Year: 1873

4 4
=


There was once beautiful princess
: : who had Q great fondnsss for almonds,


and ate them constantly, bas nothing
? would induce her to marry, snd Ia or.
3 der TO rid herself Of her suffers, Of


whom there were great number,
4 she invented the following device
To every prince whosoughther hand,


she presented the half Of . double
, almond, while she ate the other halt,
! and said: =" IF your lorship can sue,
ceed in getting me to take anything


from your hand before ] say the word
Il remember then am ready to. be-
, come your bride. But if, on the con-
trary, you receive anything from me,
without thinking to speak the words,
then you must agree to have your


hair shaven entirely off your head


and leave the kingdom"


This, however, was an artful STRAIT


agem, for, according to the court


custom, no one dared to hand any
thing directly to the princess, but


first to the court lady when then Of


fered it to her. But il, on ther other


hand, the princess should desire to


give or take anythiBg-who could re-


fuse her? So it was useless for her


suitors to make the trial, for when
they seemed likely to be successful,


and had diverted the princess so that


she was about to take something
from them, the court lady always


stepped between, and spoiled the best


laid plan.


! When the princess wishes to dis


pose of one of them, she would ap-
pear so charming and encouraging to


him, that he would be entirely fssci-


mated, and when he sat at her feet,


overcome with joy, then she would


seize upon anything near her, as


though by accident: /" Take this as q


remembrance of me,r and when he
had it in his hands, before he could
/ think or speak the necessary words,
there would spring out at him, from
it, perhaps frog or a hornet, or a


bat, and so startle him that he would
forget the words. Then, upon the
spot, be was shaven, and away with
him. This went on for some years,
and in all the palaces of the other
! Kingdoms the princes wore wigs.
| Thus it came to be the custom from
that time.


/ Finally it happened that a foreign
/ prince came upon some peculiar busi-
ness. He thought her very beautiful,
and at once perceived the stratagem.
A friendly little gray man had given
him an apple that once year he was
privileged to smell, and then there
came in his mind very wise idea,
and he had become much renowned
on account of his deep wisdom. Now,
it was exactly time for him to make .
use of his apple. So, with the scent
from it came this warning.


60 If thou wouldst win in the game
of giving and taking, under no cir
cumstances must thou either give or
take anything"


So ne had his hands bound in his
belt, and went with his marshal to
the palace, and asked to be allowed to
eat his almond. The princess was
secretly much pleased with him, and
Immediately handed him an almond.
which his marshal took and placed
in his mouth. The princess inquired
what this meant, and, moreover, why
he constantly carried his hands in his
girdle.


He replied that at bis court the Gus
tom was even mOrestrongly enforced
than at hers, and he dared not to
give or take anything with his hands,
at the most, with only his head and
feet Then the princess laughed and
said


"In this case we will never be able
to have our little game together"


He sighed and answered:


Not unless you will be pleased to
take something from my boots.n


That can never happen ~ ex-
claimed the whole court.


Why have you come hither?"
asked the princess angrily, "whenyou
have such stupid customs?u


Because you are SO beautiful :"
replied the prince" And if cannot
win you / may at least have the
pleasure of seeing you"


"On the other hand, have no SIM
liar qualification" said she.


So the prince remained at the
palace, and he pleased her more and
more, but when the humor seized
her, she tried in every manner to
persuade him to take his hands from
his girdie, and receive something
from her. She also entertained him
charmingly, and frequently offered
him flowers, bonbons and trinkets,
and finally her bracelet, but not
once did he forget and stretch out his
hand to take them, for the pressure
of the girdle reminded him in time.
So he would nod 10 his marshal, and
he receiving them, saying We r.
member


Then the princess would become
impatient and would exclaim: My
handkerchief has fallen! Can your
lOrdship pick it up for me2" Where
upon the prince would fasten his spur
into it and wave it carelessly, while
the princess would have to bend and
remove it from his foot, angriIy say
ing: Il remember


Thus year passed away, and the
princess said to herself:


"This cannot remain so. 1t must
be settled in one way or the other"


She said to the prince:


have one Of the finest gardens
in the world. will show your lord
ship over it to-day.


The prince sLIelt his apple, and as
they entered the garden, said:


1T is very needfdl here, and in or
der that we may walk near each other
in peace, and not 10 be disturbed by
the desire to try our game, beg you
my lady, that for this one hour you
will take upon you the custom of my
court, and let your hands also be fast
ened. Then we will be safe from
each others art, and there will be
nothing to annoy u.s.


The princess did not feel very safe
about this hisarrangement, buthe begged
so strongly that she could not refuse
him this small favor. SO they went
on alone together, with their hands
fastened in their girdles. The birds
sang, the sun shOne warmly, and
from the trees the red cherries hung so
low that they brushed their cheeks as
they passed. The princess saw them
and exclaimed.


"What pity that your lOrdship
is not able to pick a few for mel


Necessity k-lows no law said the
prince, and broke one OF the cherries
with his teeth from branch, and Of
fered it to the princess from his
mouth.


The princess could not do otherwise
than receive it from his mouth, and
so her face was brought close TO his
So when she had the berry between
her lips, and kiss from him besides,
she was not able TO say that instant,
" remember"


Tban ha cried iovfi1llv uGoOd