Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-02-25
YOUTHS COLUMN.
A story with a Moral.

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ONCE upon time there was king who
had three sons They we're all three ex-
actly alike, and they all three loved the
same princess.
When the elder brothers heard Of the
younger brothers love- they seized upon
every opportunity Oi ridiculing hisn, and
putting him down, Just as the naughty
sister did Cinderella
The Princess Anna was young and
simple e.hearted, and fell in love with all
three of the brothers.
When the three princes went TO ask for
| the hand of the fair Anna, the WORTHY Ola
king, her father, could not tell what TO do.
| So he asked for three days 10 consider,
and ran of that very evening to his aunt,
the Fairy Of the Forest. Her word was
| law.
The three princes were ordered to ap.
pear the next day, as the clock struck
one they were to present their suit In
writing.
This was very annoying TO the two ell
der brothers, who could neither read nor
write. SO they each called in an artist 20
write the letter and tue formal sult IN
colors, and ornament them with gold ana
tlourishes.
The Youngest son wrote his letter with
his own hand, without ornament or nour-
ish. but with warmth and feeling just as
the outpourings of his heart This letter
was as beautiful one as you could I'M
agine.
But outwardly the three letters we're all
to be alike, one like the other, just as the
brothers were.
This the fairy and the old king had de-
termined.
AT the appointed time the two naughty
| brothers each galloped .off by himself To
the Princess Anna, both mounted on
! splendid gray horses; they paraded their
letters proudly before them in velvet
cases.
The youngest son went on foot, and
kept his letter carefully in his pocket.
On the way to the castle there was a
deep fish. pond, surrounded by rushes. A
poor woman sat in boat there, fishing.
She leaned forward, overbalanced her
self and fell into the water just as the
eldest prince passed along the road. she
cried our piteously for help; he might
have saved her with little trouble, sut he
rode on his way.
When the second brother passed along
the road, an incautious old woman was
again fishing in the little lake. She fell
into the water, and cried piteously for
help, but the prince rode past.
The youngest son also came to the lake.
There sat the old woman again, and hshed,
and fell into the water The young prince
saw her stagger and fall he forgot his let
ter, the fair Anna, and the danger too,
plunged into the water, and brought the
old woman out safely.
He was Mortified ST the sight of his drip
ming, muddy clothes However, there
was no time to lose. The old castle bell
was booming in the distance; the er3oint-
ed hour had arrived.
So he ran, and, strange to tell, the moro
he ran the more his clothes glistened;.
The mud all seemed to turn to gold, ana
the drops of water hung like gems ABOUT
him. BY the time he reached tne castle ASH,
his face was lit up with rosy smiles. Ihe
ola king and the courtiers and the Prin-
, cess Anna could not turn their eyes away
from him. As for the two brothers, they
grew pale with envy. '
Then the old king gave the signal
' The Princess Annals baby-sister was 10
: choose from among the three letters. So
il had been decided by the kings aunt,
the Fairy of the Forest The one whose
= 'ntter che chooses is the right husband
she had said.
3 'The Princess Anna would rather have
taken the youngest son at once Dut as
that could not be, she sat LOOKING sau.
The princess little sister was carried
: | lnlO lH6 HAL.
The three princes passed before her ac'
cording to their ages. The TWO eluer
a brothers presented their letters in the
snlendid Pcases of velvet. When the
a Youngest brother produced his letter, II
Y was soaked with pond water and covered
n with mud. He stood abashed, while hi
it brothers laughed.
The young prince gave up all hope, an'
4 looked very sad as he held out the dirty
Al letter with downcast eyes.
IS The baby-princess looked and looked
% but did not seem to see anything very re
markable about the two now-whlte let
ters But directly she caught sight OF tn
!, letter with the great blotches upon It, sh
= stretched out her little hand TO take IL
= !. This was her decision.
. AT the same moment all the doors o
the castle flew open, it seemed of thei
Is own accord, and the old fsherwomaI
b stepped in, she whom the young prince
n She walked straight up to him, the rag
n fell from her body and there stood beior
them all the Fairy of the Forest.
rs "This is the right prince, Anna, SAL
N the fairy. and when she pointed with he
n finger towards him, all the sparkling drop
1t on his clothes began to glisten like sun
rs shine, and became diamonds, or stones G
Of So they have kept their brilliancy dow
n. to this very day, and will never lose IT,
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