St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-04-19
4 KING AND QUEEN.

H AlAI0 11L1b SOAAkt
ABOUT THE QUEEN WHO COULD NOT BAKE
GINGERNUTs AND THE KING WHO COULD
NOT PLAY THE JEWsHARP.
The King of Macronia, who for some
little time past had been in the exact
prime of life, was just arisen, and sat un-
dressed on the chair by his bed. Before
him stood his Prime Minister, who handed
him his stockings. In the heel of one of
them was large hole. Notwithstanding
that he had turned the stocking around
most carefully, so that the King should
not observe the hole, and Notwithstanding
that the King was more accustomed to be-
stow his attention upon pretty boots than
upon entire stockings, the hole neve1the-
less, did not this time escape the quick
vision of the royal eye. Shocked he took
the stocking out of the hand of the Min
lister and ran his index finger through the
hole until the knuckle stuck out, and said,
signing:
what boots it being a King when I
have no Queen What do you say to my
taxing wife?'
"Your Majesty" answers the minister,
"that is sublime thought ! A thought
which must surely have come into the
head of your most humble servant. had l
not felt that your Majesty, in any event,
would most certainly give expression to it
this very day"
every WELL" said the King; ''but do
you think | can easily find a wife who
would suit me?"
"Bah p said the minister. "Ten for
one.''
"You must not forget that have great
pretensions to please me, princess must
be both beautiful and wise. And then
there is one condition upon which I lay
very great weight. You know how much
like gingernuts. There is not single
person in my whole kingdom who knows
how to bake them, at least who knows
how to bake them right-not too hard and
not too soft, but just crisp. Above all
things she must know how to make gin
gernuts."
The Minister wss terribly set aback
when he heard this, but he quickly recov-
cred himself, and answered
''Such King as your Majesty, can
without doubt find princess who under
stands even how to make gingernuts."
"Well, then, let US look around
together, said the King. And that very
same day, under the guidance of his min
lister, he began circuit of visits among
those of his different neighbors, who he
knew had daughters to dispose of.
But three princesses only were found
and wise enough to please the King; and
of these three not one could bake ginger
nuts
''To be sure / cannot bake gingernuts"
answered the first princess, when the
King questioned her about it "but nice,
pretty, little almond cakes. Would you
not be satisfied with them 2"
mo-" said the King, "they must be
gingernuts."
The second princess, when he directed
the same question to her, smacked her
tongue and said angrily:
''Do not bother me with your nonsense
Princesses who make gingernuts do not
exist"
But the King Jared worst of all with the
third princess, although she was the
wisest and most beautiful of the three
for she did not even let him come to the
question, but asked, herself, before he
could put it, 'if he did not also know how
to play the jewsharp9" And when he
answered in the negative, she gave him
the mitten. 'sShe was really very sorry
otherwise he pleased her quite well, but
nothing gave her more pleasure than the
music of the jewsharp, and she had deter
mined to marry no man who could not
play it,"
80 the King, with his minister, returned
home again. As he got out of the carriage
he said dejectedly: "And SO it has all
come to nothing, after all y
But King must by all means have
Queen. After some little time he sent for
q Prime Minister and communicated to him
that he had given up trying to find a wife
who could make gingernuts, and had made
up his mind to marry the princess whom
they had visited first. SIT is the one who
knew how to make little almond cakes"
added he. go and ask her if she will be
my wife"
The next day the minister returned and
reported that the princess was no longer to
be had /; she had married the King of the
country where capers grow.
'sThen go, now, to the second princess"
commanded the King.
But the minister came back also this
time with empty hands. ''The old King
regretted very much, but his daughter
was, unfortunately dead, and so he could
not give her to him." Then theKing thought
a long while, and because he could not
possibly get along without a Queen, he
ordered his minister to go to the third
princess. Perhaps in the meantime she
had come to think differently"
The minister was forced to obey although
he snuffed very little chance of success in
the air, his wife telling him, besides, that
it would be perfectly useless.
The King awaited his return anxiously,
for he remembered the question about
the iewsharp. The recollection irritated
him.
The third princess, however, received
the minister ia very friendly manner and
told him that she had truly and firmly
determined only to marry man who
could play on the jewsharp; but that
dreams were foolishness, particularly
youthful dreams; she saw that her wish
would never be fulfilled, and as the King
otherwise pleased her quite well, she
would even take him for her husband.
Then the minister travelled back as fast
as his horses could carry him, and the
King embraced him and gave him the
great order of the court to wear around his
neck.
Gay fags were hung out all over the