The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1863-03-11
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Fairy Stories for Little Folks
GRETA.

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King Dara had an only daughter the
Princess Greta; and as he was a very great
king. Great was the heiress Of all his
kingdom. She was spoiled and fattered
from the time that she rocked in golden
cradle till she grew to be woman and
lived in marble castle that the king built
puaposely for her, close to his castle.
Here she had hundred maids of honor,
and hundred pages to wait on hericon-
|tinually. Her floors were carpetd- with
velvet; her windows were hung with cur
tains that had taken, each one hundred
years'to weave. Her bed was silver shell
covered with counterpane ofrose-colored
silk. There was only enc person in all
the court that was allowed to speak, and
this was the Grand High First Duchess in
Waiting; SO that when anybody had any
thing to say to the Princess, he or she
told it to- page, who told it to lady of
honor who told it to the next higher lady
of honor, and so on up through the, whole
hundred, to the Grand High First Duchess
in Waiting, who, in turn repeated the
Princess answer to the lady Of honor next
below her and SO on down again through
the whole hundred, to the page who carried
out the answer to the ante-roon, and
repeated it three times over in loud
voice. bowing to the earth each time.
This agreeable and sensible arrange
ment, however, made conversation so tedi-
Gus that the Princess did very little talking;
and, as it would have been high treason
to hint that "a princess could be taught
anything, she received no education, but
remained in utter Ignorance of everything,
excep. that she was the very greatest prin-
cess in the world. Naturally, she thought
Of nothing but herself from morning till
night: and her simple amusement consisted
in making her maids of honor dress and
undress her, fifty times day that she
might be better able to decide which cos
tune was the most becoming. So that a
more selfish, stupid, disagreeable princess
has never beeu seen than the Priness
Greta. fr ts9sf5
Now Greta's fairy godmother one day
heard the wind, telling what simpleton
was Greta, and made up her mind to go
to court, and find out for herself whether
it was true or not. So wrapping herself
UP warmly, in her mouseskin cloak, she
ordered out her new acorn chariot, lined
with thistle down; and started off, When
she reached the marble castle, she sent
word to Greta that her fairy godmother
wished to see her; but Greta, who was just
then trying to decide whether she looked
best with braidsl or curls; only answered
snappishly: COOS 4.
"What! that tiresome old thing. Tell
her l cant see her; haven't time. m Il
When the fairy received this impertinent
mission, she turned red. green, and black
with anger, and shot out lightning from
her eyes in such dreadful way, that the
poor little page who had first delivered
Greta's message, fell down on his knee
and began to beg his life. aaeti q
.Tell the Princess" said the fairy, ssthat
| if she don't see me, I'll blow her marble
castle to atoms" ti ssstsefq g
So the page told the lady of honor,
shaking in every limb, and the ladies OF
honor told each other. till they got up to
the Grand High First Duchess in Waiting
who told her, the Princess; trembling in
her boots; but Greta, who thought no one
so great as herself, only answered with .
yawn: si.a;.3
| "Tell her to go away like q good soul
and not make herself ridiculous really
can't see her. 5sssss. e.,,s. ~.
When the fairy got this second message
she grew purple, and she turned east and
west, and north and south, muttering
spell, and down wentIthe tower, crushing
every one in it to atoms but the Princes
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