Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-06-25
A Prince Chastised.

Nearly twenty years ago, while Queen
Victoria was staying at her summer resi-
dence in Balmoral, Scotland, her son Alfred,
twelve years old, now Duke of Edinburgh,
strayed from the castle, and missed his way
home. Meeting a stout boy with basket
of cookies "a kind of small shellfsh) on his
head, he hailed him.
The lad paid no attention to him. The
young prince shouted again, but the sturdy
fish-boy merely looked and walked on. Pos
sibly he resented the rather peremptory tone
in which he was called.
The prince, for his part, was used to be-
ing obeyed by peasant boys, and the rude
ness or stupidity of this one made him an-
cry, and he repeated his command in a still
fiercer tone.
Here, you fellow, show me the way to
the castle, say I"
al dnna kent" said the boy, still walk
ing on.
"Tell me, or I'll knock your basket off
your head p screamed the prince.
Ma, ye winna," said the boy, cooly.
AT that, the young prince ran after him in
a rage, and with a spiteful blow sent the
basket tumbling to the ground, scattering
the cookies in the dirt.
Then there was scuffle, and the fsh-boy
soon punished the prince so smartly that he
was glad to break away and run.
IL happened that one of the royal attend
ants, who had been sent in search OF the
missing prince, caught glimpse of the
fight, and ran to the rescue.
OF course the young peasant had COM
mitted serious offence in daring to strike
a member of the royal family. He was col
Jared, aud led to the castle, sobbing with
frinbt hut utOutlv ,,iaaI;pf, hie l.
protested that he did not know "wha the
gentleman was" which was undoubtedly
true. He was simply resentng the loss Of
his fish.
Before they reached the castle Alfred ex-
hibited generosity worthy of his high birth.
A little reflection had showed him the right
of the matter.
al was the one to blame he said. "Iet
the boy 60"
The attendant, however, had no idea of
letting the boy go. lie should give account
TO the Queen, and she must say what was
to be done with the fellow who had assaulted
her son.
The little Scot fairly quaked with alarm
when he found himself shut up in an ante
room of the castle awaiting his sentence.
Alfred, however, had been the first TO see
the Queen, and he told her the whole truth
about the encounter, taking the fault en-
tirely to himself.
Soon one of the Queens chaplains quietly
entered the ante-room, and kindly asked
the fsh-boy his name, and residence, and oc-
cupation, and talked to him in such gen.
tie, assuring way that his fears were quite
soothed.
Then the chaplain made him tell the whole
story of his difficulty with the young prince,
and when this was done, he smiled and told
him that the Queen had said he was to be
taken into another room to eat a nice supper.
Half an hour afterwards the same clergy
man came again, and informed the now de-
lighted boy that Her Majesty regretted the
damage done him, and had sent him five
shillings to pay for his loss and delay.
The happy boy scampered home with his
ket OF cookies on the Way. IFS mother,
who was widow and poor, was as much
pleased as himself but the joy and pride of
both were vastly increased when next day a
messenger came from the kind-hearted Queen
to make further inquiries and offer friendly
aid. The result was fortune indeed to
poor young Donald, for the royal bounty
sent him to school, and finally apprenticed
him to profitable trade.--Y ouths' Com
| DdniOn.