The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-02
PERSIAN TALES.
The King Takes Walk and Makes
Discoveries.

One day, after his courtiers had been
telling him that he was the greatest
thing on earth and that there was moth
ing more for him to learn, the King
put OFF his robes and donned the suit
of a traveller and headed out into the
country. BY and by as he walked he
came upon a peasant who was moving
the weeds in front of his gate. The
King stopped to ask about crops, and
presently he caught sight of large
bed of green plants and observed:
only day or two ago | heard
banker telling of the scarcity OF the
long green, and behold, here it is in
plenty. He must have been talking to
deceive"
Hast need of the long reen?" asked
the peasant, with smile on his face.
Il need 1t every hour in the day.
Wouldst thou have any objections to
my gathering an armful?'
Not the slightest, master. You can
even bring hithersa a cart and load it up
with the plantGlSs
Thy generosity does thee credit and
will not be forgotten said the King,
as he made break and waded into the
patch. tes5
moment later he was crying out
with surprise and pain and dancing
around with such agility that the peas
ant had to lean against the fence and
laugh.
Il smart! I burnt I prickl" shouted
the King as he rubbed his face and
hands. Fellow, thou hast deceived
me-
You mean that you have waded into
patch of nettles," replied the peasant.
There are fools in the country, mas
ties lies put none FOOL enough TO handle net
But I never beard of them before
Then you had something coming to
you; and have got it. Why, even my old
''Sirrah. I am the King! Thou hast
befooled and bamboozled thine own SOW
ereign, and thou knowest the penalty
of that
ALAS! but If it is so, then am I'M
done. judged thee to be Philadel-
ph1a drummer in the saddlery business.
Here on my knees. o King. I ask thy
may be spared. Come to the house and
my good wife shalt lave thy stings in
sour. milk and ease the pain
A quarter of an hour later, when the
Btings had ceased and the King had re-
covered his composure, he said:
To deceive your King is death. Thou
hast deceived me and shalt lose they
The peasant and his wife set up a
great wailing, and for a minute the
King could proceed no further. When
they ceased he continued:
THAT is, theoretically. Whilst YOU
deceived me, also deceived myself
and don't want to part with my head
Just yet. theoretically patch of net
ties is an aggregation of the long green
Practically the man who thinks so is
an ass. Theoretically 1 gathered. Prac-
tically was gathered myself. Theoret-
1cally you have the bulge on me and
are entitled to grin over my ignorance
and discontinue. Practically it would
reyer do for my subjects to learn that
j knew no better Can YOU suggest
any way out Of the dilemma"
20 King" replied the peasant. as he
went down on his knees, thou hast a
score of courtiers that don't know horse
radish from nettles.''
I believe you are right"
Give them thy commands to gather
horseradish for use in the palace Steer
them this way. Tell them to look for
a peasant with red hair and a cock eve.
They VIII find me and make inquiries,
You'll point out the nettle patch. +
see And they will start in and start
out again. And they will jump up and
down. and blow, and cuss and call
names. And thy good wife shall be
without sour milk, and both of You will
make yourself scarce, and when tba
couruerS return 1 will point to them
In turn and laugh hal hal That it thv
meaning, and that is the way 1t shall
around this fall you show him this ma
per and he will pass you as a SON
of-a-gun. So long to thee both. There
are times when the long green seenneth
needful to man. and there are times
when the long green had better be LET
alone in its pristine luxuriance."
Word having reached the palace OF
His Majesty that the King of England
had twenty peacocks in his gardens
the King of Persia pounded on the
throne with his good right hand and
made oath that he would fill his nall
ace grounds with a thousand birds
and show the manner of man he was
He didn't say anything to his ministers
or courtiers on the subject but desir-
ing to work out the little scheme all
by his lonesome, he took a walk into
the rural regions and brought UP at
the farm of peasant Just as the lat