Free press., 1907-02-09
OF PINKS
Prince and Princess
L. AAcoH

''Ah, madam she answered simply, "if
have your friendship will do very we'll
So the Queen took the ring and put it on
her finger and mounted her chariot, which
was made of coral, studded with emeralds
and drawn by six milk-white horses. And
Felicia looked after her until the winding
of the forest path hid her from her sight
and then she went back to her cottage
thinking over all the wonderful things that
The first thing she did when she reached
her room was to throw the cabbage out OF
the window.
But she was very much surprised to hear
an odd little voice cry out: "Oh, I'm half
killed! =" and could not teII-Where it came
from, because cabbages do not generally
speak.
AS soon as it was light, Felicia, who
was very unhappy about her pot of pinks
she found was the unfortunate cabbage. She
gave it a push with her foot, saying: what
are you doing here, and how dared you put
yourself In the place of my pot of pinks p
If I hadn't been carried replied the
cabbage, you may be very sure that ]
wouldn't have thought of going there"
1t made her shiver with fright to hear
the cabbage talk, but he went on:
If you will be good enough to plant me
where your pinks are at this moment-hid-
den in Bruno's bed!"
Felicia was in despair when she heard
this, not knowing how she was to get them
back But she replanted the cabbage very
kindly IN his old place, and, as she fin
ished doing it. she saw Bruno's hen, and
Come here, horrid little creature you
shall suffer for all the unkind things my
brother has done to me-
''Ah, shepherdess," said the hen ''don't
Kill me; am rather gossip, and can tell
you some surprising things that you will
like to hear. Don't imagine that you are
the daughter of the poor laborer that brought
you up; your mother was Queen who
had six girls already. and the King threat
ened that unless she had a who could
inherit his kingdom she should have her
head cut OF.
daughter she was quite frightened. and
agreed with her sister (who was a fairy
to exchange her for the fairy's little son
Now the Queen had been shut up in a great
tower by the Kings orders, and when 3
great many days went by and still she
heard nothing from the fairy, she made heI
ladder, taking her little baby with her
After wandering about until she was hall
dead with cold and fatigue, she reached this
cottage. I was the laborer's wife and was
a good nurse, and the Queen gave you into
my charge, and told me all her misfor-
tunes, and then died before she had time
to say what was to become of you.
As never in all my life could keep
a secret, 1 could not help telling this strange
also. When I had finished she touched me
with wand she held in her hand, and in
Stantly became a hen, and there was an
end OF my talking. I very sad, and
my husband, who was out when it happened
never knew what became of me- After seek
ing me everywhere, he believed that. must
have been drowned, or eaten up by wild
beasts in the forest. That same lady came
here once more, and commanded that you
should be called Felicia, and left the ring
and the pot of pinks to be given to you :
and while she was in the house twenty-five
of the kings guards came to search for
you, doubtless meaning to kill you; but she
muttered few words, and Immediately they
all turned into cabbages. 1t was one of
them which you threw out of your window
yesterday.
81 don't know how it was that he could
speak, have never heard any of them say
word before, nor have I been able to do
so myself until now"
The Princess greatly astonished at
the hens story, and said kindly: st am
truly sorry for you, my poor nurse and
wish it was in my power to restore you to
your real form. But must not despair ;
it seems to me, after what you have told
that something must be going to happen
soon. Just now, however, / must go and
look for my pinks, which I love better than
anything in the world
Bruno had gone out into the forest never
thinking that Felicia would search in his
room for the pinks, and she was delighted
by his unexpected absence, and thought to
get them back without further trouble but
as soon she entered the room, she saw
a terrible army of rats, who were guarding
the straw bed and when she attempted to
approach it, they sprang to her, biting and
scratching furiously. Quite terrified she
drew back, crying out, "Oh, my dear pinks
how can you stay here in such bad COM
pany?''