Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-06-16
BOYS AND GIRLS.
ORIGIN OF THE LOVING CUP.

The loving cup is very common
nowadays, and we see it everywhere.
But many years ago there were no
such things as these queer three
handled affairs, and the following
story tells how they first happened to
be made:
Once upon a time centuries before
us, there lived a great and powerful
king who was extremely fond OF
hunting. He was one day in forest
pursuing a stag, but it was so fleet
and clever that it eluded him and his
band of followers, and led them en-
tirely out of their way. After wan
dering about in a hopeless fashion
they finally came upon a little hut,
and the king himself dismounted and
raped smartly upon the door.
A young girl answered his knock,
and soon showed the men the right
path. The king was about to go,
when he saw a we'll near the house,
and at the sight of the clear water i'm
mediately felt thirsty, and, going
back, asked the girl for a drink.
Without hesitation she went into the
house and came out with an earthen
Jug filed with the we'll water. But,
instead of offering his royal majesty
the handle, as most people would do,
she held that herself, and handed him
the cup the wrong way.
The king said nothing, thanked the
girl, and he and his band soon found
their way out of the wood.
But when he reached his palace he
determined to reward the girl for
giving him the water and at the same
time to teach her lesson in polite
ness.
Sending to his jeweller, he babe
him make a silver cup, with two
handles, and deliver it to the young
girl, without a word as to whence it
came.
Perhaps a month after this the king
again hunted in that same forest,
sought the hut and asked the girl for
another drink of water.
This time she entered the house and
came out with beautiful silver cup,
full OF the sparkling water. "Now,"
thought the king, "she has certainly
learned lesson" But never was he
more mistaken, for the poor, ignorant
girl took handle in each hand, and
for the second time offered her liege
lord nothing save the side of the cup.
The king rode away deeply per-
picked. He resolved to teach the
girl the polite way to hand cup with
out directly rebuking her, and many
were the hours he spent in cudgelling
his brains for some way in which to
do it. At last a bright idea struck
him, and he sent for his jeweller the
second time. snake me-" said he to
the man, ga silver cup, heavily chased,
and with my royal crest, and put three
handles on it." The jeweller, much
surprised-for remember, no such
thing had ever been heard of up to
this time-did as he was told, and
soon the mug was finished. AS before
the king had it privately sent to the
girl who lived in the little hut.
One day not long after this for the
third time he rode into that forest
and, taking the now we'll known path
soon reached the cottage. Dismount'
ing, he knocked at the door and asked
humbly for drink of clear water.
The girl Immediately came out will
the beautiful three handled cup, ant
taking two of the handles in hel
hands, she offered him the third.
So the king rode away we'll pleased
with his strategy and reaching home
ordered three handled cups to be
made in every sort of ware, and they
became SO popular that we now have
them in all our shops and stores.-
Exchange.