Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-07-11
THE FIRST SOAP BUBBLE.

For little boy like me!
II. H. Fiske, in Good Housekeeping.
THE FIRST SOAP BUBBLE.
1t was the most beautiful land ina
ginable, for the sky was blue With
cloudlets sprinkled here and there in
snowy heaps; and the flowers never
faded, but were always fresh, bright
and fragrant.
1t seemed only natural, therefore,
that when wee princess was born to
the good King, she should resemble
a sweet tiny flower. with her sunny
brown hair and great blue eyes softly
fringed with long. dark lashes. They
called her Pansy, and from her birth
the dear little Princess gave no one
any trouble, nor caused any disturb
ance in the royal house.
Now her fathers kingdom was
large one, and difficult to manage;
for in those days the age had come
when people began to make inven-
tons. bringing them to the King to
earn money and make themselves
famous; but their ruler was not al
ways willing to hear them and grant
requests made to him by foolish peo-
pie who knew not how to invent
something which would be of use in
the world. For one particular inven-
ton, however, the King paid large
sum, and that one was a pipe. Now
tho Lipo hooop To lilo cD,ol,ipo opd
the rest of his subjects quickly fol-
lowing his example, the country soon
embraced this new diversion.
The little Princess was, of course.
very much interested in the invention,
as the King kept her with him most
of the time, and Pansy liked nothing
better than to be allowed to enter his
private study, there to examine with
curiosity the pipes which fairly lined
its walls-pipes of wood and clay,
and others with amber mouthpieces,
of silver and gold handles; however,
her own little clay pipe pleased our
Princess best of all. 1t was a very
plain little one of clay, with only the
moulded figure of a fairy on the
bowl, but it was so clean and white
and pretty that she begged her father
to let her keep it.
One day the Princess was being
washed, for even princesses can get
dirty after mornings romp, and.
after her little hands had been dried,
she dabbled the pipe around in the
IN, lilo Iod.
dy," cried the child, laughing gayly
as she raised the pipe to her lips and
blew through the hollow handle. To
her surprise there came from the
mouth of the bowl beautiful filmy
ball, through which cleaned colored
lights, and showed distinct reflec-
ton OF the room, the window, the
garden beyond, and the wondering
face of little Pansy, as she blew and
blew; while the bubble grew larger
and larger, so soft and quivering
with the airs slightest motion, so
beautifully round and transparent,
that the Princess, in her delight and
surprise, took the pipe from her
mouth, laughing aloud with glee. But
her smiles changed to tears, as
moment after the soap bubble. rising
and floating gently in the air before
her, suddenly vanished away.
Never before had Pansy or her at
tendants seen ball Of water filled
with air. The little Princess, In her
disappointment at its loss, began to
weep loudly Her sobs, which no one
could stop, brought the King from his
council chamber across the open
court yard, and, raising his little
daughter to his knee, he tried to
quiet the child Could he not, and
would he not, give her anything she
might desire? Finally the royal nurse
prepared some soapy water. dipped in
the fairy pipe, and blew once more.
Again that soft, enchanting nothing
appeared, and, waving to and fro
again vanished as puff of wind
came through the open easement
from the balmy air outside. Before
the little Princess had time to cry
out once more, the King followed the
maids example to please his little
daughter, and Pansy, finding it as
easy to blow her bubbles as to weep
over their strange disappearance.
dried her eyes and pushing back her
curls ran out into the garden with
her dear plaything. For hours she
blew and tossed the bubbles up into
the sunlit air, delighting in their
graceful, swaying motions and their
bright colors, as they reflected grass
and flowers in beautiful harmony
Grace Litchfield in st. Nicholas.