The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-07-19
Bedtime Stories
For Little Folks


There was great feasting in the pal
ace of the Prince, and all the notables
of the kingdom were gathered to take
part in the banquets in honor of the
birth of son, who would be heir to
the throne Silver tables with dishes
of gold were placed in the groves, so
that all could eat and drink the delic-
ious fruits and fragrant wines; jewels
were presented to the baby Prince,
and all through the night there was
music and dancing in the silken pavil-
ions.
On the evening of the second day
the nurse took the infant Prince to get
some fresh air in the garden. The
moon rose above the trees, touching
with golden light the beds Of roses
and glinted on the fountains where
the perfumed water fell in silver
sprays, The palace and the garden
seemed to be a fairyland. Then sud
denly out of a shadow a huge form
came hurting over the low stone wall
"a monster tiger that had crept I'M
seen out of the distant jungle.
Snatching the baby from the terri
fed nurse, the tiger sprang back over
the wall and disappeared in the black
forest.
In a moment the palace was in an
uproar, the Prince wild with grief,
and soldiers galIoping about every
where seeking to find the baby. But
not sign of tiger or infant did they
ever discover
Now it happened that when the IT,
ger dashed away with the baby he
did not hurt it, for he had seized it
only by the clothing. He crashed
through the forest in long leaps, but
he had not gone far when he fell be-
fore the arrow of a hunter hidden in
the reeds. Dropping the child, the
tiger flew into the depth of the jungle,
while the hunter took the baby to his
wife in the humble hut.
The good woman was much delight
ed with the infant, as she had no chill
dren of her own. So the kind couple
took care of the child and reared it as
their own. About the baby's neck
they found long golden chain, and
this they made him always wear,
thinking it might some day show who
were his parents.
But the Prince was heart-broken at
the loss of his son and wandered sad
ly around his marble halls, mourning
for the child he believed dead.
The hunter named the boy, Suda,
taught him how to shoot straight and
quickly and to chase even the wild
boar in his den. Every day he would
practice till at last he could do won
derful things with his bow and arrow
He wanted to try in the games held
every year on the Princes lawn. so
when he was about II, the hunter told
him he could enter the contest that
year.
On the evening before the games
the Prince took journey through the
forest, and his path lay near the hut
of the hunter When he had gone
short distance with his train of guards
there was a great noise, and the peo-
pie fled, leaving the Prince alone on
his elephant. Then out of the jungle
sprang the huge tiger.
Now it happened that Suda had hid
den behind tree in order to see the
gay procession pass. But when the
cowardly servants fed, leaving the
Prince to face the animal, the brave
boy stepped boldly out into the path.
AS the tiger crouched for spring
toward the Prince. Suda held his bow
to his eye for an instant, then sent an
arrow speeding into the tigers right
eye; in another moment he had shot