The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-04-28

be served The servants were directed .
to take notice, If, when the stranger
had eaten the fish to the bone on one
side, he turned it over and began on
the other side. If he did, he was to
be Immediately seized, and ON the
third day thereafter he was to lie put |
to death. But, by q great stretch of
imperial clemency, the culprit was per-
mitted TO utter one wish each day, |
which the emperor pledged himself to
grant provided it was not to spare his
life. Many had already persisted in
consequence of this edict, when, one
day a count and his young son pre-
sented themselves at court. The fish I
was served as usual, and when the
count had removed all the fish from |
one side, he turned it over, and was
about to commence on the other, when |
he was suddenly seized and thrown
into prison, and was told of his APP
preaching doom. Sorrow stricken, the
counts young son besought the en-
peror to allow him to die in the room
of his father, a favor which the mon
arch was pleased to accord him. The
count was accordingly released from
prison, and his son was thrown in
to his cell in his stead. AS soon as
this had been done, the young man
said to his gaolers-''you know have
the right to make three demands be-
fore l die 60 and tell the Emperor to
send me his daughter, and u priest to
marry Us" The first demand was
not much to the emperor's taste, new
ertheless, be felt bound to keep his
word, and he, therefore, complied with
the request, to which the princess had
no kind Of objection. This occurred
in the times when kings kept their
treasures i'll cave or in tower
set apart for that purpose, like the
Emperor Of Morocco in those days;
and on the second day OF his imprison-
ment the young man demanded the
kings treasures. If his first demand
was bold one the second was not less
SO still, an emperor's word is sacred
and having made the promise, he was
| forced to keep it and the treasures
of gold and silver and jewels were
f placed at the prisoners disposal. On
. getting possession of them he distrib-
t uted them profusely among the court
| icrs, and DON he had made Il host of
r friends by his liberality.
0 The emperor began to feel exceed
Q ingly uncomfortable. Unable to sleep
5 he rose early on the third morning
- and went, with fear in his heat, to
the prison to hear what the third wish
It was to be.
II "Now, said he to his prisoner, "tel
e me what your third demand is, that i
p may be granted at once, and you ma,
II be hung out of hand, for | am tired o
Is your demands"
n "Sire," answered his prisoner, g
II have but one more favor to request o
your majesty, which, when you have
granted, | shall die content. 1t i
II merely that you will cause the eyes o
those who saw my father turn the fist
= over to be put out.
~ Every good, replied the emperor
q "your demand is but natural, an'
IN springs from a good heart. Let tn
- chamberlain be seized" he continued
" turning to his guards.
7S Il sire p cried the chamberlain, o
. did not see anything-it was the stew
40 ard"
III LET the steward be seized then,
~ said the king
90 But the steward protested with teal
~ =, in his eyes, that he had not witnesse
an anything of what had been reported
~ and said it was the butler. The bu
VI Ter declared that he had not see
~ anything of the matter, and that
~ must have been one of the Wallets. Br
a. they protested that they were utterl
~ ignorant of what had been charge
az against the count in short, it turne
70 out that nobody could be found WI
no had seen the count commit the o
w. fence, upon which the princess said
Il appeal to YOU my father, as
- another Solomon. If nobody saw Il
offence committed, the count cann'
~ be guilty and my husband is inn
cent"
The emperor frowned, and forthwith
the courtiers began to murmur the
he smiled and Immediately their Vi
ms ages became radiant
m Let it be so, said his majesty, 81