The Somerset reporter., 1899-01-05
The third princess received the min.

The third princess received the min
lister very cordially. She said she had
changed her mind about marrying
man who could play the jews harp
dreams are but vain and empty
things especially those Of youth.
She realized that her wish could not
be fulfilled, and as the king pleased
her she had decided to marry him.
The minister rode home as fast as his
horse could 20, and the king embraced
him. and conferred so many decorations
on him that he had to wear some OF
them on his head.
The town was trimmed with bunting,
garlands were thrown across the streets
from house to house, and the marriage
was SO splendidly celebrated that the
people could talk of nothing else for q
fortnight
All went we'll with the king and
queen for a year. The king had quite
forgotten his ginger nuts and the queen
her jews harp.
However, the king got out of bed one
and after that, of course, all went
wrong. 1t rained the entire day the
imperial globe fell down and the little
cross on the top broke off; the court
painter brought new globe on which
Macronia was painted red instead of
blue, as he had been ordered, and to cap
the climax the queen had a headache
1t came to pass that the welded paii
quarreled for the first time; why or
wherefore they knew not. In short, the
king was cross and the queen was snap
py, and would have the last word. Aft
er the quarrel had gone ON for some
time the queen shrugged her shoulders
disdainfully and said:
"You' We found fault the entire day
And why, pray-you, who can't 60
much as play the jews harp"
He retorted sharply:
You We nothing to say. You can't
even bake ginger nuts. "
For the first time the queen did not
reply, but remained quiet and witt out
exchanging another word they went to
their respective rooms.
The queen seated herself in a corner
of the sofa and wept and thought sadly:
"What foolish wife you are Have
you lost your reason? You should not
have begun quarrel SO stupidity"
The king paced up and down his
room, rubbed his hands and said
at is truly bit of good luck that
my wife can't bake ginger nuts Why
did | answer her when she reproaohed
me for not knowing how to play on the
jews harp?'
After repeating this three or four
times he felt more cheerful He began
to whistle his favorite tune, examined
the large portrait of the queen which
hung in his room, mounted chair, and
with his handkerchief brushed off a
cobweb that hung over her nose and
said:
"She is surely fretting, my good lit.
tie wife I'll see what she's doing
He went down the long hall to her
door, All had gone wrong on this day.
The servant had even forgotten the
lamps, although it was 8 o'clock and
quite dark. He entered the room. put
ting out his hands before him so as not
to stumble against the furniture Sud
denly he felt something warm.
"Who is it?' he said
at is l, replied the queen.
"What's the matter, my pet?"
~ want to ask your forgiveness, "
said the queen, for having been so
CROSS F."
lyon don't need to do that at all,
said the king, throwing his arms about
her neck I'm more to blame than
you are Let's forget all about it There
are two terms that we'll never allow
used in our kingdom, jew s harp and -
"And ginger nuts" interrupted the
queen, laughing, as she secretly wiped
two little tears from her eyes From
the German For Short Stories.