Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-17

was scinx home. as he had been ordered
by the strutting chamberlain. He was
thinking how he never again should ses mis-
kind little Princess Pistails.
Because he was sorry and fearful, MS
eyes were on the ground. and he saw 2
rubber ring lying in his path. He picked 1t
He was q manly little fellow and did
not want anybody at home to see tears in
his eyes, 80 he went down to the shore
and he1sted his wee sail, and. although 1t
was very late. put out on the sunset sea.
The motion of the waves iuiied him to
sleep. Tho day passed into night. The
boat rocked farther and farther away, and
Chris dreamed that q strange thing hap
seemed to be following In his wake. They
came silently ON. ooeyfng his every turn
as though his boat were their rudder.
Across the high bows. rows OF white scared
frightened whispers. At last in the still
night he caught the strange words:
THE rubber ring! The rubber ring!'
Cold and shivering. he Weakened and
enough. there were the black ships. the
white, scared faces and the softly whis-
pered words. He puts his hand into his pock-
ct and felt the rubber ring he had put
there Then. swiftly homeward he turned
his tiny craft; swiftly. too. turned the
great black feet.
The morning broke. A bright crowd of
wondering people stood on the shore watch
ing a wee brown boat bobbinE over the
waves with all the pirate fleet in tow.
Nearer and nearer 1t came and great,
glad cheer went up from all the kings men
when they recognized the shining head OF
Chris the little fisherboy. You see every
body knew Chris and loved hfnf-everybody
but the saliow. puffed-up chamberlain who
couldn't see anything beyond the end of
his old nose, any how.
Somebody ran and told the story to the
king, who sat up in bed with his red night
cap on and rubbed his eyes.
Well. well! You don't say! Well,
werr' he yawned. trying to wake up.
Bring the boy to me with the leader Of
the pirate band. Let there be rejoicing
throughout the land, for from its most
dreaded foe 1t Is at last delivered"
SO Chris washed his face and went up to
the court with the big black-haired pirate.
! who seemed ridiculously afraid of him,
and he was so little!
well, weii.' cried the king, quite awake,
as Chris finished his simple story and put
his hand into his pocket to show the people
the rubber ring.
why it isn't there!" he said
And this Is the reason 1t wasn't there,
for 1t Is the story the pirate told before the
king, which you may believe or not, just
as you choose:
Once upon a time the captain of all the
pirates upon all the seas was wicked
wizard. The very instant he stepped upon
deck a strange power entered into that
ship and 1t drew and held In Its wake every
boat in sight. More cruel and more wicked
grew this man afoat. Even his own men
feared him. At last, when he was dying,
a bright spirit came and condemned his
soul to be bound in rubber ring. Never
could it be free until some one by chance
found it, and all unknown1ng, should lead
his ships into the captivity of the people
he had so often wronged-the subjects Of
the King Of Borderland.
The night before. as the men were PLAN
ming to pillage the coast, they felt the old
familiar power drawing their ships, and
pale with fear they remembered the soul
in the rubber ring.
The king knew the rest.
So he did. He gave the pirates to the
people that they might make good citizens
of them. To the boy. Chris. he offered his
daughter, the Princess Pigtails, and half
his crown. QIe'd thought it all over and
decided that 1t was wiser than giving the
whole and so it was, SO it was)
j But Christ did not seem overjoyed with
the gifts. He said he thought the crown
| must be heavy, and he guessed he'd rather
go home and white out ship like the
biggest one of the pirate fleet. He prom
ised to come up sometimes, when he felt
| like it. to make mud pies in the back yard
with Pigtails, but he didn't think he would
| like to have girl around all the time.