Show Santa and the Music Box Little Princess Lost Her Smile Yet She May Die Without It Chapter I Once long long ago there was wasa a happy land called Cameroon and the king who ruled there was so wise and so kind that truly there was no sorrow in all that king king- dom dome domen It n was a a. land of plenty where there was work for all and food for all The children grew up in health and happiness and it seemed that the sun was always shining Beautiful gardens surrounded the kings king's palace and in the summertime summertime sum sum- anyone who wished could come there and walk among the flowers In the wintertime the palace i itself was open to all who chose to come in and warm themselves them them- themselves selves before the fires which always al always always al- al ways blaz blazed d on n the great open hearths Kings King's Daughter The king had a little daughter named Ruth and in all aU that kingdom kingdom king king- dom of happy people little Ruth Ruth was perhaps the happiest Her I eyes were always laughing and bright with the mere pleasure of being alive It might be said that Ruth did not know even the meanIng meanIng meaning mean- mean Ing of ot sorrow Every year the king gave a great Christmas festival for all his people ople H He raised a giant fir tree in the palace courtyard and decorated decorated decorated deco deco- rated it with silver balls and blue candles And beneath the tree he laid magnificent presents for his people Then everyone in the kingdom kingdom kingdom king king- dom gathered for singing and dancing and feasting How the children and grownups alike loved these festivals They talked of ot nothing else for weeks ahead and for weeks afterward They loved their king and the Princess Ruth and knew how fort fortunate for for- t they were to have such people peo pIe ruling in their land A Terrible Happening Now everything went well in Cameroon until mUI the Princess Ruth was 10 years old In that year exactly three weeks before Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas a very terrible thing hap hap- The little princess fell ill UJ What can be the matter with her cried the king as he sat beside the childs child's bed and held her hot hand in his The best doctors in the land landwere landwere landwere were there but they could only gaze sorrowfully at on one another and shake their heads It is the fever they said sald The poor princess will never smile again But that cant can't be protested the king Indeed he could not imagine his happy daughter without without with with- out a smile on her lips But the doctors persisted You see explained the eldest doctor When the fever comes it squeezes the heart into a tight knot and t there is no room for laughter No not even room for a smile He paused to wipe his eyes ayes then said And the heart that has no joy soon stops beating You child Y u mean my will die cried the king Yes said the doctor She will surely die unless she smiles within with with- in three weeks that is to say a great big Ig smile smile smile-at at least a three- three inc inch smile Different Child Then the doctors went away For three days and three nights the king sat by his childs child's bed On the fourth day the fever was waa gone and the little girl could sit up by herself But what a different different different dif dif- dif dif- ferent child she was The king could scarcely recognize recognize recognize nize her so 80 sad were her eyes and so solemn the little mouth Tell me little daughter begged the king tell me what I Ican Ican Ican can give you to make you happy Think surely you must be able to think of something that would make you smile again But Ruth shook her head My y heart seems empty she whispered sadly And I can find no joy there Then the kI king g was filled with grief and everyone in that happy happyland land was sorrowful Tomorrow Tomorrow The The News Leaches Reache Santa Land |