The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-02-06
A LITTLE KING AND QUEER PICTURE

One of the kings of France in old
times died when his son was thirteen
years old. The little prince, of course.
became king but he was so young and
small that it seemed strange to think of
him as monarch, and when people spoke
of HIM, they commonly called him the
Little King of France.
He had never learned to read. Little
princes in those days had very much
their own way, and he had never been
made to study. When he became a
king, he was ashamed of his ignorance,
and still more ashamed to learn, or pos
siblv too proud He could not learn,
he thought, without having master to
teach him but being king, he could
not bring himself to the idea of submit
ting to a master in any sense. Igno-
rant as he was, he held a position of
great wealth and power.
Accident, however, put him in the
way OF learning to read while remain
ing master himself How he did this
YOU will presently see
The little king was proud in a great
many things, and wished to have the
liberty Of going out by himself alone.
ont tt sieptatiilRl excursions without anv
but the attendants who followed him
on such occasions took care to keep at
a great distance, and as much as pos
sible out of sight, so that the little king
might fancy himself alone and indie
pendent.
One day, when he was returning to
the castle from one of these excursions
he saw before him, by the wayside, an
old man, dressed like peasant sitting
on stone, and entirely absorbed in
comparing two books which he had be-
fore him, in his lap, and which appeared
to he exactly alike. The little king
stopped before the old man, who was
too intent upon his books to take any
notice of him. So the king tapped him
OH the shoulder with the handle of his
whip, saying:
Look up, old fellow! Don't YOU
see me standing here"
The old fellow. as the little king called
him, on hearing this summons, looked
up, and pcrcciving that the boy before
him was dressed elegantly, and had a
feather in his hat, he nodded and touched
his cap, and went on porting over his
books again.
MY friend" said the little king,
the people about here, who know
who | am, treat me with little more
respect than YOU show"
That may be- said the old man.
at is not strange that the people about
here should know who you are; but
how can l know unless You tell me
for | live more than thirty leagues from
here, in the grounds of a monastery, on
the other side of the river"
The little king was we'll enough sat
isicd with this excuse, but after mo-
ment's pause, lie added:
SO, it seems YOU have to make g
journey of thirty leagues to find place
to sit down and read ~
NO" replied the man; "that is moi
it. | have just come to the end of g
long journey that | have been taking
for a particular business that has beer
committed to me by man who is
dead and am looking now at these
books to make sure that | am right
about them. Otherwise, | may make Z;
terrible mistake
"And how are YOU going to find on
whether you are right or not ?" askcC
the king
s. could find out very easily if
could only read" said the old man, bu
[ cannot If | could only make out TIT
first few words in one of these books
should know One or the other o
these books is to be given to the kins
as present from the abbot of the mo
mastery. But l don't know which. |
would be terrible mistake to give hin
the wrong one"
The little kings curiosity by thi
time was excited He wished to know
what there could be in one of the book
which could make it unsuitable for
gift to him He was, however, tire'
of standing so he ordered the old ma
to rise, and taking himself the seat
babe him tell all he knew of the strang
books.
The old man, seeing by the dress an
bearing of the boy, that he was Il pei
sonago of consequence, told his stor
thus:
The abbot of the monastery, on hi
death-bed, had bequeathed Il book {
pictures to the little king of France
and committed the charge of carryin
I the book to the king to one of tn
, monks. TO reward the monk for thi
! service, he gave him another book, {
i precisely the same size and appearance
d which he told him he could sell in Par
;, for large sum-both books being
great value.
IL / ! II