Show The Cat end the Princess BY ANNA LOW GLEN On a May day not long ago there were born two girl ba hies In a kingdom by the sea One was born to the Queen and the other to her wicked sister The Queen smiled into her babys blue eyes and fell asleep so sweetly that they did not know she had awakened In another country The King mourning for the Queen refused to see his daughter She was christened Mimi and was said by her nurse to be a beautiful child though the lords and Indies at the christening caught only a glimpse of a tiny form on a pillow swathed in trailing lace 5 In the state chamber the nurse rocked the cradle and droned a lullaby On the floor lay a large black cat His fur was like plush and his eyes yellow as topaz except at night when they turned to green Jade and shed a faint light Here Marmo said the nurse to the cat stir the cradle while I go below to speak with my cousins and other relatives rela-tives One evening when the Princess Mimi was Hearing three weeks old the Queens sister came to the palace under cover of the twilight carrying her child wrapped in her cloak She was dark and had an evil temper Her baby too was as Illfavored as the little princess was fair and comely The sister of the Queen talked long with the nurse and gave her many pieces of gold Then she lifted the Princes and placing her own child in the cradle said My daughter daugh-ter shall be Princess and Queen and as the people have not seen the child Miml no one will be the wiser And I shall rear Miml pretending she Is my own They had not noticed the cat Marmo during this conversation conver-sation I His back was arched his tall waved like a plume and his Jade greeit eyes emitted sparks No sooner had the plotters left the room leaving the Princess on the couch than he sprang upon the dressingcase and made fast the Queens jewel box by tying a knot In his tail He then leaped I upon the couch and lifting the baby Mimi by the nape of her neck ran out of doors with her Down to the shore hurried Marmo carrying the baby Until un-til he came to a fishermans dory tied to the pier With velvet vel-vet paws he stepped into the boat and dropped the Princess gently on a coil QC rope In the stern as the heavy tread of the fisherman was heard Then Marmo taking from the Jewel box a ring of little value bowed curiously to the fisherman and said Sir I pray you to t accept this ring as fee for a passage across the channel for this child and myself The fisherman wondered greatly hut he took the ring and rowed hard over the waves for he feared Marmo thinking him a magician In this way Marmo followed the fisherman to his cottage very fast Indeed for the man was so terrified by his strange visitors that he ran every step of the way You will do yourself no Injury Oh fisherman began the cat by taking from me this bracelet studded with gems in return for shelter and excellent t cows milk for myself my-self and child A diet of such flub as you catch is agreeable to me also The fishermans I eyes sparkled when he saw the Jewels and he replied It will afford me great pleasure Oh much esteemed cat to extend lo you the shelter of my humble roof He thought Aha Now I know what is in that casket The fishermans wife marveled at the strange pair and the rich robes of the baby but she set upon the board mill i 1 and Ilsh as the cat directed Many days passed and Marino purred to soothe the babys crying and waved his tall and sheathed and unsheathed ills shining claws to amuse her While she slept he walked on the beach with the fisherman and learned many things about the taking of fish and lobsters He considered buying a dory and trying his fortune on the deep sea when the jewels were goneEvery Every night when their t guests were asleep the flshennnr and his wife hunted the casket They did not find It for the cat had hidden it under a brick of hearth When the Queens sister 1 returned to carry away the Princess her anger knew no bounds She was forced to bt content with declaring that her own child had been stolen The news sprout to every town In the kingdom The fisherman and his wife seeing the chance of reward Immediately took counsel with their neighbors Is not this cat the thief they said How did he get possession of this richly clad infant and this box of gems Put him In Irons said the neigh bors He shall be brought before the King and be tried by seven Judges So they led Marmo before the King and the court and the seven white wigged judges proclaiming that they had taken the thief and claiming reward re-ward Prisoner at the bar what have you to say in your defense demanded the first of the seven judges Then time cat with salaams to the King unfolded the story of the Queens wicked sister how she had changed the babies In their cradles that her own child might he Queen how he Marnio had rescued the Princess And he concluded Honored sin if i you doubt my = words go to the hut or the fisherman where you will find the Queens jewel box containing the royal signet ring hidden under a brick of tin hearth Look moreover at the Infants themselves and say which resembles the Queen and which the wicked lau la-u lieu sisicr These things they did and found the < casket us the cat had said and tin Prjncess Mimi was declared the image < of her sainted mother Tim wicked sister wall banished from the land the nurse Imprisoned and the fisherman and his wife were sent away without reward The king was so pleased with the sagacity sa-gacity of the cat that he made him Prime Minister of the realm Marine filled that position ably throughout the < reign of the King and that of Quce Mimi who was guided by his advice In all affairs of the State |