Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-12-21
The Story of the Christmas K,;,h,

I VI ".
when The braves, men and the best rode
Tar and wide on deeds of adventure.
lhey rode away dressed in coats and
helmets of mail, witt their swords nv
their sides, to fight for the weak and
[ Small.
Now, there was one knight who was
the merriest knight of any. He was
too merry TO fight and too soft-heart-
cd 10 use his sword, which grew rusty.
But he was no coward, not he, and he
could not bear that any harm should
come to children.
what deed can knight like this
do'" thought the king of the castle.
He will not use a sword of steel
Will give him sword of wood, and
send him forth to protect the chill:
dren he likes so heartily Mayhap
their enemies will ly from fear"
So the knight set forth, with his
wooden sword by his side, only none
knew that it was just wood painted
with silver, for it flashed like steel.
Soon the knight came to a long line
of children who were carrying heavy
loads. Their little backs were bent,
and their faces we're pale, but thev
were kept at their work by a man with
4 whip.
The knight rode straight up to him
and drew his wooden sword. "How
cried he, ''let those children stop work
ing and play" He waved his sword
about his head. The man saw it flash
in the sunlight, and left his whip and
ran.
Drop your loads and play.' cried
the knight. Each child dropped his
load, and they followed the knight TO
the forest, where he led them to a fairy
ring of MOSES and there they wove
garlands of flowers, and danced, and
listened to his tales of fairies. He
banished the driver to dungeon and
gave the children's loads to men, and
their shoulders Strengthened, and their
cheeks grew rosy, and every day they
played as we'll as they could without
playthings.
Then he rode and rode till he came
to the place where trees were cut down
for homes. He waved his wooden
sword three times about his head and
cried, "Ho! save me tree for chill
dren's toys" Then he rode and rode
to the place where tin was mined for
dishes, and he waved his wooden
sword three times about his head and
cried, "Ho! save me some tin for dolls
dishes" Then rs ode and rode to
the place where iron is dug for swords,
and he waved his wooden sword about
his head three times and said, "Ho!
save lump of iron for toy horses"
Then he rode TO find the six kindest
and best old men in the land, and he
never once showed his wooden sword,
but he told them about the tree and the
tin and the iron, and he asked what
other things they needed to make play
things for children, and everything
that they asked for he got. He set
them down in house in the edge OF
the forest where the children played
without playthings, and he rode up
and down with his wooden sword,
while they made all kinds of toys that
children love-while they sawed, and
carved, and painted, and sewed.
After a while came Christmas, and
the children who had played without
playthings had Christmas presents of
all the playthings they could possibly
want. They Rugged their dolls and
harnessed their horses and played with
their dishes, and at night there was
great clatter as the knight rode by,
waving his sword.
"Who is he ?" cried the mothers.
"Has he come to kill us all ?'
ooh, MOI" laughed the children.
ellis sword is only a wooden sword.
He is our friend. He is the Christ
mas Knight"