The Washington times., 1913-07-16
For The Times Children
Just Before It's Bedtime
THE KING AND THE MICE~PART 1.
NCE upon a time there lived In
a foreign country a king who
wanted to be young az. long As

~ NCE upon q time there uve0 II
q foreign country a king WHIT
wanted to be young as long a,
he should live. SO he called hi
bodyguard to him and told them to pre-
pare to travel far into the forest to thu
cave Of a witch. who possessed the
magic bean that would give to the one
who had It the power to become youns
when they grew old.
It was long journey, but they at last
reached the cave and the King made
his guard wait q short distance away
from the cave while he went In to talk
/. with the witch.
quisiive fellow named AniIo. and he
!was also an envious fellow as we'll
When he saw the King 60 into the
cave Of the witch he slipped away from
the others and crept near to the cave
and listened
He heard the King offer the old witch
a bag OF gold for the magic bean, and
learned its magic spell Then he went
back, and telling the others he had
been for O. walk. he did not tell TO any
One what he had heard. r,"t
Now 1t happened that the magic bean
had also the power Of making the owner
rich. as well as giving him his youth.
80 that the King became richer than he
already was and did not grow old.
All this time, which was some years
after he possessed the magic bean. the
wicked servant, Anilo. had been trying
to steal the bean, but his master always
slept with It around his neck in a little
1o0 tah
gold chain. r.-..... :. .
At last Anilo determined 10 get the
bean and become king himself, 30 one
day he induced the King to ride with
him alone, and when he was far away
from the palace he struck the King q
blow on his head which stunned him,
and he fell to the ground. -
Then the wicked Anilo secured the
bean, and the King instantly became an
old man, his eyes sunken and his hair
white. his body shrunkep and old. 'r'
The wicked AniIo put the bean In his
pocket, and instantly ne became a hand
when he rode back alone to the palace
and said the King had been captured
by a band of robbers and he had es-
capped, no one questioned him further,
and he became King.
or course, he sent out party of serv-
ants to look Tor the King, but as ne told
them another direction from that which
he took. no trace of the King was found,
and as he gave to all big amount of
money. the servants were not anxious
TO have their former King return and
did not attempt to find him.
Now, It happened that band of rob-
bers really did find the old King lying
on the ground. and because OF his rich
clothes and his beautiful horse which
remained near his master they took him
TO their cave and made him q, prisoner,
hoping that a reward would be ofrered,
as they feltI sure he must be a rich
man.
But the old King knew he would not
be recognized II he returned to his
palace, so ne kept his Identity a secret
and never expected to escape or be
rescued.
After a while the robbers forgot all
about the old man they had imprisoned
and went away to another country,
leaving the old King in a cave with a
big stone in front of It which took
four men to roll away.
one day the old King was almost
starved and was hoping he would soon
die and end 1t all when he felt some
thing warm on his foot. and looking
down he saw a mouse sitting UP on its
hind legs right on his bare foot.
why DO you weep, poor old man.
asked the mouse.
The old King had become SO old and
weak that even mouse speaking to
him did not seem strange. so he told
the mouse his troubles as we'll as he
could. for he did not remember about
the servant who had been so wicked.
All he could say was: IF I only
could find the magic bean, then all
would be we'll with me-"
Who took 1t from you?" asked the
mouse.