The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-18
PAGE 13

beat against the glass in frenzied clouds. Shom showed himself to them at all the windows in turn, and the army of outraged bees followed him around, seeming to be- come more furious at each appearance of the scarlet robe and glittering crown. At last, when he thought their mood fair reproduction of his own feelings. he left them, returning t, the throne room to await the arrival of the King.
 About noon there came knocking at the side door of the palace, and at Shom's direc- tion the knocker was admitted. It was the King, quite jovially drunk and staggering under the weight of bulging sack. The court was dismissed, and as soon as they were alone the King proceeded to exhibit his treasure, which consisted of every un- imaginable kind of utterly useless trinket, mixed in with divers pastries and sweets, which were somewhat the worse for being carried for a week in the sun. Shom com plimented him on the excellence of his taste, inquiring if the magical purse had once failed him.
 "Never failed me once' giggled the King, plunging into innumerable remi- niscences of his adventures, which Shom interrupted to ask:
 'Then you are willing to keep your word and make me your son-in-law?"
 "You shall be my son-in-law this very day." the King swore, rubbing his hands slyly as he remembered the amazing pleas antry he had planned.
 Shom then suggested that it was not fit- ting the King should be seen in his rather dilapidated outfit and persuaded him to resume his proper robes and crown, which the King did, clambering up on to the throne and dragging the precious sack after him. In his excitement, however, he over- looked transferring the purse, which Shom recovered from the strolling players gar ments and hid beneath his own red tunic
 The court having been assembled the ugly Princess dressed to resemble Zeni (while the latter prepared to set out secret ly for Gaw) ) and all being at last ready for the wedding ceremony, Shom confided to the King that he had the previous evening stolen most magnificent golden chain from the shop of silversmith and had hid den it in the summer house. He proposed that they go together to get it, that it might be presented to the bride at the proper time This tickled the King immensely, the more so because the silvarsmith in question had been overlooked in the other diversions of the week, so they set off across the palace grounds after first tueking the sack under the throne.
 When they had reached the place of con- cealment Shom, with his hand on the door, said:
 "After you, father-in-law! See if you can discover where have hidden the golden chain"
 He opened the door to admit the King, who hustled expectantly in and began look ing for the chain, not noticing the hive. Then Shom closed the door softly and locked it on the outside, departing swiftly for his own beloved slopes of Dumeen, for he had dislike of distressing spectacles.
 He left the King to find the chain, with the help of the bees, who are said to possess an astounding memory and do not easily forget the person of one who has done them an injury. And the two Princesses waited impatiently in the palace.
 IT WAS THE RULE