Omaha daily bee., 1919-02-16

JNH dearP sighed the little will
III full Princess one morning a;
she sat in the royal garden
waiting for her governess to appear
so that she might recite her daily
lesson, Il don't feel the least bit like
studying. AS far as | can see only
humans and horses work. The
flowers and fruits and insects ara
no care to anyone, not even them
selves; they just keep on growing
and living and having a good time
The world would go along just az
we'll if fathers and governesseS
would only let things alone. They'll
have to do without me this time
anyhow and the little willfu
princess arose and, walking quickly
down the garden path, slipped
through the gate in the great hedge
She felt very willfui indeed as she
hurried across the green meadow
that lay between the garden and the
dark forest beyond.
Now the little princess had always
wished to revisit the forest since the
day she had followed the silver
brook until It had led her into the
poor PEASANTS cottage. This was
now over a year past. during which
time she had grown taller, and, |
hope, a little wiser. But, perhaps,
she had grown more in stature than
Ii wisdom. Still she had never for.
gotten how worried the royal house
hold had been until her safe return,
and for this reason had never cared
to remind anyone of her willfulness
on that occasion by expressing de-
sire to see the forest again.
Little princess" cried the voice
Of her pet monkey, as he suddenly
appeared from behind a tree that
grew quite close TO the path through
the Towering meadow. "yonder for
est Is full of many wonderful things.
Would you enjoy having me tell you
a few of the legends? ] have often
heard my former master, the poor
peasant, speak OF then"
The princess was very much star
tied BY the sudden appearance Of
her pet monkey, and she blushed
very red indeed.
"Will you take me TO the forest"
asked the little willful princess; 81
think It would be nice if | were there
when you told me the story; it would
be more real"
She knew that her royal papa had
implicit faith in this wise little
monkey. and for this reason she
could 70 anywhere with him. Her
conscience began to trouble her as
she thought of her governess watt
ing for her in the garden, but she
dismissed the idea with a shrug of
her shoulders and, turning to the
monkey, impatiently waited for his
answer.
"Yes, we viii go there" he replied,
"for | would show you some beauti-
full things" and at this they both
proceeded on their way.
"See," cried the monkey, bending
over the leaves OF a wild carrot
from which a gorgeous butterfly
had at that moment flown away
"see with what care that beautiful
creature has placed her eggs on the
underside Of the leaf, so that when
they are Matched the little cater
pillars will have what they like best
to feed upon. And, do you know,
little princess, how hard the beauti-
ful butterfly had to work before she
became the lovely thing that she now
is9 Is it not wonderful to think
how she was once only a worm,
crawling on many legs among the
grasses and leavesf Think how
often she had to change her skin
and grow a new oneF But she kept
on doing her work faithfully until it
was time for her to spin her cocoon.
in which she rests and grows until
she comes out a beautiful butterfly.
She has gone through much labor,
but is it not worth while, little prin-
cess?" She looked at her small
playmate with a wistfui expression
in her big blue. eyes. All the will
fuiness had left them, and instead
there were some tears on the long
lashes.
''sIt down. little princess" Die
said, as they entered the forest, 'this
fallen tree will make a comfortable
seat for you. Listen and will tell
you a tale that my master. the poor
peasant, heard from his father, who
heard it from his father, many.
many years ago" So the little will
full princess sat herself down on the
big log, and her faithful friend, the
monkey, perched himself on a
branch At the other end and COM
tneneed his story: "Once upon a
time there was q shepherd who tend
Id his sheen IN a mountain where