Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-07-18
Our Young Folks.
THE MAGIC

JUL 1VUl1S
THE MAGIC SLIPPER.
There lived, once on q time, a long while
In the country of Somewhere or other,
A gay, little Prince, who was heir to the
throne,
And be had neither sister nor brother.
His hair and his eyes were . chestnut
And no matter what state was the weather,
He wore doubiet and hose, and that sort of
And a fine velvet cap with . feather.
He had only n fault, but that was
Twas his-study he was not inclined to;
And when asked the reason he never would
He would answer he "hadn't a mind toll"
He could scarce read a word, and he could
not write;
Aa Ai b beF e sRSa{|i nst tesl G noaas n from spe pro aaSlsss
nor yet.
Say his multiplication table.
As for learning 'amo, amas, amat," -"
He declared he never would do it: -
Though "onery. emery, ickery, an"
He could say from the start quite through
For you sec anything that was nice to play
He had q mind to learn in a minute,
But the thing that looked in the least like q
He had not q mind to begin it.
The King was much puzzled. the Queen
very sad;
Twas q sorrow they we're not resigned to
That the heir to the throne should decline
Because he had not a mind to.
Thi thing must be changed said the King,
with a trOwn.
" will send for the Court Physician;
There is something radically wrong, L fear,
In his Highness, our sons, conditionl"
So the Court Physician arrived at the Court,
And examined the Prince, as directed;
And he said, as he sOlemly strOked his
"Tm afraid that his brain is affected"
That his son is a Ounce? I will have your
Cried the King to the Court Physician.
Next the King called a council of learned
They we 70 sagest of all1n the Nation.
1 Blu they failed to suggest any remedy
After SIX months of deep meditation.
They we're all in despair. when in through
the gate,
Came a little old woman, as wrinkled
And as withered and brown as an autumn
Though her eyes like diamonds twinkled.
"Tm wishing to speak with the King" said
She was not at all troubled with shyness:
She struck her oak staff on the stones, and
explained:
1--WE cure for his Royal Highness."
She curtesied low when she saw the King,
And said, gravely; 81 have here a treas
ure.
Which win cure the Prince of his playing
fits,
If such is your royal pleasure.
Til . wondrous slipper; I've owned it
It is made Of magical leather.
And by faithful use of it 1 have brought up
Into men seven sons altogether"
Here she took the slipper from Off her foot;
Said she: ''This IS the way to apply it;
You must use it with sharp, quick blows on
If your Majesty cares to try it"
She spoke. n then vanished. "Ah, well,' -
"They say there's no time like the pres.
Twill call in the Prince and give him a dose,
Though l fear he will not find it pleasant
60 he tucked up his gown, M took of hi:
crown,
Leaned his scepter away in the corner,
And then. lest the Queen: should be scarce
at the noise,
sent fair maid-of-honor to warn her.
"Alas!" cried the Queen, as she burst into
tears,
And sank into a chair made of willow;
While a maid-of-honOr at each of her ears,
To exclude any sound, pressed q pillow.
In a minute the slaps sounded quick and
sharp;
Twas apparent his Highness::was getting
Apretty good dose for q boy who, till then,
Had had nothing at all put pettfng.
They set him a lesson to learn on the spot,
Though his face looked exceedingly
tragic;
But he learned it by heart inside of an hour,
By the aid of the slippers magic.
And he studied quite nicely from that time
on.
Twas a cure, though they found it pru-
dent.
For fear Of relapse, that slipper should hang
Evermore in plain sight Of the student.
Eleanor A. Hunter, In Golden Days.