The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1886-10-21
The Tale of a China Plate.

IS a group OF blue islands, with trees
and pagodas, all of the same azure
color, dotted over them, while tall
blue trees bend over the pagodas and
the islands areseparated one from the
other by small blue straits. Over
this island empire the great Emperor
Pelikan reigned."
"Pelican-" interrupted Assunta;
'why. that is the name of an ugly,
clumsy bird"
"Pelikan was, assure you, returned
the painter firmly, 1.-The name of that
emperor. This palace, built in the
style OF the early Chinese renaissance,
was, owing to the stormy reigns of the
emperor's predecessors, decidedly in
need OF repairs. Why, the china bells
OF the taIlest pagoda had all iallen of
into the water. The dilapidated state
of his palace occupied the emperor's
thoughts more than the beauty of his
daughter, the young and lovely Prin-
cess Sven. Kiane."
ooh, what q funny name for a prin-
cess" exclaimed Assunta.
"Swen- kiang, a genuine Chinese
name, signorina, just rs genuine as
her lovely. long pig-tail, which hung
down to the very hem OF her yellow
silk gown"
"Oh, that is not very long," objected
Lucia, "for the gowns OF the Chinese
ladies' are very short"
Excuse me, but the gown of the
princess was quite as long as Lucia 3
walking dress. The length and CLOS
siness ofthis Incompatible pigtail had
caused a mighty King, Yoo-Foo, to
fall in love with and offer to marry
her. 1t was q very g'and match for
Sven kiang, for her father was only
an emperor over a few poor little is
lands. But the king Yoo-Foo had two
very serious faults in Sven Kiangs
eyes; he was old enough to be her
great-grandfather, and besides that
he was a hunchback."
'Oh," returned Lucia, teasingly,
"those are not such very serious faults
in king"
"Alas!" returned the painter, *'the
princess was so ignorant, so childish
she lived, you know, more than a
thousand years ago-she thought
them so. She was very unhappy ut
the idea of marryiny the ugly old king.
And in her despair she shook off all the
blue-bells from her tower, and tram
pied upon and crushed to pieces the
delicate snail shells that formed the
ornamental borders of her flower beds
would even in her despair have laid
violent hands on her precious pig-tail
If her maids of honor had not rushed
to the rescue. After shedding torrents
OF tears, and stamping her pudgy lit
tie feet till they ached, she lett her
porcelain tower and taking her fish
ing-rod went off to the shore to divert
her mini by fishing. As she fished she
sang: The song the princess sang was
OF her own improvisation. Here it is:
Fishing went by the silver sea,
But caught-alas and woe is me-
Never n fish with scales of gold;
Only gander gray and old
Who went swimming past.
A ean'ler, ugly, old and grim!
What in the world shall do with him?
Tra-la-la, Tra-la- lap
II don't think much of that song,
even if a princess did sing it," exclainl-
ed Lucia.
"In the Chinese it is more melodious, :"
rejoined the painter; "itis am afraid,
badly translated"
Ibid you translate it," asked AS
sunta, slyly.
The painter turned red and went on
rapidly. This song, sung in Chinese
and in the sweet voice OF Sven. Kiang,
attracted the attention of q youth
who was pacing the sands not very
far away. This young mans name
was Tu-foo. He was the architect
employed by the Emperor Pelikan to
renang the bells on the pagoda. Tu-foo
approached the princess slowly and
diffidently, and threw himself face
downward at her feet. Then, still
kneeling. he felt in the bosom OF his
silken robe and drawing out his visit
ing card, painted in the highest style
OF Chinese art on rice paper, crimson
in color, and foot and half long,
respectfully presented it.
"The princess had not caught any
fish, and besides had grown tired of
sitting there on the shore alone. So
she graciously deigned to receive the
card, glanced at the youth, and per-
ceiving that his eyes were as narrow
and oblique and his pig tail almost as
long and thick as her own, pronounce
ed him to herself a very handsome
man. She commanded the kneeling
youth to arise and seat himself by
her side. Well. the princess and the
architect sat there on the sands, and
the little bluebirds above their heads
sang and sang and flew about and
around them. The line fell from the
princess 8 hand and sank down into the
sea. How Tu-foo found the courage
to do so don't know, but an hour
had hardly gone by when he flung him.
self at the princess's feet and begged
her to be his wife and share with him
the artists loaf"
ARTISTS loaf-how does it taste,
wonder?" asked Felicia, who had not
spoken before.
"Oh, not 80 bad; it is kneaded by
the MUSES. and baked by Apollo.
Some people-not many, fear, how.
ever-eat it with relish. at least in
China and Japan, if not in England or
America. Still Sven. Kiang was a pru-
dent girl, though not prudent enough
to prefer an old king to young lover,
and that this artists bread mil ht not
lack for butter, she hurried up into
her chamber, fetched a jewel-casket
from her dressing table, and returning
gave it to Tu-foo. He took the cask.
ct under his left arm, gave his right to
the princess, and the two stepped in
to 9 little boat which was anchored
near by. Tu-foo took the oars and
rowed off in the direction of the Is.
land Of Bliss.
"see; there is the bark; it is already
. long distance away from the shore;
soon they will land on the Blissful Is-
lands. When Pelikan, who had been
slseping since dinner time, woke up