The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-04-23
'Eae Three SSissaes.

From Dickens Once Week.
There was once wise emperor who made IL
law that 10 every Granger who came 10 Ii, court
fried fish = III bo served. The servants were
directed TO taaa notice If, when the stranger lad
eaten the fish 10 the bone on one side, he ,urned
it over and began on the other side Ii he did,
he was TO be immediately seized, and Oh the
third day thereafter he WAS 10 be put 10 death
But, by -reat stretch OF imperial clcmencv.
the culprlt permitted to utter one wish each
day, which the emperor pied ged himself 10
grant, provided il was not to snare his life
Many had already persisted in consequence of
this edict, when, v"o day, a count and his Young
son presented themselves at court. The fish was
served usual, and when the count had re-
moyed all the fish from side, he turned it
over, when he was suddenly seized and thrown
into prison, and was told Of his approaching
doom. Sorrow-s.rcken, the counts young son
besought the emperor to allow him to die in the
room of his father; favor which the monarch
was pleased to accord him. The count was ac-
oordingly released from prison and his son was
thrown into his cell in his stead. As soon as
this bad been done, the young man said to his
guolers:
'You know | have the right to make three de.
mands before ] die; go and tell the emperor to
send me his daughter, and priest TO marry us.
The first demand was not much to the ernpe.
ror's TASTE nevertheless he felt bound to keep his
quest 70 which The princess had no kind of ob.
lection. This occurred in the times when the
kings kept their treasures in cave, or in tow.
er SET apart for the purpose, and on the second
day or his imprisonment the young man de-.
manded the king. treasures. If his first demand
was q bold one, the second not less so; sill
iii eifftr-trt- -~utt rs srcred and hurirry made
the promise, he WAS forced to keep it; aud the
treasures OF gold and silver and Jewels were
ut mi. al n.
possession OF them he distributed them pyotuse.
" among the conrtiers, aud soon ne made host
of friends by his liberality
The emperor began now to feel exceedingly
uncomfortable. Unable to Sleep no rose early
on the third morning and went, with fear in HI.
heart, to the prison 20 hear what the third wish
was to be.
snow said be To the prisoner, tell me what
your third demand IS, that il may be granted ut
once, and yon may be hung ont of hand for l
am tired OF Your demands
'Sre, answered his prisoner, IL have but one
more favor 10 request of your Ma jesty, which,
when You have granted, l shall die content. 1t
is merely that you will cause the eyes OF those
who saw my father tnvn the fish over To be- put
out"
Very good replied thc Emperor "your de-
mand is but natural, ana springs from good
heart. Let the chamberlain DO seized he con-
tlnued, turning 80 his guards.
81, sire :" cried the chamberlain II did not
see anythlna--lt WAS the steward"
'Let the steward be seized, them" said the
king.
But the steward protested with tears in his
eyes that he had not witnessed any thing of what
had been reported, and said it was the butler
The butler declared thai he had seen nothing Of
the matter and that 1t must be one of the vaiet,
But they protested that they were utterly igno.
rant of what had been charged against the
count; in short it turned ont that nobody could
be found who had seen the count commit the
oifense, upon which the princess said
4 appeal to you my father, as to another
Solomon. II NOBODY the oftense corn,nt,ed
the count cannot DE guilty, and my husband Is
innocent"
The Emperor trowned, and forthwith the
courters began to murmur aud then he smiled,
and immediately their visagcS became radiant.
Lett be so,' said his majesty; let him live,
though | have put many to death for u lighter
otfen,e than HIS But if he il not huns he i,
married. Justice ha, been lone"