The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-07-07

puddlnR, she little knew what mlscme1
she was helping to do.
Ding, dong ding, dong went the
DINNER bell, and all the royal children
came focking into the nursery, where
their old nurse, Dame Etcetera, had al
ready laid the table, and set out the sill
yer spoons and forks and mugs, given
to each OF the princes ard princesses by
their fairy godmothers. Their dinner
was plain, though good The King did
not like his children TO grow up too
fond of eating. First, they had roast
mutton, with potatoes and cabbage, and
any one who didn't clear his plate, fat
and all, was not allowed to have any
pudding. 1t was capital pudding that
day-fiour and eggs and milk and raisins
and lemon peel-and the children began
to clap their hands when they saw it, all
except the biggest ones, who were too
dignifed, and pretended not to care.
Each of them was helped in order-frst
the young princesses, beginning with
the eldest, then the princes-and before
long the Gathering of spoons mp and
down the long nursery table told that
the pudding would soon be disposed of.
Only little stole up to old Etcetera,
and whispered.
Nurse, dear, I have eaten enough !;
may take my pudding to some poor
person Z. l have seen some to-day, look
ing, oh so miserable"
"That's a kind-hearted little dear -
said Dame Etcetera, giving her kiss.
Run of with you, and be sure to be
back in time for tea"
So Y got her little straw hat, orna.
mented with pheasant's feathers to show
that she was aprincess, and slipped out
of the palace, leaving her brothers and
sisters to the enjoyment of their pud-
ding.
And they did enjoy it-all but sulky
q, who sat playing with his spoon and
looking as if nothing was good enough
for him. Nurse Etcetera, who little sus-
pected the truth, thought he was only in
one of his usual tantrums, and spoke
sharply to him.
I" Come, eat your pudding, your Royal
Highness y"
ct don't like it, said z, beginning to
whimper.
off you don't eat it at once, it will be
set aside, and given you for your tea"
z cried and sulked but that was no
good. The royal family had been brought
up to do as they were bid, and he knew
he.should have to eat his pudding sooner
or later. However, he thought it would
not matter, as, if any harm happened to
him as we'll as his brothers and sisters,
he could go to his friend the witch and
have it set right. So he finished his
plate of pudding, and they all went into
the garden to play.
snow what shall we play att" said X.
who was very stupid, and never could
begin anything.
"Let us play at Il spy" f was going
to say, but the words changed in her
mouth into 81 fly ;" and to the astonish.
ment of all the brothers and sisters ex-
cept u, they found that their clothes
had suddenly become feathers, their
arms wings, their mouths bills, and their
feet claws. In one minute more, where
a crowd of merry children had been run
ming about, you could see nothing but
a flock of four-and-twenty blackbirds,
twittering and futtering, and scraping
as if to ask one another what it all meant.
z was not among them. AS soon as he
felt himself changed into bird, he flew
off, awkwardly enough. but as fast as his
new wings could carry him, to the house
of the witch. But when he arrived
there he found nobody but great ugly
cockatoo, which flew at him with the
most horrible screams, and attacked him
with its claws. z defended himself as
well as he could, and when they had
pecked at each other till both of them
were tired, they flew away, and were
never heard of again.
Now this cockatoo was no other than
the old witch, whom Y had seen, and
plying her wretched appearance, had
offered her the pudding which she was
carrying. The old woman never refused
any thing, and never was grateful for
anything. Without word of thanks,
she seized the plate from Us hands and
began to gobble up its contents. But
before she had quite finished, what was
Y's horror and amazement to hear her
give dreadful screech, and then to see
her suddenly changed into great, ugly
bird, which it was enough to make any
child shudder even to look at.
The little princess did not wait anoth-
er moment, but ran home as fast as she
could to tell her brothers and sisters
what had happened. But when she got
to the palace, they were nowhere to be
seen. She searched out of doors,
indoors, up stairs, down stairs, in
the garden, in the shrubbery, in
the school-room, in the nursery, but
all in vain. The maid, who was in the
garden hanging up clothes, helped her
to look, and when they could see moth
ing of any of the children, they began
to feel frightened, and fetched the nurse,
but old Dame Etcetera was no more able
to find her young charges than they had
been. Then they went to tell the Queen.
She was in the parlor eating bread and
honey but when she heard what had
happened, she hastened to the King, who
was employed in his favorite occupation
of counting out his money. He, too,
was greatly alarmed, and at once count
ed out several bags of half crowns.
which he ordered to be offered by public
proclamation to any one who should
bring back his children safe and sound.
All the police of the kingdom were sent
for to aid in the search, and before the
evening everybody within ten miles of
the palace was talking of this dreadful
thing that had bappened and doing his