Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-12-07

y no princess ever had such christening
as his only child; but there was not a
single fairy invited for il YOU will believe
the King was foolish that He said there were
no such things as fairies in the whole world!
Il would have been sorry day for the Princess
if the fairies had taken him ct his word, but they
knew that she not to blame for the folly OF her
father so every last OF them brushed up her in
visible cloak and carried some gilt the christening.
Blu. the oldest fairy OF all did not wear an in
visible cloak. for she considered that there was
something due to fairy dignity and she came Just as
she happened to be old, old woman in ragged
cloak.
When the King saw her standing beside the
cradle he was -cd with anger.
How came this old woman here" he roarcd.
Your ROYAL Hig.!rcs=-" began the Lord If
High Chancellor and the Master O. Ceremonies ana
the Chief Dutlc-, all
But the King clapped his hands Tor tie Royal
Bodyguard.
To the dungeons with them ALI he shouted.
All the while the Queen pluoiing his sleeve
anz.ons1y for she believed IN fairies and She had her
own ideas about the ragged woman.
Your Majesty" shc whispered, ''Ict ask this
old lady be godmother to the Princess"
"Godmother, indeed" cried the King, To the
dungeons with the old woman"
But when the soldiers marched up TO her, she
raised her hand and ttcy stopped shorter than If
the King himself had cried Halt!
Listen, she said, smiling at the frightened
Queen, since you ask it, my dear, l will be god
band does believe in fairies, he cannot object
if present the Princess with heart proud enough
for ali his riches!'
ThcG she went away so quickly that
her go, and the Guards could find no trace OF her,
although they hunted high and low.
The King forbade all mention Of the matter, but
the Queen remembered that the old woman had
smiled and she took some comfort from that.
The baby Princess grew older, and each day she
became beautiful than the day before. You
-
from the entire Court SO it is small wonder that.
when she came to her seventeenth birthday, she
was the proudest Princess in the whole world
On her birthday morning she strolling alone
in the gardens, when suddenly she was aware OF an
old ragged woman sitting beside rose-bush You
can guess that the Princess surprised, but she
proud to be afraid, so she only said;
Good morning, mother"
Good morning my dear" said the old lady, Il
am your fairy god-mother!'
Il beg your pardon said the PrinCess-fOr OF
she considered it far beneath her to be rude
to any one to a ragged woman-"I beg your
pardon, but my father the King, says that there
such things fairies"
when your father is old l am" said the
fairy, "he will be entitled his opinion and
not before! However, that is neither here there:
l have come to give you birthday present.
you very kind" murrnured the Princess.
'Not at ALL said the godmother; "but 1 cannot
bring my gilt to you You must go and fetch it"
1T is the Best Thing in the World, said the
fairy and you will have to go TO the other end of
the earth and ask the Little Black Dwarf for it.
if you it
Indeed I do want it, thank you'll" cried the
Princess, eagerly. For she thought that the Best
Thing in the World was worth havng-and l would
take it, myself, if I could get it. Il will beg my
father for a thousand men and start for the other
end of the earth tomorrow!
you will never reach there with thousand
men, said the old lady. You will have go
alonew
oh" cried the Princess, my father will never
let go alone
Then you will never get the Best Thing in the
World" said her godmother; and now I must be
going, for | have great many things to do
So she Kissed the Proud Princess and stepped
into the rose-bush which closed about her like a
cloak until she had completely disappeared.
But the very next morning the Princess arose
before any one about and set off alone TO find
the Little Black Dwarf and the Best Thing in the
World.
Now it had happened that the very day when
the Proud Princess was chr;stened. the King OF the
West gave party celebrate the first birthday OF