Show I 1 i < o I f oi i r Sf I II l MR THIILEFINGER AND HIS QUEER COUNTRY THE CHILDRENS SECOSD VISIT BY JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS Copyright ISO by Joel Chandler Harris X A Lucky Conjurer IVTow I think that was n prettjr good Btory said Mr Rabbit It had some hng about cows In it and there was nothing about lungs and princes I voildnt give thatMr Rabbit blew a tIff of smoke from his mouth for all your princes and Icings Of course thats on account of my ignorance I dont know anything about thorn I reckon they are just as good neighbors as anybody any-body when you come to know them right well wellBuster Buster John laughed at this but Sweetest Sweet-est Susan only smiled Oh I am not joking remarked Mr Rabbit solemnly Theres no reason why liings and queens and princes shouldnt be just as neighborly as other people If a king and quesn were keeping house any nhere near me and were to send over lItter a mops of salad or to borrow a cup 4 of sugar or a spoonful of lard Id be just as ready to accommodate them as I would any other neighbors and I reckon theyd do the same way by me Theyd be mighty foolish if they didnt said Mrs Meadows I hear tell dat folks halter be montus umblecometumbie when dey go foolin roun whar they er kingin an queenin at remarked Drusilla Ef dey sent me far < ter borry any sugar er lard Cum do house whar dey does de kingin an queen eu 1 boun YOU Id stan nit the back gate an holler fo I went in dar v har dey wuz Jiavin der gnttnes on Dy wouldnt git trie in dar lo I lcnowd how de Ian lay I expect you are right Tar Baby replied re-plied air Rabbit Well Im glad vou didnt go to sleep over the tory of the little boy and the lantern Hut it didnt have any moral said Mr Thimhlefinger Why I reckon thats the reason I didnt do any nodding explained Mr Rabbit I knew there was something A the matter I There was a pause during which Mr f Rabbit betrayed a tendency to fall to nodding nod-ding again Presently Mrs Meadows ror jutxrked 1 mind me of a story thai I heard once I reckon that the lalk about kings and Queens made me remember it Any way it popped into my head all of a sudden though I hadnt thought about it in y ars Fire nnayl exclaimed Mr Rabbit opening his eyes and slowly closing them again Once upon a time there lived in the land of Moravia a man who was very poor He worked whenever and wherever he could find work yet he had so many children that evtn if he had found work even day he could haY made hardly erough for all to eat and wear As it was times > were so hard and work was so Scarce that he frequently had to go hungry rCinltlilclfI tlrIia ill gry and half clothed His wife iid the best she could which was very little She worked about the palace where the Icing had lived but as she was only one among a hundred she got small wages and had few opportunities to carry scraps of vict bale to her children I ± I was the man stalked majestically about the palace yard and after awhile sat on the ground with his face to the wall and Shcoic his head from side to bide anJ made many queer motions with Ills hands Xow while the man sat there going through his queer motions he heard voices on the other side of the wall He judged that two men were sting in the shade on the other sIde and he knew bv the way they talked that they had come with the young prince who was to marry the Princess Myla You have left the blanket on the horse I hope said one Yes everything is attended to re plied the other That is well remarked the first The prince our master desires the Princess Myla to be the first to look on this beau tiful horse which has just come out of i Arabia I will go myself to see that the j animal is properly cared for I Presently two strangers came through jtlie I gate laughing and talking and the man who was playing the conjuror knew they were the keepers of the horse He rose when they went by and watched them until he saw what part of the palace I stables they entered Then he slowly made his way out of the palace grounds That night lie went back and removed the horse placing it where no one would be likely to find it Then he told his wife what he had done There will be a great outcry said he when the horse is missed In the midst of it make your voice heard and remind the young princes attendants that there is a famous conjurer within reach who can no doubt fiud the horse As the man said so it lurned out There was a great noise made when it was found that the beautiful Arabian horse had been stolen The young prince was ready to tear lies hair so great was his disappointment Be offered a large sum of money to pay any one who would recover the horse When the excitement was at its highest the WDmn mentioned to some of the attendants that a famous conjurer had come to the palacf She then pointed her husband out to the men At once the news was carried to the prince who was with the king The King was not a believer in cop jurors and he quickly told the attendants attend-ants to go and send the vagabond about 1 lila business But the young prince was so keen to recover the beautiful horse I which the had intended as a wedding gift fof the Princess Myla that he insisted in-sisted on consulting the conjurer So I the man was sent for He came followed by a number of people who were anxious anx-ious to see what be would do He had avery a-very wise look as he bowed to the king I and to the prince Who are you the king asked with a frown frownpoor pilgrim your majesty Nothing Noth-ing more What is your business I am a student your majesty Where are your books I I In lInens faces your majesty Tine mans replies were So apt that the kings illhumor partly passett away A horse has been stolen from the royal stables said the king I am told you are a conjurer If you are find the horse w 1flhkI1IIii ii ftFrPP J ir1i I I 4 ft 1 I KAVE THE RING HERE I DID WRONG TO STEAL IT t Finally the man came to the conclusion that he must make a desperate effort to better his condition so he said to his wife 4 What are my five senses for I see other people living by their wits and dressing line and enjoying The best in the land Why shouldnt I do the same What is to prevent me but my stupidity Stupidity is a high fence to climb over replied the mans wife But if you are willing to try how far your wits will carry you you will have a good opportunity opportu-nity in a few day The kings daughter the Princess Myla is to be married next week and even now the guests are assembling assem-bling at the palace most of them belonging belong-ing to the bridegrooms retinue i The man leaned his head on his hand 4 and thought awhile and then he rose and put on the best clothes he had which were poor enough and tied a rope girdle around his waist I shall go to court as a pilgrim he saId to his wife When you see me do vou go around among the other servants and tell them that a great conjurer has arrived from the east In this way It will come quickly to the kings ears Nothing tvlll como to that but the next morning something valuable will be missing from the paiaoe When you hear of it do you tell the rest that you know of a man who can find whatever is missing But how will you do this asked the noman The man carried out his plan and his Wife followed his directions She pointed him out to hit fellow servants as a great conjures from the east Ragged as he tr a U t 8 i tifvM The man seated himself on the carpet drew a crystal stone from his pocket and asked the young prince to warm it in the palm of his hand Then the man took it and looked at it a few moments rubbing his hand over it as if something blurred his sight Then he said The horse has on a blanket yoven on a Russian loom I see A dapple gray with milkwhite mane and tail That Is the horse cried ttie prince Where is he He is tied in a thicket a half league from here near the road that leads to the river He paws the ground and whinnies for his master He Is hungry At once messengers were sent and I the horse found The prince was about to give the man a purse of gold but the king stayed this hand saying Ill test this fellow I believe he is an imposter Th man was very much frightened at this but there was no escape for him The king went to his private apartment and shortly came back with a covered basket in his hand 4 Tihereisafoird in this nest said the king If you are a conjurer tell me the name of it Alas your majesty cried the man preparing to fall ton his knees anti beg for mercy a nest that wouldnt fit a sparrow might chance to fit o crow You certainly have gifts exclaimed I I the king as he lifted the cover from the basket As he did so a crow hopped I out and ovent stalking about the room The man was more astonished than the W ii I king In his fright he had hit on am old paying that he had often heard and it saved Ms life The prince gave the man a purse ot gold and lie was about to retire when suddenly an attendant came running into the chamber crying that some one had stolen the beautiful diamond ring belonging be-longing to the Princes llyla Tell the princess to trouble herself no further We have here a man who will be able to find it said the king Allow me a little time your ma jest cried fibs man who was now I frightened nearly out of his wits Let me go into a vacant room in a quiet part of the palace where I may have an I opportunity to look into Mils matter He was oon placed in a room near Uhe servants charters the attendants I telling him hat he would be summoned by the king In an hour He went into I the room shut the door and flung himself jl I him-self on the floor bewailing his unhappy 1 condition Now the ring had been stolen by one I of line women in attendance on the princess She was so pale and sadlook j ing that her cornpaniotvs had nicknamed her Misery and sometimes the princess herself in a spirit of fun called her by I that name She had heard how the con H1 II aac kti I p t c I I I I Ii A POOl Pilcrim Your Majesty iotl1hl More I I I I jurer had discovered the stolen horse and she hal een him name the crow in j the covered basket Consequently she was very mudi frightened when she I heard the king command him ito find the I stolen ring She saw the conjurer go I into the room and after awhile she crept I to the door to listen so great was her fear I fearThe man in the room was not thinking j think-ing of ittfie stolen ring at all He was I merely bewailing his unhappy lot Oh misery misery he cried I have Jieard of you but now I know you He had no gooner said this than he JieaBa a knock on the door and a voice I sayingDont Dont talk so loud Open the door i The man opened the door and saw a j woman standing there trembling and j 1 weeping I Dont expose me she said but I pare my life I have the ring here I did wrong to steal It For a moment the man was so Overcome over-come with astonishment that he was unable to speak He took the ring in his hand and looked at it while the woman Continued to plead with him He handed her the ring again I Take it he said and place it beneath be-neath the corner of one of the rugs in the bedroom of the princess Be quick about it for Im going to the king The woman ran and did as she had beentold and then the man came from I the room land sent an attendant to inform in-form the king tttiat the ring had been I found The king sent < for him I Where is the ring Under a corner of a rug in the bedroom bed-room of the princess year majesty replied re-plied the man bowing low and smiling Search was at once made and sure enough the beautiful ring was found under a corner of a rug in the princess beUroom The princess herself came to thank the conjurer and if he had not been a very sensible man lila head would have been turned by the attention 111e I received Even the king no longer I doubted the conjurers powers There is sameWiing in this man said the king and he straightway offered him a high position among his councilors The man thanked the king most heartily but declared Chat his business would not allow him to remain another day at court So > the king gave him a I purse of gold the young prince gave him another and the beautiful Princess Myla gave him a string of pearls of great Value Then lie went home bought him tome land built him a comfortable house and went into business for ihimself It sometimes happened that his wife complained because he did not accept the Icings offer and remain at court so that she might have flourished as a fine lady hut he always replied by say dng that the man is a fool who will tempt Providence more than three times In a lifetime Though he went into the palace poor and came out of it rich he j I had escaped only by the skin of hs I teeth He was always gratefu for his good fortune and by his example aught his children to lead virtuous lives and always al-ways to help the poor and needy To be continued CALLED Prom the Washington Star ilr Sorghum said the senators hue when you were elected you said I that you felt that your country had called you Did I I Undoubtedly How do you feel about it now The same > as ever I still feel that my country has called medown FOR 20 YEARS the formula for making Scotts Emulsion has been endorsed by physicians the whole world No secret about it This is one of its strongest endorsements But the strongest endorsement possible is in the vital strength it gives scotts Emulsion nourishes It does more for weak Babies and Growing Children than any other kind of nourishment nourish-ment It strengthens Weak Mothers and restores health to all suffering from Emaciation and General Debility For Coughs Colds Sore Throat Bronchitis Bron-chitis Weak LungsConsumptionBlood Diseases and Loss of Flesh Scolt Dowse N Y All Druggists 50c andJ f o 0 1itj |