The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-12-23

OTHo-HOW KRIS KRINGLE GOT HIS NAME.
Once upon a time-a time so very
long ago that the oldest person in the
world doesn't remember it and never
knew anybody who did, there lived and
reigned a King and Queen. Their king
dom was in the far North, away up
among the icebergs, near the north pole.
A great many people have travelled to
that kingdom in the polar regions, and
many brave and good men have lost
their lives for it, but, though some have
come near it, the mighty pillars of ice
have always driven them back at last.
This King and Queen, however, having
always lived there, found the climate
no disadvantage, and but for one thing
would have been perfectly happy. |
don't believe any of you can guess what
that thing was, so | will tell you. Can
you believe it, it was because in all
their beautiful palace there was no sound
of noisy little feet, no boys or girls to
pull all the pretty things to pieces.
For many years King Ohio and Queen
Otelia were very sorrowful, and the
Queen used to pray every day that she
might find little boy of her own. AT
last, one day, as she was praying, hap
ply thought struck her Away up on
top of one of the icebergs, that glittered
like a great diamond in the sunlight,
there lived a whole family of fairies.
You never saw a fairy in all your life,
did you? What a pity! They are the
dearest little people in the world, only
about as long as your finger, and they
get into all sorts of odd, out-of-the-way
places. Sometimes they curl themselves
up in the heart of rosebud, or fall
asleep in lily cup.
These fairies lived in such cold coun-
try that there were no flowers for them
to hide in, so they shut themselves up
in tiny blocks of ice and helped to make
them beautiful with the light of their
bright eyes. Did you ever see a block
of ice lying in the sun with beautiful
colors-red and green and blue and yell
low? Those were fairies eyes peeping
out at you, and that was just the way
the iceberg where they lived looked the
day Queen Otalia went to call on the
head of the family. She had long
confab with this fair lady, who told her
to be of good cheer, that she would
send her little boy, and she and all
the fairies would come Ito his christen-
ing and bring him some presents.
So Queen Otelia went home with q
light heart, and before very long the
fairy proved as good as her word, and
sent the Queen little baby boy and
a funny-looking, wee bit of baby it
was, with its bald head, and winking,
twinkling blue eyes, that seem to be
laughing at somebody all the time.
When he was month old, Queen Otelia
said it was high time the baby had a
name, so she told the cook to make a
big cake, and all sorts of sweet things,
and sent King Ohio to invite the fairies
to the christening. As the baby's
mother and father were such very grand
people, the fairies made great prepare
lions in honor of the occasion.
In a chariot made of single drop of
frozen water, and drawn by six winged
mice, white as milk, rode the fairy
Queen, the loveliest and the smallest
| lady in Elfand. In front of her noun
ted on tiny black and gold butterfly,
rode her herald, the tiniest, merriest
sprite imaginable, singing, as he foated
through the air:
| Over hill, over dale.
Through bush, through brier;
Over park, over pole,
/ Through food, through fire;
do wander everywhere,
| SYifter than the moons sphere,
And [ serve the Fairy Queen.
Circling in the blue, crisp air around
the queens chariot were myriads of tiny
elves, clothed in all kinds of bright col
ors, and bestriding butterflies of every
imaginable hue, all sparkling and gilt
tering in the sunlight. Behind these in
regular procession, lying back in their
living chariots drawn by butterflies or
winged mice, rode the rest of the fairy
family. There were Fairy GoodheaFt,
Fairy Amiable, Fairy Generous, and
behind them all in chariot made of
snaiPs shell and drawn by two rearing,
twisting, many-colored snails came Fairy
Hateful. The cavalcade drew up in
grand style in front of the palace, where
the king and queen stood waiting to re-
lceive the Queen. of Elhand and her
train. Here there was some small dis
turbance as to who should alight first,
and who should walk next to the queen,
and as this was considered great hon
or, Fairy Hateful was very angry when
/ she found herself placed first in the pro
cession. The fairies are great sticklers
for ceremony, and like to be treated with
great respect.
Queen Otelia, knowing this, had pre-
pared a grand entertainment for them,
and dressed the baby in his best bib and
tucker to receive them; There he was,
/ the Queens little baby, with his funny
bright eyes twinkling and his little wei
mouth puckered up ii knot The fai,
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