Barbour County index., 1910-08-31
HOW LovING-cUP ORIGINATED
Interesting Story Telling How Power
full King Of Ancient Taught
, Ignorant Lesson.

The so-called 1oving-cup" is COM
mon nowadays and we see it every
where. But many years ago there
were no such things as these queer
three-handled affairs. and the follow
ing story tells how they first happen
ed to be made:
Once upon a time, centuries before
US there lived a great and powerful
king who was extremely fond of hunt
ing. He was one day in huge forest
pursuing a stag, but it was so feet
and clever that 1t eluded him and his
band of followers, and led them en-
tirely out of their way. After wander
ing about in a hopeless fashion they
finally came upon little hut and the
king himself dismounted and raped
smartly upon the door.
A young girl answered his knock
and soon showed the men the right
path. The king was about to go when
he saw well near the house and at
the sight of the clear water Immediate
ly felt thirsty, and going back, asked
the girl for drink. Without hesita-
ton she went into the house and came
out with an earthen jug filled with the
well water. But, instead of offering
his royal majesty the handle, as most
people would, she held that herself
and handed him the cup the wrong
way.
The king said nothing, thanked the
girl, and he and his band soon found
their way out of the woods.
But when he reached his palace, he
determined to reward the girl for CIV
ing him the water and at the same
time to teach her a lesson in polite
ness.
Sending to his jeweler, he bade him
! make silver cup with two handles
and deliver 1t to the young girl without
word from whence it came.
Perhaps month after this the king
again hunted In that same forest.
! sought the little hut, and asked the
girl for another drink Of water.
This time she entered the house and
full of sparkling water.
Now" thought the king, "she has
certainly learned lesson" But
never was he more mistaken, for the
| poor, ignorant girl took a handle in
each hand and for the second time
offered her hege lord nothing but the
side of the cup.
The king rode away deeply per-
picked. He was still resolved to teach
the girl the polite way to hand a cup
without directly rebuking her, and
many were the hours he spent in cud-
geling his brains for some way in
which to do it. At last bright idea
struck him, and he sent for his Jew
eler a second time.
Make me-" said he to the man, "a
silver cup, heavily chased, and with
my royal crest and put three handles
on it.
The jeweler much surprised (for re-
member no such thing had ever been
heard of up to this time), did as he
was told, and soon the mug was fin
ished. AS before, the king had 1t
privately sent to the girl who lived in
the little hut
One day not long after this for the
third time he rode into that forest
and taking the now well known path
soon reached the cottage. Dismount.
ing he knocked at the door and asked
humbly for drink of clear water.
The girl Immediately came out with
the beautiful three-handled cup and Ia
king two Of the handles in her hands
she offered him the third.
So the king rode away, well pleased
with his strategy, and reaching home
ordered three-handled cups to be made
in every sort Of ware, and they be
came so popular that we now have
them in all our shops and stores.