The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-25

presence or MIND, covered the great cooklng-p pot,
that soup would have been entirely too thin.
st would be impossible to send to the islands
of Java or Sumatra and get the birds back under
a year, and then there would be the chances of
their coming here dead. and you could not ice
them. and his Majesty would not eat a bird of
paradise sailed, smoked, picked or made into
sausages. What shall we dol said the caterer.
In the royal kitchen, for a sculllon to talk to
the cook was considered to be q great liberty,
but Tartmore. who was stirring up a sauce with
a wooden spoon, made bold to speak, and he
said:
Good gentlemen, all depends on a sauce. If
L put a little mustard in it, or a slice Of onion, or
a drop of vinegar or wine, l change entirely the
character of the dish my sauce is served up with.
The sauce is the thing"
Both the caterer and the cook said: THAT
was true; but how will your sauce help usF
This way" said Tartmore. 1.-THE King never
tasted a bird OF paradise. Get me the finest
capon you can find, and 1 will cut it up and put
some Of the bones from a small bird in it-a
pigeons bones, or anything handy-and then
the sauce, you know, will quite disguise the
real taste of the capon."
That's all very we'll in its way" said the head
cook, ~gloomily. But suppose the King were to
ask for the feathers. What then!'
The scullion said: I'VE must borrow the
Queens bird Of paradise-if we have to steal
her hat
The head caterer and the chief cook thought
over 1t for a while, and seeing no better plan,
agreed to follow Tartmore's suggestion. 1t was
no easy thing for the scullion to steal the Queens
hat, because she kept it locked up il the royal
closet, but the Princess was in love with the
scuIli0n. Tartmore at once went to her, threw
himself at her feet, and explained to her how
the precious lives of the cleverest men in the
Kingdom We're about to be sacriticed-and that
even his own head might be in danger.
oh! its a dreadful risk, said the Princess,
for mama just dotes Oh that hat and sports it
on ali occasions, and | am quite certain it is not
her sttyle-entirely too youthful-and a bird Of
paradlse would become me much better. You
love me though, Tartmore, and here is the royal
bandboX. and here is the bird of paradise, but be
quite sure that you spill no drop of gravy on it,
Tor then my mama will get awful cross and send
me out OF the kingdom. or make me marry some
body other than you, and | love you so much,
dear Tartmsre.n
Then Tartmore kissed the Princess, took the
bird Of paradise, which was a stuffed one, and
hurried to the kitchen with it.
Next morning he cut and carved into the
capon, pushed into it pigeons bones, then he
split the sham bird of paradise, wrapped up the
bit Of capon in the skin of the bird of paradise,
put it in a silver dish and spread out the tail Of
the bird Of paradise carefully in a piece of toast,
and so 1t was served up to King Gorbustes.
"Ah," said the King, 'at last I thought we
could fetch EN-. It's a mighty handsome dish
anyways" And he tucked his napkin under
his chin and cut into the bird. Oh how the
caterer-ln chief and the head cook trembled
what are you giving us!" said the King, as
he turned the morsel over in his mouth. ut
tastes very much like chicken-and really it's
not so bad, and the sauce is bully. But one bird
is only a taste. Let me have a half dozen to-
morrow morning for breakfast. Dy hearW
But please your Majesty" said the head
caterer we have quite exhausted the kingdom,
and L am quite positive that half a dozen birds
of paradise could not be procured
There amt no trouble about the toast, is
there" inquired King Gorbustes.
No, sire, said the cook.
"Well, then, that's half the dish. I suppose
you know what's what? So look lively and don't
let US have no nonsense And the King sopped
up with a piece of bread the rest of the sauce
which had been served up with the bird.
wouldn't parrots or cockatoos do as we'll. A
parrot is a delicious bird, = said the head caterer.
"A nice young. tender, green parrot with a
cream sauce The caterer would have seized
every parrot in the kingdom if the king had only
said yes"
You can't talk your parrots into me-" cried
the king. You have my order for six birds of
paradise, and not a bird less"
Now indeed did the caterer and the cook 60
wild. They sent to every bird store in the
land. and no birds of paradise were to be found.
The two hurried to Tartmore the scullion,
and went down on their knees before him, and
implored him to help them. He thought over it
q long time, at last a happy thought struck him.
Our supreme, illustrious and much beloved
king wants six birds. There is no reason why
his Majesty should be served with all the six
birds at the same time. AS fast as the king
SSeS jan bALNf y "a LlO dCpoS loS DlSh
off the dish. feathers and all, and bring it to me.
Then | will serve another sham bird of paradise,
and so on. 1t is our only chance. Have me a
lot of capons all ready"
Next morning, when King Gorbustes's break
fast was announced, with a grand flourish of
trumpets, the dish cover was removed, and
there was one bird. His Majesty began to scowl
forthwith.
Did not say six Of these here birds!' said
the King, with a furious voice.
ooh! certainly, your Majesty, but you can
understand what an indignity itwould have been
to your Maiesty's imperial stomach, if you were
to eat a cold bird. We meyer, never could think
of doing that. Just as soon as your Magnif-
cence condescends to MUNICH one bird we will
bring another, red hot. Can't your Majesty
appreciate how s%o'icitous we are to add to your
comfort!' said the head caterer.
"Oh-oh-well that's not a bad idea; only
don't keep me waiting" said the King.
Then Gorbustes began. Its awful like chick
en-" he said, but the sauce is splendid"
1t was mighty hard work to keep the birds
getting in on time. Sometimes the King would
want to keep q feather on his plate, but some
how the head caterer managed to prevent a
feather staying on the plate.
The scullion Tartmore, you may be bound,
had a hard time of it. It all went along we'll
enough until it came to the last bird, and then,
just as Tartmore was preparing the pieces Of
capon, the kitchen cat came in and ate it up.
What was to be done! There was a tame
crow hopping about the kitchen. Tartmore
seized it, cut its head off, plucked and trussed it
up in q trice. 1t was about the size Of q real
bird of paradise.
The sauce was ready, and Tartlnore put into
it the whole spice box. He stuck the beau
full feathers of the bird of paradise into the crow,
and, being very nervous about it, got some Of
the feathers of the crow mixed with them.
The minute the head caterer uncOved the dish
and saw the crow feathers he was frightened to
death.
I'VE have kept the finest, the plumpest bird
for the last, may it please you, SIRE said the
head caterer, shaking in his boots.
"Ah! hal" said the King, his eyes twinkling,
'It seems rather tough-but' (his mouth was
quite full but it's flavor is excellent; but amt
its feathers rather black?'
They We're just a trife -scorched, may it
please your Majesty, said the head cook.
Now the fact was that the crow was shocking
bad eating, but the sauce was so entirely fiery
that the frua taste of il was nraftv mnch con