Sharp County record., 1885-04-30


away.
The paper contained these words:
"Your HighnesS-The exponent is a
faithful subject to your Majesty, and as
a proof of it, now out of office, for your
Majesty's perfdious advisers have
cleared him out to put in donkey out
of one of their own families. So after
that he thinks it his duty to let your
Majesty know that your Maiesty's
treacherous Ministers are preparing a
great pie as a present; and he says no
more, for he who has a good under
stand ing, ETC."
"What impudence! what audacity!
what iniquityn' exclaimed Queen Mari
Castana, angrily, on reading it. ITO
think there should be any one in the
palace who should attempt to make a
pie, when that is my speciality; that any
one should attempt to make pastry al
ter the receipt of my most noble glory.
The King shall know of it directly, and
if his Majesty does not hang these trait
ors the instant he has read it, we shall
| know the reason why"
And the Queen began to run toward
the palace, more angry at every step.
''Perico." she called out to her hus-
band, "read, read this paper and see
what your perfdious advisers are plan
ming Hang them instantly; have no
mercy, or else will put corrosive sub
Innate in your soup instead of salt"
King Perico had his suspicious that
the pie mentioned in the paper would
be less easy of digestion than the
Queens, and began Investigations with
that prudence and Sagacity which af-
fairs of state require. The result proved
that the object of his Ministers was
nothing less than his destruction.
The traitors were arrested and SEN
fenced to death.
Finding no mercy in the King, whose
nose was for the first time in his life
really swollen, the conspirators sought
the Queen. On learning that they were
guiltless of trying to rival her in what
she did with such perfection, she inter-
ceded for them so etficacously with
her august spouse that his anger was
appeased.
"Well," said the King to his wife,
"since you have given them your word,
l grant them their lives and am content
with banishing them. l must confess
that to you aloee belongs the art of
making pastry
! The Queen was so inspired upon
hearing this eulogy that from that day
may be dated the delicious of the vol
au-vent.
Just think" said King Perico to
himself, from what a deuce of ca
tastrophe my wfe's taste for cooking
has saved me. But for that she would
have wrapped the Goldfish up in the pc
tition, and | should never have known
what these sharpers were about. 1t
must be granted that Providence does
not act blindly. Our august spouse
must be permitted to exercise the talent
God has given her. But how, by the
mass, am l to free myself from the
crowd of rogues around me. The bad
corrupt the good, and the corruption
seems to be spreading at such rate
that in few years | do not see how
there can be an honest public servant
] am to blame for being such coward
But mercy! my nose is swollen to-day
in good earnest"'
The Kings disgust at the corruption
of his officers went on increasing, aud
in the same ratio increased the Queens
affection for the culinary art.
Now and then the King wished this
love of cooking at the deuce, but as a
rule he did not object, and sometimes
even praised it, remembering the pie
and thinking that Heaven probably
knew what it was about in giving such a
talent to the Queen,
News reached the court one day that
the King of Jauia, an ally and relative
of Perico, was about to pay him visit.
The joy of Queen Mari -Castana was
unbounded at the opportunity to dis
play her culinary talents to advantage.
"Whatever they may say, it is we
who are to entertain the King of Jauia,
where they eat and drink and never
work." exclaimed the Queen, jumping
for Joy, like child Such a Judge
as he must be is just what 1 need, to be
appreciated, for my merit is not under
stood by common palates like my au-
gust spouse's. l must find out what
are his Majesty's favorite dishes, even
if it costs me time and money"
And the Queen, in fact, sent her own
confidential attendant, Gachano, to
Jauja on this important mission; but
day after day went by, no Gachano re-
turned although summoned Another
attendant was sent, and, at last, third,
but all remained in the same extraor-
dinary manner
Then there was nothing for it but to
tell the King and see if he could explain
the affair.
"What does it mean?n said the King.
1t means that in Jauja they eat and
drink and never work.