Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1868-12-17
seleFtea 55tory.
Translated for the Herald.l
TIE q SLEEPING BEAUTY. A."
TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN.
BY 4. V. ID.

Once upon e time, in the long, long
years ago, a king and his wife wisely
rcigned over country SO beautiful and
| fertile, that enc co1ld almost have believed
it to be second Eden, planned after the
order Of tie first garden. Happily they
lived together; happy in each others love,
and in the affection Of their snljocts-
wishing only for an heir to rule in their
stead, when their bodies should Grow frail
and perish from the face of the earth -
After ten years Of union their wish was full
filed and child Of exquisite loveliness was
born to them, and to this kingdom. Al
the expiration of month of merry MAX
ing, during which the baby throve won
derfully. all the great and noble Of the
land were invited to the royal feast, in
honor of the Graded Princess naming
day.
Now, in that beautiful land dwelt thir-
teen wise women, and it was the custom to
DO them oil honor; for tie course Of the
stars were known to them, and they were
able to glass forth the future; they could
bestow good or evil gifts on the sons and
daughters Of men. The old King was
troubled as he remembered that he had
only twelve platters, all curiously wrought
and marked by genii hands, with suns,
and moons, and stars, and bordered like a
miniature Zodiac. Neither could he, for
love nor money, obtain thirteenth piece,
SO only twelve Of the wise women were
hidden to the feast, while the other sat at
home, weaving web of Fate, SO crossed
and chequered, that neither you nor l, my
little friends, could understand the pattern.
The naming day came at last, and the
guests moved gaily over the green sward,
through tie sweet May sunshine, into the
banqueting halls. Ladies in goodly raj
ment Of silk, and satin, and velvet-green
and crimson, and purple and gold-stud
ded with jewels, and clasped with brooches
and bands of gemmcd, red, barbario gold ;
and their lords Of pondcrous step, clad in
glitteriDg coats Of mail, plumed helms, gay
silken scarfs and spurs, whose jingle could
not be heard by reason Of the clash of ar
NOR and the voices of congratulation -
Suddenly hush fell on them all, as, with
ungainly movements, the twelve wise wo-
men, quantity clad, stalked through the
hall straight to the golden platter, and in
silence the feast began and ended.
Now was the Princess brought in, lying
on an eider,do cushion, covered with
rose colored and gold embroidered coverlet,
cooling softly as she passed through the
long halls-as she passed on to the Moth
ers Of Fate The first of the grim old
women lifted the Princess in her arms and
exclaimed: Il name thee Beauty, and |
dover thee with the gift--never was and
never will be maiden so fair" 'And
|" said another, "give thee wisdom to rule
thy people and thyself, to gain all wiallful
knowledge, to determine against evil coun-
sell" So, one by one, they lowered her
with all that men deem desirable for hap
pincss, until, as the twelfth arose, a sud-
den gust shook the palace, and angry and
menacing the thirteenth wise woman came
L." said she, cam powerful to undo all
thy gifts. She shall be all you have prom
ised her untI she as fifteen gears Of age,
then she shall fall down-'n trance, in
terrupted the twelfth, who had not yet
spoken--in a trance, which shall last one
hundred years, aud at last be broken by a
mighty Prince, a hero and conqueTer. )"
Tue years each numbered their months,
and with the maiden gained new charms.
Her beauty was the theme of every tongue,
and her wisdom commended her to the
Princes Of the realm. Fifteen years old