Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-04-09
King
A Legend Of a Lost
Kingdom.
By 2. A. Mitchell

Since the dawn of history the map of
Europe has been changing. Many
years ago there was a nation the very
location of which has been lost, but It
Is supposed to have occupied part of
Austria and part Of northern Italy.
There Is a legend connected with this
country which has been handed down
by word of mouth for many centuries.
Traces of It have been found among
German speaking people and among
Italians.
There was king Of this country-so
the story goes-who was at continual
war with a people living to the east of
his territory, supposed to have been
Slavs. whose descendants now occupy
the Balkans. He appears in different
versions of the tradition under differ
ent names, but usually Bonverd. The
name Of the nation he governed was
Thungaria. supposed by some to have
: been the origin of Hungary.
While King Bonverd was hard press
ed by his enemies son was born to
him. There was prophecy that the
Serbs would overpower Thungaria, but
that Bonverd born at the time Of the
conquest would re-establish the king
dom and subject the conquerors. This
prophecy. which reached the Serbs
filed them with desire, should they
succeed in fulfilling the first part Of
1t, to nullify the second part by either
killing the infant who was. when
grown, to work their destruction or
make him captive.
At the birth of the heir to the throne
Bonverd H., II he lived his mother
was unable to nurse him, and peasant
woman who gave birth to man child
ut the same time was called In to give
suckle to the prince. She was assign
ed rooms in a wing of the palace and
brought her own child with her.
The woman, whose name was Jo-
sepha, was dark and her child was OF
like complexion, while the heir appar-
emit to the throne was fair, with blue
eyes. The king. when Josepha and
her son. who was called Herman,
were brought to the palace, called upon
his councillor to make an inspection Of
the two infants In order that the peas
ant boy could not be substituted for
the prince. They reported to the king
that, since one was light and the 9th
or dark, any one who had seen them,
knowing which was the prince. would
always be able to judge correctly be-
tween the two. This satisfied the king,
and he made no objection to Josepha
having her own son with her.
Meanwhile the Serbs were slowly
approaching the capital of Thungaria,
their king. Boris. being great general
and matched against commander
who was his inferior, for King Bon
verd was not warrior and was
obliged to yield the command of his
troops to another. This man rlsked all
ON one battle and was defeated, and the
whole of Thungaria was open to the
enemy, who had advanced rapidly on
the capital Indeed, they came az
fast as the news that they were com
ing.
One morning Josepha heard a din
below and, looking through q window,
saw the street filed with the enemy's
troops. The prince was asleep In his
cradfe. covered with drapery Of the
finest texture and bearing the royal
arms.
Josepha's own son was In his own
cradle. made of oak and unadorned.
Hearing a noise In the corridor and
believing that the Serbs had broken
into the palace and would murder the
prince, she laid him in her sons era
die and put her son in the place Of
the prince. Then, passionately en-
bracing her offspring, she went into
an adjoining room that she might not
see him killed.
She had scarcely done so when the
nursery door was thrown open and
armed men entered. In few minutes
they were gone. and Josepha went
back. expecting to see the body Of her
murdered son. The cradle was empty,
and the prince was lying where she
bad placed him In the oaken cradle.
King Bonverd was killed fighting at
the head Of his bodyguard, and all his
courtlers who outlived the taking Of
the city were scattered. Josepha, car
rying the prince, who was supposed to
be her child, escaped from the palace
and made her way to her home in the
country. She dared not let IL be known
that the babe was heir to the throne
Of Thungaria lest the fact reach the
conquering king and he should be kill
cd. She therefore kept her secret
Twenty years passed. Thungaria was
province Of the kingdom Of Boris,
governed by viceroy. Bonverd was
brought up by his foster mother under
the name Of Joseph Bernstein and
unlike bis father, manifested predis-
position for military life. At an
early age he enlisted in the army Of
King Boris in corps stationed in
Thungaria. Being a fine soldier, he
was rapidly promoted till at twenty
years of age he was made a captain.
: A few years later young man came
to Thungaria and announced that he
was Bonverd H.. king Of Thungaria.
He declared that when the Serbs had
conquered the country he had been
taken by order Of King Boris from his
cradle in the palace and carried to tho
king. who had turned him over to
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