The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-02

curious to know what other delicate thing was to appear.
 When the beautiful, richly colored and tempting fruit arrived general exclamation of surprise and desire es- caped the lips of all. How ripel how magnificent" cried the King "Ahulis You are a fne creature and deserve our most particular and extraordinary benencence!'' Saying thus the King who was wont to be very economical with such dainties. served them out with his own majestic hands. Each Prince and Princess got two. Each of the court ladies, the viziers and the agas received one. The others he took and began to devour with every symp- tom of keen enjoyment. Goodness mel suddenly exclaimed the Princess Amarza. How strange you look. oh, my father"
 All gazsd at the King and gasped with amusement. Monstrous ears had begun to sprout from his royal head. fearful nose had grown and was sl- ready hanging below his chin.
 Scarcely had they looked ct the King before the eyes of each one looked with the same ainaxement and fright at the rest. All were ornamented with the same horrible features-
 Clamor and screams filled the great dining hall. Terrified. the Princesses hid themselves behind curtains and la mented. while the Princes sent their slaves scurrying on horseback and foot for physicians and learned men. They came in hordes, not only from the city, but from all the domain. hurried 10 tho palace by speedy Arabian horses and ieet camels.
 They ordered pills and mixtures by the pound. but the noses and the ears remained unaltered in all their beauty. One brave Prince consented to an op- eration; but as fast as an ear was cut on another and bigger one sproutsd in its place.
 Muk had heard all about the success of his plan In his place of conoeaiuent. He perceived that 1t was now time to act.
 He had already provided himself with q costume that would disguise him aa a learned man. A long white beard completed his masquerade. Putting the healing figs into . little bag that he concealed about him. he went bold ly to the palace and introduced hifn- self as . foreign physician who was greatly learned in the arts of curing diseases brought about by magic means.
 He was admitted with honors and forthwith led before the King. All the other physiciana had failed so lament ably that at first none of the sufferers felt much hope in his art. They be- lleved even less In him when he brought forth a fig and declared that it would produce . cure.
 But at last one of the Princes took fruit and ate 1t. Instantly hfs nose and ears shrank, with hered away and disappeared, to be replaced by his swn original features. Then. of course, every one tried to get cured first.
 The King. however, feared to let any one be cured before him. He com manded the weeping and impatient Princesses and the eager and hunili- ated Princes and Viziers and Agas to fall back. Then he took the phystcian by the hand and led him silently into the treasure chamber.
 He swept his hand around the great room. Here are my precious possess sions." said he; here Is all my wealth Choose what you will. Whatever it may be. it shall be yours if you will free me from this fearful curse.
 This was as sweet music in the ears of little Muk. He had spied his slip pers on the floor the moment he enter ed. Alongside Of these he saw his cane. He walked around the chamber. as if he were marveling at the Kings treasures. Gradually he edged toward the slippers. As soon as he was abie to reach them without arousing suB- picion he thrust his feet into them. snatched his cane and turned to the King
 Pulling his long beard from his face he showed the astonished ruler the features of his ili-treated little runner.
 Cruel King" said Muk. "that payest faithful servants with ingratitude. punishest the innocent and scndest them forth 10 miseryi Retain. an Thy well deserved penalty, the hIdeoua hae h@1 kalA V leave you the nose and the asses' ears that they may remind you every day anew of little Muk."
 '- Before the startled King could cry out to his guards the dwarf twisted himself violently around on his heel, wished himself leagues away, ana dis- appeared like a gust of wind that swirls over the desert
 Thereafter, made wiser by bitter ax- perience, little Muk sought no moro to gain fortune through the favor of mankind. His slippers bore him to many strange and far places. In the course of his wanderinRs he gathered that learning which he should have had in youth. His cane led hlm to buried treasures more than once; but instead of using them to dazzle the eyes of others or to buy their affac- ton he spent them to alleviate the suffsrings Of the poor and oppressed For himself he retained merely enough to live in peace and comfort in his native city of Nicea. to which he re- turned when he had reached middle age.
 When the dignitary had thus finish cd his tale he serenely took the long stem from his pipe. unscrewed the ann Der mouthpiece and presented to his son the remaining twenty-five marks of honor that he had promised him. The lad expressed his lively regret and ever after little Muk went abroad in his native city saluted by bows as deep as those made before the Kadt
 NEXT SUNDAYS ONE-PAGE CLAs- SIC WILL RE 1.-THE QUEENS NECK LACE" BY ALTXANDRE DUMAS.
 
 Coal Mines and Lumber Camps Busy. St Louis Dispatch to N. Y. Times
 Yellow pine lumber dealers report to the. National Prosperity Association that about s5 per cent of the mills in Louisiana Mississippi Alabama Ar