| Show Santa and the White Rose Rosell has given hI her first l h after the she Ih al ns 21 n to 0 a witch he h had promised the th Midi to th the witch when hen Ih he was a child Chapter 12 That night the Princess Hildur fell Into troubled dreams She hadn't slept an hour when she woke with a start because there was a sharp rustling noise outside her window She Jumped up lit a candle and ran to the window There she saw a great oak tree the leaves dropping from It She stepped out on the balcony looked down and there stood the first witch with her hand on the tree I r r i P u Sl C Cl l I 1 I I r I Th tere toad rite t l t trunk The tree was dead The witch cackled bent down and touched a rose bush which immediately dropped its leaves The witch looked up at Hildur and grinned Oh please dont don't do that said Hildur I cant can't help it it said the witch the way I am and andI I like it it The witch touched a a. white while lily Illy and it turned black Then she disappeared t Hildur ran quickly down the hall to her parents parents' room and told them the story The King looked quite distressed He hurried hurried hurried hur hur- ried down to the great hall shouting Men there is an old woman in black in the castle gardens Catch her immediately The guardsmen drew their swords and ran in all directions through the gardens But they didn't find the witch Instead they found a black trail of dead bushes and trees So they quickly mounted i their horses and rode after her down the black trail she had left She flew too fast for them Great Fright Comes With Blackened Crop When dawn came there was a great fright through the whole kingdom because she had slipped sUpped across almost every hill and farm farmand farmand farmand and left a path of dead black crops The king called in all his wise men and they advised him to send out riders through the whole kingdom to ask for help lp That day the kings king's soldiers were galloping galloping gal gal- loping along the roads an and into the near near-by kingdom to rally the young and the brave Two suns rose and sank before before before be be- fore one such rider arrived Inthe in inthe inthe the neighboring kingdom at the castle of King Harald where Carl was now a captain of the kings king's guard Carl stood beside the throne and listened with glistening eyes As soon as the messenger had stopped speaking Carl bowed to the king and said Sire let et me go I can find that witch King Harald sighed and looked affectionately at Carl He said Son go But give heed to your safety Carl was given the finest black blackhorse blackhorse blackhorse horse in the kings king's stables The warmest fur jacket in the kings king's wardrobe and he took along those precious arrows with the eagles eagle's s feathers He has kept them safely all the years since the tournament ment Santa Must Find Out Outi i What's Up With Carl CarlAs CarlAs As this was happening there was a great stir sUr in Santas Santa's toy toy- land Santa was sitting that day beside a window carving tiny rosebuds rosebuds rosebuds rose rose- buds on a dolls doll's bed Mrs Santa 1 sat beside him embroidering roses on the little white sheets which would go on the bed Santa stopped to light his pipe pips land and to look out at the sun glistening glistening glistening glisten- glisten ing on the snow As he did so so he exclaimed Ho Hol Mrs Santa look She peered out at the snow and said What Where No here said Santa He He pointed at the green vine which 1 grew around the window It was was' the magic vine he had planted years before It was covered suddenly suddenly suddenly sud- sud denly with big red flowers j the lad said Santa Carl Hes He's up to something important Mrs 1 Santa I must find out what's happening to him Call my rein rein- deers In half on hour Santa was flying flying fly fly- ing through the air in his sleigh i Monday londay Carl pursues the witch J Associated Press Feature Service |
