Evening journal., 1906-12-27

his hands 70 tell his wife the good news
Look" said be, eve have long wanted
a son, and here Is a beautiful little boy
the river has sent u.s."
The woman was delighted and took the
infant and loved il as her own child
They named tho boy Paul
The river flowed on, years passed away,
and the little baby grew Into a handsome
youth In all The VII gss round there
was none TO mplre with him.
lt happened one summer day when Paul
was about twenty years old that the III z
was riding unattended on a Journey to
another part Of the kingdom and the heat
being very great, he stopped before the
isnei man nut % ask for a drink Of water
Paul brought IL to him. The King re-
Barded the young man attentveiy. and
then, turning to the fisherman, who was M
work near by claiming some fish. said:-I
This Is a fine looking lad. Is he your
HE is and he isn't" replied the fisher
man. a found him when he was a tiny
baby floating down the stream in a basket
50 we adopted him and brought him I'D as
our own
Tho King became as pale as death, for he
guessed unat the young man was the same
Y chlu ne had ordered 10 be drowned Re
covering himself, he got down from his
horse and said TO the hsherman:-'I want
/ a trusty messenger to take a letter to
the palace. Could you send the lad with
litg"
with pleasure" was the hsherman's
response. "and Your Majesty may be sure
of its safe delivery"
Thereupon the King wrote 10 the Queen
as follows;-
THE man who brings you this letter
Is the most dangerous OF all nay enemies.
Have his head cut of at once. This muse
be done before my return. such is my
viii and pleasure"
lie carefully folded the misslve and
sealed II with the royal seal. Paul took
the letter and set off Immediately. but
! he had to pass through a forest, where the
trees grew so thick ana the paths were
so lonely and unfamiliar that he went
astray, and the gloom Of evening came on
r while he was still in the deep woods He
was stumbling along as best he could
when he met an old woman who said H.
j where are you going, Paul?"
j 'T am the bearer OF letter from the
! king 10 the queen" he answered, hut /
! have missed the path TO the palace. Could
you. good mother, put me on the right
road?"
Impossible to-day. my child" said she.
1T Is getting dark My cottage Is close
by Stay with me tom ght You will not
2 be with n stranger, for l am your god
mother"
j Paul agreed 70 do as she wished. ani
D they entered a pretty little cottage that
I seemed suddenly TO have risen out of the
aarth. After he had gone to bed the old
woman changed his letter for another
which ran thus
o Immediately on the receipt Of this let
, ter introduce the bearer TO the princess.
our daughter. / have chosen this young
man for our son-in-law and d Is my wish
A that they be married before 1 return to
the palace. Such IS my pleasure"
Paul the right road and he reached the
palace and delivered the letter. When the
queen had read IL she ordered everything
TO be prepared for the wedding. Both she
land her daughter were greatly pleased
with Paul and were quite willing to act
] promptly The wedding took place and
Z nothing disturbed the happiness OF the
newly married pair until the king returned.
IA few days later. on hearing what had
taken place he was very angry and de-
, Imanded Of the queen the reason why she
, mad not obeyed his orders
!, 81 did exactly what you asked me to
2 do" she replied. Come, read the letter
{ you sent me. Here It Is"
B The king examined the letter very closely.
The paper handwriting and seal were all
) undoubtedly his. lie then called his SON
/, in-law and questioned him about his jour
! lney. Paul hid nothing He told how he
had lost his way and how he had passed
the night In the cottage Of an old woman
In the Forest.
what was the old woman like?" asked
the King, and from Pauls description he
knew She was the same old woman he had
Z seen twenty years before at the homie Of
e the charcoal burner. and whom he had
heard prophecy the MARI age Of the child
3 In the cottage 20 the Kings daughter in
% the palace.
y After some moments thought the King
lsald.-"What is done is done; but before
{ accept you as my son-in-law you must
4 bring me three golden hairs from the head
10 OF the giant Phoebus.'
In this manner he thought 10 get rid OF
I the young man, whose very presence was
{ ldisasteful 70 him.
n Paul sadly took leave Of his wife and sci
Z on 81 know not which way to 60" said
he to himself but surely II / earnestly