The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-06-07
Bedtime Stories
For Little Folks
THE PRINCESS AND THE YOUTH.

II .hE PRINCESS AND The YOUTH.
: Once upon time there was a Prin-
cess who declared she would never
marry until she could find a husband
hat was without faults.
Il am afraid, my DEAR" said her
ather, that you will be an old maid
Iif you want to find perfection"
But in spite of all he could say the
Princess held to her word that she
would wed only perfect man.
Many came to the palace and paid
Z visit for inspection, but they all had
| some fault in the eyes of the Prin-
cess.
glutton," said the Princess Il could
lot be happy with anyone who thought
| so much of food; he would be sure to
Forget me every day at meal time"
But people who eat well are good
Princess only shook her pretty head
md said she would have a perfect
man.
Another who came to pay a visit to
1 the Princess was condemned because
he was too tall to look we'll at the
liable. HE had to bend over to get
his food into his mouth said the
Princess; "he looks like a pole with
arms"
Another was too fat. "He looks like
a barrell," said the Princess, when
her father remarked he liked him.
One day a carriage stopped and
youth got out The Princess was
watching him from windaw behind
a curtain, but she was surprised when
she heard him ask the way to town
| instead of asking for her.
| Il have lost my way" she heard
him say.
| She was a little vexed as well as
surprised, and she hurried downstairs
| and told the servant to ask him to
wait and have some refreshments.
But the youth answered no, that he
| must be on his way, as he wished to
reach the town that night.
The Princess was interested by this
time, for no youth had ever called
and left of his own accord before, and
so the pretty Princess determined to
ask the stranger to stay in person,
feeling pretty sure he would not re-
fuse.
But even her invitation did not seem
to make the least impression on him.
However, when he started to leave
his driver told him that one of the
horses was lame, and should not travei
farther that day, and he was forced to
accept the offered hospitality of the
King, who had by this time appeared
and urged the stranger to stay
The next day it rained so fast that
the roads were rivers, and the atran-
ger was forced to stay another day
and night.
HE seems very pleasant" remarked
the King to the Princess the second
day, "but | should say he was a little
too short if anyone should ask me-"
81 don't think he is short" replied
the princess.
But, of course, he is far from a
perfect man." said the King, 'and, be-
l'sides that, he is only an ordinary
Iguest and not here as a sutton, he
never heard that you were looking for
Ia perfect husband
Now the pretty Princess had fallen
lin love with the stranger, and she
was in a quandary, for she could not
ask him to marry her, and he had not
shown any preference for her while in
her fathers palace.
The next day the sun shone and the
strangers horse was quite WELL so he
told the King goodbye and thanked
him for his hospitality.
When he said goodbye to the Prin-
cess she asked him to stop when he
way on his way home, but he told her
he expected to return by another road
and very probably would not see her
Iagain.
The naughty and fault-finding Prin-
cess was forced to say more or lose
him, and so she said: 81 should be
pleased If you would come back this
way and make us visit"
But l am not a perfect man by
! any means" said the stranger with
twinkle in his eyes, and then the pref
1 ty Princess knew that she had spoken
too soon.
I 1t was then too late, however, to
| pretend she did not care, and so she