The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-23


had reason to believe that he knew more
about matters of state than the queen
or any one else. for that matter. If she
had not been the queen he would prob
ably have laughed outright.
"A very clever idea he said. but
fear, your majesty, that 1t is as useless
as ii is clever. There is scarce enough
wealth in the whole kingdom to brine
such mighty works as that to pass. You
must remember that you have many
other things to attend to that will cal
for your majesty's wealth."
For a day or so the queen said nc
more about her project, but at the end
Of that time her mind was made up, and.
being the queen, she could have her own
way about it.
The towers are to be built" she told
the old adviser. II know I can save
enough money in a few years to pay for
them. See.' she held up her distaff upon
which she was spinning. "see, even the
queen can be thrifty
So the towers were built and won
derful work it was. The walls were the
solid stone work. The windows were 50
narrow that even a cat would have had
a tight squeeze to get through them. The
doors were as high UP from the ground
as a second story window. and were en-
tered only by ladders which could be
drawn up into the tower afterward
These towers were not only a barri-
cade from which to attack the invading
armies. but they were also a place of
sure refuge for all the Peasants for
miles around. For years and years there
was no fighting at all in Bertha's king
dom, for there wasn't any use of an
enemy's attacking such a we'll fortified
country AS hers.
But the towers had cost a great deal of
money and Bertha had to save and live
simply all her life to pay for them. She
was never idle and even when she was
going about the country she carried her
distaff with her. She was seen so often
travelling thus among her people that
she was always known as Bertha the
Spinning Queen"
One day as she was going about, dis
taft in hand as usual, she happened to
see a poor peasant girl in a meadow at
the side of the road tending a flock of
sheep. The girl was spinning on a dis
tan as she kept track Of her fiocks. and
this DlpaSeJ he ha he or
ped and spoke to her.
How now. my child" she said. DO
you. too. have to spin all the timer
Yes. lady said the girl, who hadn't
guessed who was speaking to her my
father is a poor man and I must work
Surely" she added with a smile. eff good
Queen Bertha spins for her family, I
ought TO he proud to do SO for mine
You are both good and wise" said
the queen. ''for If every one In my king
dom did work as well as you We should
all he rich and happy"
The queen reached into the pocket
which she wore at the side of her robe
and brought out a golden necklace.
ments that she possessed.
. Here" she said. placing it about the
girls neck. this is to show you that
the Spinning Queen has passed this
way and that you have found favor in
her eyes"
The young girl was delighted. as you
may imagine, for it was the only really
unusual thing that had ever happened in
her whole life. News of it spread
through the country almost as fast as
the wind. and before evening had come
the women in the queens castle were all
talking about the event.
The scullery maid says" one waiting
woman was telling another, that the
cook says that the buttery maid said
that she heard that the queen actually
gave a poor peasant girl her gold neck
lace. and all because the girl was spin
ming while she tended her fathers
sheep
How very nice and thoughtful Of the
queen.' said another waiting woman.
And then in a whisper she added: But
it does seem strange to me that she
should have given 1t to a poor, common
peasant girl"
las il spinning was any wonderful
accomplishment" exclaimed another I'M
der her breath
There were dozen or so waiting wom-
en- in the queens employ who lived in
the castle and dined with her and sat
around her during the long evenings and
took part In all the little festivities Of
the queens family. That evening when
the queen. all dressed for dinner. came
into the great castle hall, all the wom-
en- were assembled. and each, without
having known what had been the plan
Of the others, had in her hands a distaff.
There they sat spinning and spinning as
II they had no other pleasure in life but
and they scarcely stopped long
enough to eat dinner After dinner they
went on harder than ever.
Suddenly the queen laias down her own !
distan and burst into hearty laugh.
You arc all doing very nicely" she
said. and ! am sorry that you never
thought Of initiating me before. but"
here she paused and smiled knowingly,
the young peasant girl, like Jacob In
the Bible. was the first and has received
the blessing
By that the women understood. even
II they didn't know the story Of Jacobs
blessing, that the queen wasn't going to |
reward their industry with gold neck |
laces. OF course they didn't want to |
have her know that they had been WORK |
ing univ hecanao thev h0roA for paUor2 L