The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-02-03
GINGER NUTS.
From the German For Short stores.
- H.. - MI, gthn lad


The king of Macronia (the land of
macaroons, who for some time had been
in the prime of life, had just arisen and
was seated undressed beside his bed His
house minister was there and handed him
his hose. In the heel of one sock was a
hole The king was wont TO pay more
attention to his beautiful boots than to
whole socks. However, the hole did not
escape his sharp eyes On disgust he took
the sock out of the minister hand and
pushed his forefnger through the hole
clear up to his knuckle, saying
"0f what use is it that | am king since
| have no wife? What do You say to my
marrying
Your majesty, that is sublime
thought, a thought that would certainly
have occurred to me, if | may make 50
bold. had not felt that your majesty
most assuredly would deign to utter it for.
yourself
Beautiful = replied the king. d" But
do you believe that l shall be able to End
wife suitable for me
Pooh Ten where Others could find
but one :! said the courtier
Il princess to please me must be clever
aud beautiful. aud there Is one point on
which Law especial stress Yen know
how fond | am Of gingernuts, In uy
whole kingdom there Is not a person Who
understands how to bake them exactly
right, and the princess whom chooee
must know how to do this to perfection.
When the minister heard this, he gave
a whistle Of dismay, but quickly collecting
himself said
"A king ike your majesty viii without
doubt find princess who understands how
to bake ginger nuts.
Ave shall see, VIC shall zee said the
king. and on the very same day. accom-
panied BY the minister he began tour u
the Kingdoms Of his different neishbors
whom he knew had princessez to give in
marriage.
Only three princesses were found Who
were beautiful and clever enough TO suit
the king, and Of these not one could bake
ginger nuts.
Il really cannot bake ginger nuts,
said the FIRST princess in answer To the
king question, "but | can make bcauti
fol hstle almond cakes. Wouldn't those
suii you
No. replied the king. Il mus,
have ginger nuts.
The second princess in reply 20 the
same question Knocked at the king and said
angrily
'.What nonsense Prineesses who can
bake ginger nuts do not exist
The king Jared worse at the hands of
the third, who was the most beautiful and
the most charming.
She gave the king no opportunity to ask
his question. but took things into her own
hands and demanded whether he knees
how to play on the jews harp, aud when
he said he did not she sent him away
He pleased her very much. she admitted,
but she was 50 extrayagantly fond Of music
Of the jews harp that she would never
marry man that could not play IT,
The king aud his minister returned
home, and as they alighted from their
carriage the king said.
Nothing has come of all this
Nothing, your majesty, said the
minister mournfnlly.
.sWhat shall | do?' sighed the king
Il must have a wife
IF you would only give up she ginger
nuts, ventured the minister timidly
''For the good Of my people | will
exclaimed the noble king, aud be resolved
to marry the princess whom he had FIRST
sought
She is the one who knows how to
bake almond cakes, he said. Go aud
ask her if she viii be my wife
The minister went, returned the next
day. and said she was no longer in the
matrimonial market for she had married
the king of the Land of Capers
Then go to the second princess, said
the king. Again the minister returned
without having accomplished anything,
for this princess had died.
Then the king thought long time.
He absolutely must have a wife, SO he or
dered the minister to 20 to the third prn-
cess and see if she had changed her mind
The minister obeyed, though he did it un-
willingly, for his wife assured him that his
errand was a useless one
The king anxiously awaited his return.
His mind was on her question concerning
the jews harp, and the remembrance of
it was most annoying.
The third princess received the minister
very cordially. She said she had changed
her mind about marrying man who could
play the jew 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 go, 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 peo-
pie could talk of nothing else for fort
night
All went well 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
morning with the wrong foot foremost,
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
L