The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-02
HIS MAJESTY KING FROST.

It was very warm down in the earth.
and the little violets were longing 10 push
their way up to where they could see the
blue sky and the sun shining.
But the older violets babe them wait.
and spoke TO them OF the bitterly cold
nights, when cruel King Frost held his
revels abroad. and how when be passed
his icy breath made the flowers shrink In
fear. few feeling his touch without pay
ing the penalty of death: and they drew
such pictures of the cruel king that the
baby vioIets huddled up together and
crept closer into the shelter OF their
Mother Root.
Bue one violet scoffed at their fears.
and every day she put out ali her strength
in her efforts 10 grow big and strong
enough TO face the world. till at last one
day she pushed her way Up. She was
very tired with the exsrtion, the strong
light hurting her little yellow eye after
the darkness underground, and she was
very glad TO creep under the largest leaf
she could see.
You are very early said the leaf.
Il am afraid you are in too great a
hurry, for il is bitterly cold when the
White King goes past"
Always that silly tale about the king. ="
thought the violet pettishly.
She first few days were warm and
bright, and the violet grew a beautiful
deep blue, the sun smiled upon her and
the wind famed her gently when the
suns rays grew toe warm. and in the
morning the dew brought her offerings
OF lovely sparkling diamonds. She was
very happy, and thought how silly the
other violets were to have been fright
ened by foolish story; so she called
down to them. but could not make them
hear, for they were so warm and coy
they had all fallen fast asleep.
One evening the leaves whispered to her
that King Frost would be abroad that
night, and she must keep well out or
sight and hide under them or he would
kill her. But she tossed her head and said
she didn't believe in that king. She had
watched for him before. and he never
came. And she refused to bend her stem,
as the leaves wished, and ar last they
left her alone and settled themselves TO
sleep.
1t was very lonely. and the air grew
colder and colder, and. there was great
stiffness. only broken by the rustic of the
sleeping leaves and the whispering of
the trees overhead And presently the
moon rose slowly and the violet saw the
ground was all sprinkled with tiny gems,
and the leaves and moss with powdered
diamonds. And she was frightened and
very cold and tried to shrink back under
the leaves, but found she could not, for
the kings slaves had come in the dark
and coated her stem with fine diamond
powder, and she could not bend it. And
a tear rose in her little golden eye, and
as it rolled down it was frozen into a
hard stone which cut into her tender
petals and hurt her. And then there was
a great hush, and the trees and plants
bowed their heads, for the king was in
sight. And he came in great state. for
1t was his last visit this season First
came his soldiers and eXecutioners. In
uniforms of gray-blue, an icy shade that
made one shiver and think of the CLEAN
of steel. And then came the courtiers
IN green-silver, like moonbeams on the
shining ice; and the kings bodyguard
wore deepest blue, and in the midst
came the king himself, all robed in white,
with trimmings of hoar-frost lace. such
as he sometimes leaves on our windows
to show us he has passed, and he wore
crown of icicles that sparkled with
many colors as he walked. And children
scattered diamond dust before him. which
fell in loneliness, and hid the cruel work
of the eXecutioners.
The poor little wallet shivered. and
hoped the king would not notice her, for
no one else had seen her, but as he
passed he looked and frowned in anger
at her presumption, and the violet
thought her last hour had come, and
prayed 1Or mercy, ana lOoheu 50 plcdu
ing with the glittering tear in her eye
that the king was touched. But he look
ed stern, and told her the penalty for her
presumption in watching him, and not
bowing down as the other plants, was
death; but as she was so young and so
fair he would spare her. and would de-
prive her of her lovely color instead. And
he babe her look in his eyes, and, as she
looked, his eyes grew kind and soft. in
stead and he whispered to her that she
had saved him from life he hated. For
he was doomed to make others suffer till
he found a flower brave enough TO watch
{ for his coming, and now he would be able
| to go back to Fairyland, and another king
would reign in his stead. And then he
i kissed her softly and left her.
Next morning. when the leaves awoke
! they found white violet. so lovely and
pure they thought it must be fairy
spirit, and each day the violet grew less
willful and more thoughtful for the other
plants, till they came to bless her as q
| real fairy spirit. But she could never for
I get the passing of the great White King
! for he had taken her heart as we'll as
her color, and that is the reason of the
wistful look that may be seen in white
vioiets to this day.-Chicago Herald.
4