Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-29
A ST AMI n WITCH
BONE Singular Adventures Of the King of
Spain.
A Wonderful Suit and How the Kings
Experience With 1t Taught
Useful Lesson.

the kingdom were many Moors who had
came over into Spain from Africa and con-
Quered half Of the country and set up q
Moorish sultan over their half and tried to
get the whole of IL into their power. All
this had happened In the days of the young
kings father, SO that when the young king
came to the throne he resolved to fight the
Moors and drive them away, and to this
end he raised an army and prepared for
war. Now in the town of Salamanca was a
wicked old witch. and when she heard the
king was about to 60 to war she winked
one eye at her black cat and the black cat
winked one eye at her. and she got her
stan and cloak and said to her cat whose
name was Beelzebub:
Come on. Beelzebub. let's 60 to Madrid
and see what we shall see."
And the black cat laughed and she laugh
ed. and they both set out.
When she came to the city Of Madrid 1t
was full Of the sound Of men and horses.
and the hammers Of armorers making
none Of these; she went straight to the
palace and said to q pago:
Il must speak to the king.
"Oh, you must speak to the king, must
your said the saucy page. well. let me
tell you, old lady, that the king Is not over
fond of witches the age Of his great grand
mother. II you were a pretty girl. then
perhaps"
II must speak to the king" interrupted
the witch, turning her fiery red eyes on
the page; and the black cat arched his
back and stared hard with his green eyes,
and the saucy page ran away and told the
king. who said: She may have some newsi
bring her here"
''Oh, king" said the old witch. bowling
old. and all my life 1 have been weaving
cloth and studying magic and have learn
cd how to make silk which will turn aside
the sharpest sword and blunt the keenest
armor In battle, but 8" strange Is this
magical silk that only ave man can use
II. To towards 1t looks more transparent
than gauze, yet when they wear IL tits
heavier than lead, while upon the limbs Of
q brave man its weight is no mole than a
eobweb. while 1t looks as heavy as steel"
AN excellent thing to wear in battle with
the Moors." said the king. Have you
brought me a suit Of it?''
"Alasi majesty" said the hypooritical cd
witch, Il am poor woman. / bring you
only my knowledge. To weave such stuff
requires a pound of fine gold and ten
pounds Of silk for every yard. and where
should find all that in Salamanca
'Herer' said the king to his seneschal,
give this woman loom and all the ma
terials she requires and let her weave me
q suit of this magic silk. And, bark We,
old dame, let II be ready In five days, for
on the eighth ride to fight the Moors.''
So the old witch and Beezlebub had fine
room In the palace and the best Of good
living. and beside the loom they brought
her two hundred pounds Of raw silk and
twenty pounds of fine gold.
Now on the fourth day the king said to
the seneschal: go and see how the magic
silk progresses" And when the seneschal
came to the witch's door the old woman
cried:
"Ah. am glad the king has sent brave
man. for so fine Is this silk that a coward
cannot see II at all, but you, my lord will
observe all the delicate patterns and the
beautiful sheen Of the gold and the silk
that shine like light itself"
Then the seneschal looked at the loom
but to his amazement he saw nothing at
all. He gave a start and turned very red
and seeing this the old witch winked at her
black cat. and Beezlebub winked at her
rs it possible" said the seneschaI to
himself, that / am coward? l thought
myself afraid of nothing and yet 1 cannot
see this web OF silk upon the loom. Well,
one thing is certain, / am not brave enough
that 1 do
And SO while the old woman pointed to
the patterns of the web and seemed to pass
her hand over 1t he professed to see eyery-
thing she described and even pretended to
rub the stuff between his fingers to feel
It's hneness. But when he was gone the
Old witch and Beezlebub laughed till they
choked.
TT is the most wonderful stuff I ever
saw, your majesty, said the seneschal;
, oeautlIui gold lights play through 1t like
sunshine. 1t has the rich changeful colors
or a peacock's tall and into the patterns is
woven all the flowers of spring. 1t is fine
and soft as SPIDERS web and yet has the
temper and hardness of steel"
Next day the king, being very busy sent
the commander Of all the forces to the old
witch TO see If the suit were cut of a pror-
er size, because tomorrow 1t must be ready
to wear.
The old witch had pushed the loom to
one size ana sat as IL sewing. The brave
old general saw her stick In q needle and
pull through long thread, but though he
rubbed his eyes hard he could not see the
clothes which she seemed to be sewing
But he did not dare say so, and when the
witch seemed to hold up the clothes to
show him the shape Of the sleeves and the
size OF the buttons. he pretended to admire
1t very much and went to tell the king that
nothing so wonderful and beautiful as his
new clothes had ever been seen, while the
witch pinched Beelzebub in the ribs and he
pine he'd her and they both laughed fit to
kill themselves.
On the sixth day the army was all ready
TO march and then the king sent for his
new clothes. and the seneschal and COM
mander of the forces fetched the old witch
Here they are. majesty" she said SEEM
Ing to spread out the suit beforesh him, "and
when you wear them in battle with the
enemies Of our country don't forget the
poor old witch Of Salamanca Upon which
Bee zebub had to stun his own tail into his
mou n to keep from laughing right out
When she said this he young king turned
pale. because he didn't see any clothes at
all, and yet the seneschal and the COM
mander of the forces stood by and seemed
to expect him to put them on. So he dared
not make any protest, though all the while
he was saying to himself as they were
helping to put on the clothes he couldn't
see.
Then I am a coward! Well, I am too
much Of a coward to admit II, and 1 shall
at least know how to die for my country
when the time comes"
And then they went out of the palace
and the king mounted his horse and ali
the people cheered for each one said to
himself: II can't see the kings clothes
but that Is because 1 am not truly brave
but no one else shall see that I don't see
them" and every man said to his negnbor:
How splendid the kings magic clothes
arel Did you ever see anything so glori-
ous7"
Every neighbor replying: mo. indeed. I
never did,
And all the while the old witch end
Bselzebub, left alone in the palace were
winking both eyes at each other and
shouting with laughter.
But when the king came to the city gate
there stood his sister, the Princess Inez
with all the ladies of the court and the
moment they saw the king they all hid
their faces.
"Oh. brotherp' said the princess through
the sticks OF her fan: why do you go to
war with no clothes on"