The Portland daily press., 1883-03-08

| The QUEEN WHO COULDN'T BAKE GINGER
/ BREAD.
The King of Macaroni got up one morning
and sat on the edge of his bed.
The Lord Chamberlain stood before him
and handed him his stockings, one of which
had a great hole in the heel.
The stocking was artfully turned so that
the hole should not be visible to his males
ty's eyes, and though the King generally
didn't mind ragged stocking as long as he
had pretty boots, this time, however, tie
hole attracted bis attention. Horriied, be
tore the stocking out of the Lord Chamber.
lain's grasp, and poking his forefngel
through the hole as far down as the knuckle
he remarked, with a sigh, 'What is the use
of being king, if have no queen? What
would you say if should marry?"
''The idea is sublime, your majesty" said
| the Lofd Chamberlain, humbly
But do you think could easily fnd a
suitable wife?" asked the King.
"Good gracious, yes! ten to one,' was the
reply.
Don't forget that am not easily satisfied
Ii am to like the Princess, she must be
very wise and beautiful Then there is an
other and very important condition. You
know how fond l am of gingerbread There
isn't a person in MY kingdom who under
stands how to bake it-at least, to bake it to
a turn, so that it is neither too hard nor too
soft, but just crisp enough. The condition
is the Princess must know how to make gin
gerbread.''
The Lord Chamberlain was terribly fright
ened O hearing this, but he managed to say
that, without doub, such princess could
be found.
Very well" said the King; s'suppose we
begin the search together" And that after
noon. in company with the Lord Chamber
lain, he visited all the neighboring sover-
eigns who were known to have spare prin-
cesses to give away. Among them all were
but three who were both wise and beautiful
enough to please the King. And, unhappi-
ly, none of them could bake gingerbres d
Il cannot bake gingerbread, but | can
make the incest little almond cakes you ever
saw" said the first Princess. won't that
do?''
mo, it must be gingerbread said the
King
The second Princess, when the King
asked her, made up dreadful face, and
said, angrily, "There is not princess in the
world who can bake gingerbread-ginger
bread, indeede'
The King Jared worst when he asked the
third Princess, though she was the W sest
and fairest of ALL She gave him no chance
to ask his question; even before he had
opened his mouth, she demanded if he could
play on the trombone. When he ackuowl-
edged that he could not, she said that she
was really sorry, but that she could not mar
ry him, as he wouldn't suit. she liked him
well enough, but she dearly loved to hear
the trombone played, and she had decided
never TO marry any man who couldn't play
it.
The King drove home with the Lord
Chamberlain, and as he stepped out of the
carriage he said, quite discouraged, $50 we
are about as tar in our plane as we were be-
FORE"
However, as king must have a queen,
after time he sent for the Lord Chamber
lain again, and acknowledged that he had
resigned the hope of marrying princess
who could bake gingerbread. II will marry
the Princess who can bake nice little almond
cakes,' he added. "Go, and ask her if she
will be my wife,"
When the lord Chamberlain returned, the
next day, he told his majesty that the Prin-
cess was no more to be had, as she had al
ready married.
So the Chamberlain was sent TO the sec
ond Princess, but he came back equally un-
successful, forthe King, her father, regret
ted to say that his daughter was dead.
After this the King pondered a good deal,
but as he really wished to have queen, he
commanded the Lord Chamberlain TO go to
the third Princess. "Perhaps she has
changed her mind" he thought
The third Princess received the Lord
Chamberlain very graciously, aud remarked
that she had once decided never to marry
man who could not play on the trombone
But that was dream,--a youthful, idle
dream, she sighed, never to be reallzed,--
and as she liked the king in spite of this
drawback, why--ahs would marry him.