Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-04-15

came there, followed by concourse of at
PENDANTS. He examined the gold skeins first,
and then made obeisance to Martha, the old
miIler's daughter. He proposed marriage to
her, which she was very glad to accept. The
wedding was to take place in the palace, one
week hence.
As Martha left the king, the goldsmith then
whispered in her ear that she must not forget
the spindle when she leaves her home for the
wedding feast. OF course she could not for
get so important matter as that. Upon
reaching the cottage she could not find her sis
ter anywhere, of which she was very glad, for
she wanted to take the spindle away without
the knowledge of its owner. So, when she
had packed up all the things she wished, and
taken the spindle from under Cristes pillow,
she set out for the city, to spend the remaining
days before her marriage, where she could
make ample preparation for it, The wedding
was followed by a series of festivities, in which
all the great personages of the kingdom took
part 1t lasted many days, and the new queen
who could spin golden thread was made the
object of great adulation and. attention. She
expected nothing but happiness in the flu
ture.
Three months having passed by, and Martha
having spun no geld thread of her own ac.
cord, the king requested her to give him
specimen OF her wonderful powers. That
was sorrowtul moment for her for it was al
most impossible TO spin as many as nine
skens a day, 1.-The ninth alone being OF gold.
Sc, she made trial of all her attendants, and
not one of them could spin that number The
king was greatly enraged, and threatened to
discard his wife because she had deceived
him. But he was determined, if possible to
have golden skein. So she had her put in a
strong castle, and locked up there with her
wheel and spindle. Thus many days passed
by, and Martha's hands being worn to the
quick from spinning, she would throw the
spindle in the fire. But it would not burn
and the servants always found it in the ashes,
and brought it back by the kings order
Sometimes she would cast it out of the win
dow into the river, but it would always shine
or the bottom, and skillfu divers were station
ed near by to recover it. After while Martha
succeeded in spinning some golden skeins
but the king would spend them in single
nights debauch, and the next day his passion
for more was stronger than ever. Martha
was suffering hard late. The old castle was
her only home She was watched by three
hard hearted spies, and many Gay did she
have to live on crackers and water that she
might lose no time from her work. She often
sighed for the little cottage by the old mill.
10 be queen was no pleasure to her.
1t is almost unnecessary to say how anxious
Crlstel was for her sisters return. She had
not the slightest knowledge of anything that
had occurred, and was grieying night and
day over her lonely lot. She had, OF course,
heard that the king was married, but had no
idea her sister was his queen. She missed her
spindle, but she did not complain, for as it came
so mysteriously and without any labor of her
own, she thought she had no real claim upon
it. The time passed slowly by, and as she
was naturally fond of the forest, she spent
many an hour walking along its winding
paths. One day, while walking near the
place where she and her sister found the
manned squirrel, she saw her long absent
Freddy running just ahead OF her.
FREDDY, o Freddy!" she exclaimed, and
ran off after him. But he was too.quick foriher,
and as often as she put out her hand to catch
hi:n, she missed him. All at once she felt the
ground open before her and she went down.
not how far. She was deprived OF conscious
ness, but had no pain.
When she recovered, she looked around
upon a scene of splendor that she had never
dreamed OF. She was sitting on al -
throne, beside king Of noblI ,heariy
great justice and wisdom. Ere
feet and looked
palace built of crystal, aG you colifd io9k
through its walls upon gardens of surprising
loveliness. The courters around tile throne
came up and bowed before Cristel. and then
they sang most melodious song, entitled The
Lame Squirrels Friend. The music Of tile
harps, in addition to the voices of the singers,
almost made her think she was dreaming.
But she was not-she knew she could not be.
Wien the music was ended, the king asked
her if she would be his queen. VIII. II she re-
membered that her father was dead, that Mar
tina had forsaken her, and that lonely life
was before her, if she returned to her old
home, she replied: "If Freddy will lead me
once week to the old mill-wherever it is
and will condact me to this palace again, !
will be your queen"
The king bowed his consent. The air was
again filed with meodious strains of music,
after which came the wedding feast. So Crls.
tel was a hapDy Queen