Year: 1872

Long ago a king-or, as some say, a
very wealthy man, but 1t does not mat
ter which, though king sounds better
had an only child, daughter, the heir
ess of all his wealth, who could not or
would not speak. He tried all means
to cure her, but in vain At last he sent
forth proclamation that whoever, being
of fitting degree, could restore speech to
his daughter could marry her and event
ually be lord of all her fathers wealth.
Many tried, but all failed. At last a
prince who had a magical gift, that OF
causing things inanimate to talk with
him, came forward, and was admitted to
the hall where the princess was. He
spoke to her, and tried TO induce her to
speak, but answer he got none.


Now, a lamp was hanging in the hall
and to it the prince good-humoredly ad-
dressed himself " Lamp" said he, |
will tell you story"


"Say on, replied the lamp.


Well" went on the ppince, four
travellers - a carpenter, painter, a
cloth-merchant, and jeweler-set out
on journey. By-and-by they came to
a rest-house, halted there and prepared
their food. The keeper of the rest
house had laid down on the floor log
of wood, very suitable for carving. The
carpenter, seeing this, pulled out his
carying-gear and carved the log into the
shape Of a woman, life-size and ex-
quisitely beautiful The painter next
took his brushes and colored and painted
the figure till it shone as brilliantly fair
as goddess Then the cloth-merchant
opened his packages, chose the finest
silks and embroidered robes, and dressed
the figure in his choicest bravery. The
jeweler took gems, earrings, necklaces,
and bangles, and oil such things, and
bedecked the figure with them. Last Of
ALL the figure was endowed with life.
do not take on me TO explain how that
came about, but it was the fact


" No more do ] said the lamp; but,
pray, 20 on. / hate digressionsl
When,' continued the prince, " that
,exquisitely beautiful being burst into
life, all the four fell violently in love
with her, and each wished to make her
his wife.


why, / shaped that matchless fig
ure, said the carpenter.


81" And | bestowed on her that bloc m
ing complexion, retorted the painter


SO And | robed her, exclaimed the
merchant.


:" But what are your choicest robes
to the costly gems which were my giftp
A woman is of little account without
jewelsl cried the jeweler.


Thus they went on clamoring and
disputing. Now, o, lamp who was to
be declared the rightful ownerY'


First the lamp said one and then
another, giving reasons-and whatever
the lamp said, the prince contradicted.
The dispute waxod hot and furious, but
seemed never to come nearer to an end


The princess heard all the dispute, and
held her peace long time. At last she
could bear to keep silent no longer. So
she cried, You are both silly The
true owner was none of the four, but the
keeper of the rest-house, for to him the
wood she was made Of Belonged


"Ah! yes, said the prince, you are
in the right, my princess And now
that you have spoken, let me claim my
reward and take you for my wife So
they went before the king, who was en-
chanted with the cure and they were
married straightway and lived happy
ever afterward-at least it is said, the
princess never gave her husband any
cause after marriage TO reproach her for
too persistently holding her peace.