The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-05-24
A Brave Prince of Bohemia

4 There is q story OF little Hunga-
ran boy which for pathos and hero
ism is equal to anything l have ever
/ read of mail-clad knight or cross
marked Crusader. 1t is true story,
too found written in a dry. tedious
/ book. that I am quite sure you would
never think OF reading, so solemn
Is It's style and so full of queer, hard
names is the ancient volume, But
like a bit Of shining gold in a meas
ure of rough earth is the story OF
Prince Wratislaw among the bloody
wars. the cruelty and the seifshness
of the long ago ago which 1t chroni-
cles
He was a real prince. for his father
was King Wenceslas. who reigned over
the kingdom of Bohemia. in Central
Europe, from the year 1890 TO 1852.
Prague IS the capital of Bohemia
and II is there at the grand palace
formidable mongols. whose hordes
Of its king above the Moldan that
We get our first glimpse of Prince
Wratislaw There was war in the
land tit seems as IL they were always
fighting in those old Simesf, and
all around Prague were pitched tents
Of a hostile nation. They We're the
had already overrun Prussia, Poland
and Hungary leaving destruction and
death behind them.
AS savage as the wolves of their
native steppes. long haired and long
bearded dressed in the skins of wild
beasts and riding small. shaggy horses
that were as wild as themselves. these
Tartar warriors were a dreaded foe
as ever dashed against the frontiers
of Christian Europe. And SO King
Wencesias found them. Twice he and
his knights and men at arms ad-
vanced against the barbarian host,
once being repulsed and once win
ming victory. But the victory was
eheapened by the loss of Prince OF
tocar, the heir to the throne. Wratis-
laws elder brother. who In one of
the mad rushes Of the enemy had
been captured. and, as the Tartars
retreated was carried away into hope
less captivity.
Two special embassies were sent
by King Wenceslas to Tartary to medi-
ate for the freedom of the captured
prince Rut Batu Khan refused to
give up his neighbour prisoner. 1t
remained for the herois efforts OF a
puny hoy to accomplish what royal
Embassies, backed by gold. could not
do.
Prince WratisIaw was two years
/ younger than his brother-a boy Of
! thirteen at this time He and OF
tocar were the only children. and they
had been playmates all their lives.
There was no one in the wide world
/ that ne loved as he did his elder
+ brother. and he could only think of
| his absent playmate And the more
| he thought, the more he felt con-
! WINGED that he could effect his return
: frefn captivity And At became the
/ idea of his life that he must go to
/ Tartary and bring back the heir to
/ the throne
/ The Tartar king will not refuse
me- and if he does, he shall have
my life for his
The generous young prince had
/ quite made up his mind that. if he
could effect OttoCar's release In nc
| other way, he would give his own free
dom for that Of his brother, 1t was
a brave. heroic thought. but how was
he going to accomplish 1t?
Not living soul guessed the re-
| solves and hopes that agitated his
pretty golden head His increased
seriousness and firm quiet demeanoI
were naturally attributed to the loss
he sustained in the companionship oi
his brother. He faithfully and quiet.
ly performed hts tasks; but every
day he was thinking; II must start
tomorrow to And Ottocar."
One morning the boy was missing
He had set off in the night alone
taking only his sword. his purse ano
Celia, his pony, with him. For 9
long time no one knew where he had
gone.
1t would have seemed quixotit
f..tH =.
set off unattended over the noun
tains and dreary plains to the Tartar
tents on the Aral, How could this
thirteen-y ear~oid lad, brought UP lux
uriously in A palace and unaccus'
toned to exposure. expect to succeed
in this long, hazardous Journey But
! no one knew the brave heart that