The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-27

The sister Of the Queen talked !. NJ
with the nurse and gave her many PICK. s
| Of gold Tffn she lifted the Prircess.
ana placing Der own child In the era i.e
| said: My aut liter shall be Princess ana
Queen. and as the people have no seen
he child Mimi. no one win be the str
Ard 1 shall lear Mimi, pretending she Is
my ow:I-
hey La not noticed the cat Mar
during this e nversaton. His bacs was
/ archcd. his ,ail waved like a plum, mi
his jade green eyes emitted sparks -
sooner had the plotters left the room,
leaving the princess on a couch. than he
sprang upon the dressing case and made
fast the Queens jewel box by tying a
! knot in his tail. He then leaped upon the
couch and, lifting the baby Mimi by
! the nape Of her neck, ran out OF doors
with her.
Down TO the shore hurried Marmo. car
/ rying the baby, until he came to a fisher
mans eory tied to the pier. With velvet
! paws he stepped into the boat and drop
/ ped the princess gently on a coil OF rope
in the STERN as heavy tread of the fisher
man was heard. Then Marmo taking
from the jewel box a ring Of little value.
bowed courteously to the fisherman, and
sad:
/ Sir. 1 pray you to accept this ring as
| fee for a passage across the channel for
! this child and myself"
| The fisherman wondered greatly, but he
| took the ring and rowed hard over the
waves, for he feared Marmo, thinking him
a magician.
| IN this way Marrno followed the fisher
man TO his Gotta ge very fast indeed, for
| the man was so terrified by his strange
visitors that he ran every step of the
way
You will do yourself no injury, o fish
erman," began the cat, by taking from
me this bracelet, studded with gems. in
return for shelter ard excellent cows
milk for myself and child. A diet of such
fish as you catch is agreeable to me also"
The hsherman's eyes sparkled when he
saw the jewels, and he replied:
1T will afford me great pleasure, o
much esteemed cat. 10 extend TO you the
shelter of my humble roof
He thought, "Ahar Now L know what
is in that casket."
The hsherman's wife marvelled at the
strange pair, and the rich robes OF the
baby. but she set upon the board milk
and fish as the cat directed
Many days passed and BIarmo purred
to soothe the baby's crying d waved his
tail and sheathed and urshea he'd his shin.
ing claws to amuse her. V hile she slept
he walked on the beach with the fisher
men and learned many things about the
taking OF fish and Holsters. He considered
buying a dory and trying his fortune on
the deep sea when the jewels were gone.
Every night when their gueFts were
asleep the fisherman and his wife hunted
the casket. They did not find it, for the
cat had hidden IT under a brick OF the
hearth.
When the queens sister returned 10
carry away the princess ner anger knew
no bounds. She was forced 10 be con-
tent with declaring that her own child
had been stolen. The news spread to ev
cry town in the kingdom.
The fisherman and his wife. seeing the
chance of reward, Immediately took ceun-
sci with their neighbors. rs not this cat
the thief" they said. How did he get
possession of this richly clad infant and
this box of gems?"
Put him in irons" said the neighbors.
He shall be brought before the King
and tried by seven judges.
SO they led Marmo before the King and
the court and the seven white wigged
Judges, proclaiming that they had taken
the thief and claiming reward.
Prisoner at the bar, what have you IL
say In your defense?" demanded the first
Of the seven judges.
Then the cat, with salaams 10 the King,
unfolded the story of the queens wicked
sister. how she had changed the babies
in their cradles that her own child might
be queen, how he. Marmo, had rescued
the princess
And" he concluded, ''honorei sirs, If
you doubt my words go TO the hut of the
fisherman, where you will find the Queens
Jewel box containing the royal signet
ring, hidden under a brick Of the hearth
Look. moreover. at the infants them
selves. and say which resembles the
queen and which the wicked lady, her
sister.
These things they did. and found the
casket as the cat had said. and the Prin-
cess Mimi was declared the image Of her
sainted mother.
The wicked sister was banished from
the land the nurse imprisoned and the
fisherman and his wife were sent away
without reward.
The King was so pleased with the sa-
gacity OF the cat that he made him
Prime minister of the realm. Msrmo
filled that position ably throughout the
reign of the King and that of Queen Mini,
who was guided by his advice in all the
Affairs of state.-Anna Low Glen in New
York Herald