The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-16
HELEN KELLER's IMAGINATION.
A Deaf, Dumb and blind ChiId's
Wonderful Writing About THE
Frost King"


Frost King"
From the Springfield Republican.
This story. published in the magazine
called The Mentor, was written by Helen
Keller. when IL years old, as a birthday
greeting TO DIR. Anagnos OF the Perkins
Institute for the Blind at South Boston.
Helen has been totally deaf and bin
since infancy. and 1t is not yet six years
since her earliest know ledge OF language
was gained through the manual alphabet
The editor of the Mentor well says: in
the revelation which this story contains
of a world of beauty which through the
power of imagination may exist for a child
who lives in total darkness. and in the
command of Language and even literary
style, by a child of il years. who can
not remember ever having heard speech,
are hints of wondrous possibilities for
those who are hindered by only one o.
these impediments TO progress" Indeed
IL is calculated to make persons in the
possession of all their senses feel ashamed
of their attainments This is the story:
King Frost lived in a beautiful palace.
far 30 the north, in the land of perpetual
snow. The palace. which is magnificent be-
yong description. was built centuries ago.
in the reign of King Glacier. At a lit : a
distance from the palace we migh. easily
mistake IL for a mountain whose peaks
We're mounting heavenward to receive
the last kiss of the departing day. But on
nearer approach we should discover our
error. What We had supposed to be peaks
were in reality a thousand glitterlng
spires. Nothing could be more beautiful
than the architecture of this ice pala =
The walls are curiously constructed of
massive blocks of ice, which terminate
in cliff-like towers. The entrance to lie
palace is at the end Of an arched recess
and IL is guarded night and day by NelVe
soldierly looking white bears.
But children. you must make King Frost
a visit the very first opportunity you
have, and see for yourselves this Won
derful palace. The old king will welcome
you kindly, for he loves children and 1t
is his chief delight to give them pleasure
You must know that King Frost, like
all other kings, has great treasures of
gold and precious stones; but as he is
a generous old monarch he endeavors to
make right use of his riches. So where
ever he goes he does many wonderful
works; be builds bridges over every
stream, as transparent as glass, but often
as strong as iron; he shakes the forest
trees until the ripe nuts fall into the laps
of laughing children; he puts the flowers
TO sleep with one touch of his hand; then.
lest we should mourn for their bright
faces, he paints the leaves with gold and
crimson and emerald, and when his task
Is done the trees are beautiful enough
TO comfort us for the night of summer.
| will tell you how King Frost happened
to think of painting the leaves, for it
is a strange story.
One day while King Frost was survey
ing his vast wealth and thinking what
good he could do with it, he suddenly be-
thought Of his jolly old neighbor Santa
Claus. Il will send my treasures to Santa
Claus" said the king to himself "he is
the very man TO dispose of them salts
factorily for he knows where the poor
and the unhappy live. and his kind old
heart is always fun Of benevolent plans
for their relief" So he called together
the merry little fairies of his household
and, showing them the jars and vases
containing his treasures, he babe them
carry them to the palace Of Santa Claus
as quickly as they could. The fairies
promised obedience ana were off in
twinklng, dragging the heavy Jars and
vases along after them as well as they
could. now and then grumbling a little
at having such a hard task. for they were
idle fairies, and loved to play better than
work.
After lille they came to a great for
est and, being tired and hungry they
thought they would rest little and look
for nuts before continuing their journey.
But. thinking their treasure might be
stolen from them, they hid the jars among
the thick green leaves OF the various trees
until they were sure that no one could
find them. Then they began to wander
merriIy about, searching for nuts. climb
ing trees, peeping curiously into the empty
birds nests and playing hide and seek
from behind the trees.
Now these naughty fairies were so busy
and so merry over their frolic that they
forgot all about their errand and their
masters command to go quickly. but they
soon found, to their dismay, why they had
been, hidden to hasten, for although they