Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-02-10
King Henry and the MILLER.

now NiNnhu WAS NloNIifh iHAN foNih.
One Of the oldest and most popular Of the
English ballad stories relates to King Henry
and the miller, and starts off briskly with
20 sg % ,a Is,. 3s .s.aSi yGqS Ss ssd rsI hunting
The forest was Sherwood, where once
lived Robin Hood and his merry men. King
Henry (Plantagenet) was young then, and he
took with him a great retinue Of yonug prin-
ces and mobiles. So the horses cantered over
the hills of Nottingham, and plume after
plume danced out Of sight among the green
leaves. The King separated himself 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 for
est. The King blew his horn. There was
no answer lie was lost
He rode on. As the forest grew dark, he
heard the flow of water, and discovered
cool stream just rejecting the light Of the ri
sing moon. Presently be heard mill-wheel.
Then his heart took courage. He soon reined
his horse before the door OF the mill.
Good Miller" said the King, is this
the road TO Nottingham ?"
81 guess You know as well as ], 3" answered
the miller " You look as though you had
been there before"
"Who do you take me for?" asked the
King in astonishment.
" For some gentleman thief or other; no
honest man, sure"
"But must lodge with you tonight. I
have gold at hand"
At the word "gold," the miller began 10
prick up his ears just then the miller'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 Bymy-
troth. No one delights in that name now.
q" Are you sure that YOU are no runaway 2"
piped Bymytroth.
." ! am no runaway" said the King
" Then show as your passport, said Bymy-
troth.
From whom -
From the King
The King had no passport, but still find
ing Bymytroth suspicious and defiant, he be-
gan to fatter her, and he bowed so very po-
ltely that she was induced TO say -
You may come in"
Bymytroth became very much pleased
with the King, so much 50 that she told him
that, il he was tidy enough, he might sleep
with her own son.
d" If the King would never hear Of it,
would get some venison for supper, said By
mytroth. We do rob the Kings forest of
yenison sometimes. VIII you promise 2"
d" Yes, on my word" said the King; 4" the
King shall never know any more about it
than he knows now"
The King was very hungry after his long
ride, and as his poor weak human nature
was quite like that OF some other men whose
heads were never toppled with a crown, he
made a large supper OIL the unlawful venison.
" You will never tell about this Z" said
Bymytroth, looking keenly at her guest.
"Ihe King shall be none the wiser for
this from me, said the King, looking very
profound.
With this strong assurance, Bymytroth
slept very comfortably that night, but was
awakened in the morning by right royal
retinue at the door. The miller and his
wife then began shaking and quaking," to
use the graphic language Of the old song,
and the poor miller kneeled down and shut
his eyes, we suppose in order to decently say
his last prayer. But--how charmingly it all
ends the King,
ls hiud courtesy f1r to rcluiie.
Gave him d lbs ing and dubbed him knight"
The above story was in its day very popu-
lar, because the game laws of England at
that time were very hard on the poor. It
showed what the King himself would do when
he was hungry. and it seemed a concession to
the cause OF the suffering Poor.-!St Nicholas