Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-02-28
The Queen Who Couldn't Bake
Gingerbread.

the hole should not be visible to his maj |
esty's eyes, and though the king generally |
didn't mind ragged stocking as long as he
had pretty boots, this time, however, the |
hole attracted his attention. Mortified, he |
tore the stocking out of the lord chamber
lain's grasp, and poking his forefnger
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 2"
1.-THE idea is sublime, your majesty" the
lord chamberlain said humbly.
But do you think l 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 salts.
fed. II ] 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
is not person in my kingdom who under.
stands how to bake tat least, to bake it
TO turn, so that it is neither too hard nor
too soft, but Just crisp enough. The con-
dition is, the princess must know how to
bake gingerbread"
The lord chamberlain was terribly fright
eued on hearing this, but he managed to
say that, without doubt such princess
could be found.
"Very WELL" said the king "suppose we
begin the search together" Aud that after
noon, in company with the lord chamber
lain, he visited all the neighboring soyer-
eigns who were known to have spare prin-
cesses 10 give away. Among them all were
but three who were both wise and beautiful
enough to please the king. And, unhappily,
none Of them could bake gingerbread
al 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. an.
grily, There is not 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 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 acknowl-
edged that he could not, she said that she
was really sorry, but that she could not
marry him, as he wouldn't suit. She liked
him we'll enough, but she dearly loved to
hear the trombone played, and she had de-
cided never to marry any man who couldn't
play it.
The king drove home with the lord cham
berlain, and as he stepped out of the car
risge he said, quite discouraged, I" So we
are about as far in our plans as we were
before"
However, as king must have a queen,
after time he sent for the lord chamberlain
again, and acknowledged that he had resign
ed the hope of marrying a princess who
could bake gingerbread 81 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
princess was no more to be had, as she had
already married.
So the chamberlain was sent to the sec
ond princess, but he came back equally I'M
successful, for the king, her father, regretted
to say that she was dead.
After this the king pondered 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, and 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, hops never to be real
ized, 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, overjoyed at the good It'd
ings, embraced his faithful servant, 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
garlands hung in huge festoons from house
to house; and for two whole weeks nothing
elsa was thought of aud talked about.
The king and queen lived so happily to-
gether for year that the king had quite
forgotten about the gingerbread and the
queen about the trombone. Unhappily, 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 fist time, though
they could not have told the reason why.
In short, the king was cross, aud the queen
was snsppish and insisted on having the
last word.
alt is about time that you ceased finding
fault with everything" the queen said at
last, with great scorn, Struggling her shout
| ders. "Why, you can't even play on the
| trombone"
"And you can't bake gingerbread" the
king replied, quick as flash
| For the first time the queen did not know
what TO say, and so, without another word,
| . h.. IN thatr The
queen threw herself on the sofa aud wept
| bitterly. "Whst little fool you are !" she
sobbed. "Where was your common sense
You couldn't have been more stupid if you
had tried"
As for the king, he strobe up and down
the room rubbing his hands. alt is fortu-
nate that my wife can't bake gingerbread"
he thought, gleefully, ." for If she could,
what should have answered when she said
that couldn't play on the trombone 2"
| The more he thought, the more cheerful
he became. He whistled favorite tune,
looked at the great picture Of his wife over
the mantel, aud then, climbing upon chair,
| he brushed away a cobweb that was dan
Cling 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 1t being
the day when all things went wrong, the
groom Of the chambers had forgotten to light
the entry lamp, though it was eight o'clock at
night and pitch dark. The king went crop
ing forward with his hands stretched out
for fear of falling, when suddenly he touched
something very soft.
"Who is there 2" he demanded.
at is l." said the queen.
"What are you in search OF, my dear ?"
al wanted to beg your pardon-I was
very unkind," she sobbed.
"Pray don't, my love-" the king said, in
his very gentlest toue of voice. :" 1t was
my fault, but all is forgotten. One thing, let
me- " however, my dear There are two
words which must never be uttered in our
kingdom on pain OF death - trombone
and"
| 0Ginperhread the oueen added laugh