The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-27

clared joyously: Splendid, by the Dukes beard! Will you try a bit, excellency? He offered a spoonful to the master of the palace. who tasted smacked his lips in turn and cried, Such glorious soup has never been tasted before
 The assistant chief cook approached the dwarf respectfully and shook his hand, | saying, You are a master of your art
 At that moment the chambelain of the Grand Duke appeared to order the break fast. The dwarf's dishes were sent up in state and the chief cook begged the dwarf to accompany him to his apartments to await the verdict of his highness. They had been there only a few minutes when a messenger brought the chief cook a summons from his noble master. The chief cook swiftly decked himself in state costume and departed.
 The Grand Duke was wiping his beard as the chief cook entered. His face beamed with pleasures.s Hear me-" said his highness. 'I have generally been well satisfied with your cooks; but never have I tasted so excellent a breakfast as I did this morning. What is the name of ! the cook who prepared it?'
 Lord that is a wondrous tale" replied the chief cook, and recounted the tale of the dwarf's arrival. The Grand Duke inn mediately commanded that the latter be brought before him. Jacob did not tell him that he had been transformed into ] a squirrel and had learned cooking from a fairy. He contented himself with say ing that he had learned the art from an old woman, and the Grand Duke asked no more.
 'If you will remain with me-" said he, T will pay you 50 ducats and give you a gala dress each year. You must pre- pare my breakfast daily, superintend the other repasts and manage the kitchen generally. Your name shall be Long Nose, and your rank shall be that of as- sistant chief cook"
 Dwarf Long Nose fell to his knees be- fore the mighty Duke and kissed his feet, pledging him faithful service.
 The Grand Duke became a different kind of person from that moment. Be- fore that he had often deigned to hurl the plates at the heads of his cooks He had thrown a leg of veal at the head of the chief cook himself one day with such good aim and force that the great func- tionary had to keep his bed a week.
 It is true that the Grand Duke always tried to heal the wounds of his attend ants with a few handfuls of ducats, but for all that, no cook ever approached him without fear and trembling. Now, how ever, all was changed His hiShness ate five times a day instead of three times, and never furled his brows in anger He was always gracious and merrv and grew stouter day after day.
 Sometimes he would call the dwarf and the chief cook, make them sit by his side and put bits of the food into their mouths with his own fingers-an attention which made them the envied of all beholders.
 The dwarf became the admired of the city. Great people begged for permis- sion to send their cooks to the ducal kitchen to learn. Each one paid half ducat for lesson. In order to keep the other servants friendly, Long Nose gave them the money.
 He lived thus in great comfort for two years, saddened only by the thought of his parents. Then one morning he went to market to select a goose. His figure did not arouse laughter and ridicule now. Everybody bowed to the celebrated ducal cook and every stall owner felt overjoyed when the great nose pointed his way.
 At the very end of the place in an ob- scure corner Long Nose spied woman who had geese for sale, but who did not cry them like the rest. He examined the birds. They were the finest he had seen. He bought three and took them on his shoulders, cage and all.
 On the way home 1t struck him as strange that while two of the geese kept up a great noise, the third one sat per fectly still and only gave vent now and then to sounds curiously like groans.
 "she seems sick" said he to himself. q wonder whether I would better kill herr"
 Immediately the goose said distinctly:
 If thou try to murder me
 To the tomb I'll hurry thee"
 Long Nose set the cage down in fright. The goose looked at him and he saw that her eyes were intelligent and deep. "What Miss Goosev' said he. Can you speak? Well, why should be surprised? Was I not a squirrel once?"
 q was not born in this shameful garb, said the goose. Alas, who would have thought that Mimi the daughter of the great wizard Weatherbucl, would be slain for the kitchen of Grand Duke"
 "Be easy, Miss Mimi" said the dwarf. You shall be perfectly safe. I will take you to my own apartments and tell the rest that l am fattenng you with rare herbs for the Duke Then, when l find opportunity, will set you at liberty.
 The goose thanked him with tears The dwarf slaughtered the other two geese and took Mimi into his rooms. where he fel her or pastry and other dainties. Whenever he had leisure he repaired to her to talk with her and comfort her.
 They exchanged stories and Mimi told Long Nose that she had been stolen from her fathers palace in Gothland by wicked fairy who had transformed her into q goose.
 When she heard the dwarf story she said: You were enchanted through herbs. If you can find the herb that transformed you, you can wish yourself back into your original shape"
 About this time the Grand Duke was honored hy a neighboring duke with a visit. He summoned Long Nose and said: r"rhe time has come for you to prove that you are loyal to me and a true master of your art The duke who is visiting me Is the greatest epicnre of the age after me, and he is a wonderfully wise man about cooking. You must so serve me that he will be more amazed every day You must not serve the same dish. twice while he is here. You may draw whatever you please from my treasurer. If you must fry gold and diamonds do it! l would rather become beggar than to be made to blush before him!'
 The little cook drew on all his skill. He was as prodigal with his masters wealth as with his own brain and strength All day long he stood yelled