The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-03-09
VOL" XVI RISING SUN, CECIL COUNTY, MD. FRIDAY,
away without turning back until they
nar,a 70 his own lin ordnm

came to his own kingdom.
But the prince had been away SO long
that his own people no longer knew
him, and the old king had died and the
false minister had seized the kingdom.
So nothing was left for the true prince,
but to serve as goose herd. Every day
the prince drove the geese out in the
meadow, but Present stayed behind in
the goose herds hut and cooked his
dinner and made the house neat All
she asked of the prince was that, as he
followed the geese, he should gather up
the feathers that fell from them and
bring them home to her.
The prince was willing enough to do
that, for he had nothing else to do all
day long but tend the geese and watch
the clouds floating in the sky; so every
day he brought her home handful of
feathers. These Present kept, and at
night, while the prince was asleep, she
rose and worked in the moonlight until
at the end of a year and day she had
made for herself pair of great gray
wings.
Then at night, when the prince was
fast asleep, Present rose up and took
the great gray wings and fastened
them on her shoulders. She opened the
door very softly, and, spreading the
wings she had made, she flew away and
away under the stars until she came to
the castle where the false king lived
There was window wide open, and
into it Present flew. There lay the
false king, fast asleep in bed, but
Present went by him SO quietly that he
never stirred, and she opened door
after door until she came at last to the
room where the royal robes were kept
She put them under her cloak and
then she flew away home again.
There she hid her wings and the
royal robes in the closet and lay down
again beside the prince, and all the
while he never stirred nor woke
The next evening when the prince
came home he said: There is great
stir over at the castle, for thieves were
there last night and stole the kings
royal robes"
what is that to us?" said Present;
''you had much better sit down and eat
your supper while it is hot" So the
prince sat down and ate and drank,
and after supper he fell fast asleep
Again Present took out the wings
and fastened them to her shoulders and
flew away to the palace, and this time
she brought back with her the false
kings golden crown.
The next evening when the prince
came home he said: 1.-THE thieves were
in the palace again last night, and now
it is not only the royal robes but the
golden crown that is gone"
''What is that to us2" said Present;
''ceme and eat your supper while it is
still hot" So the prince sat down at
the table, and, after he had eatea. he
threw himself upon the bed and fell
again into deep sleep.
Now, for the third time, Present fit
ted the wings to her shoulders, as she
had before, and flew away to the false
kings palace; and this time it was the
royal scepter itself that she took.
When Present reached the goose
herds hut again the dawn was just
breaking She hid the scepter in the
closet with the royal robes and the
crown, and then she woke the prince
and bade him come to breakfast.
After the prince had eaten, Present
rose from the table. "And now" said
she, ''the time has come for you to go
to the false kings palace and claim
your own"
''But how can I do that?" said the
prince. mo one would know me, and
they would all laugh, as they did when
first came home, if ] were to GO in
my goose-herd's dress to claim the king
DOM"
Then Present brought out the royal
robes and bade him put them on.
The prince looked at the robes and
wondered.
'These were once mine," said he,
land never did think to wear them
again. Whence came thema''
''They came neither by land nor seai
but as they once were yours, 80 are
they now, replied Present
The prince clothed himself In the
royal robes, and there he stood as
stately and noble as any lord. '.But
how shall the people know that am
indeed a prince" said he, when 1
have no crown to wear?''
Then Present brought forth the
golden crown from the cupboard where
it lay hidden, and placed it upon his
head, and then in truth he felt himself
prince once more.
"Rut," said he, show can a king gov
ern a kingdom with no scepter to show
his royal power?"
! Then Present brought forth the
royal scepter and placed it in his hand,
and now at last he looked the king he
was.
And nav come" said Present, ''and
together we will go up to claim the
kingdom that is yours" Then even as
she spoke Present cast aside her rags,
and lol she was clothed all in cloth of
gold and jewels so radiantly bright
that the whole hut shone as though
with sunlight.
The prince gazed at her in wonder
and awe. who art thog2' hs cried,
for i seemed as though q cloud had
dropped from before his eyes
THE same | always was" said
Present ''only now at last you see me
as truly am"
Then, still wondering, the prince
took her hand in his, and they went
forth together; and all the peQBla when
they saw the prince knew him. aud the
gates hew open before him. So the
prince and Present passed through the
gates and on up the stairs and into the
palace; and when the false king saw
them he was seized with fear aud,