Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-05-26
THE PRINCEss's KISSES


"On, dear murmured G rtrude Kirk.
| somebody good time is always some
oody's bad time, and it ilst horTid."
| The mountain party that Gertrude had
been planning SO long had just started, but
| the two young friends she had asked to
| join them had brought a third, cousin
newly arrived from the west, and all the
| seats were counted. SOMEBODY had to
| stay. and Gertie had been very brave and
unsefsh. Only, It was disappointment.
| As she looked ruefully through toe win
| dow she saw Richard, a next door neigh
| Dor, sitting IN a sunny place on the orchard
wall. He looked very forjorn, and she
remembered hearing yesterday that he
had sprained bis loot.
"Oh, dear. - she said again to herself
, Here's another. | wonder what's toe
ru!e?' and see smiled at ner own wnin-
| steal thought. Put two Dad times TO-
gether, and have-a good time? | won
| der If it could be done? I'll try it, and
she picked up the book that lay on TIE
| window ledge and ran out to the orchard
II was lovely out there in the sunshine.
Tie wind was cumming softly real spin
ning-wheel song IN the tail aspens that
grew beside the wall, and the sky was as
| blue as sky could be.
Richard replied in monosyllabIes at first,
but he soon Frightened up. "What's
that book II your hand?"
That's nv dear cid German book of
stories: l haven't read it for long
while
Tel fellow one, won't You, GerIie ?"
asked Richard, persuasively. st s SO dul
lying around like this"
''If you won't mind mistakes, I'll II,
''Garfie, Gertie," called little voice,
and Polly Goodale, shy, frecked little
girl of 9, ran down the orchard path.
'Heilo, Polly Chambers. said Gertie,
smiling at Der across the wall, what can
| do for you?''
"On, was il story?" exclaimed Poll;
with eager eyes. MAY I stay and hear
il, too?'
81 should be delighted, Polly; and here
Is private box for you In this sunny
corner, with d nice stone for your back,
Doesn't it just fit
Polly nodded
Audience is ready" SAID Richard,
who didn't approve of wasting too much
time IN preiiminaries.
"OncN upon a time" began Gertie.
| a
time who does not know the exact date
there was d brave young plince who ruled
over very small kingdom, and be had
fallen In love with the only daughter of a
great king whose kingdom was next to
! bis own. He sent her bird; il was a
small, dusky-colored bird, but when it
sang you could almost hear the rustling OF
the little leaves in the spring, and the
| The stirring OF the morning wind. and all
| the sweet sounds of the forest. He put it
into a golden cage, and sent it to her with
his dearest love.
| 1.-The princess was very naughty, and
she only glanced at 1t, saying scCrnfully,
This hlTd Is just common kind Of bird.
and sent ii back to him with this message,
1 thank you, no. "
"a common kind of bird!" repeated
Polly with little laugh. GAS If that
wasn't lovely gift for any princess.
| Sac was just a common kind Of prin-
cess" continued Gertie with smile; she
did not know how to do anything useful,
and her attendants used TO excuse her by
| saying, on, that is because she is a
princess. Sometimes she amnses herself
by playing little air with one finger
upon her mandolin, and sin ging oue line
of song, Ny love is lost and gene.
This was ali she rem embered, and
50 she sang it over and over, and her poor
court-ladies often wished that the song
were lost and gone too It was very natural
for such an idle princess to spend good
deal of her time In looking Gus of the win
dow, and one day she saw a swineherd
very busy at work while his pigs were
feeding. This swineherd was a young
prince, who, when be received the rude
message, had left his tutor to govern his
kingdom, and had put on this disguise,
AID bought q herd of pigs, and gone to
live IN a corner Of the kings court yard,
| just opposite to the window of the princess.
He knew how to make a great many pref
| ty and curious toys, and when the prin-
cess first saw him be was at work on a
beautiful crystal ball that flashed and
! glittered in the sun with many tiny rain
lows.
/ The princess at last became so eager
| to see 1t nearer that she called her court
ladies together, and they all went down in
the courtyard together TO look at the
| sWineherd's batl-and oh, wonderful to re-
late, whenever you thought OF anybody at
all, you could see that person in the ball,
and what he was doing. The princess
] found out all about her neighbors' dinners
and their quarrels, and their love making.
1t was just as good as daily Herald, IN
fact, and much prettier; but it was lucky
that she did not think IF the young prince,
or she would have found out his secret.
too.
The princess wanted to buy it, but the
swineherd said it was not for sale In a com.
mon way; 1t could only be bought by the
kiss of a princess. The princess tossed
her head. You may kiss one of my court
ladies. she said, for she did not care
whether they liked it or not.
Only the kiss of true princess, said
the swipeherd.
"'i will give you my hand to kiss, said
the princess.
The swineherd thought a moment and
then he accepted her offer, and kissed the
hand of the priE cess and gave her the
crystal bail.
The princess was very much amused
with it for long time, but after awhile
she got tired Ct this, and hand e} it 50
! care!essly ii at she broke It. Then she
called her court laflies again and went TO
see the wineheTd, for she had seen from
her window that he was making somethn G
new.
st proved TO be a much more wonderful
toy.-at least. she thought SO, because il
was the last. 1t was little chime of sill
yer bells, whose notes rang out kliDgle,
klangie, kEngle-as sweet and clear as
water drops, and it played, not only TIE
one lire that the princess sang. but the
rest of the verse:-
MY love is lost and gone,
But he will come again,
As sweet flowers in May