The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-22

was dllk1S-Qeep, the, Dl1Ster1ng Hood
had eaten to the bones of her feet;
but on she waded till she stood waist
deep and at once the current ceased
running
All that year the little Princess
stood, holding back the foul flood and
burning to the bone till she was as
black as coal to the waist. But when
the Golden Witch came to renew her
charm, 10! there was no brew for her
in the heart of the mountain. And
though she raved and shook her fists.
she had no power over the little
Princess; and the hearts of the three
brothers stayed only two-thirds
black.
With the second year the food be-
came so great that it reached to the
throat of the little Princess. And it
burned her to the bone and burned
her coal-black to the throat But she
held it back bravely and again the
Golden Witch had to go without her
charm; and the hearts of the three
brothers were only one-third black.
And the third year brought the
greatest flood of all 1t swept on and
on until it ran up to the very fore
head Of the Princess and burned her
eyes out and made her face black and
hideous and wrinkled as an apes. But
she stayed, steadfast and true and
brave, and held back the flood so that
1t could not fall into the magic pool.
And on the last minute Of the last
day OF the third year, the three black
bearded kings suddenly looked at
each other with shining eyes.
"BrothersF cried one. Il know not
what has come over me, but | cannot
bear the sight of all this gold"
DO you remember the valleys Of
our home and our little sister?" cried
the other.
Home! Home!" cried the third.
Home to our good old mother and
father. Why do you tarry?"
They hastened to their ga1leys.
spurning the treasures of the world
out of their path. They c1asped the
hands of those whom they had once
loved and then enslaved, and bade
them go with them and dressed them
in rich garments. So, splendid and
wonderful, they hastened with their
mighty fleet to the old kingdom; and
there found the blind King and the
dying Queen waiting for them.
But where in the meantime was
the little Princess? Burned and blind
and tortured, she struggled out of the
foul place and crept to the seashOre.
where she found the raft still waiting
She climbed laboriously on it, sObbing
with pain.
By and by little wave came along
and stood on tiptoe to look into it. He
ran off and got Others Soon the
II, IL i
recognized the little Princess.
They ragged when they saw what
the magic of the Golden Witch had
done
big rivers! Big rivers!" beloved
the waves of the sea. Hasten! Has
ten!"
Little rivers! Little rivers!" cried
the big rivers when they saw the
Princess. Hasten! Hasten!"
And the little rivers called the
brooks and the brooks called the
ponds and even the bitches, until all
the waters of all the world were to-
gether
Then they arose as one. They
beat at every stOrehouse Of gold on
earth. The little rivers began to tear
all the gold from their grand beds and
hurry it to the sea. The big rivers
poured into every mine and flooded it
and tore away all the fumes and
dams. The sea caught the treasure
ships by the feet and shook them till
their masts fell out Of them
Quickly enough, you may be sure,
did the Golden Witch appear then and
demand an explanation.
Make the little Princess as she
was" cried the little rivers, tossing
more gold into the seas lap.
Restore her beauty at once" said
the big rivers, tearing down few
more dams.
Hurry up!" said the sea, ducking
the treasure ships.
The Golden Witch, as we said be-
fore, was intelligent; and she saw at
once that this was no time for
charms or ceremony. So she stopped
quickly, touched the little Princess,
and at once she was as white and
beautiful as she ever had been. And
the big and little waters carried her
home in triumph.
And ever since then the ocean takes
pains to keep the Golden Witch in
her place as far as possible by drag
ging her treasure ship down into his
deep caves every now and then But
she still enchants men the same as
ever JULIUS MULLER.