Daily American telegraph., 1852-01-02
The Poet "Mouse. f"
FROM THE ITALIAN

InG FOeC MOUSE.
FROM THE ITALIAN.
TRANSLATED FOR THE AMERICAN TELEGRAPH.
In a deserted old house, far away in the East,
there lived, many years ago, poor poet His
whole property consisted of some old-fashioned
clothes which had belonged to his ancestors
Though SO poor that he had to depend on charity,
he still adhered to his resolution to be poet,
and kept himself secluded from the world j there
fore the people gave him the name of Z" the poet
Mouse"
While sitting, one day, sorrowfully brooding
over his miseries, and trying to devise some easy
method of destroying his life, he heard rap at
the door, When he opened it, newspaper was
handed him by queer-looking strange old man
He glanced att, and something in it Immediately
attracted his attention.
Many miles distant, there lived, at the same
become widow, and her husband had bequeathed
her magnificent golden crown, set with precious
stones. Now, the queen was by no means hand
some: indeed, had she not been a queen, she
would have been considered decidedly ugly and,
though not without large share of vanity, she
golden crown she thought herself the most beau
tiful of women. 1t is not surprising, therefore,
that she valued the crown highly and placed it
every night on a table near the bed, that she
might always see it on opening her eyes in the
morning. One morning, when she awoke, the
crown was gone. As may be supposed, she was
in great distress; she wept bitterly, wrung hei
hands, and acted altogether as distressed ladies
are wont to do. Nothing could console her fol
her dreadful loss; and though her attendants
tried every means to amuse her, and to turn her
thoughts from her misfortune, all was of no avail.
As she was walking one day along balcony OF
her palace, weeping for her crown, she happened
to glance through an open door into her library
place she seldom visited Not being Of lite
rary turn, she knew very little of its contents !;
but something prompted her to go in. She did
so, and walked about, spelling the titles Of the
books. Among the rest she noticed one bound
in black leather, that had very singular appear
ance. She managed, after much trouble, to spell
the name on its back, Necromancy." "Ah ~
said she, "now shall recover my !" and
she Immediately commanded one of her officers
to publish throughout her kingdom proclama-
ton announcing the loss of the crown, and offer
ing great reward to any magician in the world
who should restore it to her.
This proclamation was what attracted the at
tention of the poet. He read it eagerly, and at
once resolved to 90 TO the palace and offer to re-
cover the crown. "As / have resolved to kill
myself" thought he, 81 had better go to the
palace, live sumptuously for few days at the
queens expense, and then be executed for my
imposture, than to end my life in this wretched
place" SO he disguised himself by putting on a
white wig and long white beard, dressed himself
in some of his old d-fashioned clothes, and set off
to the palace. There he declared himself great
magician, and demanded an interview with the
queen. lie was admitted to her presence, and
addressed her i'll some verses which he had COM
posed for the occasion. He told her that he came
from the antipodes, and had stored his mind with
the secrets of magic and he promised to restore
her the crown in few days. The queen re-
ceiyed him very graciously, promising him large
sum of money if he should succeed. Rich food
was then brought him, and, as he had been nearly
starved for long time, he ate yoraciously. All
were astonished at his appetite; but he said At
the antipodes, whence came, there are learned
magicians who eat twenty times as much as IL
have no appetite"
The queen furnished him with splendid apart
ments and servants to do his bidding, and to
supply him with whatever he might desire. He
said he should require few days to make prep
arations before proceeding to business. To this
the queen consented.
On the first day, after he had dined sumptu-
ously, he drew forth his tablets, and wrote on
them, saying aloud at the same time, "This is
the first"-meaning the first of his good dinners.
Now, the crown had been stolen by three of the
queens courtiers; and it happened that, among
those who stood by while he was eating, there
was one of the thieves. When the poet said
" This is the first" he thought his theft had beer
discovered, and that he was referred to, and h,
went Immediately to his two accomplices, anC
told them what he had heard. They laughed a
him, saying it was but an accident. However
one Of them promised to go the ne xt day, anc
hear for himself
Again, at dinner, the magician wrote, "Thi
ts tAe second" and uttered II aloud ~ before