The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-04-07

Winning = Princes.
There was little Princess who was pretty - .
And in her day Princess must needs i've In
A tower has look, Jon know, Of majesty and
She had msny royal suisorA but to all who sought
al will wed" she said. +" who brings mol care not
pocketfui of water and . basketfui Of sand"
Men in those days wers stupid; 1t was different
And when she made this strange demand they knew
not what to say,
So most Of them said nothing, which, at that time,
Some argued thus: f" A Princess who would set this
Might ask u.s. next, TO bring her some FIRE within
flask,
Or some thunder in . tsa-pot-there's no telling
what she'd askl"
few, daring, tried it, but of course twas but
For it was tropio country, and their pockets
But number Of them offered to bring water In
pail,
And II she wished for sand, they said they'd bring
Il in q casket-
A casket set with precious stones-'twAs foolshness
That any one should even try to bring IL in basket
These Princes, to my thinking. had great deal of
For they but fragile things Of reed the baskets
And there rose dreadful whisper, that the Princess
was agooseI
And that in spite Of beauty, in spite Of rank and
pef,
1t seemed probable this Princess would DO laid upon
the shelf,
And she began, poor daring to think so Of herself
At this crisis came Prince, from far and
He had come, he said, on purpose to request the
And then they found he'd never heard of the water
and the sand
Among all those who offered advice, that suDamsr
Not single advised the Prince in the capital to
stay,
No they every one said earnestly: YOU'D better
go away"
But the Prince very different from these people.
Did he sleep that night for thinking. "she's as
Ran his thoughts and "Having offered, is IL
princey thus to shrink?
cit is not caprice, know it whatever they may
say
No, she wishes for wooer whose love can find
way
TO the meaning of her problem, and her heart-and
shall stayw
So he thought and thought till morning; then, with
heart as light az feather,
He hied him to a cotoler, and bought piece OF
leather.
The cobbler asked him what twas for he said It's
pleasant weather."
Then he bought an osier basket-oh, these Princes
And little ball of cobber's wax, and great big
ball of pitch
He took them home, and locked his door, and
straight began to stitch.
lie had never learned to sew, of course, and did IL
cmmsily;
He wore his thimble on his thumb and missed ono
stitch in three,
And he stuck his royal fingers, too-yes, stuck them
terribly
But you see he'd made his mind up, at last the
pouch was done;
He took the pitch, which, meanwhile, had been
melting in the sun,
And smeared his osier basket, and this work was
mere fun.
1t is always good plan, you know, beginning with
OF all ones tasks, the others win seem nothing to
He chuckled, With this pocket, ono need never
die of thirst 4"
His second task was finished, and with eager, trem-
The SAND, which he had ready, he is In the Basket
placed,
And he fills his pouch with water and strapped it to
his waist
Then he fastened to the palace, and he the
Princess fair,
As she stood beneath linden, with white rose-buds
in her hair,
And he whispered, "Ah, I'll guard her. She shall
never know care"
herald led him forward, and no knelt and kissed
her hand,
Saying Fairest, sweetest lady, have brought, at
your command
A pocket full of water and basketful of sand ~
OF course the little Princess was married to the
Prisce
And they happy? Bless you, they we been
happy ever since
And they live? Upon some hangngs made Of very
ancient chintz.
But am not sure-I fancy that once in long
while
1 meet them, for recognize the Princess by her
smile,
And the Prince by deeds Of valor, and certain
prncey style.
--Margaret Vandergrift, in 81. Nicholas.