The herald., 1894-01-07

ing fluid in the teakettle over the dry
roots of the dead flowers and fruits and
vegetables. Little rainbows appeared
in the storm then directly green leaves,
bright flowers and fruit sprang up.
The king and the elk detectives stared
at the green lettuce leaves and blue vio-
let's and red Strawberries. with round
eyes. They had never eeen any but
white ones before.
The lord high chamberlain grew 80
curious that he ventured to peep out of
the corner of one eye, then directly
opened both eyes wide. II can see COL
ors with my eyes open !" he cried in de-
light.
''This must be black magic" said the
king in q low voice.
1T must be, your majesty" assented
the six detectives.
The king happened to have a pocket
manual of magic in his pocket. He
pulled it out and looked at the index.
There is nothing like this in the list of
either black or white magic" said he.
"Well, then, your majesty, it must be
the black" said the chief OF detectives,
''because whatever is not white magic
must be black magic, of course"
It was agreed to take the white witch
into custody.
This was, OF course, very unfortunate,
because she might refuse, in conse-
quence, to give advice, of which the
country stood in need, but the law had
to be maintained.
The chief OF police said he would go
and summon the police department and
the patrol wagon. But the king thought
he and the lord high chamberlain might
Just as we'll take her between them in
the caaise. She was small, thin witch,
and besides, in the case of witch, it is
never safe to delay an arrest.
This witch, being a white witch, kept
no black cat. Instead, she he'd II
white robins, which chirped and sang
on silver perch above her hearth.
When the poor witch, bound hand
and foot with silver chains, was being
driven rapidly to the city. these IL white
robins huttered around the chaise. max
ing cries of distress. They even flew in
the faces of the king and the lord high
chamberlain. But the witch ordered
them away. She said:
lie, Ian, Limeny Man.
Dixcy, Adney, Achsey, Ann,
Do ye my VIII If We will or not
Of-Dimlny. Woxy, Niciesy Hot
The last word was an awful threat to
on to the hood of the chaise and were
still.
The witch was very meek with her
captors. She had merely mentioned
that she was not practicing black magic
at all. but strictly white msgic. Then
she submitted to being chained without
another word.
She never complained at all when she
WAS dragged into her white dungeon,
which was cold as the heart of an icicle,
and chained to the white stone floor,
and given little cold -four porridge for
her supper. She gave nearly all of that
to her IL white robins, who had flown
into the dungeon with her, and all night
! long they rested close to her and spread
their little white wings over her bosom
and tried to keep her warm.
1t was not the fashion in Polarja to give
q witch who was accused of black magic
any trial. This one was simply sentenced
to be burned alive in the market place
in six days.
However, this left the king and the
council and the country in great per-
plexity.
Everybody felt that the law must be
maintained, yet their only hope of de-
| liverance from one at least of the
national diseases lay in the white
witch, who was to be burned. 1t did
not seem polite to ask her assistance
when they were going to burn her. The
king said decidedly that he for one had
not the face to do it.
Another council was called and it was
decided the king should visit her and see
if thew could not effect compromise.
So on the night before the day set for
the execution the king and the lord
high chamberlain and the six detectives
all took lanterns and went to the dun
geon OF the white witch.
The IL white robins flew in their faces
and attacked them with their little
them and they settled quietly down on
her bosom again.
Then the king stated the case and
tried to effect compromise. The witch
! listened attentively and then declared
her Willingness to give them all the as
sistance in her power il they would spare
her life and permit her to water not
only her own garden, with the magic tea
which she had brewed in the teakettle,
but also all the gardens in the country :.
But that is black magic" objected
the king.
SIT is strictly white magic" said the
witch firmly, and she would not yield a
| lot OF her conditions. She would not
consent to refrain from using her tea
kettle and have her life spared. She
was obstinate and that of course made
deadlock. They began to think com
promise could not be effected, but sud
denly the chief Of police fell upon his
knees before the king.
"Your majesty" said he, 81 think l
see way out of the difficulty"
"What is it?" said the king.
''At the garden your majesty stated
that this offense was neither in the list
Of black nor white magic"
Eyes," said the king impatiently.
"What then?"
"Why, then, your majesty, if is is not
in the list of black magic it must be
white magic, of course"
"Of course" cried the king; and he
was SO overioyed that he raised the chief
of police and embraced him and gave
him pearl ring.
So the white witch was released, and
it was high time. for the next night
was Christmas eve, and the trouble
over the Christmas presents would
begin.
All that day all the carpenters in the
city worked hard building great store
house next to the witch's house. She