La Junta tribune., 1899-01-21
The Fairy Pearl.

4 ne ifttIe Princess Lllka nVeG long
time ago-in the days when princesses
were far more plentiful than they are
at present, and when every fairly good
child was at least on speaking terms
with the fairies. The little Princess
Ziika was more than a fairly good
child; she was sweet and unselfish. SO
ahe knew many OF the fairies very In
e!mately. and she would have been per-
fectly happy but for the three troubles
which occasionally distressed her.
Her first trouble was that her dear
mother had died when Zilka was
tiny baby. When the little princess
was Ill or lonesome for any reason her
heart ached for her mother. just as
your heart or mine would ache IL our
dear mother were not near to comfort
le. And she never saw a little girl
out walking with her mother but a
queer feeling came into her heart and
tears into her eyes.
The second trouble of the little prin-
cess was that she did not grow faster.
She was but tiny creature, in spite
of all the care taken OF her, and 1t
often worried her to think how very
small she by and by would look in the
queenly robes she would have to wear
when she grew to womanhood
And her third trouble was that she
was never allowed to play outside the
palace gardens. The little princess
always felt that the children who had
all the world to play in must be hap
pier than she. even II some of them
were very poor.
But Zilka was as happy as 1t Is pos
sible for any girl to be who thinks
much and often about herself for in
addition to her three troubles she had
| three great and continual pleasures
| with which to Offset them.
The little rag doll which her mother
had made for her before leaving her
baby to the care of others made the
first of these pleasures for the little
princess. 1t was homely little doll,
dull colored, shabby. and with the
| most awkward hands and feet in the
world. but 1t was far dearer to the
little princess than any OF the regal
dolls that had real Jewels In their
hair and around their waists, and she
loved it the best OF all her countless
| doll babies.
| Next to this dollie in the list OF the
princess pleasures came the JOY Of
walking up and down the palace lawn
barefooted. She was allowed to do
| this upon her birthday. upon the birth
day of her father, the king. and on
similar special days. When these spe-
cial days came around the little prin-
cess played that she was a simple
peasants daughter. and had all the
wide world to play in instead of Just
the palace gardens. and 1t was always
very hard for her to give up this idea
ard make up her mind to being only
| . little princess again.
But the crowning Joy in the life Of
the little princess was furnished by
the small patch of wild garden which
lay In secluded corner Of the great
palace conservatory-on by itself In
a corner where nobody else was allow
ed to go all the year round. TIE prin-
cess had once been taken for a walk
4 in the woods. the real woods, not the
narrow rim of forest which edged the
| palace gardens. and that night she had
climbed upon the knee of the king,
Just as you or I would climb upon the
knee OF our father. and begged him
for little wild garden all Of her own
instead Of the new Jewels and the new
wing Of the palace which he had prom
ised her. The king consented readily
and the princess was very happy, The
head gardener tended the garden very
early in the morning. the flowers and
1 ferns grew and nourished finely. and
II became 30 beautiful that she soon
found II very easy TO forget the glasa
sides and roof which inclosed Il
She was sitting In the little Wild
Garden the day before Christmas. when
the fairy whom she loved best Of them
au suffered Softly down beside her.