The record-union., 1891-01-11
How Frederick of Denmark En-.
tertained a Boatman.
MOTHERS" SOUP SUITED THE
KINGS TASTE
The Goose Was Nicely Cooked, but the
Good Old People Would Rather be
at Home with the Children on
Christmas Eve.

Aii4O VI 1AiuSS, tIlc IlISI OF WHICH was Z
Duke of Oldenburg that crossed the rivel
Eibe to be crowned monarch OF the clus
Ter OF islands composing the brave little
nation in medieval times.
Although he lived in the big Palace O
Chrlstiansborg and was surrounded witt
all the the pomp and glitter of royalty
he mixed freely with his subjects, anC
was never happier than when, unrecog-
nized, he could walk among them anC
pass as an unpretentious burger.
The Palace of Christiansborr had ir
olden times been a stronghold, sur.
rounded by deep noat that could onl,
be crossed by a drawbridge, but the burs
had grown around it until it had now
become the very center of the city of CO.
penhagen. The old drawbridge, with its
ponderous chains and watchfuI guards
had given place to a new bridge thai
spanned the moat, which had become 8
Wlde canal, connected with the Oeresund
and open to navigation.
Instead of the stagnant water that cir
cled around the the aristocratic pile in
oiden llme, a swift current now ripples
by the embankments, and the old build
ing itself is changed into marble pal
ace, the front OF which was carved by the
great Thorwaldsen. Commerce had en-.
croached on the opposite bank of the
royal domain, and shippers from the nu-
merous islands sold their produce and
fish on trim little sloops almost i'll front
of the many white-marble pillars with
which the home of the Danish Kings is
Ornamented.
To watch and sometimes to speak tc
these hardy toilers of the sea that for hun
dreds of years have maintained the little
Kingdoms power on the sea in all parts
of the globe, was one of Frcderick's great.
est pleasures, and those who were sc
kindly spoken to by big, stout. plair
and unassuming elderly citizen never
dreamed that they had been speaking to
their beloved King.
Whenever the fancy seized him he
would slip out of back door unattended
cross the canal and sauntcr leisurely
among these people, listen to their dia-
lects-tor each little island has a distinct
patolS, as well as some fantastic peculiar
tiles OF dresS-chat pleasantly with them
and then continue his walk.
During one of these strolls, on raw
and frosty December day, he walked by
the bank OF the canal, that in summer
was lined with boats, and noticed that
several of them had been caught by a
sudden cold and frozen in. Approaching
one of the sloops, he saw the skipper on
deck, and 1T the same time the delicious
aroma OF homemade pea soup was waited
to him and made him feel hungry.
Gold, isn't ?o said Frederick.
Yes" replied the skipper, sorrow
fully, land we won't get home for Yule.
1t came so sudden, you know. We
couldn't get out in time, and now it looks
as ii the weather would hold cold and
keep mother and | here, with all the
presents for our tree under deck, while
the young ones are waiting'
But" said Frederick, encouraginglv,
fl,.Ne.. al 4
here than you would have been in the
Lille Belt, had you been caught there last
night" gM ;, -,
all the hardship he would have had to
reach home in time for Christmas Eve,
mother does make good pea soup, and
you can have bowl of it if you like
There is enough for ALL"
The King chuckled, but accepted the in
vitation. 1t was hard for him to crawl
over the slippery bulwark of the sloop,
for he was very stout but finally he got
on deck and down into the little cabin
where the pea soup was boiling. He soon
finished big bowl of it, which the skip
per's wife handed to him, and then the
skipper gave him pipe, and they soon
had the cabin filled with smoke, while
mother washed the dishes and listened to
the two men chatting.
=" ou ought not to fret" said Frederick
looking at the skipper's wife, who was
just then wiping away tear with the
corner of her rough, homespun apron.
1t can't be helped; the Lille Belt isn't
frozen over hard enough for you to cross
on foot, and, even if it was, you couldn't
reach home by night and deck the Christ
mas tree. Better be contented as you are,
and when the weather breaks and you
get home you can put the stem of the fiji
tree into the tub mother has washed in
since you were married, and prop it up
with the same big boulders which have
held it since little Svend for the first time
reached out his tiny hands to catch the
PINK and blue candles, that sparkled like
the three stars in tho East. Come over
and take supper with me.''
Mother would rather be at home than
break bread with the King himself in
yonder palace. I have been looking at it
all day. 1t looks cold enough, and the
good hlng hasn't got any children nor
Christmas tree"
Il live over there in the palace,r said
Frederick, ''and if you will come over to-
night and take your Christmas supper
with me at 6 o'clock l viii give you q nice
young goose, stuffed with apples and
prunes. ] haven't wife nor children. so
we won't have q Yule tree, but we will
mix an arrack punch and smoke a good
pipe oftobacco. Come by the back way and
ask for Frederick. The porter will show
you my room, and we will have feast at
the Kings ex pense.n
After a good deal of persuasion the
couple accepted, and Frederick climbed
on shore.
.Ah," said the skipper, looking at his
Kings men, and just see how well he is
kept and how tat lie is from the good
things that come from his fathers table
1t IS more than crumbs he has to eat, |
am sure. Wen lock up the cabin
tight = though who would come
out on Christmas night to
rob poor skipper ?-and, as we
are going among the great people of the
court, we will put on our good clothes and
all the silver buttons. Well, well, mother,
it's an ill-wind that blows no one any
good. So let us square our sail-the cold
Christmas storm will blow us into 4 warm
port.n
At 6 the skipper and his wife, in holi-
day attire, crossed the bridge and the
large open space in front of Christians
borg. Her dress WIS of dark green
homemade woolen, trimmed with broad
red hralds at the bottom, and on the boz
dice were two rows of solid silver but
tons, the dowry she had brought her hns-
band. Her hair was brushed smoothly
on her round head and decked by a
snow-white lace cap, all encircled in a
warm woolen hood He wore green
jacket, with many rows of silver buttons
in front, on his sleeves and at the back.
They had all been bought, one by one, as
an investment, for this is the way these
people save their money, and the poorest
of them are sure to have silver buttons
enough at least TO pay for their burial.
His vest was of bright red and had also
many buttons, and his trousers were
tucked into the tops of q pair of heavy
grain leather boots that reached to his
knees. Around his heavy cap and neck
was long, fluffy, white wooden COM
forter, wound many times aroud him and
ornamented at the ends with yellow balls
of worsted.