Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-02-14

tice OF the fairy queen. On Certaih iVe
tiyal occasion, grand fairy assembly had
been held, monster orchestra was esta5-
lished in the wood, the queen with her
whole court was present, and The entire
faify world was there collected, crowdlng
every flower with so much eagerness that
the more adventurous had even cllmoed to
the top of the highest foX-qloves to look
down on the imposing spectacle. In the
midst of the music the ground shook and
there was heard distant thunder; directly
afterwards, the Amazon on her great Bar
bs " horse, dashed through the bushes
Cne h ,of came down into the middle OF the
orchestra, the othei three came down a
morg the people, killing, crushing, over,
throwing, breaking heads and arms, and
legs. so that the festival ground looked al
forwards as ghastly as field Of battle, The
queer n vowed that she would tame Swanhll-
da. Already the falres were at work, eat
ing us out of house aud home. Swanhllda
hearing all this, turned round in bed with
thump. Did you feel that - said one OF
the little creatures. "W as not that an earth
quake ?'' The other was the cellarer who
went occasionally to and fro to fetch up
wine. "No," he said, THAT beast OF girl
must be awake and kicking about in her bed
with anger" But then said the other
one, II think she would get up and scold at
rs rounIy." NO" said the cellarer. "our
queen has taken thought Of that. II she a.
woke she was to be tongue-tled, and to lie
awake till cock crow looking at Us Fine
amusement that would be, Swanhilda grum-
bled to herself. 81 was right" said the
cellarer laughing tremendously, "tbe beast
is awake" Pretty manners, thought
Swanhida. 81 am beast am |! Oh |
wish | could speak.
"Ah, my young lady" said the cellarer
answering her thoughts, sit Is well ior our
ears that you cannot, You see" he added
to his friend, 'the immense destruction OF
property she has occaSioned, is not to be
made good to us, the queen says, until tins
creature has married one Of her rejected
sutors and made handsome presents 10 all
the Others Before she can do that she
must catch fish for her living"
A little before cock-crow the feaSting end
ed, aud the tables being broken up The fair
les disappeared. A, cock SWanhllda
fell asleep. and slept till noon. Then she
rot up and went 10 her wa>hing-stand.--
There was no water in the basin; and, fall
ing at once into great rage, she called her
mald. How is this :" she SAID to her,
No water !" The maid was sure that she
had put water, but she went for more.--
Presently she returned, looking much fright
ened. There is no water,' she said, ''n
the tub, none in the pump none IN the cls-
tern" SwanhiGa thought directly OF the
fairies, and said, "Never mind. Get me
my breakfast will take a sausage and
two breasts of Pomeranian goose" "Oh
miss" the servant answered, 'there $ no
sausage, and no goose, and no food OF apy
kind aud every caSk in the cellar is emp
ty, and the casks are rotten, aud The turnl-
ture's gone out of the house, and the cattle
out of the stalls, and your Barbary courser's
rome, aud the hay is all mould in the man
GER and the iitter's rotten, and all the fruits
zone oil the trees, and the trees arc all
dead. and the grass and every bit ot the
country is withered up-only look out OF
the window. mi,s--and the servants have
all gone, and oh it you please miss, am
going" Swanhilda went out and found
that all was true the fairies had really con-
,uneo all her substance. IL won't be forc-
ed INTO marrying" she said, land | won't
fish. don't care. know what I'll do.
I'll starve myself" She kept to this rnso-
luton for three days; but then starvation
became so uncomfortable, that she went out
to look fer food.
Everything was dry and barren, but
there was the castle lake; and when she
came to that it was surprise TO see how iull
of fish it was, and how they lcapcd and
swan together at the surface. There was
fishing rod close by her, with hook up
on it. She dipped it INTO The lake and
fish Lit instantly. She brew lie l'nh dowr,
aud was carrying home the ii~h ior dinner,
when it began suddenly TO smell so detrSt-
ably that she was forced TO throw it "a
way.
..Ha. ha,'' chuckled the little telIarer,
who was lounglng upen moss rose close
by, and drinking the maddest draushts out
of a small cup borrowed from heath bios
on. We know how to tame yor. Now
fish"
Swanhl "a picked up the fishing rod, and
struck at the impertinent elf with all her
might Infamous Imp?" she cried. She
knocked the rose to pieces, but the fairy
had leapt off and fixed himself upon her
nose. You have remarkably soft nose,
YOU vixen" he observed. Nov fish
Do. nv dear Swanhilda, take the rod, and
while YOU are fishing will play YOU the
most charming music" SwanEl d dashed
At him with her fingers but he bt them
Il was Of no use to be obstinate she %as
obliged to ish and while she li>hed he sat
astride upon her nose, and, beating time
upon it with his heels, played half-a dozen
Instruments, and sang song at the same
ime. In his song he bade her put the fish
,he caught into a basket that lay at her feet
yrca,hed about with flowers. 1t was sooa
ull. and then she was forced to carry it to
market.
But If she was to 90 to town and sell fish
before all the world she determined that
she would at least disguise herself. 50 she
went first into the castle to look for some
common clothes. But the cupboards and
presses were all empty. No garment was
eft her but the one she wore, the grand
velvet riding habit in which she had been
used to 60 hunting. She was obliged,
therefore, to set out in that, and was prom
ised hot sop for supper upon her return