Free press., 1907-02-09
The Story Of0
and a Bad
By

~ NCE upon time there was poor la
borer who. feeling that he had not
his possessions between his son and daugh-
ter, whom he loved dearly.
So he called them TO him and said:
Your mother brought me as her dowry two
stools and a straw bed I have, besides,
hen, pot OF pinks, and a silver ring, which
were given by noble lady who once
away she said to me:
BE careful of my gifts. good man; see
that you do not lose the ring or forget to
water the pinks. AS for your daughter, 1
promise you that she shall be more beauti-
call her Felicia, and when she grows up
give her the ring and the pot of pinks to
console her for her poverty Take them
both then, my dear child" he added, .and
your brother shall have everything else"
The two children seemed quite contented,
and when their father died they wept for
him, and divided their possessions as he had
told them Felicia believed that her brother
loved her. but when she sat down upon one
of the stools, he said angrily:
keep your pot of pinks and your ring,
but lei. my things alone. I like order in my
house."
Felicia. who was very. gentle, said moth
ing, but stood up crying quietly while
comfortably by the fire. Presently. when
supper time came, Bruno had delicious egg,
and he threw the shell to Felicia, saying:
There, that is all can give you if you
don't like it, go out and catch frogs there
are plenty of them in the marsh close by"
Felicia did not answer but cried more bit
terly than ever, and went away to her own
little room. She found it filled with the
sweet scent of the pinks, and going up to
them, she said sadly:
Beautiful pinks, you are so sweet and so
pretty, you are the only comfort 1 have
HnI 1e 6d B very sure tnae e VIII viii take care 0T
stems"
As she bent over them she noticed that
they were very dry. So taking her pitcher, she
ran on in the clear moonlight to the
fountain, which was at some distance. When
G ha Sh S1f he hFin
to rest, but she had hardly done so when
she saw stately lady coming towards her.
maids of honor carried her train, and she
leened upon the arm Of another.
When they came near the fountain can
opy was spread for her, under which was
placed sofa of cloth-of-gold, and present
ly dainty supper was served, upon a
table covered with dishes of gold and crys-
tai, while the wind in the trees and the
falling water of the fountain murmured the
softest music.
Felicia was hidden in the shade, too much
astonished by all she to venture to
move; but in a few moments the Queen
said:
81 fancy I see a shepherdess near that
tree; bid her come hither.
So Felicia came forward and sa1uted the
Queen timidly, but with so much grace that
all were surprised.
What are you doing here. my pretty
child :" asked the Queen. Are you not
n. i.'Ah, madam said Felicia, ga poor shep-
'1erdess who had nothing to lose does not
you are not very rich then?" said the
Queen, smiling.
81 am so poor answered Felicia, that
a pot of pinks and silver ring are my
only possessions in the world
But you have a heart" said the Queen.
''What would you say if anybody wanted to
steal that?''
"I do not know what it is like to lose
ones heart, madam" she replied; ''but I
have always heard that without heart one
cannot live, and If it is broken, must
die; and in spite of my poverty should be
sorry not to live"