The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-02-12
king Henry and the miller.

King Henry and the miller.
1t has been all the fashion with story
tellers and ballad d-makers to represent
favorite Kings as putting on various
disguises, and playing clever. good
hhmored jokes upon the humb1est of
their subjects. Nearly all of the En-
glish Kings are so represented, and
there were no stories that the people
loved better to tell than these. They
were the old Christmas stories, told by
the Yule-log In the bleak old days of
the English barons, when swords and
helmets were thick and books were few.
Thus we have the tales of King Henry
VIII. and the Miller of Dee; of good
Duke Philip of Burgundy and Sly the
tinker of James I. and the tinker
of William III. and the forester. and
so on all through the reigns of the Scot
tish James and English Georges. Some
of these stories were fiction, like that of
"old King Cole.
That jolly old soul"
But most OF them were true. The wan
dering harpers used to relate them in
verse; and as delightful as the bringing
In of the Yule-log and the mistletoe, the
fiery sport of sc snap dragon" or the
rollicking play of "blind mans buff"
were the holiday tales of the funny
Kings.
One of the oldest of these ballad sto-
ries relates to King Henry and the mill
er, and starts off briskly with:
sHerry our royal King, would ride hunting,
To the green forests SO pleasant and fair"
The forest was Sherwood, where once
lived Robin Hood and his merry men.
King Kenry (Plantaganet) was young
then, and he took with him great reti-
nue. of young Princes and mobiles. So
the horses cantered over the hills of
Nottingham, and plume after, plume
danced ont of sight among the green
from the gay party, and dashed off with
spirit into the heart of the forest.
At last the day began to decline and
the shadows grew long and thick in all
the forest. The King blew his horn.
There was no answer. He was lost.
He rode on. AS the forest grew dark,
he heard the flow of water, and discov-
cred a cool stream just rejecting the
light of the rising moon. Presently he
heard mill-wheel. Then his heart took
courage. He soon reined his horse be-
fore the door of the mill.
"Good miller" said the King, :" is
this the road to Nottingham ?'
sfI guess you knows rs well as ], >"
answered the miller. :" You look as
though you had been there before"
s'Who do you take me for? asked
the King in astonishment.
{" For some gentleman thief or other !;
no honest man, sure.
"'But I must lodge with you tonight.
I have gold at hand"
At the word gold, the miller began
TO prick up his ears. just then the
niIler's wife-a large, fat, brawling
woman-looked over her husbands
shoulder. She; too, had heard the
word ''gold, - but was still cautious.
She delighted in the sweet name of
Bymytroth. No one delights in that
name now.
"Are you sure that you are no run
away?" piPed Bymytroth.
"I am no runaway, said the King. :
Then show us your passport, said
Bymytroth, who had very logical turn
. of mind.
From whom 2"
"From the KingT"
The King had no passport, but still
finding Bymytroth suspicious and def
ant he began TO datter her, and he
bowed SO very politely that she was at
last induced TO say:
You may come in.
Bymytroth became very much pleased
with the King, so much 30 that she
told him that, if he was tidy enough, he
might sleep with her own son.
eff the King would never hear OF it,
would get you some vension for sup
per-" said Bymytroth. We do rob the
Kings forest of venison sometimes.
Will You promise p
eyes, on my word, said the King
's the King shall never know any more
about it than he knows now.
The King was very hungry after his
anxiety and long ride, and as his poor.
week human nature WAS quite ike that
of some other men whose heads were
never toppled with crown, he made
large supper of the unlawful venison.
You viii never tell about this Z"
said the cautions Bymytroth, locking
keenly at her guest.
The King shall be none the wiser
for this from me" said the King, look
ing very profound.
With thisstrong assurance, Bymytroth
slept very comfortably that night. but
was awakened the next morning by
night royal retinue at the door. The
miller and his wife then began $ shaking
and quaking," to use the graphic laA-
goage OF the old song, and the poor
miller kneeled down and shut his eyes,
We suppose, in order to make his Hast
prayer. Bnt-how charmingly it all
ends 1.-THE King
. . Bis kind courtesy for 10 reon,ra.
MN living and dubbed him knight"
Inc above story was in its day yerv
oPuiar. because the game laws OF Eng
~ Inas time Were very severe and