Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-03-01
WHY A CERTAIN SEA FISH Il
ALL OF A JELLY.

Once upon q time the King OF tn,
Dragons, who had till then lived as {,
bachelor, took 1t into his head 10 ge
married. His bride was a young
Dragonette, Just 16 years old, lovely
enough, in very sooth, to become the
wife of a king. Great were the reiOIc,
ings on the occasion. The fishes. bott
great and small, came to pay their re,
spects and to offer gifts to the newly
welded pair, and for some days all WI:
feasting and merriment.
But, al asl even Dragons have their
trials. Before a month had passed the
young Dragon queen fell i'll. The doc
tors dosed her with every medicine
that was known to them, but all to nc
purpose. At last they shook their
heads, declaring that there was moth
ing more to be done. The illness must
take its course, and she would prObsbly ,
die. But the sick queen said to her
husband:
al know of something that will cure
me. Only fetch me a live Monkey q
liver to eat and l shall get well at once. "
a live Monkeys liver - exclaimed the
King. "What are you thinking of, my
dear? Why, you forget that we Drag
ons live in the sea, while Monkeys live
far away from here, among the forest
trees on land. A Monkeys liver Why,
darling, you must be mad" Hereupon
the young Dragon Queen burst into
tears. 81 ouly ask you for one small
thing whimpered she, ''and you won't
get it for me. l always thought you
didn't really love me. Obi L wish l
had stayed at home with my own NM
m-mamma and my own papa-a-a-ar
Here her voice choked with sobs and she
conld say no more.
Well, of course, the Dragon King did
not like to have it thought that he was
unkInd to his beautiful young wifi.
So he sent for his rusty servant, the
Jelly-t'ish, and said: 1T is rather n
difficult job, but what ] want you tC
try and DO is to swim across to the ltuJ
and persuade a live Monkey to come
here with you. In order to make the
Monkey willing TO come you can tell
him how much nicer everything is here
in Dragonland than away where he
lives But what | really want him for
is to cut out his liver and use it as medi.
cine for your yonng Mistress, who, as
you know, is dangerously ill.,"
So the Jelly Fish went off on his
Just like any other fish, with eyes and
fins and tail. He even had little
feet, which made him able to walk on
the land as well as to swim in the vat r.
1t did not take HIM many hours tG
swim across o the country where the
Monkeys lived, and fortunately there
Just happened to be a fine Monk ey
skipping about among the q ches OF
- H.. Ia.
Jelly Fish landed. So the Jelly Fish
said: "Mr. Monkey, 1 have come to
tell you OF q country far more beauti.
ful than this. 1t lies beyond the waves,
and is called Dragonland. There Is
pleasant weather there all the We Il
round, there is always plenty of ripe
fruit on the trees, ard there are none
of those mischievous creatures called
Men. If you will come with me 1 will
take You there. Just get on my
back"
The Monkey thought it would be fun
to see new country. SO he leaped on
the Jelly-Flsh's back, and OF they
started across the water. But when
they had gone sbout halfway he began
TO fear that perhaps there might be
some hidden danger. 1t seemed so odd
to be fetched suddenly in that way by
a stranger. So he said to tie Jelly
Fish: "Whst ma ie you think of com
ing for me?" Ihe Jelly-Fish answered:
"My Master, the King of Dragons
vents you in order TO cut out your
liver, and give it as a medicine to his
wife, the Queen, who is sick"
''Ohl that's your little game is It?"
thought the Monkey. But be kept his
thoughts TO himself and only said:
Nothing could please me better than
to be of service to their majesties. But
it so happens that l left my liver hang
lug to branch of that big chestnut
tree which you found me skipping
about on. A liver is a thing that
weighs good deal. SO L generally
take it out and play about without it
during the daytime. We must go back
for it." The Jeliy-Fish agreed that
there was nothing else to be doiss
under the circumstances. For, silly
creature that he was, he did not see
that the Monkey was telling a story in
order to avoid getting killed and bHv-
ing his liver used as medicine for the
fancifuI young Dragon Queen.
When they reached the shore of
Mopkeyland again the monkey bound
ed off the Jelly-Fish's back and up into
the topmost branch of the chestnut
tree, In less than no time. Then he
said: 'I do not see nv liver here.
Perhaps somebody has taken it away.
But l will look for it. You meantime,
had better go back and tell your mas
ter what has happened. He might be
anxious about you If Won did not get
home before dark"
So the Jelly-Fish start ed off a seco1 d
time, and when he got home he toll
the Dragon King everything just as it
had happened. But the King flew into
a passion with him for his stupidity
and hallooed to his officers, saying:
"AWay with this fellowI Take him
and beat him to a jeIiyl Don't let a
single bone remain unbroken in his
bodyw So the officers seized him and
beat him as the King had commanded.
That is the reason why, to this very
day, Jelly Fishes have no bones, but
are just nothing more than mass Of
pulp. As for The Dragon Queen, when
she could not have the Monkeys liver,
why, she made up her mind that the
only thing to do was to get well with.
ont it.-lranslated by B. H. Chamber
a