The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-06-04
FOR YOUTHFUL READERS.
SUBJECTS THAT WILL INTEREST
THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
A King in a Tortoise-Sh eIl--Box-
ing For Boy's--Bad Company
"A Spelling Match--The
Soudan Raven.
A King in a Tortoise-Shell.


The cradle that queen should
choose for her princely little baby
must be a very grand affair, don't
you thinkso? Perhaps made of choice
Or costly words, or even OF precious
metal. In either case it must you
think, be most beautifully shaped,
and perhaps carved with figures OF
sweet little cherubs watching over the
favored mortal baby ashe sleeps soft
ly amid his clouds OF fine linen and
delicate lace.
That may all be. What made me
think OF it was something I heard a
traveller tell about within a few days.
This traveller had lately come from
France. While in that country he
visited the town of Pau, among the
Pyrenees mountains. In this town
high up, looking over the valleys,
stands an old, old castle, dark and
gray and gloomy. 1t was built in the
olden days when there was much fight
ing, and mobiles and princes had to
live i'm castles, with walls made so thick
and strong to keep out their enemies
that the blessed sunlight was kept out
too, and the big rooms and halls We're
dark and dismal enough. Here i'm
this castle of Pau in the year 1853,
said the traveller, lived the old King
Mf No
was born his grandson Henry, Prince
OF Navarro, afterwards known the
world over as Henry the Great, King
of France and Navarro. He was call
ed great not only because he knew
how to head the armies of his king
dom, fighting his enemies, but because
he loved his people and tried to make
them happy and prosperous as well
as glorious.
So his people loved hira, and after
his death they cherished every thing
that belonged to him with the great
est care. Here, in his castle of Pau,
is still treasured the cradle i'm which
the royal baby was rocked to rest.
1t is "a cradle made au of tortoise
shell.
Shouldn't you think it would break
very easily? 1t would if it We're thin
andpolished tortoise shell, like a girl s
dainty bracelet, which is as brittle as
glass; but there is little danger OF this
royal cradle meeting ANY such fate
no more danger than if the shell
we've still On the back of the
turtle, it's first owner The shell is
not polished or altered in any way
1t was taken from the back of the big
sea-turtle (which had Carried it solone
and thought himself SO safe i'm his
stout shell-house), and was cleaned
and turned over on his back.
Then only a little blanket was laid
in it, for the young prince of Navarro
was not brought up ,delieately: amd in
his very cradle was taught to lie
OF ON soft cushions, amid luxurious
linen and lace.
The traveller did not tell THE friend
with whom he was talking whittier OF
not the turtle-sheH cradle was mo cunt
cd ON rockers. II not, how could the
cradle have been rocked without Civ
ing the poor little baby Almost Terrible
jouncing?
A little boy who WAS walking with
the traveller and his friend, said that
he didn't think the little Prince Henry
had half SO comfortable "a time of it
as his OWN little baby brother at
home; and I shouldn't wonder If tn at
We're true: But perhaps, after ;all it
isn't good for babies to be quite SO
comfortable. It may be more babies
would grow up to be strongand hardy
men and women if they were mot
treated quite SO tenderly at frst.-St
Nicholas.