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diff --git a/old/63437-0.txt b/old/63437-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b270f4a..0000000 --- a/old/63437-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1590 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Seven Plaits of Nettles, and other -stories, by Edric Vredenburg - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Seven Plaits of Nettles, and other stories - -Author: Edric Vredenburg - -Illustrator: T. Noyes Lewis - Hilda Cowham - -Release Date: October 12, 2020 [EBook #63437] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SEVEN PLAITS OF NETTLES *** - - - - -Produced by Richard Tonsing, Juliet Sutherland, and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - - THE SEVEN PLAITS OF NETTLES, - AND OTHER STORIES. - - - BY - EDRIC VREDENBURG. - - ILLUSTRATED BY - T. NOYES LEWIS, HILDA COWHAM, - _&c._, _&c._ - -[Illustration] - - =Raphael Tuck & Sons L^{td}. - London · Paris · New York= - - =Publishers to Their Majesties the King & Queen & to T.R.M., the Prince - & Princess of Wales= - - - - - CONTENTS. - - - THE SEVEN PLAITS OF NETTLES. - - WHEN OUR SHIP COMES HOME. - - THE GOLDEN WISH. - - THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG. - - THE THREE SNOWFLAKES. - -[Illustration] - - - - - THE SEVEN PLAITS OF NETTLES. - - -Once upon a time there was a very bad King who ruled over a very good -country. - -It was a good country because the land was rich, and things grew well, -and because the people worked hard and were thrifty and intelligent. The -King was bad because he was terribly extravagant, because he spent -fortunes upon fortunes on pleasure, because he gambled all the money in -his mint away, and, with all this fearful spending, he never thought of -giving anything to the poor. He was a very bad King indeed, just the -meanest, poorest thing in kings that ever sat upon a throne! - -When the King’s pockets were empty, and the treasury chest and mint were -also empty, the only thing His Majesty could do was to increase the -taxes. This he did on an average about every other fortnight, and the -consequence was that his thrifty, hard-working people had to give all -their money to pay the King’s debts. This the people did not in the -least like doing, and the King was very unpopular indeed; in fact, -matters went to such a pitch that his subjects would not bow to him when -they met him in the streets of his capital. - -But the King did not seem to mind this one bit; he continued his -extravagances and his wicked gambling, he cleared out the treasury chest -more often than ever, and he taxed the people harder and harder every -day. - -But everything must come to an end sooner or later, you know, and it -really seemed as if the end of that country had almost arrived, for the -people began to starve, and such things as fires were only known in the -houses of the richest. But the King borrowed money on his crown, -sceptre, and family jewels, and went on anyhow, as usual. - -Now it so happened that there lived in a suburb of the King’s city a -very beautiful girl, whose name was Ellaleen. She lived in a nice house -with her father and mother and brothers and sisters, and it was -altogether a very nice family. Not only was it a good-looking, -well-behaved family, but it was also a very healthy one, and had a very -healthy appetite, which is perhaps a drawback when there is next to -nothing to eat. - -Well, Ellaleen took matters very much to heart. She objected to growing -thinner every day, and it made her more miserable than she could express -to see her father and her mother and her brothers and sisters all -growing thinner, while each one pretended that he or she was not a bit -hungry, so that others could have more. It made her wretched to see her -suffering neighbours, and the poor peasants who soon became too sickly -to work; and, indeed, what was the use of working when all the profits -were taken away? Ellaleen felt as if she would have given her life to -save her country! - -Now this beautiful and tenderhearted girl had a dream one night, a -strange dream, because it was so wonderfully vivid. - -She dreamt that a funny old woman, all dressed in red, came to her -bedside, and said in a clear voice: - -“Ellaleen, if thou wilt journey alone to the willow copse, on the south -side of the Blue Mountain that lies to the south of the city, thou shalt -there find the means to save thy country.” - -[Illustration] - -This sentence the little old woman repeated three times, and Ellaleen, -when she woke in the morning, felt like a second Joan of Arc, for, of -course, you know that Joan of Arc was told in a dream that she was to -save her country. - -Ellaleen did not wait for breakfast—not that it would have made the -least difference if she had, for there was no breakfast to wait for (the -King’s-taxes had called the day before)—but having obtained permission -from her father and mother, whom she had told about her dream, she -started off for the willow copse on the south side of the Blue Mountain. - -It was late by the time she arrived there—quite dusk, in fact—and it was -very much further than she expected. As she entered the copse her heart -beat high with excitement, for there, on a fallen tree, sat the old -woman of her dream. As soon as the old woman saw her she rose and came -quickly forward. - -[Illustration: “ON A FALLEN TREE SAT THE OLD WOMAN OF HER DREAM.”] - -“Ellaleen, I am glad thou hast come,” she said in a kindly voice, and -taking the girl by her hands; “and art thou prepared to suffer much to -save the people from their fearful affliction?” - -“Indeed, indeed I am,” replied Ellaleen with all her heart. - -“Then come with me,” said the little old woman, and she led the way to -the edge of the copse. - -“See, there is the Yellow Mountain,” she continued, pointing south. - -They could not help seeing the Yellow Mountain, for the setting sun -reflected its glory upon it and made it shine like red and liquid gold. - -“Thou must travel there through the night,” went on the little old -woman. “After the sun has set, the moon will rise and shine upon the -mountain, and it will be no longer yellow, but like molten silver; and -when thou hast arrived at the mountain, which will be about dawn, thou -wilt climb its steeps and descend the other side to fields upon fields -of nettles. And when thou hast come to the fields of nettles, thou must -take off thy shoes and stockings, and bare thine arms, and then thou -must pluck the longest nettles at the root, and with them make seven -plaits, each plait two yards long. And all the time thou workest thou -must not grumble, but sing cheerily, although thou art ready to cry out -with pain and fatigue. Thinkest thou, Ellaleen, that thou canst do all -this?” - -“I will try,” answered the girl. “And when I have made the seven plaits, -what am I to do with them?” - -“Thou art to return the way thou wentest, bare-footed and bare-armed, -bringing with thee the seven plaits of nettles. And when thou art come -to the lake on the top of the mountain, the lake that supplies the -country, thou art to throw the plaits one by one into the water; and -having done so, thou art to return home.” - -“And then?” asked Ellaleen. - -“And then thou must wait and see what will happen,” replied the little -old woman. “And now, Ellaleen, thou must set out on thy hard task, and -thou hast indeed my blessing.” - -With that the old woman left the girl, with the shadow of evening -falling on her. - -Ellaleen did as she had been told. She journeyed to the Yellow Mountain, -which shone in the moonlight like a pillar of burnished silver, and she -arrived at its summit as the day dawned. Then she descended the other -side, and soon came to the fields of nettles. - -[Illustration: “NOBODY HAD EVER KNOWN SUCH NETTLES BEFORE.”] - -Such nettles! such fearful nettles! with prickles as large as needles. -But Ellaleen did not hesitate, she took off her shoes and stockings, and -bared her white arms, and singing, stepped into the mass of horrid -weeds. - -How loudly she sang! If she had not done so she must have cried out in -agony, for the cruel nettles tore her poor arms and legs and feet. She -had never known such nettles as these; nobody had ever known such -nettles as these! She thought that she must really give up in despair, -but she did not. She sang on, and she worked on, and she gathered those -nettles near the roots, and wove them, with her poor hands, into seven -plaits. Then wearily and slowly, but indeed happily, she went back the -way she came, and to the Blue Mountain, and to the lake on its summit. - -Ellaleen threw the plaits of nettles one by one into the lake, and as -each one touched the water great waves arose, and there were sounds like -peals of terrific thunder. As the last rumble died away, Ellaleen turned -her back upon the lake, and dragged her poor body home and waited to see -what was going to happen next. - - * * * * * - -“Dear me, isn’t it wonderful? isn’t it delicious?” everybody exclaimed. -Then everybody had some more. - -It was the water they were talking about. It had suddenly acquired the -most exquisite flavour. Everybody, including the King, drank it, and -nothing else. Even at the village inn, water was asked for, and only -water. It was really more than marvellous. - -Then something still more marvellous happened. - -Everybody began to feel very drowsy, and before twenty-four hours had -passed everybody fell fast asleep, not only every living soul in the -country, but every animal, just as in the Sleeping Beauty story. - -And they slept on and on and on, during the spring, the summer, autumn, -and the winter, through another spring and through another summer. And -while they slept there appeared to everyone in Dreamland a little old -woman dressed in red, who told them what Ellaleen had done, and how she -suffered for her country’s good. - -Then everybody woke up suddenly, and rubbing their eyes, stared at each -other and the country. The country was worth staring at. Never before -had been seen such harvest fields with their rich golden corn; never -before had the fruit trees borne such splendid fruit. The vineyards were -heavy with grapes; and every garden, palace garden and cottage garden, -was filled with magnificent vegetables and beautiful flowers. The -country was as rich as it possibly could be. - -[Illustration] - -And the King? Well, the King had his sleep and his dream as well as the -others, and when he woke up and rubbed his eyes he was not a bit like -the same King. - -He called his courtiers and his people together, and in their presence -he journeyed to the Blue Mountain and thence to the Yellow Mountain, and -he climbed its steeps and descended to the other side. And when he came -to the fields of nettles he took off his shoes and stockings and bared -his hands, and then he stepped into the cruel weeds, singing all the -time. - -And he made not seven plaits but seventy, and he could make no more -because he was exhausted. - -“Thus,” he said to his people, “do I try to punish myself.” - -From that day forth he turned into a good king, and taxed his people -only justly. And by degrees he paid off his debts and got back his crown -and sceptre and family jewels, and so was respectable and presentable -once more. - -And the water in the lake? Well, it turned again into ordinary water. -And Ellaleen? I suppose you think she married the King and lived happily -ever after; but she did nothing of the sort. - -[Illustration: “HE STEPPED INTO THE CRUEL WEEDS.”] - -She stayed at home, and looked after her father and mother and brothers -and sisters. And she went out, too, and looked after the poor who were -in trouble and the rich who were in trouble; and she was loved and -adored by one and all. - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - - - - - WHEN OUR SHIP COMES HOME. - - -“Dear, dear me, how very silly of me to fall asleep. Whatever shall I -do? there is no knowing what may happen, it is really too terrible to -think about.” - -The speaker was a fish. In the ordinary way fishes don’t talk much, but -this happened to be a fairy fish, and fairy fishes can do most things. -Most things, but not all things, otherwise this particular little fairy -fish would not have been in such trouble. - -The facts are simply these. The little fish had fallen asleep, and the -tide having gone out, had left it in a very tiny pool of water on the -seashore. The pool of water was so small that it ran the risk of being -dried up by the sun, and that would be truly awful for the little fish, -for if the water dried up it would die. - -Now what made matters even worse was that this little fairy fish was in -reality a beautiful mermaid—a beautiful mermaid with hair like the -golden sands, eyes as blue as the sea, and lips as red as coral. But -this was in her own country, some miles away in the rolling ocean. In -her own country, too, she had the wonderful power of being able to -change her shape. The pretty mermaid could become a sole, or a lobster, -or an oyster, but unfortunately she had not this power out of her own -country. - -Now the mermaid had changed herself into a little Red Mullet, and, as we -have just said, had fallen asleep and had been caught in a tiny pool of -water on the seashore. Poor little thing, it could not change back -again, and so was a prisoner. - -But worse was to happen. - -“Oh, Etty, here is a dear little fish; let us take it home and cook it -for mother’s supper,” said a little voice. - -The little voice belonged to a little girl who was talking to another -little girl. - -The Red Mullet trembled and grew pale. Enough to make it! Fancy hearing -some one talking about eating one for supper. - -“Oh, yes, do let’s,” said the other little girl, as they both peered -into the pool. “Mother will be pleased; but how shall we carry it?” - -“Oh, anyhow, pick it up in your fingers, Etty,” replied the first little -girl. - -The Red Mullet shivered, and quivered its tail, and turned even paler; -it was losing its colour altogether, and that’s a serious matter for a -Red Mullet! - -“Well, I don’t know,” said Etty, thoughtfully, “poor little thing, -perhaps it has a father and mother, and brothers and sisters in the sea, -it seems a pity to eat it.” - -The Red Mullet buried its nose in the sand, and blew little bubbles to -the surface of the water. It was very much excited indeed! - -“But it will die here I should think,” said the other little girl; “let -us throw it into the sea so that it can go back to its father and -mother, and brothers and sisters, if it likes. Pick it up, Etty, and -throw it into the sea.” - -Etty did not quite like touching the cold little fish, nevertheless she -did, and threw it into the sea that came rippling up in tiny waves to -her feet. - -[Illustration: “POOR LITTLE THING, PERHAPS IT HAS A FATHER AND MOTHER.”] - -The Red Mullet remained quite quiet for a second or two, the shock had -been so great, and then it darted away to its home in the ocean. - -Etty and her sister went home too. - - * * * * * - -Sorrow was in the land; great sorrow, for there were poverty and -sickness in nearly every house. Everything had gone wrong in that -country for some time, and somehow things could not get right again; it -was such a pity! - -Etty and her sister walked hand in hand and bare-footed on the seashore, -and it was nearly a year since they had let the Red Mullet free. The two -little girls were looking out for _that_ ship which never would come. -Mother had told them that everything would come right when their ship -came home, but it was such a long time coming. They began to fear that -it had gone down to the bottom of the sea, and that things would never -come right. - -And what was to happen to them all? It was so hard to live, so very -hard; food was so scarce and the hospitals were full to overflowing. - -“I wonder,” said Etty suddenly, looking up into her sister’s face, “I -wonder where that little pink fish is, that we found last year.” Wonder, -indeed they would have wondered, if they could have seen the little pink -fish at that moment. The Red Mullet, no longer a Red Mullet, but a -beautiful mermaid, was under the waves only a few yards from the two -children. In her hands she carried a strange-looking casket, which she -brought nearer and nearer to the shore; then she gave it in charge of a -friendly wave that washed it almost to the children’s naked feet. - -“What can it be?” they said, and that is exactly what you would have -said under the same circumstances. Then they pulled it to land and tried -to open it. It was not very difficult and they soon succeeded. - -“Oh, Etty, what lovely beads!” said one little girl. - -“Lovely beads!” repeated Etty; “let’s take some home to mother.” - -They took a handful each of the contents of the casket, and, burying the -casket in the sand, went home. - -As they started off they both turned and listened for a moment. “I -thought I heard a lovely laugh,” said Etty. - -She had; it was the laughter of the mermaid, the happy, merry laughter -of the sea fairy, who was pleased to see her present had been received. -They gave the beads to mother, who started when she saw them. They -showed them to their father, who gave a great cry and sprang to his -feet. - -[Illustration] - -“Why do you do that?” said Etty, in much surprise. And her sister -wondered also; what did it mean? - -“Mean, my dears,” answered their father in a choking voice, “it means -that our ship has at last come home. These are not beads but pearls.” - -“We have plenty more of them,” said the children. - -Their father put on his hat and went out. They came back shortly with -the casket and all the pearls, and they were _such_ lovely pearls; -indeed, that was not very wonderful, for the Red Mullet had taken a -world of trouble to find the most beautiful pearls in the ocean and had -been quite successful. - -Now, the children’s parents were by no means greedy people, they shared -the fairy’s gifts with their neighbours, with the happy consequence that -where sorrow and sickness had been, happiness and health were in their -stead. - -And that is just as it should be, isn’t it? And what is the moral of -this little tale? Be kind to all living creatures, even down to a tiny -Red Mullet, and there is no knowing what may happen; perhaps _your_ ship -will come home, sooner than you expect, if you earn a mermaid’s -gratitude. - -[Illustration] - - - - - THE GOLDEN WISH. - - -Lady Elizabeth was really a very nice girl. She was affectionate, and -generous and distinctly clever. Lady Elizabeth was also pretty, and of -course that goes a very long way; but for all that Lady Elizabeth was -not happy, for the very simple reason that she was not contented. - -The fact was that her father, the Earl, had lost a lot of money, and as -earls go, he was poor, and the consequence was that Lady Elizabeth had -to put up with a great deal that she did not like, and do a great many -things that she did not care to do. She grumbled at having to perform -the household duties, she grumbled at the servants, and grumbled because -she had to go out and do the shopping and marketing herself. - -From morning till evening she sighed for riches, and even if she woke up -in the middle of the night, her thoughts turned to gold; and when -thoughts continually turn to gold it is very bad for them, and is sure -to make the thinker discontented and wretched. - -Now it was through always having the same longing, morning, noon, and -night, that a very strange and terrible thing happened to Lady -Elizabeth; one of the most wonderful and awkward, things that could -happen to anybody. - -[Illustration: “SHE HAD TO PERFORM MANY HOUSEHOLD DUTIES.”] - -To begin with, I must tell you that there is in the sea a shoal of magic -fishes. Some people say that there were originally in the shoal ten -thousand fish, other people put the number down at only seven thousand -five hundred, but that really doesn’t matter much; but what does matter -to the story is this, that Lady Elizabeth bought one of these magic -fishes in the market, and eat it that same night for her supper. - -Not that she knew that the fish she had eaten was anything out of the -way. In fact, nobody knew this, neither the cook, nor the fishmonger -from whom it was purchased, nor anybody else; but eat it Lady Elizabeth -did and had to take the consequences. - -“Dear me!” she exclaimed, after supper, trying to keep her heavy eyes -open, “I feel ever so sleepy.” - -“Better go to bed,” said the Earl. - -“I think I will,” replied Lady Elizabeth, with a little yawn, and giving -her father a kiss, she went upstairs to her bedroom. - -“Oh, dear,” she exclaimed, as she proceeded to undress herself, “what an -unfortunate girl I am. Fancy an earl’s daughter having no maid to help -her to bed when she is sleepy. Bah!” and here she stamped her little -foot, “I wish everything were gold, that I could sell it.” - -Having made this foolish remark, she was naughty enough to break the -strings of her petticoat, for they had become knotted. Then she jumped -into bed, and before her pretty head had touched the white pillow she -was fast asleep, beyond even the land of dreams. - -She slept soundly all the night through, not waking up till the sun was -shining in at her window, in all his golden glory; indeed it was a -glorious day, golden, bright, and beautiful! - -Lady Elizabeth jumped from her bed with a song on her lips, and her eyes -bright with health and beauty. But of a sudden the song ceased, as she -cried out in wonder and alarm, and her eyes became fixed with -extraordinary astonishment. She had poured the water from the jug into -the basin, and as soon as she touched it with her pink fingers it had -frozen hard. Frozen quite solid, not into ice, but into pure gold. Pure -gold, worth hundreds of pounds! - -It was the same in the bath, a bath both deep and wide. As soon as her -little pink toe touched the water it froze into a large block of yellow -gold, worth thousands upon thousands of pounds. - -[Illustration: LADY ELIZABETH BUYS THE MAGIC FISH.] - -She was so bewildered, so excited, so delighted that she could hardly -dress herself, but she managed to do so somehow, and then ran downstairs -to tell her father the good news. He was a rich man now, and could have -servants, and horses and carriages and everything else that he desired! - -Lady Elizabeth and the Earl gloated over the gold, and the household -came and stared at it in mute wonder. More water was poured into the -bath and the same thing happened as before; when touched by Lady -Elizabeth’s fair fingers it turned into the precious metal. But wonder -must give way to other feelings. The Earl’s daughter began to feel -hungry, very hungry in fact, for she had a good appetite and it was long -past breakfast-time; she had had nothing to eat since her supper of -Magic Fish the night before. - -It was a nice breakfast, coffee and rolls, fresh butter and eggs, and -jams and other nice things. Lady Elizabeth said her grace, sat down, -poured herself out a cup of coffee and raised it to her rosy lips. - -Lady Elizabeth let the cup fall with a crash, breaking it to atoms, as -she sprang to her feet with a scream, while the Earl fell off his chair -in amazement. He was an elderly earl, and rather nervous, and sudden -shocks upset him. - -[Illustration] - -But really it was enough to upset anybody, for as soon as his daughter’s -lips touched the coffee it had turned into solid gold. No wonder she -dropped the cup, it was so heavy. - -She tried a second cup with the same result; then, with trembling -fingers, she touched the loaf of bread, when it turned to gold -immediately; eggs, jam, butter, even the very crumbs turned into golden -nuggets, and as Lady Elizabeth found it impossible to eat gold, she went -without any breakfast whatsoever. - -Her father was much concerned. Magicians were sent for from all over the -country, but they could do nothing but stare with wonder and help -themselves to the golden eggs to pay for their travelling expenses. - -[Illustration: THE POODLE TURNS INTO A GOLDEN DOG.] - -The same thing happened at luncheon, at dinner, tea and supper. Lady -Elizabeth was starving. In the evening another remarkable event took -place. She happened to touch the pet poodle, when it immediately became -a golden dog. The Earl, at this, became more nervous than ever, and -shrieked whenever his daughter came near him. The servants shunned her, -too, fearful of the consequences of touching her. Poor Elizabeth; a more -unhappy girl did not go to bed that night! But she had eaten the Magic -Fish and wished for gold, and her wish had been fulfilled. - -The same happened the next day. Crowds of people came from far and near -to see the wonder of the age, and while they wondered, Lady Elizabeth -was slowly starving to death. - -“Oh,” she cried, “if only I could be like an ordinary girl again. I vow -I would never be discontented any more. I would do my best to be -cheerful and never, never grumble again.” - -As she made this vow there came a peal of thunder, and of a sudden the -golden water, the golden bread, jam, butter, and even the eggs the -Magicians had taken for their travelling expenses, turned back into -their natural state. And to the joy of Lady Elizabeth, her father, and -the people who loved her, she once more could work, eat, and drink -again. - -From that day to this she was never discontented, and never once longed -for the gold which was hers for so short a while. - -By the way, I was nearly forgetting to say that the pet poodle did not -turn into a live dog again. He remained a golden one, and made an -exceedingly handsome ornament for the fireplace. - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - - - - - THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG. - - -There was once a Frog. - -He lay in a pool near the horse-pond in the farmyard, behind the King’s -Castle. To look at, he was not by any means a remarkable frog. He was -neither bigger nor smaller than other frogs of his kind; neither was he -greener, browner, nor more yellow. He certainly was a perfect swimmer, -and his croak was perhaps just a little more musical than the croak of -the other frogs, but in other respects he was exactly like them. He -spent his days catching worms and flies, and dodging ducks who were -always on the lookout to catch him. His was the usual frog’s life—and -yet, and yet he was no ordinary frog. - - * * * * * - -There was once a Princess. - -She lived in the Castle beyond the pool, on the other side of the -horse-pond. She was no ordinary Princess. Princesses, of course, are -always beautiful; but this one was more beautiful than any. Her hair was -more golden than real gold; her eyes as blue as an eastern sky; her -teeth as white as the whitest of pearls, while her smile was as sweet as -an angel’s. She was as good as she was beautiful. - -Indeed, she was no ordinary Princess. She loved the world and everybody -in it. She loved her dear old father, the King (she had no mother and -brothers and sisters to love, poor Princess); she loved all the King’s -subjects, from the oldest old man to the youngest new baby, and she -loved all animals—yes, all animals, from the noble horses to—well, even -to the frogs in the pool beyond the horse-pond, in the farmyard at the -back of the Castle. - -Now, the King was very rich, and so his daughter had everything she -desired, and what she desired most was the means to do good to others, -and to be able to care for all the maimed and injured animals in her -father’s kingdom. She had comfortable stables built for the poor old -horses, kennels for the poor old dogs, almshouses for the poor old men -and women, and happy homes for homeless babies. The Princess was the -ministering angel of the country. - -[Illustration] - -In the Castle itself she had aviaries filled with beautiful birds, and -aquariums full of fish and all sorts of queer animals, including even a -frog with an injured foot, that the Princess herself had found in the -pool in the farmyard behind her father’s Castle. This was the Frog that -was no ordinary frog, except in appearance. He lived in the Castle, and -was happy; and his foot got quite well, except when he hopped he had a -slight limp. - -Now, everything went happily until the lovely Princess was eighteen -years old, and then something fearful happened. A terrible and cruel war -broke out between the King, her father, and a neighbouring Emperor, and -alas! the King got the worst of it. He lost every battle from the very -beginning; town after town fell into the hands of the enemy; the happy -villages were burnt down; the crops and the cattle were seized, and the -King and his daughter sat in the Castle with only a few soldiers to -guard them, expecting every moment the arrival of the Emperor’s -victorious army. - -[Illustration] - -They had no money—all their treasures had been sold to pay for the -horrid war. The old men and women were miserable in the almshouses; the -babies cried in their homes; the horses and birds and fishes had been -set free, for there was no money with which to buy them food, and there -was misery over all the land. The poor Princess had no pets except one -that had been left behind in the aquarium—the Frog that was no ordinary -frog, and that had a limp when he hopped, and whose croak was rather -more musical than the croak of other frogs. Well, it came at last, the -Emperor’s conquering army, and it swept all before it; the Castle was -taken, and the King and the Princess had only just time to escape by the -back door, and through the farmyard by the pool, near the horse-pond, -and so on to the woods, where they hid themselves from their enemies. -The Frog was with them—yes, in a safety-matchbox, in the Princess’s -pocket. It was certainly not comfortable there, but he preferred it to -being left behind in a castle filled with strangers. The next day found -the King and his daughter miles away from their old home, seated hand in -hand upon a bank, hungry and miserable. No one would have taken them for -a King and a Princess, for he wore an ordinary felt hat, instead of a -crown, and she wore nothing on her head but her own beautiful golden -hair, which was more beautiful and brilliant than the finest gold. Well, -they went all that day without anything to eat but berries, and at night -they slept in the woods again; and so they journeyed on, more miserable -and hungry. The Frog, too, was not very happy, and having the cramp in -his lame foot, kicked somewhat vigorously in his matchbox, so that the -Princess heard him, and pitied him, and determined to let him go when -they came to some water. - -[Illustration] - -Now, they had not gone much farther before they came to a pond, and -here, I think, comes the wonderful part of the story. The Princess took -the Frog from the matchbox and held it for a moment in her hand, and as -she did so, she burst into tears, and her tears fell upon the little -creature. - -“Alas!” she cried, “you are the last of my poor pets I loved so dearly.” - -Then there suddenly came a flash of light, and a noise like terrible -thunder, and the King, in his fright, fell on his back, while the -Princess opened her dark blue eyes in wonder. There stood before her a -handsome Prince, who smiled and held out his hands to her. - -[Illustration] - -“The spell of a wicked fairy is broken,” he said. “The Frog you took -from the pool was no ordinary frog—in reality, he was an enchanted -Prince; your love for, and the tears that fell on him, have restored him -to his own form again.” - -“Come,” he continued, “we three will go over those blue hills together, -to my lovely country. And you shall be my Princess, and we will rule the -land together.” - -And so they went away, hand in hand, the Princess between her father and -the Prince, and they went over the blue hills to the most beautiful -country you can imagine. And then, before long, the Princess built -stables and kennels for the old horses and poor dogs, and almshouses for -the old men and old women, and houses for the homeless babies; and she -was never so happy as when doing good to others, and everybody loved -her, for, truly, she was the ministering angel of the land. - -[Illustration: THE THREE SNOWFLAKES] - - - - - THE THREE SNOWFLAKES - - -Once upon a time there were three snowflakes, and they were called -Faith, Hope, and Charity. When I say three snowflakes, I don’t quite -mean that, but three little girls dressed in white, and looking like -snow Princesses as they trudged along across the white covered country. - -They were the Earl’s daughters, and, as I have just said, their names -were Faith, Hope, and Charity. I wonder what the Earl would have called -a fourth daughter, supposing he had had one. - -The three snowflakes lived at the Castle, which was on a hillside, -surrounded by a beautiful park, and overlooking the valley. - -In the summer it was a lovely valley, with a river running through it, -and beautiful green woods coming down to the edges of the water. - -Now the winter had come it was all white, except the river, which looked -grey in the distance. In one corner of the valley lay the village, and -in the last cottage of the village there lived a little girl called -Ruth. - -Ruth was very poor, indeed, she was so poor that she possessed nothing. -The tiny cottage she stood in had been rented by her grandmother, and -now her grandmother was dead; the only relation she had left in the -world had been taken from her. - -[Illustration] - -There was not a crumb of bread in the cupboard, not a stick with which -to make a fire, not a penny in the girl’s pocket, so no wonder she stood -looking out of the window with dismay in her face. - -The window was a little open, and through the opening came three flakes -of snow. - -They fell upon the brick floor and melted slowly away. - -[Illustration] - -Ruth shuddered; it was the first snow of the year, it might mean the -beginning of a long, hard, cruel winter. - -She shuddered again, and then of a sudden knelt on the brick floor and -clasped her hands in prayer, and this showed she had Faith in her heart. - -And as she prayed the sun broke through the snow clouds, and poured in -through the window, and shone on the girl’s brown hair. She rose with a -smile on her lips and a light dancing in her eyes, for there was Hope in -her breast. - -Ruth opened the window and took in the withered flowers on the sill. - -“Poor flowers,” she said, “you will be warmer inside.” - -Now this was Charity, for kindness is Charity, and we can be kind even -to flowers. - -Then, of a sudden, there came shouts of laughter from the lane without, -and the sound of merry voices; the door of the cottage flew open, and in -ran the Earl’s daughters, the three snowflakes. - -“Oh, Ruth,” said Charity, “we have heard of your trouble, and our father -has sent us to help you.” - -[Illustration] - -And Charity kissed Ruth on the cheek. - -“And you are to come and live in the lodge by the gates,” said Faith, -putting her arms round the poor girl’s waist, and leading her to the -door of the cottage. - -“And you are to be happy the whole year long,” cried Hope, clapping her -hands, and turning, she led the way, skipping and laughing, up the lane. - -And so it happened that Ruth went and lived in the lodge of the great -lord’s beautiful estate, and there she may be living, contented and -happy, to this day. - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - A SELECTION FROM - RAPHAEL TUCK & SONS’ - PUBLICATIONS. - - - The Children’s Gem Library. - -A series of six cloth bound Story Books by the most popular Writers for -Children. - - 1. =Effie’s Little Mother=, by Rosa Nouchette Carey. - - 2. =Tic-tac-too=, by L. T. Meade. - - 3. =Betsy Brian’s Needle=, by M. A. Hoyer. - - 4. =The Seven Plaits of Nettles=, by Edric Vredenburg. - - 5. =The Rainbow Queen=, by E. Nesbit. - - 6. =Mildred and her Mills=, by Nora Chesson. - -All the above Illustrated in colour and black and white. 64 pages. 25c. -each. Complete, in a neat case, $1.50. - - - Humorous Books by Louis Wain. - - =Big Dogs, Little Dogs, Cats and Kittens.= Thirty-six pages of - coloured and black and white pictures. - - Bound in Picture boards 1.50 - Bound in Cloth, bevelled 2.00 - - =Pa Cats, Ma Cats and their Kittens.= Thirty-six pages of coloured and - black and white pictures. - - Bound in Picture boards 1.50 - Bound in Cloth, bevelled 2.00 - - =With Louis Wain to Fairyland.= Described by Nora Chesson. Thirty-six - pages of coloured and black and white pictures. - - Bound in Picture boards 1.50 - Bound in Cloth, bevelled 2.00 - - =Louis Wain’s Cats and Dogs.= Untearable linen leaves. Twenty-four - full-page coloured pictures, and four black and white. - - Bound in Picture boards 1.50 - - These books are in Louis Wain’s inimitable style, and will amuse - both old and young alike. - - - New and Amusing Books - -By T. E. Donnison, etc. - - =Odds and Ends and Old Friends.= Thirty-six pages of coloured and - black and white pictures. - - Bound in Picture boards 1.50 - Bound in Cloth, bevelled 2.00 - - =Old Fairy Legends in New Colours=, with Verses by Nora Chesson. - Thirty-six pages of coloured and black and white pictures. - - Bound in Picture boards 1.50 - Bound in Cloth, bevelled 2.00 - - =Old Friends in New Frocks=, with Verses by Nora Chesson. Untearable - linen leaves. Twenty-four full-page coloured pictures, and four - black and white. - - Bound in Picture boards 1.50 - Bound in Cloth, bevelled 2.00 - - The familiar Nursery Tales and Rhymes treated in a very clever and - entirely new manner. - -=Rhymes without Reason.= Pictured and penned by E. M. and M. F. Taylor. -Thirty-six pages of coloured and black and white pictures. - - Bound in Picture boards 1.50 - Bound in Cloth, bevelled 2.00 - - =Wallypug Tales.= A novel and extremely humorous creation of G. E. - Farrow, illustrated with 36 full-paged pictures in colour, by Alan - Wright. - - Bound in Picture boards 1.50 - Bound in Cloth, bevelled 2.00 - - The Wallypug stories have brought the author into the front rank of - writers for children. - - =Proverbs Old, Newly Told=, by Clifton Bingham. Thirty-six pages of - coloured and black and white pictures. - - Bound in Picture boards 1.50 - Bound in Cloth, bevelled 2.00 - - The well-known proverbs treated in a very original and humorous - fashion. - - - Books by the Rev. Canon Duckworth, D.D., C.V.O., - - Sub-Dean of Westminster; Chaplain-in-Ordinary to the King. - - =The Holy Land.= Illustrated with forty-nine pictures in colour and - black and white, from original drawings, painted in Palestine, by W. - J. Webb. Coloured map. Thirty-six pages. - - Bound in Picture boards 1.50 - Bound in Cloth, bevelled 2.00 - - =Through the Holy Land.= Thirty-two pictures in colour and black and - white, by W. J. Webb. - - Paper 40c. - Linen leaves 75c. - - By the late Rev. H. R. Haweis, M.A., - -Author of “Music and Morals,” “Arrows in the Air,” “Christ and -Christianity,” etc. - - =The Child’s Life of Jesus.= Illustrated with twenty full-paged - coloured and forty-three black and white pictures. One hundred - pages. - - Bound in Picture boards 1.50 - Bound in Cloth, gilt edges 2.00 - - Written in Mr. Haweis’s charming and forcible language, which makes - the life of our Saviour readily understood by children. - - - Books on Natural History. - - By Dr. W. G. Ridewood, etc., - - D.Sc., F.L.S., F.Z.S. - - (Associate of the Royal College of Science; Lecturer on Biology at the - Medical School of St. Mary’s Hospital; Assistant to Professor Ray - Lankester, at the Natural History Museum, South Kensington.) - - =Illustrated Natural History.= By Dr. W. G. Ridewood, D.Sc., F.L.S., - F.Z.S. With 150 coloured illustrations, and 50 in black and white, - of Beasts, Birds, Fishes, Reptiles and Insects. - - Pictorial cover 2.00 - - - Books About Animals. - - =My Animal Book.= Thirty large full-paged pictures in colour, and four - in black and white. - - Picture boards 1.50 - - =With Father Tuck to Animal Land.= Edited by Edric Vredenburg. One - hundred pages of pictures and stories. Twenty pages in full colour. - - Paper Edition, Picture boards 1.50 - Paper Edition, Cloth boards 2.00 - Linen leaves, Picture boards 2.50 - Linen leaves, Cloth boards 3.00 - - - Fairy and Nursery Tales. - - =With Father Tuck to Fairyland.= Re-told by Edric Vredenburg and - others. One hundred pages of the old familiar Fairy Tales, - illustrated with twenty pages in colour, and numerous black and - white pictures. - - Paper Edition, Picture boards 1.50 - Paper Edition, Cloth boards 2.00 - Linen leaves, Picture boards 2.50 - Linen leaves, Cloth boards 3.00 - - =With Father Tuck to Nurseryland.= Edited by Edric Vredenburg. One - hundred pages of the old nursery favourites, illustrated with twenty - pages in colour, and eighty pages in black and white. - - Paper Edition, Picture boards 1.50 - Paper Edition, Cloth boards 2.00 - Linen leaves, Picture boards 2.50 - Linen leaves, Cloth boards 3.00 - - =Father Tuck’s Annual.= Edited by Edric Vredenburg. 128 pages, with - 160 illustrations in colour and black and white, and numberless - stories, verses, puzzles, etc. - - Bound in Picture boards 1.25 - Bound in Cloth, gilt edges 2.00 - - A most welcome gift to every child. - - =The Crystal Fairy Book.= Sixty-four pages of Stories and Poems, by - Nora Chesson, M. A. Hoyer, Grace C. Floyd, etc. Edited by Edric - Vredenburg. Full of pictures in colour and black and white. - - Picture boards 1.00 - - =Guardian Angels.= Poems and Stories by Nora Chesson, Helen M. - Burnside, etc. Edited by Edric Vredenburg. Sixty-four pages, - profusely illustrated in colour and black and white. - - Picture boards 1.00 - - =Once Upon a Time.= Sixty-four pages of Stories and Poems, by Nora - Chesson, M. A. Hoyer, Grace C. Floyd, etc., profusely illustrated in - colour and black and white, by Maud Goodman, Arthur Dixon, and - others. Edited by Edric Vredenburg. - - Picture boards 1.00 - - =Playtime Stories.= Told by E. Nesbit, Nora Chesson, Grace C. Floyd, - and Edric Vredenburg. Sixty-four pages, illustrated in colour and - black and white, by Maud Goodman, M. Bowley, Hilda Cowham, etc. - - Picture boards 1.00 - - =The Emerald Fairy Book.= Ninety-six pages, with Stories and Poems by - Clifton Bingham, Grace C. Floyd, M. A. Hoyer, etc. Illustrated by - Frances Brundage, Dorothy Furniss, etc. Edited by Edric Vredenburg. - Illustrated throughout with pictures in colour and black and white. - - Picture boards 1.50 - - =Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales.= Illustrated with sixty-nine pictures in - colour and black and white, by E. J. Andrews and S. Jacobs. Edited - by Edric Vredenburg. - - Bound in Picture boards 2.00 - Bound in Cloth, gilt edges 2.50 - - =Grimm’s Fairy Tales.= Illustrated with ninety-five pictures in colour - and black and white, by E. J. Andrews and S. Jacobs. Edited by Edric - Vredenburg. - - Bound in Picture boards 2.00 - Bound in Cloth, bevelled gilt edges 2.50 - - The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm - need no recommendation to parents, the stories and the morals learnt - from them are likely to last as long as the English language. - - - Standard Story Books. - - =Children’s Stories from Dickens.= Stories of the Child Characters of - the great Novelist, by his grand-daughter, Mary Dickens, and others. - Illustrated with twelve full-page coloured and eighty black and - white pictures, by Harold Copping, Frances Brundage, etc.; 104 - pages. - - Bound in Picture boards 1.50 - Bound in Cloth, bevelled, gilt edges 2.00 - - =Tales from Tennyson=, told by Nora Chesson. Illustrated with - seventy-four pictures in colours and black and white, by Frances - Brundage and M. Bowley. - - Bound in Pictorial boards 1.50 - Bound in Cloth, gilt 2.00 - - Stories of the Round Table and other Poems retold in a delightful - manner, suitable for young readers. - - =The Children’s Shakespeare=, by E. Nesbit. Illustrated with twelve - full-page coloured and seventy black and white pictures, by Frances - Brundage, M. Bowley, etc. Edited by Edric Vredenburg. - - Bound in Pictorial boards 2.00 - Bound in Cloth, gilt edges 2.50 - - The principal tales of Shakespeare, written in a charming style, - easily understood by young people. - - =Royal Children of English History=, by E. Nesbit. Illustrated with - ten full-page coloured and sixty-nine black and white pictures by - Frances Brundage and M. Bowley. - - Bound in Pictorial boards 2.00 - Bound in Cloth, gilt edges 2.50 - - Most interesting episodes in English History, from Alfred the Great - to Queen Victoria. - - =LAMB’S TALES FROM SHAKESPEARE.= The most sumptuous edition ever - published. Containing Introductions, copious Notes, and Six New - Tales by Dr. F. J. Furnivall, M.A. Illustrated by Harold Copping, - with 22 full-page highly artistic Photogravure Plates and 142 other - Illustrations. 2 vols., royal 8vo. - - Cloth, gilt top $5 net. - - - Painting Books. - - _25 cents each._ - - =All Sorts A.B.C.= - =Sunnyside Farm.= - =Land of Toys.= - =Father Tuck’s Bird.= - =Father Tuck’s Animal.= - =Father Tuck’s Flower.= - =Father Tuck’s Butterfly.= - =Playtime Pictures.= - =Pleasant Hours.= - - _40 cents each._ - - =Farmyard Pictures.= - =Father Tuck’s Zoo.= - =Father Tuck’s Flowerland.= - =Kindergarten.= - =Dollyland.= - =Father Tuck’s Fruit.= - =Flags of all Nations.= - =Children of all Nations.= - =Our Farm.= - =God is Love.= - - - - - COLLECT!! - - -[Illustration: - - R & S TUCK’S - _Postcards_ - - _Look for - Name & - Trade Mark_ - - NONE GENUINE WITHOUT - - ALWAYS THE MOST WELCOME, ARTISTIC & UP-TO-DATE! -] - - They are pronounced the best. - - They are full of interest. - - They are exquisitely reproduced in every known process. - - They represent an enormous variety of subjects. - - They are Refined, Artistic, Humorous, Instructive, and thoroughly - Up-to-Date. - - There are upwards of 10,000 Designs. - - They are sold by all leading Dealers throughout the World. - - Complete Descriptive List FREE at all Dealers. - - - Every Card bears our Name and Trade Mark. 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