this is what he was told:

”For twelve years you must keep your daughter in a tower in the forest.

It should have no door, only a little window through which you may pa.s.s food to her. You must give her meat which has no bones in it.”

The king ordered a tower constructed in the deep forest. It had no door, and only a little window. Here the princess was placed. Every day food was pa.s.sed to her through the little window. The king himself took charge of this, so that he might be sure that there was no meat given her which had bones in it.

The years flew by, and at last the twelve year period was nearly up.

Then the king went away one day and left the servants to carry food to the princess. They were careless, and gave her meat which had a bone in it.