Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-05-02
THE WHITE WITCH.

and altogether unsuitable thing for the
shepherd to do. He was a very good shep-
herd, and until he saw the princess he
looked after his sheep on the green sunny
hills all day and brought them safely home
every night, and If he ever dreamed dreams
as he lay on the short thymey turf and
looked up TO the deep blue sky he certainly
never told them to any one, so nobody was
the worse or the wiser.
But there came a day-a May day-when
the princess went out at sunrise to gather
dew for a charm to keep her always beauti-
full. She had good reason to wish TO be al
ways as she was, the shepherd thought, for
she was more beautiful than any mans
dearest dream.
She had long yellow hair, pale like ripe
corn, her eyes were as blue as cornAowers,
her lips just the shape for speaking kindly,
her hands were like little white birds TO
hold, and when she passed the may tree
opened all its buds TO look at her.
The shepherd, lying behind the furzebush,
saw her kneel down and lay her white hands
on the green grass to gather the chill, sweet
dew, smelling Of the morning and the wild
thyme. She rubbed the dew on her face,
which grew radiant with new beauty. The
shepherd arose and came slowly toward her.
She did not see him till he was quite close
to her, and fold of her long, rosy sleeve
blew across his arm as he held out his hand
to her.
"Win you marry me'" he said II shall
love you always"
She turned her eyes on him, and the love
in his lit a rose light in her cheeks
"Who are your" she asked in n low voice,
and if he had been able to say that hewas
a prince one does not know what her an
swer would have been. But he only said:
II am the kings shepherd"
"And J." she cried, ''am the kings
daughter" And then she began to laugh
and ran all the way home, and in day and
night she had forgotten all about him.
But he thought always Of her, so that
when, one market day, the heralds went
through the town pruclaiming that tour
nament was TO be held in honor Of the
princess and that the brayest knight might
hope to win her, he came wearing rusty
suit Of armor he had borrowed from n
friend and riding an old horse that his
uncle, the innkeeper, lent him to try his
fortune with many Others.
And he looked so handsome and so val
liant that no one even noticed the old horse
and the shabby armor, and every girl in the
assembled crowd wished in her heart that
he might win the princess. Nor did any
know him to be the shepherd. But the
princess knew.
Then one by one all the knights who had
come to the tournament were overthrown
by the shepherd, for love made him brave
and strong beyond the wont Of man.
But when he rode beneath the gallery
where the princess sat she turned her eyes
-ha har han nd 70, nd
the wreath the prize Of the tourney.
HE is only your shepherd" she said to
her father, and the king was very much
annoyed
Indeed it became so tiresome to have a
handsome shepherd, and shepherd in love,
always hanging about the palace that the
princess said to her tutor:
"How can get rid Of this young man
without hurting his feelings"
"Tell him you have made VOW never to
marry any man whose eyes are not greer"
suggested the tutor
"What capital ideal' cried the princess,
clapping her hands. HE can't be hurt at
that, can heS'
The tutors eyes were green, but the prin-
cess had never noticed that, because she
never looked at him.
So next day she sent for the shepherd.
He came gladly, for whatever she had to
say he would at least hear her voice and
look into her eyes.
The princess was sitting in her garden,
which has high wall around it and trees
and flowers and in the middle a marble
basin where the goldfishes live. The prin-
cess and her maidens were feeding the gold
fishes when the shepherd came in. How
do you dor" said the princess, turning red
and speaking very fast. do you know I'm
very sorry, and hope you won't mind very
much, but really can't marry any one I'M
less they have green eyes"
"What color are miner" asked the shep-
herd. "Ihave never noticed, ;" but his heart
ached, for he knew well enough that they
were not green.
"They are blue" said the princess, jump
ing up and looking at them. They are
blue, like mine" She looked at them u
long time without speaking. Then she
said, "They are blne-a very nice blue, you
know" She put her hands on his shout
ders and looked again-a longer look still.
mo, they're not green" she said, and
she sighed. "Goodby. hope we shall al
ways be friends l shall always feel to you
like sister. Goodby," and she went on
feeding the Roldfishes.
"Goodby," said the shepherd; will you
give me nothing before goS"
She held out her hand, and he kissed it.
THAT is the second time" he said; "the
third time my eyes will be greenp'
The princess looked after him till he had
passed out Of the garden. Then she looked
at the hand he had kissed Then she sighed
again, and when the tutor came TO ask her
TO read classic poetry with him she said she