Year: 1865


The Three Wishes.


There was once wise emperor who made a
law that to every stranger who came to his
court fried fish should be served. The ser.
wants were directed to take notice it, when the
stranger had eaten the fish to the bone on one
side he turned it over and began on the other
side. If he did, he was to be Immediately
seized. and on the third day thereafter he was
to be put to death. But, by great stretch of
imperial clemency, the culprit was permitted
to utter one wish each day, which the emperor
pledged himself to grant, provided il was not
to spare his life. Many had already perished
in consequence of this edict, when, one day, 4
count and his young sou presented themselves
at court. The fish was served as usual, and
when the count had removed all the fish from
one side, he turned it over, and was about to
commence on the other, when he was suddenly
seized and thrown into prison, and was told of
his approaching doom. Sorrow stricken, the
counts young son besought the emperor to
allow him to die in the room of his father;
favor which the monarch was pleased to accord
him. The count was accordingly released from
prison, and his son thrown iEto his cell in his
stead. As soon as this had been done, the
young man said to his goalers-"You know |
have the right to make three demands before
die; go and tell the emperor to send me his
daughter and priest to marry u.s. The first
demand was not much to the emperors taste,
nevertheless he felt bound to keep his word, !,
and he therefore complied with the request, to
which the princess had no kind of objection
This occurred in the times when kings kept
their treasures in cave, or in a tower set
apart for the purpose, and on the second day of
his Imprisonment the young man demanded
the kings treasures. If his first demand was
bold one, the second was not less 50; still an
emperors word is sacred, and having made the
promise he was forced to keep it; and the trea.
sures of gold and silver and jewels were placed
at the prisoners disposal. On getting posses.
sion of them he distributed them profusely
among the courtiers, and soon made a host OF
friends by his !iberality.


The emperor began to feel exceedingly un.
comfortable. Unable to sleep, he rose early
on the third morning and went with fear in his
heart to the prison to hear what the third wish
was to be.


"Now," said he to the prisoner, "tell what
your third demand is, that it may be granted at
once. and you may be hung out Of hand, for
am tired Of your demands"


"Sire," answered the prisoner, II have but
one more favor to request Of your majesty,
which, when you have granted. shall die con
tent. 1t is merely that you will cause the eyes
of those who saw my father turn the fish over,
to be put out"


"Very good" replied the emperor, "your de-
mand is but natural, and springs from good
heart. Let the chamberlain be seized," he
continued, turning to his guards


"Sire," said the chamberlain, ~ did not see
nnything-it was the steward"


"Let the steward be seized, them" said the
king.


But the steward protested with tears in his
eyes that he hid not witnessed anything of
what had been reported, and said it was the
butler. The butler declared that he had seen
nothing of tho matter, aud that it must have
been one Of the Wallets. But they protested
they were utterly ignorant of what had been
charged against the count; in short, it turned
out that nobody could be found who had seen
the count commit the offence. upon which the
princess said:


appeal to you. my father, as to another
Solomou. If nobody saw the offence commit
ted, the count cannot be guilty and my husband
is innocent"


The emperor frowned, and forthwith the
courtiers began to murmur; and then he smiled,
and Immediately their visages became ra.
diant.


"Let it be so," said his majesty; "let him
live, though have put many . man to death
for q lighter offence than his. But if he is
not hung, he is married. Justice has been
DONE"