Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-08-23
The True Cinderella.

From the Wide Awake.
Many of the best stories in our story
books are the reproduction of some
very ancient bit of history or myth;
and the finest of all English nursery
tales, Cinderella" was once the de-
light Of the children of Egypt in the
palmy days of the Pharoahs.
We will tell you how it happened;
and we think that you will say that the
old story is quite as clever as the new,
and much more probable; for in the
true Cinderella history there are no
fairy gOd-mOthers, no mice and no
pumpkins. A wise old eagle takes all
the management of the slipper, and we
can in fancy see him carrying it over
the silver sands and dark pyramids of
Egypt, without greatly taxing our be-
lief.
Rodolphe-a pretty name, to begin
with-was the fairest lady in all Egypt.
She had dainty foot and wore jeweled
slippers, and all the people gazed upon
her with delight when she walked, as
though she were goddess or fairy.
She went out to battle one day
among the white lilies of the Nile.
While she and her maids were sporting
IN the water, a great shadow passed
over them, and they saw an eagle
alight on the bank where their clothes
had been left. Presently it arose with
SOM thing in its talons, and wheeling
through the golden hazes, became q
speck in the clear sky.
When Rodolphe came up the bank,
she found that one Of her jeweled slip
pers had been carried away, an she
said to her maids, ''The eagle has taken
it,"
And the maids said, "Then it will
bring you good luck. The eagle is q
bird of good omen"
So Rodolphe hobbled home with q
light heart, one of her slipperless feet
crushing the lotus blossoms. Her maids
laughed at her, but she said:
at is good luck, for an eagle has
taken it."
Far away up the Nile lay Memphis,
with her bright winged temples and
palaces; a city seventeen miles in cir
cult, the seat of the Pharoahs for near
ly a thousand years, at this time the
capital Of Egypt. Here were the
splendid temples of Isis, Scraps, and of
the sun, and the throne was now filled
with Pharoah who had overthrow
eleven other Egyptian kings.
His name was Psamm eticus. His
son, the Pharoah Necho, slew Josiah,
king of Judah, B. c. CLIO. (See 2
Kings 23.)
He was sitting in cool portico of
his palace toward evening. The Grim
son sun was blazing low on the hot
sands Of the desert, but cool winds
tripped with light feet along the dim
ping waves of the Nile, and famed
the king as they passed. He arose,
walked into an open court, when q
great shadow passed over him.
He looked up, and beheld with de-
light and awe an eagle descending,
and wheeling above his head, with
something sparkling in his talons. He
looked upon the bird as messenger
from the sun.
He lifted his arms for JOY. Just then
the eagle began to ascend, dropping the
glittering treasure from his talons into
is bosom. aoFf afs Il
It was Rodolphe's jeweled slipper. 8.
The next day Psammeticus issued q
proclamation which caused all Mem
phis to wonder. Whoever would find
the mate to the jewe]ed slipper, which
the eagle had brought to the palace,
should be loaded with riches, and taken
into the service of the king.
Rodolphe heard the great news. She
believed that the eagle was indeed a
messenger of the gods to point out to
her her destiny. So she came to mag
nifcent Memphis, to answer the procla-
nation of the king.
With one slipperless foot she ascend
ed the grand portocoes Of the Pharaohs,
and stood before the king with down.
cast eyes, lifting her dress just above
her dainty feet-a perfect vision of
beauty. Of course Psammeticus imme-
dietely fell in love with her, and mar
ried her, and made her queen of all
Egypt.
There was great JOY in all the daz-
cling temples of Memphis when the
marriage was consummated- there was
dancing and music, and strewing of
flowers. All Egypt was happy.
a Snow-Slide in the Sierras.
The following piece of vivid descrip-
ILL IL.