The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-05-10

A Tale of How the Prince of
Gardenia Ran Away From a
Princess He Had Never Seen
and Fell in Love With Her

IN HE Prince of Gardenia looked out of the win
dow, out over his kingdom, and sighed. As
far as he could see all was so prim, so cor
rect and regular that it gave him pain Every
tree was trimmed IN some prescribed shape, every
hedge was of just the proper height, every
where the marble statues, fountains terraces, gate
ways and even the rocks were evidently cared tor
by tasteful guardians. There was not one broken
fence rail, not gnarled root exposed, not stray
flower OF plant IN all the kingdom, and everything
that could be painted, polished vanished shOne
immaculate.
The children in Gardenia never scratched any
thing, or mussed up any spot, for they played as
sedately as old grannies. Even the chickens acted
If something were on their minds when they hap
pened to be abroad. Nowhere mud-puddle or
tumble-down ruin to break the monotonOus pertec-
ton. In the meadows and sheep, with punk
bows their horns, in cedar sites pigs, all washed
and scented, horses with name and tan forever
tied IN pretty knots with narrow red or blue RIB
bons and the very dogs all curled, cOmbed and
Haunting great bows of satin.
YEARNED FOR REAL LIFE
The poor tired Prince had seen this all his life
and he yearned for a change. he knew that
outside of Gardenia it different, although he
had never been allowed to 90 outside All his life
had been spent IN the trim, spruced-up realm OF
Gardenia, and he envied the birds and butterflies
chasing each other from light to shade, for they
were about the only things not arranged according
to rule and fashion
The Prince had Just received word that the
Princess whom he to marry would arrive that
week at his palace He had never seen her. and he
did not know how she looked, for he had never
seen even picture of his future bride, and the idea
of marrying stranger seemed horrible to HIM,
but as that is the custom among Royalties he could
not object. To do so would be an innovation, and
innovations and novelties were frOWned upon IN
Gardenia
The Prince felt deep yearning to do some
thing different and strange In all his life he had
never been outside of his palace grounds except in
his carriage but he knew that beyond his own bor-
ders there were wild and uncultivated spots where
merry boys rolled and frohcked, and this IS what
he wished to do just once before he was married
and settled down. The Royal Council was just then
debating whether to lay out the kingdom IN blue or
scarlet flowers and, tired of the squabble, he lad
strayed into this chamber to look at what Nature
had done while the debate was going on.
He suddenly decided that If he was ever to have
a little liberty now was the time while no one was
considering him, for soon he would be married and
then 1t would be too late.
WENT FOR a SWIM
He sprang from the window-siH to the green
svard below and slipped out Of the great gilded
gate then hurried down the white road until out of
sight of the palace guards. re was walking very
fast and soon came to the frontier of his kingdom,
and, finding the sentinel sound asleep, he slid past
the little guardhOUse without awakening him.
Soon he had left Gardenia mile behind. He
delighted at all that he saw Here were rough
brush into which rabbits darted In fright and quail
piped IN the fields, where the grass tall his
waist. Old, dead trees hung over the scraggly de-
caved fences, and he saw a wOOdchuck sneak behind
q decayed log. A narrow brook clear as crystal,
babbled along through the fields and he followed It
eagerly until 1t broadened and swept along tran
gully through broad emerald meadows, where the
trout Ieaped wildly into the air at moths and flies;
then it flowed around forest where 1t became
river over which the tall trees leaned carelessly,
looking down into its dark green mirror at their
i.~Ar@ -E0r
sand, and the h1nped water tempted the Prince to
throw off his clothes and plunge into the cool
depths as he had often heard of the common peo-
pie doing.
He followed the thought by action, and in a few
minutes his gorgeous costume of gold and crimson
lay all piled UP under tree, and he was splashing
around IN the water with huge delight.
GU not imagine what fun this first bath
was He had been taught to swim IN a vast tank
Of silver and alabaster in the palace, but now he
how different real swim IN fresh flowing
water was. He dove and splashed about In the cool
clear water like otter until he tired, and then
padded back to the shore
ONLY DIRTY RAGS LEFT
Here, where he had laid his gorgeous clothing
carefully under a tree, he found only pile of
ragged garments. For minute he stared at them
vgOnderingly, then 1t TO his mind that his
clothes had been stolen and the thief had left his
own rags. This really had happened, for tramp
passing by and seeing the splendid apparel had
promptly taken them, but had been kind enough to
exchange them for his own, else the poor Prince
would have been left naked in the woods, and this
wouldn't have been very pleasant, although the
weather was warm.
The Prince took long time to make up his mind
- wear these dirty rags, but finally he put them
with q shudder, and then started TO return to
his palace. When he arrived at the frontier the
sentinel halted him, demanding his passport, and
when the Prince, haughtiy scorning him, tried to
pass, the guard presented a bayonet at his breast
and then drove him back.
He laughed when the Prince told him his name
and then said if he stayed there two minutes more
he would shoot. So the Prince decided to retreat
and went down the road in rather a hurry. Soon
he to the brook once more but this time he
did not follow its windings, but kept ON across the
bridge, and after walking for an hour came upon
artist painting a picture of the road with its
Oyerhanging willows.
Now the Prince also was, many princes sre
pretty good artist himself and he stopped to look