Norwich bulletin., 1912-12-11
PRINCESS BLACKHAIR'S GIFT

When after many a long day they
 reached the shore they were told that
 huge green dragon guarded the door
 of the castle of the Princess Blaclxhair.
 What shall We do7" they asked of the
 swans.
 "Yeu had better go." they said, land
 ask the queen of the bees to help you,
 for the skin of the dragon is very 5en-
 sitive to pain and if shee sends her
 legions of subjects to sting him he will
 run away to sea to free himself from them and leave the door unguarded.' So away ripped the three children
 to see the queen bee, who agreed to the whole plan. She sent out a call to all the little bees, who left their flow CTS and hurried home, some carrying bags of honey, others coming empty handed. Then when she had them all
 assembled she told them of the chill dren's quest and asked them to annoy i the dragon who guarded the gate. The queen bees word was law. And the lit- tie bees flew out in great clouds and | settled on the dragon, who became
 very frightened and ran down to the
 sea, leaving the gate unguarded so the 1 children could walk in.
 Gretchen, who did not own an in
 visible cap, had to hide in a closet; but 1 the two little princesSes put on theirs and walked all over the house until ] they found the king in the library. 1 Of course he could not see them while 1 they still wore their caps; but imagine his surprise and joy when they lifted their caps from their heads and he be- ! held his little daughters standing be- ' fore him. A great weight seemed lift ed off his soul and he remembered vividly his sweet queen and the many happy years he had been with her. Then he told one of the little prin- cesses to wear her invisible cap and take the other cap to little Gretchen, so she could come to the library, too. Now when Gretchen arrived there were four people, but only two invis- ible caps. So tn eking and one Of the
 pri--,ess leach wearing an invisible cap, walked out of the place, past all the servants, who of course could not see them, to a deserted part of the l garden under the library windows. i Then they took off their caps and 1 threw them through the window to the i other children who came out in the same manner and joined them.
 1 The good little bees were still tor menting the dragon, making it impos- i sible for him to guard the door. So l the king and the children made their ! escape quite easily. The swans were ] still at the riverside, but the king was | too heavy to ride as the little girls | had.
 So they told him where his own | yacht was lying in a private dock of 1 the Princess Blackhair, and though the [ men were still under the spell of the
 wicked magician, Moneybags, on seeing I him they would recover their mem ] ories and hail him as their king. The i king just then remembered the a1abas
 ter box and the elixir of life and said: q must go back after it."
 But the birds persuaded him not to-
 Would you inflict intolerable agony ] on your children?' qu0th they. Would
 you make them endure through eter- 1 nifty the existence of this world? Would you have them suffer the pangs of sor- l row. remorse, i'll health, disappoint- ment and evils of all sorts million ! times over?'
 The good king was surprised at the 1 arguments of the birds, but realizing they spoke the truth he decided not to take such dangerous gift back
 with him. So behold the good king
 Wilhelm and the children sailing fol | their native shore, the joy at their ar
 rival and the playfulness of the little
 girls when at last they landed. Fol
 the naughty little things ran down tht
 gangplank, and, joining hands, declar- ed the king could not step on land un-
 less he paid a forfeit to each one. Now, what do you think it was
 Well, I will tell yon-a kiss.-Sun.