Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-12-23
2aetieal.
BABy's SIZES.
CASTLE CURIOUS.
4 Christmas Fairy Tale Tor tha Little Folks.

There was once a dwarf by the name
of Pu&ket, who was one of the most in
oenious fellows that ever lived IF he
had only been good, his cunning skill
would certainly have been a blessing to
himself and benefit to all around h i'm
but instead of this he was very wick
ed imp, and exerted all his wonderful
powers only to work mischief upon ev-
erybody that he possibly could. Among
other things that he did, he built hi Ia
self a larg7 and nagnifee t palace Of
white marble, which he called CAstle
Curious, and about this we shall now
learn something further.
There were beantitul groves, lawns,
and gardens all around it and the whole
was enclosed by high wall, on which
be had paiuted the most wonderful pics
lures. In these everything was so nat
val and life-like that birds often DASH
ed their little brains out against the
wall i'll trying TO get at the fruit paint
ed there, and many poor dog met the
same fate in springing upon the paints
ed foxes and rabbits So, too, the bees
would claster around the painted flows
ers, aud ducks strive 10 get into The
painted water. All the stoncsoarving
about Castle Curious, and indeed, The
Workmanship displayed i'll its whole con-
struction, was IF the marvellous perGtc>
ton
But the most remarkable feature about
it was IN immense eye, larger than 4
calt-whee], which tie dwarf place.! ia
It's highest tower This eye The a,ie!,-
ed Puhket considered The masterpiece
Of his work and quite he triumph oi
his life. Il had the singular power o.
at once drawing to the castle all persons
WHO SO much as caught one glimpse OF
it, whether from near at hand or the
greatest distance. BY day, when the
sun shone on it, the eye glittered and
sparkled with the greatest bri)liancy,
and 1T night it was splendidly iiIunina-
ted with red lights, SO that it could be
seen from far and wide.
al last the king determined thai II
was high time to put a stop to such do
! inos in bis don1inions, and so sent reg
iment of soldiers to demolish the castle.
But, alas. not one Of the valiant com,
mand returned to tell the tale Of ;ileiI
achievements, and it was supposed that
they had all been entrappcd and made
away with by the wicked Pnkket Al
forwards two other regiments shared the
same fate. The king, Of course, now
bee ME exceedingly angry at this state
| OF affairs in bis realm, bnt was quite at
his wits end to know what course to
pursue under the circumstances.
About this time Father Herbert. a
good old hermit, who was noted for bis
cfildhke simplicity and want Of suSpi<
cion, was said to lave walked along for
two OF tlIree miles in full sight Of Gas.
| tie Curious. and yet had not been drawn
towards it by that wonderful power that
came within reach Of the glazing eye iii
the tower Itseens that it was a rainy
| day, so be had his umbrella raised, and
beng completely occupied by his own
pioas tfoughts,he had logged along the
road till the castle was left far behind
without his ever knowing that he had
been III its vicinity at all.
This story coming to the earssot the
king, a fourth band of soldiers was soon
sent out, who were instructed to hold
/ their shields before their eyes as they
approached the castle But the desire
to take peep at the wonderful eye, OF
| which they had heard such very strange
| things, became too strong in some O.
and as the road was uneven from wash,
ing by recent rains, it was extremely
| difficult for any of the others 10 holt
their shields before their faces, and j
they caught the slightest glimpse o
the great eye it was all over with them
!, and so these soldiers Jared no better
than their comrades before them. TIL,
i, next regiment sent, which belonged t.
the kings own body guard, were provi
ded with large umbrellas las it wa
thought they could be carried more cas-
" than the shields, in such a name
| as to prevent the eyes being seen, ant
were particularly chaged on no accoun
to let their curio sity overcome thel
prudence. as it would surely prove thei
ruin.
! And this plan really seemed to sue
coed. Slowly and steadily the gallan
troops approached the towering marble
castles but just as they began to con
graduate themselves on the success 0
/ their expedition. there came up a sud
den and terrific blast of wind and in
/ stan,ly every umbrella was turned in
kide out, The next moment the whole