The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1916-12-06
Copyright, 1916, py .he Mccll
THE BLUE CASTLE-Part u


THE BLUE cASTLE-Part II
He had just drawn the shoes on
when the two-headed dog finished the
bones and set up a bark that the peas
ant thought at first was thunder
He ran to the field of pearls where
grew the magic corn, and was just
pulling the ears when the Ogre came
dashing out of the castle followed by
the two-headed dog, with both mouths
wide open and looking as though he
would devour him.
Out Of the field ran the peasant,
but not before the Ogre had entered.
and down went the Ogre out of sight,
the pearls closing over his head, for
OF course. he forgot all about his
shoes when he heard the two-headed
dog bark, and anyway he thought they
were tied to the big toe of his right
foot.
But though he was rid of the Ogre,
he was not of the twO-headed dog,
which ran after him, showing his two
sets Of big teeth, and barking all the
while. But the peasant was far ahead
OF the dog, so he reached the enchant.
ed horse, who neighed in the most
friendly manner, and let the peasant
mount him.
Just as the peasant rode into the
yard of the castle the two-headed dog
dashed at the hind feet of the en-
chanted horse to Eite him, but the
horse kicked at him and over he rolled
and turned into rock with ragged
looking top like a set of huge teeth.
The peasant was rid of both of his
pursuers now, and he rode off to the
top of the mountain where the King
had told him the witch livel.
The peasant looked about him ex-
pecting to see cave, but to his sur
prise he saw only q grove Of trees.
When he rcde nearer he saw a deep
blue castle of glars without doors or
windows and inside he could see girl
spinning.
She looked up as the shadow of the
horse and rider fell on the glass castle
and her eyes grew big with surprise,
but before the peasant could jump
from his horse an old woman came up
through the floor of the house and
tapped the girl on the head with her
cane and she turned into a mouse.
uc Dcdodut was tOo dotoHiohCu w
move for minute, but the laugh of
the old woman brought him to his
senses, and he knew she must be the
witch
"Ha, ha, you caught the horse but
you cannot bring back the Princess
until will it," she screamed, and then
disappeared through the floor.
He was leading the horse by his
gold bride when suddenly it lifted one
OF its front feet and struck the blue
castle.
Crash" went the blue glass, and
the peasant saw an opening large
enough for him and the horse to enter.
The mouse was crouching in one
corner Of the room and the peasant
picked it up carefully and put it in his
pocket.
The horse went to the spot where
the old witch had disappeared and
tappei on the glass floor three times
with one of his front feet and up from
the floor cane the old witch. But
this time she was not laughing, she
looked frightened and trembled, so
she had to lean on her cane to keep
from falling.
The enchanted horse took her by
the dress and shook her three times,
and out from her pocket fell black
bean with white spot on it.
AS 1t dropped the old witch
screamed and fell on the floor and the
horse picked up the bean and swal-
lowed it. D
AS the horse swallowed the bean
he seemed to shrink away from sight
and blue midst filled the room.
When it cleared the peasant beheld
a handsome young man where the
horse had stood and where the witch
had been was a deep hole.
"Did she fall into it?" asked the
peasant. not knowing what else tosay.
NO; in that hole we will find the
magic charm that will restore the
Princess to her own form, said the
young man. "The witch disappeared
In the mist"
Let us hurry and find the magic
charm" he said, dropping into the
hole, and the peasant followed him
down a ladder into room.
The room was hung with velvet the
color of sapphire and the chairs were
of FURNISHED gold with velvet seats.
A gold fountain played in the middle
of the room and the water fell into a
basin of sapphire.
This is the magic Fountain said
the youth, You must throw the little
mouse into if you wish to bring back
the Princess"
The peasant took from his pocket
the trembling little mouse. ut is
frightened" he said II hate to throw
it into that deep water
Without replying the youth grabbed
the mouse from the peasant and threw
it with great force into the fountain
and it disappeared from sight.
"Oh you have killed it, said the