New-York tribune., 1918-12-10

w and the last beautiful princess has
taken up shorthand, what shall
we say to the children at the fairy tale
hour?
1t is easy enough to destroy the
perprs and the czars, Most of US are so
little concerned with the petty princelings
of Germany that we know neither their
names nor the number of the crowns that
have toppled in the past month, but who
will dare betray the princes of fairyland7
We shall have to be careful when we allow
the mob to enter the shining castles of
the fairy queen and trample on the rose
gardens where the lovely princesses dance
all day In this realm the subjects of the
king are all loyal still. We shall speak
gently of the old order, lest we break an
eight-year-old heart.
The kingdom must become a democracy;
let trust the revolution be a peaceful
one. We need not assassinate Prince
Charming. We shall merely nominate
competent tailor to fill his place, and let
time and the editors do the rest
However no one ever yet pretended that
democracies were as picturesque as mon
arches. While voting for the overthrow
of the royal family and ali the royal char
lots, can still heaye a sigh for the gilt
tering days when we were eight years old
and wonder if the thrill will be the same
in the new editions.
Something like this will take place in
"Cinderella":
"The chairman of the constitutional con-
vention was giving ball. In all that land
ne had tn most wonderful conception of
democracy; when he issued proclamation
the opposition papers were unable to pick
flaw in it. Therefore, it is easy to see
that all the lovelest women in the land,
from the factory girls to the free verse
poets, were eager to dance with him
In all that land only one maiden was
not allowed to attend the ball, Cinderella,
the stay-at-home sister, who kept house
while her two step-sisters went abroad ad-
dressing conventions of the workmen and
soldiers councils. They were very ugly.
and their tongues were as sharp as their
noses. but they could down any opponent
IN political argument so they thought
themselves power in the land Cinderella
could only stay at home and sing to the
children. No one had ever heard of her.
We wonder if the children will thrill "a
we used to, when the chairman of the con-
stitutional convention blows his silver
after the ball. And will they feel the same
confidence that they lived happy ever after?
We shall find new interpretations of old
plots and see the many unsocal acts of
the old kings and queens in their true
perspective as the cause of their downfall
No king can be allowed to put the happi-
ness OF his youngest daughter before the
good of his people. See what happened
threatened disaster from the princess's
prlcklng her fngeNwith a spindle:
linen the king committed his fatally
unsoclal act. He ordered all the spinning
wheeis IN the kingdom destroyed In vain
ana the poor people plead with him that
without their spindles and looms they could
make no clothes and would suffer in the
winters cold. In vain did the Spinners
and Weavers' Union threaten to strike and
stop the making of fine linen for the prin-
cess's trousseau. The spindles were de-
stroyed All but one. There was one spin
die owned by old woman who lived
alone in tower of the palace
"One day the little princess. tired of
playing in the community nursery. wan
dered up into the tower, where the old
woman was working. The little princess
mad never seen spindle before With a
cry OF delight she picked it up and pricked
her finger. Immediately, she fell into a
heavy slumber, and the king and the queen
and all the courtiers all toppled over asleep
IN the throne room and their golden crowns
went rafting down the marble stairs.
For one hundred years no sound was
heard IN that castle but the snores of the
tat courtiers. Meantime the chairman Of
the Spnners' Union had gained control of
the government and no one cared whether
the royal family ever woke up or not"