The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-05-06
A Priceless
Stolen Hour

,adstool dinner table, for 1t was din
sr time. But the Fairy Queen could
IT nothing, although charming col
ltion was spread before her-prim'
,se soup. roast acorn with roseleaf
ilad, violet pudding iced with honey,
ad an acorn cupful of freshest morn
lg dew. She glanced at everything
Id sighed. She even frowned. For
re Fairy Queen was methodical
erson, and TO waste be,h the dinner
nd the dinner hour vexed her ex-
,edingly.
The truth was that the Queen had
Jst something very precious that
.orning something so precious that
re just exactly like it could never
= obtained again for ever and ever.
aen she had lost her temper, then
ar appetite, and so finally hel din
er.
THAT makes four losses this morn
gg," she said angrily.
The fays hid their faces in their
obweb pinafores, and the elves, mis-
lievous young sprites as they usual.
? were, now sat almost quite still.
5nly their thumbs twiddled.
Everybody was, in fact, feeling very
acomfortable. for all saw that the
.ueen was in a mighty temper. With
. wave of her wand she caused the
oadstool table and the dinner to van.
n. Then a bell tinkled. 1t was the
lmmons for all the members of the
ousehold to betake themselves TO
le Queens presence.
Presently the audience chamber was
rowded with fays and elves and
xies and gnomes and brownies all
,oking pale and startled by the ex.
,aordinary summons.
With another wave of her wand the
,ueen brought little golden key
nkling down on to the throne upon
shich she sat. She held the key up
igh so that all could see it.
This is the key to my Time Cub.
'oard," she said, (which key no one
An use except myself, and which |
eep wrapped up in scrap. OF blue
. loud where none can find 1t. And
ct. this morning, when | went to. my
line Cupboard. | found that an hour
ad been stolen-a whole beautiful
olden Hour, with its sixty golden min.
ties and their sixty golden seconds
IL complete. II was a priceless
lonr stolen from a glorious summer
AZ. Now each OF you must come be-
ore me and declare on your fairy hon.
. that you did not steal that hour"
As she spoke the last words little
'-rown gnome, now cream color with
ear. slipped out Of the audience
1amber. No one noticed ttn. for all
fere too intent upon the business be-
IRE them. One by one they advanced
nd declared upon ;'.eir fairy honor
aat they had no. stolen the golden
our.
When the last one had made his
-eclaration, the Queen waved her
and and dismissed them all from her
essence.
Then she summoned the Prime Min.
ter, and told him the story of the
st Hour. He was a giant, with the
ce and stature of a grandfather S
: ock, and his voice was as its chimes.
There is only one way of finding
Ut who is the culprit," said the Prime
mister. I'VE must examine all the
ours you have given out and see
hich one has been returned blank
I'd to whom it belongs. For a silver
our and the golden one could not
9TH be used at once"
"Oh, / never thought of that" said
re Queen; I'VE will go through the
our cellars this very afternoon"
To understand the above remarks
erfectly you must know that every
idnight the Queen served out tc
:ch of her household twenty-four s.l
er Hours for their use during the fol
1wing day, In return she received
senty-four silver Hours which hat
cen used in the day just passed, ant
pon each Hour was inscribed the
ork done during the sixty minutes
hen all these used Hours were stored
way carefully for reference in thu
our cellars. Sometimes, when it wa:
fete day, such as the Queens ami
ersary and similar occasions. half
ozen beautiful golden Hours woulc
served out to the delighted fairies
n golden Hour was q holiday Hour
was one Of these that had beei
solen!
Now there was among the Queen
,tinue young founding. One da,
hen the Queen was hunting in th,
rest just beyond the borders O
airy-Land, she had come across
nall boy asleep, with his arm unde
curly head. The Fairy Queen tool
fancy to him. She learned that h
as playing truant from school be
'use he did not like lessons, and be
use he had made up his mind to q
Fairy-Land. where everyone coul
- Just what he liked.
$50 that Is your idea of Fairy.Lant
itY' the Queen had said. well. yo
'aii go with me to Fairy-Land, an
en- you VIII see for yourself"