The Cairo bulletin., 1904-01-01
YYOUTHE KING EWOV
~ Ellen Of The Gofden
- Locks...H Story AN0f
The First Leap Year and
IUhaf Happened IN fhe
Court ~ ~ -

that IT was the good SAINT
L. Patrick who made the Leap
Year, for in the before time, as
it is written in the chronicles. maids
might sigh and make great dole out
of measure for that they could not
tell to the man they loved what was
in their hearts till he had spoken OF
| the love that was in his heart
Now this is the story of how the
King found Queen Ellen:
In a land which is all all island
there was once King who had
reigned three years, and the time came
when it was necessary for him to take
wife. But the King was warlike
King, and gave no thought to love.
Upon a day came his ministers, and
said that there must be a Queen to
sit beside him on his throne.
Now stranger had come into the
court of the King bearing news that
the next year was to be a year when
n maids might tell the one they loved
NJ that they desired him for husband, and
II when the King heard this he called
n again his ministers together, saying.
II II have not time for love, but in this
4 new year let all the maids OF my
1 kingdom come before me, and let
1 each say which man she loves. Then,
by my faith, if one choose me, then
| shall she be Queen"
1 Thereupon the King laughed in his
beard, for he believed that in all the
4 land there was not one would choose
l to be the consort Of the man whose
\ ,s'ckeiness was SO great that the fame
4 q it had spread over all the world.
4 Thus it fell On the first day, then,
1 Of the new year all the maids of the
4 kingdom came before the King, and
4 he babe them choose the man they
4 would love forever and ever Now
4 he had not told them of his plan for
that they might be feared to say that
4 they loved the King. Then he lay
Il aside his crown and came down from
1 his throne and stood among his
u courtiers.
The names OF the maids were called
as they fell from the scroll. The first
maid chose Basil the ccurtier, and
Basil was very happy, for that he
bad not dared to tell his love to her.
The next chose Eadfrid, the captain
Of the chief ship, but Eadfrid, the
captain, kissed her and gave her a
silk gown, saying: 81 am bespoke, 3"
4 which was true, for he had married a
maid of France in the last voyage to
that coast. The next maid chose
4 William OF the Black Beard, and they
il two went a little apart from the others
that they might watch what befel
Then other maids chose--sometme
4 winning their lover, sometimes win
ming only the kiss and the silk gown,
as it was decreed in the law. Pres
emily it came about that all the maids
had chosen all save one, who was
called Ellen OF the Golden Locks.
So when he saw that Ellen OF the
Golden Locks had not told which OF
ali men she desired he became pos
sessed of a great love for her, for he
remembered that long before his
father, the Great King, had died, and
while he himself was yet Prince
learning the trade OF war--he remem-
bered that in those days he had known
the little maid and had loved her then
Then he remembered, too, how the
wars came, and how all the years he
had been fighting the enemies of his
country, and how he had forgotten
Ellen Of the Golden Locks.
Then the name OF Ellen OF the
Golden Locks was called from the
scroll. Thus she spoke:
in the whole land there is but on,
whom | desire most. But ! fear tc
speak of him lest he refuse me. ! dc
not want silk gowns, but for the ks.
even then would ! be happy will
that, for | love-hnl--be tter-than-
anything-in--all--
His name!" cried the King
/ Il dare not speak it aloud salt
Ellen of the Golden Locks.
4 Then tell it to me privately"
Thereupon Ellen approached ant
whispered one word in the Kings ear
And then the King kissed her, Their
before all the maids and all TIL
courtiers. Then he led her to hi
throne and made her be seated Their
and placed his crown upon her head
So it came about that the peopl
| knew there was Queen to rule wit
| their King, and there was great re
oGing through all the country, owe
which they ruled happily ever after
ward.
"But why" asked the King upon
| day, "hadst thou not told me of tn
love before?'
In Because there were no leap year
/ then" said the Queen.