The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-12-11
THE ST0RK AND THE RUBY.
BY Z. II. sToDDARD.

IRON, IL. prOosheet, Of forthcoming yos,rs IN DE Pres
Of 1Seknor 4 Fields Boston.
A certain prince-I have forgot his name
Playing ono morning at tho aroher's game,
Within garden where his palace stood,
Shot at a s,ork, and spilled the creatures blood
For very wantonness and cruelty.
Thrice had be pierced the target in the eye
AT fifty PAGES; twice defoured a rose,
Striking each time tho very leaf no chose;
Then he set up his dagger in hedge
And splii An arrow on its glitlering edge.
he saw stork JUS; lighted on the ground,
To rest itself after its leagues of fight:
The dewy walk in which it stood was bright,
So white its plumago, and so clear its eyes,
Twinkng with innocence and sweet surprise.
"rll shoot the silly bird )" the prince exclaimed:
And bending his strong bow, he straightway amcd
His keonest arrow at its painting heart;
The lucky arrow missed q vital part,
Tor was it some kind wind that pushed it byD
And only struck and broke tho creatures thigh.
The poor thing tumbled in lily bed,
And its blood ran, and made the lilies red.
1t marked the changing color of the flowers,
The winding garden walks, the bloomy bowers,
And last the cruel prince, who laughed with glee-
Fixing the picture in its memory.
This done, it struggled up, and flew away,
Leaving the prince amazed and in dismay.
Beyond the city walls, league or more,
A little maid was spinning at her door,
Singing old songs to cheer the long days work:
Her name was Heraclis. The fainting stork
Dropped at her feet, and with its ebon bill
Showed her lis thigh, broken, and bleeding still:
She fetched il water from a neighbor spring.
And while it drank and washed each dabbled wiag
She set the fractured bones with pious care,
And bound them with the het OF her hair
Eased ofits pain, again it few away,
Leaving the maiden happier all the day
That nj ght the prince as usual, went 10 bed.
His royal wine little in his head.
Beside him stood a casket full of gems,
The spoil of conquered monarchs' diademst
Great pearls, milk and shining like the noonj
Emeraids grassgreen; sapphires like skies of June
Brilliants that threw their light upon tho wall;
And one great ruby that outshone them all,
Large as pigeons egg, and RED as wine
When hold before the SUM gem divinek
Through these he ran his fingers carelessly,
Like one who dips handful of the sea,
To sun his eyes with dripping stars of brine,
At last he sumbered in tho pale moonshine
Meantime the watohful stork was in his bowess;
Again It saw it's blood upon the flowers,
And saw the walks, tho fountains shan In air,
But no; the cruel prince; no prince was ,herci
So up and down the spacious courts it few.
And ever nearer TO tho palace drew.
Passing the lighted windows, row by row,
1t saw the prince, and saw the rpbys glow;
Hopping into the chamber, grave and still,
1t seized tho precious ruby with its bill,
And spreading then its rapid wings in flight,
Flew out and vanished in the yawning night
Night slowly passed, and morning broke again:
There came light tap on the window pane
OF Heraclis: il woke her; she arose,
And, slipping on in haste her peasant clothes,
Opened the door to see who knocked, and lel
In walked the stork again, as white as snow,
And in its bill the ruby, whose red ray
Planned in her face, anticipating day.
Again the creature pointed to its thigh,
And something human frightened in its eye,
A look that said, al hank you" plain wordss
The virgins look was brighter than the BIRDS
So glad she 10 SEQ it was not dead
She stretched her hand to sleek its bowling head,
But ere she could, it made sudden stand,
And thrust the priceless ruby in her hand,
And sailing swiftly through the cottage door,
Mounted the morning sky, and came no morei