The herald., 1896-10-28
SHE SPOKE AT LAST.


white marble statues, and strange flowers
! Of burning colors surrounded the grass
plats. But in the middle of the garden was
q pond, in the center of which was q group
OF fish tailed sea gods, who, sitting upon
spouting dolphins, were blowing their
shell trumpets.
All the world admired this garden.
There was only one person whom it did
not please This was the kings young and
most beautiful daughter. Those shameless
| heathen gods frightened her, and she al
ways avoided the garden.
Therefore the king, who loved his
daughter above all the world, sent for a
| young gardener who had travelled through
many lands and had seen many splendid
| things and commanded him to make a
new garden in place of the old one. He
wished to make a present of it to the prin-
cess on her birthday.
The gardener did his best. He dug and
chopped, and he planted. Sunshine and
rain did their part also, and when the
| birthday came the gardener stood at the
entrance gate and held salver, on which
| he offered to the princess the golden keys
| to the garden. Followed 6y courtiers and
| ladies in waiting the princess then mads
| q tour of the garden.
The heart of the kings daughter leaped
| within her for JOY. She forsook the gravel
walk and sprang lightly over the lawn, so
| that her court ladies had difficulty in keep
| ing up with her. But with measured tread
and a frequent shake of the head the court
duenna followed the froliosome young peo-
| pie. A nodding rose twig had stuck in her
| powdered hair as she passed She thought
the new garden hitleous.
Now, the princess was nearing the spot
where the marble basin had formerly had
place. Today thero lay tiny smiling
green lake.
"Oh, how charmingr exclaimed tho
princess, and the ladies repeated tho word
after her.
Then dreadful thing happened. A fat,
green frog, which was sitting in tho reeds
looking out for water ladies', bcing dis
turbed by the rustic Of silken garments,
made g-eat jump and plunged into tho
water so violently that tho drops spurted
up.
Every one screamed, and the princess
sank down, all pale, upon tho ground.
Now tho court duenna hastened her steps
and was shocked to see what had happen
ed Luckily musk and smelling salts were
easily found The fainting girl soon came
to herself, but fright had taken away her
power Of speech. With disturbed faces and
shaking with anxiety the ladies in waiting
carried her back to the palace.
In honor of the princess tho townspeo-
pie had decked their houses with green's
and gay flags but when the midday hour
chirned they removed all signs of decora-
ton, for Dame Rumor announced that tho
kings daughter had suddenly become
dumb.
And unhappily this was no empty hear
say.
The princess had long recovered from
her fright. She could eat and drink, but
no word passed her lips. She had lost the
power of speech.
Physicians came to her side. They
caused all the circumstances to be told
them, put their heads together and wrote
long prescriptions. The patient swallowed
obediently drops, pills and powders, but
the power of speech did not return.
The whole court was draped in mourn
ing But the old king, who was usually so
mild and kind foamed with rage He or
dered all the frogs in his kingdom to be
killed and set price of q farthing on the
head of every frog, and he threw the gar
dener into prison. OF what use was it all?
The princess remained dumb.
Days, weeks and months passed by.
Physicians collected there from all corners
of the globe. What one ordered the other
always condemned, but not one of them
could give back to the kings daughter her
power of speech. Wise women and clever
shepherds were also sent for. Even. Master
Hammerlein, the executioner, was COM
manded to come. They piled their strange
and secret remedies, but none Of them
could help her.
In the meantime the poor gardener was
in sorry plight. He had hoped for rich
reward, and now he was lying in chains
and could behold neither sun or moon.
But his old mother was still living in the
homestead and she was a clever woman
Of much experience. When she heard what
had happened to her son, she tied up her
bundle and wandered off to the kings
town. When she arrived there, she betook
herself to the prison and implored the
turnkey with such moving words that he
| at last led her into the prison.
The mother and son remained alone to-
gether for half an hour. Then the old wom-
| an hobbled off. But when the warder
brought his jug Of water to the young
| man he was walking about his CELL with
his head high, whistling tune.
| Next day he demanded to be taken be-
fore the king. He claimed that he possess
| ed the remedy which would restore the
power Of speech to the princess.
The princess had been Obliged that same
( day to undergo a great deal First she had
| been pricked with redhot needles by n for
| eign doctor. At this she had groaned and
| sobbed, but not word had she spoken.
| After that she had been given, at the adj
vice of an old herb doctor, the heart, brain
| and tongue of a magpie, and this was also
| quite useless. Now the princess was lying,
! pale and languid, on a couch, SO exhausted
| that she had closed her eyes.
They brought the gardener to her side
| His chains were clanking, but he walked
| erect and seemed in good spirits.
"Try your arts" said the king, "and if
| you can cure her you shall receive the Or
| der of the Green Crocodile and as much
| gold as you can carry"
| The gardener went to the invalid's
couch, made her sit up, which she did
| willingly took her little white hand in
his and gazed into her tired eyes.
"Poor little princess" he then said
$50 unhappy and only one and twenty
years old.
Then a slight blush covered the prin-
| cess countenance, her bosom rose and fell
painfully, and from her lips burst the
| words, mot yet 10.
The powe- Of speech had returned to
her. But the king wept tears of joy, in
which the whole court joined him.-From
| The German.