Year: 1865

There was once wise emperor who made II
| Jaw that to every straiigcr who CAME to his
court fried fish should be served, The ser
t 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 Oh the other
side If he did, he was to be Immediately sciz-
cd, and on the third day thereafter he was to
be put to death But, by a great stretch Of
imperial clemchcy, the culprit was permitted
to utter one wish a each day, which the cmpe-
ror pledged himself to grant provided it was
not to spare his life Many had already per-
ishcd in consequence of this edict, when one
day, u count and his young soil presented
themselves n. 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.
aud was told of his approaching doom. Sor-
row-strickcn, the counts young son bcsought
the emperor to allow him to die in the room
of his father favor which the monarcy was
pleased to accord him. The count Vas accor-
dinghy released from prison and his son was
thrown into his cell in his stead. AS soon as
this had been done, the young man said to
his gaolers-'' You know have the right to
make three demands before lic 60 and tell
the emperor to send me his daughter, and a
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 thcre-
fore complied with the request, to which The
princess had no kind of objection. This oc-
CURED in the times when kings kept their
treasures in cave, or In 4 tower set apart
for the purpose, and on the second day Of his
Imprisonment the Joung man demanded the
kings treasures. If his first demand was q
bold one, the second was not less so still an
empcror's word is sacred, and, having made
the PROMISE he was forced to keep it; and the
treasures of gold and silver and jewels we're
placed at the prisoners disposal. On getting
possession of them he distributed them pro-
fusely among the courticrs, and soon he made
host of friends by his libcrality.


The emperor began to feel exceedingly tn
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 me
what your third demand s, that it may be
granted at onse, and yor may be hung out of
hand for am tired of your demands"


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


Every good" replied the emperor, "your
demand is but natural. and springs from a
good heart Let the chamberlain be seized, y
he continued, turning to his guards.


81 sire 2" cried the chamberlain did not
sec arything-it was tho steward"


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


But the steward protested with tears in lis
eye that he Lad not witnessed anything of
what had been reported, and said it was She
butler. The butler declared that he had seen
nothing Of the matter, and that it must have
been ore Of tho valets. But they protested
that 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:


al appeal to you, my father, as to another
Solomon. Ii nobody say tie offence commit