The Republican journal., 1883-03-08
The Queen who Couldn't Bake Ginger
bread

|
as long as be had pretty boots, this time.
however, the hole attracted bis attention
Mortified, he tore the stocking out of the
Lord Chamberlain's grasp, and poking
his torcfnger 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 majestv,n
the Lord Chamberlain said, humbly.
but do YOU think | shall easily find a
suitable wife - asked the King.
Good gracious, yes, ten to one" was
the reply.
Don't forget that | am not easily
satisfied If am to like the Princess.
she must be very wise and beautiful.
Then there is another and very important
| condition. You know how fond | am of
gingerbread There isn't person in my
kingdom who understands how to bake
lt-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 bake ginger
bread"
The Lord Chamberlain was terribly
frightened Oh hearing this, but he man
aged to say that, without doubt, such a
princess could be found.
Very WELL" said the King: suppose
we begin the search together" And that
afternoon, in company with the Lord
Chamberlain, he visited all the neighbor-
ing sOyereigns who were known to have
spare prncesses to give away. Among
them all were but three who were both
wise and beautiful enough to please the
King. And, unhappiy, none of them
could lake gingerbread
Il can not bake gingerbread. but can
make the incest little almond cakes YOU
ever saw, said the first Princess. "Won't
that do ?"
NO, 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 a princess in
the world who can bake gingerbread-
gingerbread, indeed -
The King Jared worst when he asked
the third Princess, though she was the
wisest and tairest of all, She gave him
no chance to ask his question; even
before be had opened his mouth, She de
handed if he could play on the trombone
When be acknowledged that be could
not, she sad that she was really sorry,
but that she could not marry him, as be
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 far in our plans as
we were before"
However, as a king must have queen
after time he sent for the Lord Cham
berlain again, and acknowledged that be
had resigned the hope of marrying
princess who could bake gingerbread. Il
will marry the Princess who can bake
nice little almond cakes, he added $50,
and ask her if She will be my wife"
When the Lord Chamberlain returned,
the next day, he told his majesty that
the Princess Was no more to be had, as
she had already married.
So the Chamberlain was sent to the
second Princess, but he came back equally
unsuccessful, for the King, her father,
regretted to say that his daughter was
dead.
After this the King pondered good
deal, but as he really wished to have a
queen, he commanded the Lord Cham
berlain to 90 to the third Princess.
"Perhaps She has changed her mind, " he
thought.
The third Princess received the Lord
Chamberlain very gracioasly, and re-
| marked that she had once decided never
to marry a man who could not play on
the trombone. But that was dream,-
a youthful, idle dream, She sighed, ii hope
never TO he realized. and as She liked
the King in spite Of this drawback, why
she would marry him.
The Lord Chamberlain whipped up
his horses and tore down the road to the
palace, where the King. overi0yed at the
good tidings, embraced his faithful ser
want, and gave him as reward all sorts Of
toy crosses and stars to wear at his breast,
and about fifteen yards of ribbon to wind
about his neck and shoulders.
The wedding was splendid. The whole
city was gay with flags and banners, and
garands hung in huge festoons from
house to house and for TWO whole weeks
nothing else was thought of and talked
about.
The King and Queen lived 50 happily
together tsr year that the King had
quite forgotten about the gingerbread
and the Queen about the trombone.
Cnhappily, one morning, the King got
out of bed with his left foot foremost,
and that day all things went wrong SO
it happened that the royal pair Quarreled
for the first time, though they could not
have told the reason why In short, the
King was cross, and the Queen was
| snappish and insisted on having the last
word.
sit is about time that You ceased find
ing fault with everything" the Queen
said at last, with great ScOrn, Struggling
her shoulders. "Why, you can't even
play on the trombone"
and you can't bake gingerbread" the
King retorted, quick as flash
For the first time the Queen did not
know what to say, and so, without
another word, they went to their separate
| rooms. The Queen threw herself on the
sofa and wept bitterly. ''What a little
fool you are " she sobbed. "Where was
| your common sense You couldn't have
| been more stupid if YOU had tried"
- - NHN ihiAlSo' nv SllpuI uf anu
down the room rubbing his hands. at
is fortunate that my wife can't bake
gingerbread" he thought, gleetully, .'tor
| If she could, what should | have answer
ed when she said that ! couldn't play on
the trombone ?"
The more he thought, the more cheer
full he became. He Whistled favorite
tune, looked at the great picture Of his
wife over the mantel, and then, climbing
upon chair, he brushed away a cob
web that was dangling over the nose of
the Queen.
''How angry she must have been, poor
little woman :" he said at last "Suppose
! see what she is doing"
He stepped into the long corridor into
which all the rooms opened, and it being
the day when all things went wrong, the
groom of the chambers had forgotten to
hight the entry lamp, though it was
eight o'clock at night and pitch dark
The King went prODinU forward with his