The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-07-24
Misrsusup.
THE UNDERoRO IND KING.
A sLAvor-c LIE lend.
1.-THE WHITE DUCK.

Once upon time there llv i IN certain c0un
try q great king named Tsas Berendi, who had
such a long beard that it hung to his very knees
He had been long married. but had never had
any children, and this vexed him very much till
one day he was 30 distressed at the thought Of
having no so, to succeed to his throne that he
determined TO set out and travel over his whole
kingdom in the hope of diverting himself q lit
tie. Accordingly off he started. and having
travelled about for long time he turned his face
homeward, and was not far from his capital
when one terrible hot day, he found himself in
the middle Of great wide plain with not q DROP
Of water left in his flask. The poor king, who
was very thirsty, began to look about in all di.
rections for stream or spring whereat he might
Quench his thirst and at last, to his great de.
hight, espied clear springlng well. In a mo-
'ent he had jumped off his horse, and was run.
ii : full speed toward the we'll, and when he
h. reached it the first thing he saw was gold
eL goblet floating on the surface.
Not q bad idea !" thought the king, and then
he stretched out his hand to take it; but it was
too quick for him, and slipped through his fin
gers. He clutched at it again and again, now
with his right hand, now with his left, and then
with both at once but the goblet still glided
away, and at last Owed, like fish, right down
to the bottom of tho spring, and then came up
again.
"Wait bit" said the king savagely II will
have drink for all that without asking your
help |" and with that he threw himself upon his
knees beside the spring; bent his head down, and
took long draught, not observing that the
whole of his long beard was hanging down into
the water. But when he had drank enough.
and wanted to rise again, he suddenly felt that
something had caught him by the beard and it
would not lot him go. lie pulled, tugged, and
struggled to get Ay-but all in vain the thing.
whaisver it was, held him fast. He was caught
and could not move, that was all about it.
"WLat's that Let go!" cried he. There was
no answer but all at once, as he looked down in.
to the we'll, he saw in its depths huge face,
which grinned and put out its tongue at him.
At the same moment he caught sight of several
enormous crab-like claws, which were clinched
on his beard and held him down.
"King Berendi," said the face, eff you wish
me to let you co. you must promise to give TO me
that Mtng aea5ch yon possess aottout being a,oare
yM"
"Whst can that mean ?" thought the king ut
seems to me that know all my possessions-he
must be joking" every good" cried he, aloud,
'it's o bargainW
answered the face and disappeared.
The king ,ejoiced to find himself once more at
liberty, mounted his horse and set of homeward
ct full gallol. When he reached the palace the
first thing hs ssw was thu queen standing on tho
great ataiPcsss. looking eagerly for his coming;
and beside her stood the Lord Chamberlain, hold.
Ing cradle covered with cloth of gold, in which
Lay bsautfal baby. Then the king guessed the
meaning Of his strange bargain, and gave deep
groan THAT, then, is tho possession which haa
without knowing t! thought he. "You have
destroyed me-, you villainous sorcereri" and he
was sorsly distressed; bu. putting cheerful
face o. the mattss he took the child in his arms,
carried i into the palace, pettsd it for while,
and pun il oSaefully back with his own hands in
to the cradle.
King BsssndI said not word about his sdven.
ture, bat set himself to rule BEFORE cOncealing
his gr1sf ~ best ne might; but the fatal promise
va eve, 10 hjs mind, and be lived in constant
dresd Of some oas coming to carry his son away.
However, time went BY without any thing of the
kind hap1sAiSy: We prince, TO whom his father
gave the nsrAS Of John, grew up into very fine,
Handsome young man; and everything went on
20 well that at last the old king quite forgot what
bad bsAslisn him.
Nov il ehancsd one day that Prince John,
while out hunting, lost his way, and at last no
found hiAssw in circle CT gloomy looking pines
IN Tie Aidss o. which stood vast lime-tree, with
huge, broad trunk, down the middle Of which
ran ~ innsH-a cleft. A. the prince stood gaz.
Ing. out Of his cleft came creeping strange
looking, ugly old msp, with bright green beard,
and eyes grssner still
"G0cd saOrniu3, Prince john" said the old
man; u Asvs a. 'sady been waiting long time
for you"
"And who sss you ?" asked the prince very
much sstonisit d.
"You'Ii find out before long," answered the
other; "but nov 60 back to your father, give him
my compliments, and tell him that it is high
time to rsmsr,ber and fulfill his promise to me.
Good-bys-Gu repOir"
Pxn 1 = -
this dventnre, and no told his father the whole
story. Then the poor old king, in his distress,
forgot himself, and let ont the whole secret but
the prince did not seem much troubled at what
be heard.
"Theres no great harm done ys.," said he, "but
it's time to he doing. Give me horse and let
me set of, and mind you tell no one what has
happened; but if / do no. come back within q
year. then be sure that am no longer in the land
Of the living"
So Prince John got ready for his journey, and
suit OF golden armor, sharp sword and raven.
black horse; and away he went merrily enough.
For three days he Travelled onward, and on the
evening OF the fourth he came to broad. smooth
lake, the clear water of which mirrored the green
banks that overhung it. In the lake were swim.
ing thirty white ducks and on tho grass lay
thirty white dresses. The prince leaped from
MS horse' ana creeping softly to the bank snatch.
60 up one OF the dresses and hid himself behind
thick BUSH Meanwhile Tho ducks went on
swimming and diving and plashinp about in the
cool, clear water, { II at last they AL swan up 4
the bank in u row. Twenty.nils Of them cam,
Out upon the grass, I'D hurryin9p6r 10 the dres
ses put them on; WI. they sudasniy ohanget
into pretty girls, and nished But the Thrift
eth duck remained in ill., water, Tapping abou
the edge Of the lake and ing out piteously, u
10 IN asor,h .f II, :. :.