The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-08-16
The Kings Story Teller
CONCLUDED FROM LAST WEEK.

NSO1NNLOOED rhOh LAST 6Er>-)
The page was appointed keeper of the
Iron Man. and now whenever the King
wanted stories. all he had to do was
to call the page and have one turned
on.
But, alasl One day after the Iron
Man had been turned on the page dis
| appeared The King and his men looked
in vain for him. The fact was he had
been stolen away by tho two story tell
ers, and carried away into the next
kingdom, where he was safely locked
| up.
! The King tried to find some one TO
| turn off the Iron Man. but none could
be found who knew how.
We'll, no matter" said the King, cit
/ ig such a pleasure to hear him, partic-
uiarly as he is not getting tired, that
we'll let him go ahead. When we don't
want to hear him we can go away"
Now, when the clockmaker had made
the Iron Man, he lad fixed his voice at
| the natural tone Of a person talking;
but, by merely touching a peg, 1t could
be made as soft as a whisper, or as
loud as the roar of lion
And one day, while they were NOV
ing him, something struck the peg that
turned on the loud voice. The King
and everyone else present almost
jumped out of their skins.
Stop hfml" cried the King: but no
one could do 1t. Garry him away"
shouted the King.
So they carried him away to a dis
tant part Of the palace. But that was
no use. They could still hear him tell
ing stories, but in a voice of thunder
The King and all his household passed
very bad night. In the morning the
King ordered them to throw the Iron
Man in the river. However. they all
thought 1t a great pity to throw .such
wonderful thing into the river So
they agreed to hide It, and when the
King repented of his rash order TO bring
the Iron Man back again. They carried
him to the remotest part of the gardens
and set him up against a clump of trees
AS the weather was warm and the wiz
dows in the palace were ali open, sew
eral times the frightened servants fan
cied they saw the King listening, fer,
to tell the truth. the Iron Man could
still be family heard
One day the King walked out into the
garden and wandered about in a restless
way. for he was quite unhappy without
his usual stories.
Suddenly he heard the voice of the
Iron Man. In some excitement he ap-
preached the place, though his attend
ants tried TO turn him away, and found
the Iron Man going at the top OF his
ragged that his orders had not been
obeyed, and he again gave commands to
destroy him. BLOW him up" cried the
King. "and l myself will light the
train
So they wheeled the Iron Man to the
great open place in front of the palace
and filled him with gunpowder. When
all was ready they handed the King a
match and be set fire TO the train of
nvrfa In al
Everybody had got of to a safe dis
lance. Of course. The Iron Man went on
telling the story just as ever. In a min
ute there was tremendous noise and
the Iron Man few into many pieces.
An old junk dealer bought the pieces
OF iron and carried them away.
I'VE will never hear him again." said
the King.
Now, in the afternoon OF that day. the
King came into the great throne room
TO receive a certain Ambassador from
another kingdom. He went IN great
state TO the throne, mounted and, turn
ing around, took his seat. He saw signs
of much anxiety on the faces of his
courtiers. They were evidently listen
ing. The voice of the Iron Man could be
plainly heard, but subdued and softened.
Am to be forever tormented by that
Iron Man?" cried the King Where is
he? Did not blow him to pieces?"
Please, your majesty" said one, 1--WE
all hear him; but we have searched the
palace through"
Search again." roared the King. So
everybody searched again, and the King
in his royal robes, his great velvet man
tie trailing upon the palace floor
searched with them. But, though they
looked everywhere, they could not find
the Iron Man. This was not strange,
seeing they had blown him 10 pieces
Yet everywhere the frightened throng
went with the King leading them on
they still heard the voice telling the
same story in softened tone as II II
were hts ghost telling II.
When they had passed through rhe
entire palace the King led them back %
the throne room and sat upon the
throne again, though much disturbed.
and perplexed, to receive the ambassa-
dor. But while the ambassador came
forward everybody looked at the KiSe.
for the voice Of the Iron Man came from
the King himself The King was very
uneasy. AS the ambassador reached the
throne the King arose to go down two
or three steps to meet him, when, 10!
something tumbled out of the velvet
mantel and fell to the floor, just grazing
the poor ambassadors nose As this OBJ
ject lay on the last step OF the throne
disjointed stream of words poured
forth that sounded something like a
story.
"Ah," said the Kipg, who was first 10
speak, still l am pursued by that Iron
Man" 1t was, indeed, the part of the
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