The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-10-16
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resent injuries CULVER soon began to
doubt If he were injured at all, and
having been so long with these people
as to become accustomed to their size
he had no doubt that if he had suddenly
seen a company of English lords and
ladies in their finery acting their Sc
eral parts in a solemn and courtly man
ner he would have laughted at them as
heartily as the king did at him.
Nothing angered and mortified GULL
yer as much as the quefn's dwarf, who,
being of the lowest stature ever known
not above 80 feet high. If he was
that-became especially insolent to one
so much smaller than himself. and sell
dom failed to insult CULVER on ac-
count of his littleness. CULVER could
only retort by calling the dwarf broth
err" offering to wrestle with him and
indulging in such other repartee as is
usual in the mouth of court pages. One
day the dwarf, being especially nettled
at something that CULVER had said
grabbed him up and dropped him into a
cream jug, where he would have been
smoth cred and drowned had not Glum-
dalclitch rushed to his rescue. The
dwarf was soundly whipped and soon
after sent from court, greatly to Guilt
ver's relief. Yet the dwarf did not ex-
emplfy that detestable phase of human
mature which makes one despised and
looked down upon and treating with
contempt any one whom he can find
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CULVER. however, did not spend all
of his time in the royal palace, but
made Journeys about the country with
the court, Glumdalclitch attending him
and he being safe in a travelling box
especially made for the purpose.
Sometimes Glumdalclitch carried his
box in her lap in a coach and some
times, when CULVER had a mind to
view the country, a trusty groom,
mounted on a horse, had the box Sc
curely strapped to him and resting be-
fore him on the saddle The country
is peninsula entirely cut off from
the mainland by a range of lofty and
impossible volcanoes. There is not
one seaport in the land and the coast
is strewn thick with sharp pointed
rocks, so that the country is cut off
from all commerce with the rest of the
world. The kingdom is we'll inhabited,
for it contains 81 cities and nearly 100
walled towns To satisfy the curious
1t may be sufficient to describe the
metropolis, Lorbrulgrud.
The city stands in almost two equal
parts upon the river which runs through
1t. and contains about 100000 inhabitants.
The kings palace is no regular edifice,
but a group of buildings about seven
miles around. The chief rooms are most
ly 240 feet high and broad and long in
proportion. CULVER was rather disap-
pointed in the chief temple and the tower
which is attached to 1t, the tower being
reckoned the highest in the kingdom. He
found the boosted tower to be only 5000
feet high. But he was forced to ac-
knowledge that 1t made up in beauty and
strength what 1t lacked in height, the
walls being 100 feet thick, of hewn stones
40 feet square. The tower was adorned
on all sides with statues of gods and EN-
perors, cut in marble and larger than life.
He measured little finger which had
fallen from one of these statues and
found 1t to be exactly four feet and one
inch in length. Gumdalcitch wrapped 1t
up in her handkerchief and carried it
home to place 1t among her other trinkets.
One day when the king, as usual, was
asking CULVER about his native country,
the traveller entered into minute de-
scription of the constitution and govern
ment of the United Kingdom. He de-
scribed the parliament. partly made UP of
an illustrious body called the house OF
peers, composed of persons of the noblest
blood and the most ancient and ample
patrimonies. He described the care taken
in their education in arms and arts to
qualify them for being councillors to the
king and kingdom; to have share in the
legislation; to be members of the highest
court of judicature; to be champions al
ways ready for the defense of their prince
and country by their valor, fidelity and
conduct. That these were the ornament
and bulwark of the kingdom. worthy fol-
lowers of their renowned ancestors, whose
honor had been the reward of virtue
which had never been known to once de-
seHeTdte lTOIl SeHcIdliou " SchSioeio
To them were Joined certain holy persons
under the title of bishops. whose duty it
was to have the care OF religion and those
who instruct the people therein. They
were searched and sought out through
the whole nation by the prince and his
wisest councillors among such of the
priesthood as were most distinguished by
the sanctity of their lives and the depth
of their education.
He told how the other body of parlia-
ment, called the house of commons, con-
sisted of gentlemen picked and culled by
the people themselves for their great abil-
tiles and love of country He mentioned
the venerable sages who formed the
courts of justice, and recounted the great
wars which Britain had waged with sue
cess against foreign foes, finishing with
a brief historical sketch of England for
the past hundred years.
When he had finished the king asked
what methods were used to cultivate the
minds of the young nobility so that they
might be worthy of their position; In
what occupations and sports they spent
the early part of their lives; did they
ever gamble or were ever given to profit
gacy? What were the qualifications for
the creation of new lords did the favor
Of a court lady, politics or money ever
enter into It? How great was the legal
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